Location Sheets

Questionnaire

Thriller Questionnaire.

Name:                                               Age:                                               Gender:

1: What is your favourite thriller out of this list?

Seven         Jaws          Silence of the lambs      Red eye              Other……………

Why?                                           

2: What is your least favourite thriller out of this list?

Seven       Jaws          silence of the lambs      Red eye           Other…….

Why?

3: What makes you scared?

Ghost         Gang violence             Death              Claustrophobia              spiders

Why…

4: What’s in a thriller that makes it enjoyable for the audience to watch?

Tension     Complex storylines     violence    mystery    investigation

Why…

5: What’s your favourite colour?

Red           Green       blue      Yellow       Pink       Black

6: When watching the opening credits, do you prefer simple text or more complex text?

Simple                                                         Complex

7: Do you prefer the main characters to be…

Male                              Female                    Both                       Not bothered

8: Do you think tension building music adds to the thriller atmosphere or is it a give-away?

Adds to it                                                Give-away

9: What do you believe an opening sequence should have to keep the audience’s attention?

Concealment           Action     Tension      Dialogue        Distressing images

10: Would you rather have a character you can relate to?

Yes                          No

Why…

11: What would you like to see in a thriller storyline?

Crime       Murder     Abuse      Torture

Why…

12: Do you prefer the plot to be a mystery or more exposed?

Mystery                      Exposed

Why…

13: Do you find that the lighting could change the mood of the thriller, for example: dim and dark lighting?

Yes                                  No

14: would you prefer white on black graphics or more complex?

White on black                                        Complex

15: would you prefer to be introduced to the main character in the opening sequence?

Yes                              No

16: what noises do you find scary and builds tension?

Beating sound                     Ticking               Rumbling          Footsteps      other

17: what noises do you find least scary?

Beating sound         ticking     rumbling      Foot steps      other

18: What is your favourite font?

Thriller      Thriller       Thriller    Thriller

19: What is your least favourite?

Thriller      Thriller       Thriller    Thriller

20: Would you prefer the storyline to be realsitic or supernatural?

Realistic                         Supernatural

Production Schedule

Production Title: Deadline

Students: Jessica Ogden, Natalie Litherland , Salif Ballo ,Luke Giwoowee

Date Production Started: 1st November 2010

Treatment Started: 15th November 2010

Shooting Started: 3rd December 2010

Rough Cut Submitted: 17th December 2010

Final Tape Completed By: January 2011

Equipment required:
Sony camera, tripod, battery, tape main leads, jib.

Transport required:
Public bus service for both shooting days

Crew:
Camera person: Natalie Litherland , Salif Ballo ,Luke Giwoowee, Jessoca Ogden
Director: Jessica Ogden
Actor: Patrica Allen

Props: Knife, kitchen towel, man’s coat, key ring with family picture on it, radio, glass of water , bin bag

Thriller Genre

Codes and conventions of thrillers

Notes:

Definition:

Both literal and film based genre that contains build-up of suspense. Mystical aspects are used to engage reader’s interpretations of events.

Sub Genres:

·        Psychological

·        Crime

·        Supernatural

·        Action

·        Erotic

·        Horror

·        Political

·        Drama

·        Disaster

CK Chesterten, British Author     Martin Rubin ‘Thrillers 1999’     John Cawelti ‘The Exotic’

Modern genre set mainly in urban environments ‘poetry of modern life’

Transform the ordinary to the extraordinary

Northrop Frye; The heroic romance

Hero is nearly always an ordinary person like the viewer

The ordinary person is forced to behave in extraordinary ways because of his or hers circumstances

‘Moves the world in which ordinary laws of nature are slightly suspended

Enchanted Forest= Normal modern city

Modern city= Enchantment and mystery

Introduction of the unfamiliar

Artefacts/objects/props from the middle-east or orient

Location

WH Matthews – Mazes and Labyritiths           Pascal Bonitzer- Partial version

Origins- Greek Mythology

Hero in a thriller often finds them-selves in a predicament

Faced with mazes full of twists and dead ends in order to reach the villain

Could be literally or a metaphorical for the narrative

Audience are presented with hero’s puzzles and problem solving

Audience only see so much, elements are hidden

Blind spots are introduced to build suspense and leave unanswered questions for the audience

What we don’t see is just as important as what we do see

Character is placed in an ‘unlimited prison’

Lars ole saurberg- concealments and protraction

Suspense works in two ways, pulls the audience in two different directions

Concealments- deliberately hiding something from the audience

Protraction- deliberated delaying of a suspected outcome i.e. bomb explosion, a planned killing

Noel Carroll- The question – answer model

Audience are presented with questions that they wait in suspense for the answer i.e. will the hero die? Who is the killer?

1.     Probability factor- a ‘sure thing’ is less exciting than the battle against odds

2.     Moral factor- morally right outcome increase involvement

3.     Maintains audience focus and interest

Analysis: The opening scenes of 'Silence of the lambs'

Analysis of: Opening scenes from  ‘Silence of the lambs’

Narrative structure:

Linear structure

Beginning: We are introduced to a woman climbing up a mountain and running through the forest on a misty day, it’s unclear to the audience what and why she is doing

Middle: It’s obvious this woman is doing some sort of agility course/ training as she climbs over a climbing frame taking her once suspected vulnerability away

End: She is stopped by a unknown character to go and see someone, we then know she works for the FBI or some kind of public service as it is displayed on the unknown characters hat and as she runs through campus of all these people either training or  working the building.

Thriller codes and conventions:

Like most thrillers silence of the lambs use question and answer model to make the opening sequence watchable and suspense as the audience want to find out answers for example

·         What is she doing?

·         Why is she running?

·         Is she getting chased?

·         What time is it?

Similar to questions and answer model the example of her looking left and right before going right leaves the idea of mazes and labyrinths- is she going the right way?

Camerawork

Throughout the opening credits the shots are very long to show distance with the use of long panned shots. The first opening shot is a crane shot as  the camera crosses the tress going from high to low.It cuts to a long shot of  her a girl in the distance climbing up the hill through the fog. The use of close ups of the characters feet as she runs through the leaves could be precieved as her running away from someone.The establishing shot of the training base changes the whole perspective of the character through th e opening sequence as it adds power and strength to the character which contridicts to the medium long shot of her running which could be percieved as her running away from the killer, meaning the use of a point of view shot. To captures this vunerablilty in this character they use tracking shot of her running, music also builds alongside to create suspense as she picks up speed.

Mise-en-Scene

Natural light is used to show either morning or dusk in the opening sequence. Your first impression of the character seems to be the stereotypical vulnerable girl on her own in the woods but her style in her running contrasts with that last image as it’s not frantic but calm and collected. Her surrounding ads to this idea of vulnerability as all those trees around her make her seem small and vulnerable. The climbing frames

Obstacle course is a signature point in opening scene as all vulnerability fades away as you understand why and what she is doing, suddenly changes from stereotypical vulnerable girl to more in control, strong woman as she is interrupted by a guy wearing FBI cap insinuates she is either working for the FBI or training to be an FBI agent.

Sound

Fade in of instrumental is heard before image comes on the screen. The use of music is a calming sound which doesn’t create suspense or tension, it’s not anything iconic either, relates the surrounding very calming morning music. The only diegetic sound in the sequence is her breathing and the slight crunches of leaves underneath her feet to show it’s only her running by herself. It’s unusual the choice of music as it doesn’t add tension to scene meaning no danger is going to happen to this girl yet.

Editing

There is very little editing other than variety in camera shots  and when the opening image of the trees fades in other than that it is very editing s as it only uses long takes. Comparing ‘silence of the lambs’ editing to other thrillers such as ‘Jaws’ or ‘Se7en’ it doesn’t come across as a thriller nor does

Graphics

At the start of the opening credits we are told the location of this character but the graphics are almost miss able as its only small and in the corner but throughout the rest of the opening credits the text was central of the screen and plain as its just black , bold, capital letters with white shadowing to contrast on the background image

Analysis: The opening scenes of 'Red Eye'

Narrative structure:

Red eye is linear structure

Thriller codes and conventions:

In Redeye they use such codes and conventions as concealment from the audience; hiding things from the audience creates an on edge atmosphere as the audience are faced with unanswered questions

·         Who is stealing his wallet?

·         Does he know it’s getting stolen?

All this adds and creates suspense to the thriller atmosphere. We later find out the main character is the romantic hero as she is forced to do extraordinary things to save her life.

Camera work:

 The use of a slow zoom on wallet focus’s the audience attention to show this is important or has some significance, the panned shot of family photos and then a close of picture of girl in graduation uniform - 1. Indicates she has some importance 2. Shows she has intelligent in a wealthy family. Quick cuts are used to add to the atmosphere of danger and suspense when the action begins between the movement of the cargo, to the opening and relieving this mysterious metal box inside. The different shots of different hotels blue prints and images of rooms are to gives the impression of someone investigating/ spying? - Which we late find out the main character works in a hotel.

Mise-En-Scene

I.D. card              

Sound

 We are introduce to a heartbeat / pounding sound which blends into the sound of a plane as the credits come on relating to the airport theme.  Soon as the first scene starts the music stops suddenly but then a low beating sound restarts again as the camera pans across the family pictures- using non-diegetic sound to insinuate something is going to happen now or with the people in the pictures. Throughout the credits the music played is non-diegetic which is upbeat and intense to add to the tension to the atmosphere.

Editing

Long cuts are used instead of quick shot ones; instead they use music to create the suspense and tension. The build-up of intensity in music and loudness are used to create tension instead of fast cuts like ‘se7en’. Credits fade out

Graphics

 The graphics are very simple - white on black, central of screen and capitalised which fades in and out. The title contrasts with simple graphics as its 3d, red, bold and capitalised. The red in the title signifies danger. The name of the film relates back to the aeroplane theme as that’s the name of the plane the main character gets on to which is the source of the thriller.

Treatment

 Treatment

Synopsis:

The expression of ‘two- faced’ has just got a more extreme. A normal working day woman finds herself battling with her inner demons as she is faced at a crossroads between good and evil.

Treatment:

Beginning:  Close up of Veronica preparing a glass of water before a long shot of her walking up stairs then the camera pans to her going from the stairs to the bathroom. Medium close of her to get some sleeping pills out of the bathroom cabinet reverse shot of her looking into the mirror before leaving the room to go to bed. As she gets in bed extreme close up of her hands picking up pills then camera follows as she takes a sip of water and she falls asleep. From a birds eyes view you see Veronica in the middle of the night tossing and turning before it cuts to black and white which is the beginning of the non-linear structure. Strobbing is used to show her getting out of bed but to disorientate the audience by showing one half of her still in bed and the other moving. Cutting to a panned low angle shot as she walks across the landing to the bathroom gives the character a different strength and power to the scene. As you see through Veronica point of view seeing her reflection in the mirror shows a difference in facial expression being cold and motionless. As it cuts to her quickly walking down stairs to kitchen there is a close up of her wrapping a mysterious object into a kitchen towel and placing her bag, the use of concealment leaves the audience guessing what is to come, as she is begging to leave you see a full shot of the character from the back revealing her size and height. The door slams behind her, and then sees her walking down her drive into the distance. When she returns you see her walking back up the drive from the bedroom window, to show a passing in time, when she does come through the door the camera pans to follow her walking up the stairs. As she drops the bag on the bathroom side an extreme close is used to make this a significant shot in the opening credits. The camera pans again round her as she walks to her bedroom and door closes behind her.  The camera is back in colour again as medium close up shows Veronica waking up in hot sweats, as you see a close up of her face her expression has changed again from that cold, motionless from before. As she goes back to sleep it cuts back to black and white again signifying a change in scenario it cuts to a close up of her pulling keys out with an extreme close up of image of keying with a family picture- with her not on leaving the question who are these keys as the door slowly turns and creeks building up suspense you here an alarmed voice from a far shouting ‘Who’s there?’ it quickly cuts to door slamming behind her and all you can hear is someone screams leaving the audience to decide what’s happened.  You see a behind shot of walking from the house with a coat over her shoulder which she didn’t have before. As it cuts back to her going home she drops coat in to a bin bag and throws it under the stairs, the camera pans as she walks up the stairs and into her bedroom. It cuts back to colour as she wakes up and looks to her alarm clock, close up of time to show the passing from night to day. As she goes to the bathroom she turns the radio on whilst getting ready she overheard the radio saying how the ‘Glazebury serial killer strikes again’ reaction shot shows her facial expression being shocked about the news, showing she is oblivious to the night antics. As she continues to get ready she reaches in to her bag to get lipstick but knocks the bag over by accident and the blood stained kitchen towel falls out she picks up the cloth and looks in the mirror cutting to black and white again to show the same the cold motionless expression from before slowly changing to an evil smirk.

Middle: Veronica can’t understand why she has found this or why she has discovered a coat which belonged to the Jones- who was the last serial killer victim. She realises that the time of her night terrors began was when murders began also. She hides camera all round her house and discovers the atrocities she has committed. She sends herself to a mental clinic to keep the public safe but her split personality is still taking over and somehow still committing these murders.

End: The police try to intervene and assonate Veronica but because it’s her split personality the cant kill an innocent person, they try to do an exoticism on Veronica to get rid of this evil spirit but it still doesn’t work. For the public sake Veronica ends up doing suicide.