Alfred Hitchcock – Auteur Filmmaker

British film maker – considered pioneer of suspense and psychological thriller genres. ­Born London, England- son of a green grocer. ­Lonely and sheltered as a child. Had few friends due to his obesity. ­Father would send him to the local police station for 10 minutes lock-up for bad behavior. ­Harsh punishment or being wrongly accused is a common theme in Hitchcock's films. - At 14, father dies. ­Started out in engineering which led him to photography and ultimately to film.

EARLY CAREER – 1920s 1920s­Hitchcock's first job - title designer for silent films. 1924­ Begins collaborating with German filmmaker Graham Cutts. -Works in art direction and set design. 1926­ Returns to London, marries Alma Reville, who becomes closest collaborator and confident. 1929­ Makes first sound picture, one of the first in the United Kingdom.

Auteurism ­ Huge success after British releases such as The Lady Vanishes (1938) and Jamaica Inn (1939) also make him famous in the USA. ­David O. Selznick, an American producer, convinces him to move to the USA to direct an adaptation of du Maurier's Rebecca (1940). ­After the release of Saboteur (1942), his films are named after him, too, and referred to as Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, etc.

Hitchcock put cameos in every film he made. - Used "wrong man" or "mistaken identity" motif, often. Wore a formal suit while working. Suspense – used cross-cutting frequently to extend and suspend time. Driving sequence shots cut between the driver’s point of view and close-ups of the passengers, from the opposite direction. This technique kept the viewer 'inside' the car and intensified danger. Used dark humour and dry wit, especially regarding murder. Preferred studio shooting, not location shooting, in order to have full control of lighting, etc. In many films he created shadows on the walls to enhance suspense and tension SIGNATURE STYLE