Research Task 1

GENRE AS A CONCEPT Like all genres, Thrillers have a beginning, middle and end. This is so the main events of the film can happen during the middle/end which means the beginning creates a good build up to the action. This keeps the audience interested and maintains the ‘on edge’ feeling throughout. There are many sub-genres, for example psycho thriller, action thriller, horror thriller, crime thriller and sci-fi thriller. They all follow the same general guidelines when it comes to the plot. The beginning is an introduction to the characters and setting, it can also foreshadow the story and give clues as to what might happen later in the film. The middle contains the main events or action and develops the story to the end which concludes the story by plot twists and/or someones death or defeat, possibly a cliff hanger if it is followed by a sequel. Audience expectations – The audience of a Thriller film experience many emotions throughout, many can cerate a certain type of excitement we don’t find in our everyday lives. Also there is a certain amount of pleasure that exists in seeing the good hero defeat the villain. Thrillers remain to be the most popular films for the feelings and emotions they create in their audiences.

HISTORY OF THE THRILLER GENRE Little Red Riding Hood (1697), this is an example of a psycho stalker story, one of the earliest examples from the Thriller genre.  Hitchcock is one of the most influential characters from the 20th century to this day. He describes his intentions as “giving the public good healthy mental shake-ups”. He was able to create suspense in particular scenes by using certain techniques. He used sound to create the atmosphere. In psycho, the shower scene, he used this technique which really made the scene. Another technique he used was “The McGuffin”, this is used so the audience cant guess the end, they have to keep thinking. An example of this is in the first half of psycho, the audnience is lead to believe the film is about the stolen $40,000 but by the end it ‘s completely irrelevant. His films rarely show graphic violence which leaves it up to the audiences imagination. There are many sub-genres, for example psycho thriller, action thriller, horror thriller, crime thriller and sci-fi thriller. They all follow the same general guidelines when it comes to the plot. The beginning is an introduction to the characters and setting, it can also foreshadow the story and give clues as to what might happen later in the film. The middle contains the main events or action and develops the story to the end which concludes the story by plot twists and/or someones death or defeat, possibly a cliff hanger if it is followed by a sequel.

NARRATIVE The narrative is described as “a chain of events in a cause and effect relationship occurring in the time”. The structure is complex and false, which holds paths and clues to the plot. The audience is left in suspense through the middle where the main events occur, the ending can twist the plot which creates mixed emotions for the audience. Thriller narratives are packed with riddles, clues and red herrings which keep the audience guessing. NARRATIVE CONVENTIONS Plot: exposition, development, turning point and climax and resolution  Structure: the order that events are revealed. can be circular ,chronological, flashback or flash-forward… Characterisation: protagonist and antagonist as mentioned above...construction of characters through dialogue actions, symbolism and juxtaposition, representation of attitudes, values and ideologies through characters Setting: time, place, atmosphere Themes/issues/ideas: are they related to context or are they universal themes..

MISE-EN-SCENE Setting/Location –Place where the scene is shot, e.g. city centre, countryside… Props – Items used by characters in a particular scene. Costume – Clothing characters where which gives clues to their personality and role. Figure/Facial Expression – The characters physical movements and what that says about them. Lighting – High key lighting is used to make a scene look naturally lit when it rarely isn’t. Low key lighting is when a lighting systems is used which intensifies shadows and gives a moody or scary (sometimes romantic) effect. Colour – The colour can change the feel of a scene drastically, for example it can add warmth and a real level of depth to a shot or scene. The colours of a scene are selected carefully in order to convey certain conventions. Iconography – The visual style of a piece or film, or the meaning that using a famous actor brings to a film.

CINEMATOGRAPHY Camera Shots Establishing shot – Usually the first shot used to show the audience the setting and surroundings. Though in Thrillers the tend not to used an establishing shot to open the film seeing as it gives a lot of information away at the start and Thrillers should let the audience guess about the characters and locations. Mid shot – A shot of the actors waist upwards (including arms). They tell you a lot about how the character is feeling e.g folded arms show they are uninterested by closing in, this shows signs of vulnerability. Mid close shot – Showing the face and shoulders, which means we see more detail. For example, a mid close up of a characters feet walking down a corridor shows ………… but doesn’t allow us to see the intensity of feelings. Close up – Used to show intense emotions. For example, a close up of a characters face shows their facial expression, giving us a real feel of their true feelings Camera Movements Pan – A horizontal camera movement, moving left to right on an axis or tripod. Tilt – Moving up or down on an axis or tripod. Steadicam – A stabilising mount for a camera which mechanically “steadies” the cameraman's movements from the camera. This allows a very smooth shot even if they’re moving quickly over an uneven surface. Zoom – Used for a dramatic effect. Has the effect of moving closer or further away from a subject/object without actually moving the camera (not strictly a camera movement but it gives that effect) Hand held – When something is shot handheld it creates a shaky effect.

SOUND Diegetic Sounds from within the scene Dialogue – Words spoken by the characters Ambient – The background sounds which are presented in a scene or location. Non Diegetic Sounds added in post Score –The musical component of a programme’s soundtrack, usually composed specifically for the scene. Voiceover – When a voice (often one of the characters) is heard whilst we see a scene they are describing or giving information about. This is often used to give a a sense of a characters subjectivity or to narrate an event told in flashback. Sound effects – Sounds that are added to an action during post, for example stabbing a melon creates the sound of stabbing a body and gives that effect. Sound bridge – Can lead in or out a scene, occurring at the start of one scene when the sound of the previously scene carries over briefly before the sound from the new scene starts.