Evaluation of 'A Fall from Grace.'

Introduction

“A real thriller [is one that] that pulls me in right from the beginning. The 'what if' premise delivers on the edge of your seat anticipation, and is a perfect fit for [the genre]."- Mark Stern

The opening of a thriller movie is arguably one of the most important moments – the director has around two minutes to capture the audiences’ attention, enthralling them and keep them wanting to watch more. With this in mind, we created our movie opening to be full of action and clear yet still have an enigmatic twist at the end.

Question One: 'In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?'

The title of our film holds a significance and is an aspect of the film which I, myself am very proud of. We searched and discussed many different titles for the film (at one point The Rep being the most promising of titles, despite our group feeling that it wasn’t very effective.) As planning went on and we began to further develop our characters and the background stories, we felt that it may have been a good idea to use the name of the femme fatale. As I was researching well-known sayings that included the name, A Fall from Grace immediately jumped out at me. The phrase has multiple definitions, appropriate as Grace may have many motives or many aspects of her personality which keeps our audience guessing. A fall from grace could mean the loss of respect or prestige – implicating that Grace could have been an innocent girl somehow corrupted and in a biblical sense, the meaning of the phrase is to become immoral; fitting as murder is the most immoral act that can be carried out. The physical meaning of the word was also apt, the ‘fall’ giving imagery of a struggle or a death which then carries on ‘from Grace,’ thus giving the name of the villain and an implication that she has done it multiple times.



Our thriller opens with an extreme-close-up of a female hand turning off the ignition in a car. The woman is wearing red nail varnish, which contrasts against the predominantly black/grey background. Red is a colour that connotes blood and danger as well as implicating the feelings of lust or anger. The fact that this is the colour of her nails is a warning to the audience; giving them a quick idea of the type of person she may be. We then cut from an extreme close up to a tracking shot of the femme-fatale (Grace Jones)’s legs as she walks towards the boot of the car. Here, we decided to acknowledge the classic femme fatale look (such as Marian in Hitchcock’s Psycho) – where the character is wearing a short skirt and heels, which we then modernised with the use of leggings. We decided that this would be a good idea, as the apparel such as this is instantly relatable to classic femme-fatales. This again indicates to the audience that there is something mysterious about this character – this was one of our key ideas to get the audience hooked immediately. The suspicion felt through her costume and accessories is deepened by the use of a low angle shot of Grace picking up a bag, in which a knife can clearly be seen. Here, we used an unusual camera angle, where we shot from inside of the boot looking out. We felt that this would be an appropriate angle as it begins to give a claustrophobic atmosphere and also pays homage to films such as Tarantino’s Jackie Brown where Beaumont is put in the boot of a car by hostile arms dealer and thug Ordell.



Throughout the film, we attempted to show as few features of Grace Jones as possible (as in Usual Suspects). We thought that this would be a good way to create curiosity and thus hook the audience. Not showing our femme-fatales face gives her an enigmatic persona: a feature of the genre effectively used by directors such as Carol Reed with his character Anna (of The Third Man), an inscrutable, glamorous actress whose true identity is not revealed until well into the film.

When choosing out location, we thought that the shop and the basement we used would be perfect for many reasons. The shop is quite crowded, with many shelves and stands: we thought that this would be a useful aspect of the mise-en-scene as it implicates that there will not be an easy escape and also gives the villain many places to hide. The shop floor also has an extremely interesting layout, where the entrance to the basement is tucked away – this was useful as it gave us the opportunity to be able to validate how the character could sneak into the basement and murder the shop assistant whose unassuming appearance grounds the film in reality. His formal manner is in stark contrast to Grace’s fatal plan.



The basement itself was a brilliant location as it was a dark and claustrophobic space (which is a traditional convention of the thriller genre.) It also had various lights which allowed us to experiment with different lighting and to see which types of lighting (along with the torches we used separately) would work best to create an atmospheric thriller.



Many shots we used were inspired by other films, although they were not necessarily thrillers. One of my favourite shots (that unfortunately had to be taken out for timing reasons- and as we already had a more effective shot, we decided the video would be more effective without the shot) was inspired by the recent Dorian Gray, in which, Dorian is walking up a set of stairs towards the camera. I thought that this was extremely effective as tension built rapidly as the audience cannot see what the character is walking towards.

"There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it." - Alfred Hitchcock



"Give them pleasure - the same pleasure they have when they wake up from a nightmare" - Alfred Hitchcock

Another shot we felt was deeply inspired by another film was the scene in which Grace Jones murders the shop assistant. To film this, we used silhouettes on a brick wall in the basement (as it was effective and safe, as the knife was not physically close to the person that was ‘murdered.’) – A shot that is again reminiscent of Psycho’s shower scene in which Marian Crane is killed by Norman Bates. The use of shadow is another generic convention – used especially in The Third Man. Shadows connote illusion and play on characters imagination, they also suggest nightmare and invisible enemies.



There are many conventions of the thriller genre that we tried to utilise within our short film. Claustrophobic spaces such as the basement we used are widely used within this type of film as they often have one exit, which can easily be blocked; another aspect that these spaces are so popular in these films is that there is nowhere to hide – a phobia of many. We also attempted to use noir and chiaroscuro lighting, which when used effectively can create an extremely atmospheric scene. A good example of this is Once Upon a Time in America where the lighting is one of the main devices used to create tension and suspicion in the opening sequence.



A major influence on our filming was certain camera angles used frequently in thrillers: we used many close up and extreme close ups within our film as it puts emphasis on important aspects of the action. Tilted and canted shots were also extremely important (of which we were influenced by shots in such films as The Third Man) to indicate to the audience that there is something wrong with the character and lend to a disorientation that places the audience into the role of the protagonist. For example, Holly Martin’s first glimpse of his friend (In The Third Man) reflects his growing paranoia and confusion as Lime is meant to be dead.

Narrative structure is another key feature throughout our thriller opening, as we cut frequently between Grace Jones walking to the shop and the shopkeeper counting the money. These two actions would have happened at the same time, and we believed that this was a good way to present this; as well as the fact that the woman is connected. We used this as a device to forewarn the viewer that Grace’s motives are linked to money; the pile of notes also references the money that Marian Crane of Psycho steals, but with which also seals her fate.

Question two: 'How does your media product represent paticular social groups?'

"[A good film is] a great thriller or mystery, but on another level it's a film about the fact that, if you only look at a person through one lens, or only believe what you're told, you can often miss the truth that is staring you in the face." - Kevin Spacey

The characters we created are also stereotypical of the thriller genre. We used a classic villain and victim relationship, although gave it a slight twist. We wanted to stick relatively closely to the classic definition of the femmes fatales in our thriller. Filmsite.org defines this character as a mysterious, duplicitous, subversive, predatory, tough-sweet, manipulative and desperate women.

In my opinion, we pulled it off quite well in A Fall from Grace as our character, Grace Jones, could be said to have many of these characteristics. She has an air of mystery about her from the start as the audience never sees a shot of her face – the camera is always focused around her body or close ups of her hand taking the money, turning off the light-switch etc. We hoped that this would encourage our viewers to continue watching so they can discover more about this mysterious woman. The duplicitous and the desperate parts of the character come into play through Grace stealing the large amount of money. Obviously, this is not the right thing to do, and by showing Grace and the manager of the shop acknowledging each other, it shows that the character can pull off her crimes with an air on innocence. The subversive aspect comes into play through the role of the villain being played by a woman – although this may seem more commonplace than in films such as The Third Man in 1949, a majority of villains in modern films are still played by men.

Grace’s tough-sweet personality is also evident through her dress sense (being a skirt and heels – a ‘sweeter’ look than maybe a more harsh look of jeans and trainers) juxtaposed against her tough act of murder and theft. I believe that we pulled of the predatory part of the ‘femme fatale’ in an interesting way. The fact that the character that Grace kills is a teenage boy is not accidental. In modern times, teenage boys are seen as villainous ‘thugs’ and girls as more innocent – here, however, we flipped the stereotype and attempted to implicate in our film that some things aren’t always as they seem.

The older man in the car was also an interesting character that we added into our film later. We thought that it may add an interesting twist and keep the audience engaged as they watch the predator become the hunted. The older man gives the film more of a variety, so it’s not purely teenage-based and it also gives the impression that Grace may be part of a team of criminals or even is being chased by one. The older man dressed in a suit is an ironic statement, as usually people that wear suits are ‘respectable’ men with ‘respectable’ jobs and are trusted by many people (also proved in a psychological study where it was found that British civilians were more likely to trust and obey people in suits rather than casual attire). This again goes with the theme that things may not be always how they seem.



Question three: 'What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?'

Our film would be primarily distributed straight to internet – to websites such as YouTube, in particular. I believe that this would be the best form of distribution as it is easily accessible and YouTube has millions of viewers and therefore will hopefully capture the attention of many. It is also an interesting place to gain feedback from friends, family and the unrelated public as YouTube offers the opportunity to comment on the video. This will give us an idea of what was successful in our film and what we would change should we do a similar task in the future; for example, it was suggested that the way we showed the murder in A Fall from Grace seemed a little cliché, and so if we had to do to the task again, I would probably propose that we find a more unique way to shoot it. A few people also claimed that the narrative structure seemed a little confusing at times, and had we had more time then I believe we could have tidied it up a little more.

Question four: 'Who would be the audience for your media product?'

Obviously, whilst creating the film we had our audience in mind. Before we began our thriller opening, each member of our group had conducted various pieces of audience research, both generally and focusing on the thriller genre. This research gave us the chance to gain an insight into what audiences expect to see in a successful thriller. We found that generally, middle-class teenagers of both genders would find a film such as ours most appealing. We believe that this age may be interested as they are beginning to find their own interests and old enough to watch other films of this genre such as Extreme Measures. Also, the fact that we used a teenage shop assistant allows our audience to relate to and become involved in the film’s characters as many middle-class teenagers have Saturday jobs in small independent shops. Females in the 15-25 age range may be curious about Grace’s behaviour and interested in how a girl who dresses like them and looks respectable us capable of a heinous crime. The older man in the back of the car, which looks as though he is some kind of mob-boss may also broaden the appeal to older audiences also.

Question five: 'How did you attract/address your audience?'

"I am the audience." - Quentin Tarantino.

Although the above quotation from Tarantino may seen a little strange, I believe it holds a truth in the way films are made. In one way, we made the film for ourselves, as if we would have enjoyed certain aspects (being in the specified age range of our audience), generally many others would feel the same. If a certain part of our film bored us, then we would cut it out, and if we thought an idea would be slightly unnerving; we tried to think of a way to intensify that feeling and would have us on the edge of our seat.


This interview is an extremely interesting one with Alfred Hitchcock about how his films are effective and create fear within his audience.

There are many aspects of our thriller that we planned to ensure the audience would want to continue watching the film. First of all, we tried not to make our plot too complicated – as many people watch films to relax and do not wish to have to think about what’s happening just so they can follow the storyline. We also used both male and female characters to broaden appeal – it also shows that both sexes are capable of dark deeds motivated by greed which we have explored in our film. In our audience research, we discovered that our target audience believe a “mysterious location” would be most effective. They also said that films that start off in a recognisable setting and then take a “scary turn” – therefore, I believe that our location is perfect. We start with a car park and a shop, and then follow our characters into a cellar – a mysterious and claustrophobic location; thus taking the film into the dimensions of the imagination. The action in the opening, we believe is a good way to hook the audience – in the first two minutes of the film, there is a murder, a robbery and a twist (where the murderer has a knife held to her throat by an older man.) Many people do not have an appreciation for films that take a while to get into the action, so we believe that jumping straight in and leaving a cliff-hanger will captivate our audience.



During editing, we also decided on a mix between diagetic and non-diagetic sound. Our soundtrack is playing throughout the whole introduction; however a few sounds can be heard over the top – for example, a creaking door or the heels of the femme fatale. We thought that this would be a good idea as it can give the opening a dissociative and almost dream-like quality which contrasts with the diagetic sounds which grounds the film into reality – this is what may give the audience the incentive to continue watching as they begin to wonder if Grace is about to be kidnapped, killed or whether she may fight off the man who has found his way into her car.

Question six: 'What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?'

Throughout the course of filming our thriller opening, I have learnt more than I expected to about the process of construction. First of all, I learnt the importance of camera angles: not only does a variety of camera shots make a film/programme more interesting, but it also assists in the build-up of emotion and the audience’s judge of characters. For example, a tilt shot could create suspicion or disorientation (often associated with iconic villains such as Harry Lime) and close up’s are extremely important when trying to create atmosphere. We also discovered how different movements are significant in creating a character – for example, in our thriller, the shop assistant jogs down the stairs which gives him a nonchalant air, which also allows the audience to empathise with him, as he is a normal teenage boy. The femme-fatale however, walked with a slower pace, which made her look more menacing and gives her an air of superiority.

Before our project, I had also underestimated the value of editing in the creation of a film. Through editing, you are able to change the tone of a film dramatically. We changed the sequencing of our shots a number of times – the cross-cutting between Grace’s arrival and walk to the shop with the shop assistant counting the money added to the pace and thus suspense. This is good as not only do the stories run parallel to each other, but we were also able to emphasise which characters were linked. Slow motion was also extremely useful as it enabled us to put emphasis on important actions – Grace’s walk through the basement with the knife for instance, slow motion is also useful in creating more tension in the atmosphere.

We also discovered the importance of effective titles in a successful thriller film. Films such as Terry Winsor’s Essex Boys have an extremely effective title sequence which sets the scene for the rest of the movie. Of course, we only had two minutes to draw in our audience, so a title sequence such as this one was not possible. However, we still wanted the titles to be effective. Therefore, we used a large, readable font which was set aside from the action, but with a colour that contrasted against the scene which means that the viewers eyes are drawn towards the words. Hopefully, this has created the desired effect of simple yet successful titles.

The cameras we used were also extremely useful in the filming of our production. Technology has allowed cameras to give quick previews of raw footage on location, which meant that we could shoot a scene and look over it to see what needed changing or what we could add to make the mise-en-scene more effective. This was one extremely useful in our group especially as our location was in North Walsham – a place difficult to reach for the majority of our group. Fortunately, one of the members in our group (Adam Ward) had a father who was willing to drive Adam, myself and Andreas to the shop, for which we were extremely grateful. We then thought that it would be a good idea to give Adam’s father a role in the film, and in the final cut, he plays the part of the older man in the last scene; giving the film a final hook.



YouTube and IMDB were both extremely useful websites into our research and planning for our film. I used them both to look further into the world of the thriller films and they gave me a lot of information about the conventions and also let me watch trailers and clips of classic thriller films. Both websites also allow feedback from the general public, meaning that I could see which aspects most appealed to the audience and which we could include in our own films. YouTube also allowed us to publish our own film online and since, we have had various pieces on feedback; all of which were very useful.



BlogSpot is another website to which I owe a huge part of my project. On this website, I was able to post all of my planning, photos, processes, reviews of thrillers and much more. This meant that all of my work could be organised and laid out for other’s to see and witness my progress through the process of making the film.



"To me, movies and music go hand in hand. When I'm writing a script, one of the first things I do is find the music I'm going to play for the opening sequence." - Quentin Tarantino

As is evident, the internet has played a large part in making our thriller film possible. It has also enabled us to find a soundtrack for our thriller that is un-copyrighted. As is in our prompt, we needed a soundtrack to our film which was either over 50 years old or by an unsigned band. From the MobyGratis website, we found a soundtrack that we believed was perfect for our film. The song ‘across’ is an instrumental/classical piece that could be described as calming; written and performed by an unsigned band. We got in touch with the band and asked whether it would be possible to use the song. They agreed, asking to see the finished production. We wanted to create an ironic statement with our soundtrack, as did Sergio Leone in Once Upon a Time in America with their soundtrack of ‘God Bless America’ in the opening scene. We done this by juxtaposing the soothing piece of music to a violent, ruthless act of murder; out intention was to create a eerie, nightmare-like quality to the atmosphere.

Question seven: 'Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?'

In contrast to our preliminary task, it seems that through this project we planned a lot more. Our plans helped us to shoot, edit (and then re-shoot) as with each step, we knew what we had to film, how to edit and what we needed to change. Within our group, we also shot each scene multiple times, with different camera angles (and on our re-shoots, we also varied the lighting as well, after realising the importance of lighting to the tone of the film.) This enabled us to have a range of shots to be able to chose from when it came to editing, and therefore make our film better overall.



The preliminary task also helped us to understand the 180° rule (a guideline stating that two characters in the same scene should always have the same left/right position to each other unless we see the character physically move to a different position.) This rule helped to create clarity in our narrative and filming; also helped by our practise in continuity editing.

I have also learnt through this project the difficulty of working in the confines of a genre. Each film wants to have a unique selling point and something in the plot which sets it aside from the rest – however, working within the conventions to show our understanding of the genre proved to be a task more complicated than it at first sounds. In the end, my group decided that to be most effective, we’d attempt to create a mix of conventions; camera shots and a narrative structure that we felt were most appealing in our own minds and ended up with a production that will hopefully be liked by others too.

Within our groups, we each made various contributions to the film. We all completed the planning, each offering different suggestions – a concoction which made up our final project, and we discussed our ideas together as a group for a long period of time until we were all completely happy. I completed two audience research methods; both a general one and one focusing specifically on the thriller genre. I used a variation of people for my participants; from peers to family members with an age range of fifteen to thirty five. I wanted a wider age range to discover how broad the appeal of thrillers was and what we could do to include as much of an audience as possible. We shared ideas of costumes and location. I also contributed the costume of the femme fatale (and was also planning to before the our original volunteer to play Grace unfortunately had to pull out). I turned up to every shooting session and I played the role of the femme-fatale – despite the fact that I am not a drama student, or have never done much drama in my life, I tried to do the best job I could as I knew it would have an effect as our project and the group as a whole. I also brought a few handbags (as well as other props) on our first shooting session, although we decided to use one that belonged to the mother of another group member in the end as it seemed the most appropriate for the role, the black colouring lending to the convention of the thriller film and the leather connoting fashion and yet a sense of cruelty. I also brought a lamp that was proposed we use, but decided not to use it in the film – however, it still contributed towards lighting. Since filming, I have also spent every lunchtime (other than the times I have been ill) with my group helping to edit the film.

Overall, I believe that our thriller introduction turned out much better than I thought that it would, and thanks to the hard work of each member of our group, I am extremely proud of it.

A Fall From Grace: Our Thriller Film!

We have finally finished our film, and I put it on YouTube to get some feedback and to allow people to watch our final result.



Here is our film: To watch it on Youtube/leave feedback, then please double click the above video or follow the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5upJdkMotFc

Soundtrack

We spent a lot of time trying to decide on the perfect soundtrack on our thriller, and despite our hesitation at first when we believed it would be difficult to find a track that was uncopyrighted; we soon seemed to be overwhelmed with choice: did we want a stereotypical soundtrack or an ironic one? Did we want an instrumental or a piece with lyrics?

In the end, we decided to use "Across" - an instrumental, classical piece from a website that hosts many uncopyrighted songs (mobygratis). We got in touch with the original artist of the piece and asked for their permission to use the song - they agreed on the condition we let them watch the finished video, which of course we agreed to.

We chose this piece because we felt it would be an ironic statement to the action in the video (in a similar way to God Bless America is used in an ironic way in Once Upon a Time in America.) This includes the way in which throughout the murder, peaceful music continues to play in the background - almost making it seem meaningless.

Equipment List.

Whilst shooting our thriller, we used various pieces of equipment. These are as follows:

Camera


Tripod

We used a tripod similar to this to ensure that our cinematography was as smooth as possible. During our thriller filming, I discovered how crucial these were in creating a watchable film.

Lighting


We used various types of lighting whilst shooting our thriller film - the majority of which being torches as our thriller was mainly shot in the dark. We used a trial-and-error techniques with the lighting, finally finding a balance that still have us the dark atmosphere that we needed and enough light that the action was visible.

Each piece of equipment was crucial for our filming and extremely effective.

Thriller Title: A Fall From Grace

Originally, we had planned to call our film 'The Rep' - as we had planned for the villain in our thriller to be a 'rep' for the shop in which we were filming. Whilst shooting, we thought about how effective this would be, and decided that another title would probably represent our film better.

We brainstormed a few ideas, and thought about tie-ins we could make to the character and the plot. I brainstormed around the villain's name: Grace Jones. In the end, we decided to use "A Fall From Grace" as our title.

Whilst researching the phrase, we found several meanings:

1. A loss of status

2. A loss of respect

3. A loss of prestige

4. In a biblical sense, it means to become immoral.
e.g
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (from the Bible)

5. In a famous poem, the line: "The fall from grace is steep and swift, and when you land, it does not make a sound, because you are alone" by Cari Williams in 1995 was very poweful.

'A Fall From Grace' holds several connotations about our film. First of all, we thought that it was a good idea as it highlights how Grace is the villain - murdering innocent people. We then thought about how it could hold deeper connotations towards the rest of the film.

The title suggests (as shown by the fourth suggestion of meaning of the phrase) that Grace was a classic 'good girl' and that something has happened to turn her into this murderous villain. We thought that this may intice the audience as they wish to find out what has happened to her in the past and what will happen to her.

Storyboards

When we were first given the task of creating the opening to a thriller film, we thought out and storyboarded an idea that we did not use in the end. However, I thought that I would put my storyboard on the blog as it shows some of the thought processes of the group and the shots that we kept and how our idea developed over time.

ORIGINAL STORYBOARD:




There was a slight change, and Sam Cameron became a part of our group. A cellar then become available through the fact that Sam's mum owns a shop in North Walsham. We changed our idea as we believed that it followed more conventions and would make a more effective film overall.

Shots that are similar in both ideas include the shot from inside of the boot - we kept this as we thought that not only would this be quite a unique idea, but it would also follow the convention of a claustrophic space. We also thought that the effect the light would have when the boot was opened would create a good atmosphere in the film.

NEW STORYBOARD:




Although I'm not brilliant at drawing (as is apparent), I think that the contrasting storyboards are effective in showing our thought processes and also give an overview of our original ideas.

Write an analysis of Max’s death paying particular attention to how gender and death are represented. (Including micro and macro analysis.)

Within TV Dramas (and teen dramas in particular) death and gender are often presented in certain ways. Predominantly, teen dramas highly emphasise classic stereotypes. The writers behind Hollyoaks are extremely clever in how they use shots and objects to symbolise a certain message that they wish to present. Max’s death was a scene that was remembered by fans of Hollyoaks as a tragedy. The director has created an effective atmosphere using all aspects of production: characters, costume, sound, camera angles, mise-en-scene and more.

By macro analysing how men are presented in the scene, it becomes apparent that Hollyoaks is a teen drama that utilises the conventions mentioned earlier. One of the most dominant connotations of Max’s character is that he is a saviour – carried through by the fact he was hit by a car after pushing his brother out of the way. This action holds implications of the traditional perspective that men are masculine and strong. Max’s best on-screen friend rushes to the scene and their interactions portray a traditional relationship between close friends with a contemporary twist:

“I love you!”

“Don’t be gay, mate!”

This shows not only that the characters are relatable but also that the cast and crew behind Hollyoaks ensure that the drama keeps us with the trends and general feel of the times to keep the show as contemporary and popular as possible. OB (the best friend), although distressed, is controlled and focused on the situation which is how psychologists suggest men generally react to a stressor which again reinforces the traditional 'masculine' role of men. Another example to back up this point is the fact that the scene is male dominated; suggesting that men are more prepared to deal with this kind of situation.

A micro analysis of the representation of men only reinforces the 'saviour' perspective of Max as the cinematographer has used low angle shots and various vital parts of the scene are edited into slow motion.

In a similar style, Hollyoaks have used the cliché of the damsel in distress to portray Steph (the new wife of Max) as she realises what has happened. As it is their wedding day, the actress is in a white, puffy dress implicating innocence and perfection – as this style of dress is popular in fairy tales. Steph is the picture of the 'perfect' woman; somebody that the majority of men fantasize about - blonde hair, good figure etc. This seems to make the situation even more devastating. The hysteria exerted by the only female character in the scene implicates that women cannot cope with high emotions or need a man to help control their feelings - however, her dominance in the scene (white contrasted with their black suits and the fact that her outfit is so big compared to theirs and also the sound of her screams and crying dominates over any other sound.) suggests that women are an significant figure in the men’s life. Again, the fact that the audience can see that she is the only girl shows how important the day of her wedding/his death is.

As before, a micro analysis is useful to strengthen points that have been raised whilst looking at the macro analysis. Likewise to how editing parts of the drama into slow motion helped to portray Max as a saviour; in this instance it helps to prove the helplessness of Steph's situation and also shows the fact that she can't understand or believe what has happened to her new husband. The nature and grass also visible in the mise-en-scene also juxtaposes the situation in the scene and reflects how beautiful Steph looks. The low angle also implicates that Steph is nothing without Max - or to generalise, woman feel empty when they lose/break up with their partners.

Obviously, death is a major part in this clip. However, the cast have to be careful not to glamorise it too much as shows like these have a reputation of influencing younger viewers (for example, if there is an anorexia storyline, schools have reported an increase in the number of students reporting having an eating disorder.) Nevertheless, if they can't make it too disturbing as the programme is shown before the watershed at 9pm.

Hollyoaks has been clever in presenting death as a tragedy. The fact that everybody in the mise-en-scene is crying or screaming in anguish represents the pain of family members and friends (deterring viewers from anything extreme). However it doesn't want to scare the viewers into giving them a phobia of death; therefore, it attempts to make it optimistic. The music and angles implicate heaven or the fact that Max was 'going to a better place.' The nature (also used to compliment Stephs beauty) in the mise-en-scene also reflects peace, stating that death is not always painful. Although the cast didn't want to glorify death too much, it does tend to 'prettify' it to an extent, the fact that Max is not covered in blood also may give the impression that it's not dangerous and that everyone will look beautiful in death.

The micro-analysis also gives a certain optimism to death. There is a birds-eye view of the situation, which although giving distance to the characters from the audience, but it gives the impression that Max is watching them from above/in heaven. The slow motion used frequently in this clip may imitate how everything is meant to slow down moments before death, and also how precious time is. The non-diagetic choir in the background yet again gives an optimism as it is often related to religion, therefore implying that the character that has died is now closer to God. Another important aspect of the clip that plays a major part in the drama's representation of death is that all of the tiny sounds (such as a toy falling to the floor) are intensified. Again, this could be a suggestion that every moment in life is precious and a hint that people should live every day as if it is their last.

In conclusion, Hollyoaks has created an extremely effective if stereotypical representation of both gender and death using most major parts of production. Overall, although the scene is extremely tragic, it holds a positive light and lets the audience know that although it's not a 'happy ending,' they still have something to live and be grateful for.

An essay to argue for or against the statement that “moving images production has always been led by the audience’s demand for new sensation.”

Throughout history, there has always been a demand for new technologies and inventions. The further we progress with science; the more we wish to discover. To a degree, this concept is also true with film. Both film-makers and audiences alike yearn for something to make a film more cutting-edge and modern; for something that will make the film more exciting to watch. For example, when moving images production was still new, they were black and white images with only captions for conversation and a live pianist playing inside the cinema (or theatre as it was more commonly known.)

Cinema then became known for films known as ‘talkies’ in which the audience would actually be able to hear the actors talk. This excited audiences, yet it was still not enough. We then developed colour films that contrasted against the ordinary movies that were filmed in black and white and coloured sepia. Then special effects (SFX) began to creep into films. The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots in 1895 was one of the first films to use a special effect, using a substitution shot with a dummy to enable them to shoot Mary Queen of Scot’s execution. The world of cinema then discovered the wonders of animation: now able to integrate the two types of films. Pete’s Dragon in 1977 was the first film that combined animation and live action. The team behind this managed it by creating three scenes that they could composite together with a live foreground and background, but an animated middle ground. These developments were then followed by CGI and 3D (Three Dimensional) films – and these are only a few of the technological advancements that have been made throughout the history of film.

So, it would be a valid question to ask whether it is new sensations that interest the audience. However, there are many other factors to take into consideration. What would a technologically able film be without good actors, a good director or an inspirational plotline?

The Wizard of Oz is a film that when released, was highly publicised for it’s technological advances – this was a film that was able to boast Technicolor! One IMDB user was able to reminisce of the film being introduced with the sentence:

“The following program is brought to you in living colour on NBC!”



The Wizard of Oz was filmed half in three-strip Technicolor (the sequences of Oz) and half in black-and-white (the sequences of Kansas) and later coloured with Sepia. The film was publicised as being in colour – although the black-and-white sections of the film were not mentioned. This gives us the impression that audiences would not be interested in the film had it not been advanced technologically.



When the film was first released, it is easy to say that the fact that it was in colour was the main reason for its popularity as it amazed audiences all over the country. However, this is no reason for the film to be still popular today. I believe that the secret behind its vast popularity is due to the storyline: it holds interesting characters and songs to keep children entertained; for the elder generations, it holds a significance in their past that assists reminiscence and it has also grown increasingly popular with the LGBT (the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender cult.) It is said that this film is the first that represented acceptance towards their sexuality (the black and white sections of the film presenting homophobia juxtaposing against the colourful land of Oz which implicates acceptance.) As a consequence of this, Judy Garland - who plays Dorothy, has since become a big gay icon.

The film of a scarecrow, a tin man and a cowardly lion has since gone down in history – although it may be remembered significantly for it’s technological advancements; its popularity demands a look at the plotline – which in my opinion, has made the film what it was.

Another film that was known for its advances in technology is Toy Story. Disney’s Toy Story was the first ever feature-length animation. The film was made up of 114,240 frames, each of which took two hours and fifteen minutes to complete. As you can imagine, this was a lengthy progress, but was time well spent. To date, Toy Story has grossed over $356 million worldwide and even now is still being widely publicised: for example, a 3D version of the sequel is now being shown in selected cinemas – something you could say that emphasises how demand for new sensation is shaping cinema. However, an argument to this statement is that had it not been for the amazing plotline of Toy Story, would it still be the one film out of thousands chosen to be re-released years later in 3D.

The film Toy Story is loved by many, and remembered fondly by those that saw it in the cinema as children. The plot is easy to relate to – even for younger children. They could relate to Woody (having to compete with somebody for your best friend) and even Buzz Light-year (being new and having to find new friends.) This basic plot made interesting with the use of toys has been extremely popular and also loved by parents for the moral ending of them working together and becoming friends themselves.



It is obvious that this film wasn’t only successful for its technology, and although it played a bit part in the original publicity and income, it has since become infamous for its moving storyline.

The most recent film advertised specifically for its advances in cinematic technology is 2009’s Avatar. The phenomenon of filming in 3D has created a new craze within fans of cinema. One IMDB user stated that the new method of filming debuted in Avatar was “one of the best cinematic experiences ever” which provides us with an argument for the statement that audiences are forever in want of a ‘new sensation.’ Avatar was filmed using two high-definition cameras in a single camera body to create a better depth perception as well as photo-realistic computer-generated characters that were created using motion-capture animations. The characters were made with real actors performances captured on a visual counterpart so audiences could still watch ‘real’ action. The mix of technologies has created a film that audiences have gone crazy to watch. As of yet, bearing in mind it has only been out a few months, the film has made $910,847,633 and has been titled as the highest-grossing film of all time in Australia, Russia, Spain and Vietnam amongst others.



This is a true sign that a film has become popular, and also shows us how willing audiences were to pay more to witness a film more advanced that would increase the pleasure in their cinematic experiences. Avatar is an example of a point towards the fact that moving images production is led by the audiences demand for new sensation: and if this is the reaction willingly given by today’s generation then who would argue?

In conclusion, although technology obviously plays a big part in the advancements of cinema and new films of today, audiences can be extremely stubborn. If the storyline or plot in a film is not enough to impress, then a film will not become successful. Therefore, I believe that although it is important, and although the audience do determine how films are made, technological advancements are not the main reason for changes in the production of film.

Bibliography:
The Wizard of Oz:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_(1939_film)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/

Toy Story:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_story
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114709/

Avatar:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_(2009_film)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499549/

Other:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete%27s_Dragon
http://www.filmsite.org/visualeffects1.html

Characteristics of Film Noir.

Primary Characteristics and Conventions of Film Noir: Themes and Styles

The primary moods of classic film noir were melancholy, alienation, bleakness, disillusionment, disenchantment, pessimism, ambiguity, moral corruption, evil, guilt, desperation and paranoia.

Heroes (or anti-heroes), corrupt characters and villains included down-and-out, conflicted hard-boiled detectives or private eyes, cops, gangsters, government agents, a lone wolf, socio-paths or killers, crooks, war veterans, politicians, petty criminals, murderers, or just plain Joes. These protagonists were often morally-ambiguous low-lifes from the dark and gloomy underworld of violent crime and corruption. Distinctively, they were cynical, tarnished, obsessive (sexual or otherwise), brooding, menacing, sinister, sardonic, disillusioned, frightened and insecure loners (usually men), struggling to survive - and in the end, ultimately losing.

Storylines were often elliptical, non-linear and twisting. Narratives were frequently complex, maze-like and convoluted, and typically told with foreboding background music, flashbacks (or a series of flashbacks), witty, razor-sharp and acerbic dialogue, and/or reflective and confessional, first-person voice-over narration. Amnesia suffered by the protagonist was a common plot device, as was the downfall of an innocent Everyman who fell victim to temptation or was framed. Revelations regarding the hero were made to explain/justify the hero's own cynical perspective on life.

Film noir films (mostly shot in gloomy grays, blacks and whites) thematically showed the dark and inhumane side of human nature with cynicism and doomed love, and they emphasized the brutal, unhealthy, seamy, shadowy, dark and sadistic sides of the human experience. An oppressive atmosphere of menace, pessimism, anxiety, suspicion that anything can go wrong, dingy realism, futility, fatalism, defeat and entrapment were stylized characteristics of film noir. The protagonists in film noir were normally driven by their past or by human weakness to repeat former mistakes.

Film noir films were marked visually by expressionistic lighting, deep-focus or depth of field camera work, disorienting visual schemes, jarring editing or juxtaposition of elements, ominous shadows, skewed camera angles (usually vertical or diagonal rather than horizontal), circling cigarette smoke, existential sensibilities, and unbalanced or moody compositions. Settings were often interiors with low-key (or single-source) lighting, venetian-blinded windows and rooms, and dark, claustrophobic, gloomy appearances. Exteriors were often urban night scenes with deep shadows, wet asphalt, dark alleyways, rain-slicked or mean streets, flashing neon lights, and low key lighting. Story locations were often in murky and dark streets, dimly-lit and low-rent apartments and hotel rooms of big cities, or abandoned warehouses. [Often-times, war-time scarcities were the reason for the reduced budgets and shadowy, stark sets of B-pictures and film noirs.]

Some of the most prominent directors of film noir included Orson Welles, John Huston, Billy Wilder, Edgar Ulmer, Douglas Sirk, Robert Siodmak, Fritz Lang, Otto Preminger, Henry Hathaway and Howard Hawks.

Femmes Fatales in Film Noir:
The females in film noir were either of two types (or archetypes) - dutiful, reliable, trustworthy and loving women; or femmes fatales - mysterious, duplicitous, double-crossing, gorgeous, unloving, predatory, tough-sweet, unreliable, irresponsible, manipulative and desperate women. Usually, the male protagonist in film noir wished to elude his mysterious past, and had to choose what path to take (or have the fateful choice made for him).
Invariably, the choice would be an overly ambitious one, to follow the dangerous but desirable wishes of these dames. It would be to pursue the goadings of a traitorous, self-destructive femme fatale who would lead the struggling, disillusioned, and doomed hero into committing murder or some other crime of passion coupled with twisted love. When the major character was a detective or private eye, he would become embroiled and trapped in an increasingly-complex, convoluted case that would lead to fatalistic, suffocating evidences of corruption, irresistible love and death. The femme fatale, who had also transgressed societal norms with her independent and smart, menacing actions, would bring both of them to a downfall.

(FROM WWW.FILMSITE.ORG!)

Audience Research: Thrillers!

I wanted to carry out some audience research so that our group could get a general idea of what our target audience want. We also wanted to get an idea of distribution etc. My audience research proposal sheet is below:



I have created a questionnaire to carry out some audience research that runs parallel to my production piece for Media and that will help me to understand my audience and better my thriller subsequently. I believe that my research is useful as it not only looks at a vast age range (from 15-35) but also looks at various topics that will help us in our production process - characters, soundtracks and which aspects of Mainstream and Independent our audiences like. I have also ensured that I have both qualitative and quantative data. My results are below:


1. When watching a thriller, what main features do you expect to see?

Andy: “Lots of action”
Emily: “A mysterious location and a character that looks suspicious from the start”
Sam: “Moments that will make you jump and a lot of gore.”
Chris: “Sneaking around, characters double crossing each other, spies etc.”
Jess: “Someone getting murdered.”
Craig: “A good storyline.”
Jamie: “Dark lighting, creepy music and a storyline that drags the audience in making them feel involved in the film.”
Becky: “Tense music, moments of suspense.”
Ruby: “Violence, suspense, and a scary man.”
Alex: “For it to start off like a nice, normal film, to suddenly take a turn to make it scary. Usually based around normal life, to make it somehow realistic. Use of creepy music, and a character you don’t trust or are constantly afraid of.”

2. Do you prefer mainstream or independent films and why?

Andy: “I like mainstream because I find that independent films are sometimes lacking in the features and effects of mainstream”
Emily: “Mainstream, because they have actors that I have heard of or have seen in other movies.”
Sam: “mainstream. Because independent films seem "too" low budget and normally some sound is out.”
Chris: “Well I don’t have a preference as they’re both good in different ways. Mainstream films usually have all the amazing special effects but independent films can have a grittier, realistic feel.”
Jess: “Mainstream. Don’t really see many independent films…”
Craig: “It depends on the film itself – independent has a basic storyline but always effective with a low budget, but mainstream films have more action and better casts.”
Jamie: “I don’t have preferred choice, it doesn’t matter if the film is mainstream or independent as long as it is a good watch and entertains me then I like it.”
Becky: “Mainstream because most independent films are a bit ‘weird.’”
Ruby: “Independent films, because it is harder to guess what is going to happen and the characters and story line are normally more normal and relatable.”
Alex: “Independent films, as they focus on characterization, whereas the Hollywood films rely on good graphics.”

3. Describe a character that you would like to see playing ‘the bad guy.’

Andy: “They would be wearing flash clothes – like a suit and they would act as though they are in control and can rule a lot of people – for example, Marlon Brando from The Godfather etc.”
Emily: “Somebody attractive, an intriguing persona: Somebody that wears a hat – maybe with facial piercings that wears a leather jacket.”
Sam: “Dark, mysterious and spooky.”
Chris: “Russians are always a good bet, especially in the current climate.”
Jess: “I don’t know, but usually I like them. So it would help if they were sexually attractive, so you like them when you shouldn’t.”
Craig: “Rouge-like, bushy beard, a dirty look as though they live in squalor.”
Jamie: “The weird neighbour who seems to pop up in the storyline for no reason fooling the audience. Like the villain in Disturbia who seems nice and friendly until you see his true side at the end of the film.”
Becky: “I’d imagine them ugly with stubble, a shaved head and wearing mostly black.”
Ruby: “Someone hot, with a mean streak and chiseled cheek bones.”
Alex: “A naturally creepy kind of person with a creepy face/persona e.g. Alan Cummings.”

4. Describe a character that you would like to see portraying a ‘victim.’

Andy: “An attractive young woman, who isn’t really "with it" so to speak, like a blond sort of stereo type.”
Emily: “someone innocent...almost with an untouchable virgin image”
Sam: “Small, innocent and dorky.”
Chris: “Someone vulnerable and easily influenced.”
Jess: “Someone I don’t really like in the film, so I can laugh at them dying.”
Craig: “Either a femme-fatale or a man that wears suits.”
Jamie: “The ‘victim’ can be anyone really, as long as they seem powerless and weak compared to the villain. Most victim’s would have to be innocent though.”
Becky: “Someone kind that you would like and could empathise with.”
Ruby: “Someone that seems innocent and relatable and grows from the experience.”
Alex: “Someone who deserves it.”

5. What do you believe makes thriller films successful?

Andy: “the ability for the film to capture the undivided attention of the audience and action that makes them think: "I wish this didn’t have to end" ‘The Dark Knight,’ for example.”
Emily: “if they have an original story line...something different to all the rest of the thriller films out there...TWISTS!”
Sam: “I think a dark, jumpy storyline would probably be successful as a thriller.”
Chris: “an intriguing plot and a good balance between exciting action and narrative.”
Jess: “A film that really makes you jump, makes you scared and makes you think. I particularly liked Urban Legends because you were guessing who the murderer was, and how the next person would get killed. Yummy.”
Craig: “A good storyline with ‘normal’ characters.”
Jamie: “A good thriller is one that excites the audience and also installing a sense of fear into them.”
Becky: “The suspense and the fact that the audience themselves can try to discover who the villain is and their motives.”
Ruby: “That people need to know what happens and love the rush and thrill of the horror.”
Alex: “When there is not any unnecessary gore, and when it has jumpy bits, and uses good characters – basically a film based around the characters. And they should be real people – monsters are not scary.”

6. What kind of music would you associate with a thriller film?

Andy: “a piece that creates tension and suspicion for the audience”
Emily: “well in some cases it would be like soft instrumental music...but then you’ve got the metal rock kind of music that suits them too.”
Sam: “mostly high pitched and quite sudden music as this creates tension.”
Chris: “Mainly orchestral music – it’s good for creating tension.”
Jess: “Either really classical stuff (e.g. the music from Jaws) or some heavy metal.”
Craig: “Something like The Pink Panther that builds tension.”
Jamie: “Any music can be played really, even happy ‘safe’ music as this could be used as a ironic statement, like the beginning in Once upon a time in America where the theme tune to ‘God Bless America’ is played. Most thrillers have dark, spine-tingling music that scares the audience making them fear for the character’s lives.”
Becky: “Haunting music.”
Ruby: “Music that builds suspense, usually high pitched violins and low cellos.”
Alex: “Low tones, then high when something bad happens – like in Psycho when she is stabbed”

7. What would you say the best thriller film you’ve seen is and why?

Emily: “I liked ‘Valentine’ because I like the storyline of getting revenge on people that hated you in high school.”
Andy: “‘The Dark Knight,’ because it was action-packed and kept my attention from beginning to end.”
Sam: “‘Scream’ is probably my favourite because the storyline is original and it’s also quite tense so has a good effect on the audience.”
Chris: “If I had to choose, I’d probably say ‘The Bourne Identity’ because the story ties up so well, the acting is good and it’s just a great film overall.”
Jess: “I just Googled Batman: The Dark Knight and supposedly that is an ‘Action-Thriller’ so I guess my favourite film is Batman: The Dark Knight, mainly because I love it when the Joker says: “Madness is a lot like gravity, all it takes is a little push…” Now that is a line and a half.”
Craig: “The Usual Suspects because it has a brilliant storyline and a clever ending.”
Jamie: “Probably Layer Cake as I love the ‘whish’ of it all. The acting is really good, as is the script, and it drew me into the film. And at the end it had the ‘I don’t want it to end’ feeling. The Dark Knight is also very, very good though.
Becky: “Se7en because the victims were the focus of a sin and it’s a storyline that I’ve never seen before. The twist at the end also keeps it interesting all the way through.”
Ruby: “Friday 13th, 1980s version - Because it was so ridiculous.”
Alex: “Psycho as it involved a character you never saw, which added to the sense of the unknown, and was scary. Plus it had a big, unexpected twist.”



Click on the chart for a bigger photo.

Urban Legend Analysis (First Draft)

Urban Legend
Director: Jamie Blanks
1998
Company: Canal + Droits Audiovisuels
User Comment:

"The opening sequence alone was enough to keep me hooked on as I realized I would watch a great film. The rainy frames and the professional shooting with the distant take angles is enough to pose the threatening tone and warn us about what is to follow. The introductory scene is a stand alone masterpiece."

User Rating: 5.1/10

I only have this film on a VCR Video, so I searched the film on YouTube and found the opening of the movie. I've analysed it, however I just realised the embed link was disabled, therefore I will put the URL so if you want to watch it, you just have to follow the link. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Urban Legend Opening Sequence: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvyMjiDVxDM

The film starts off with an aerial shot of a pavement with heavy rainfall. The rain is the first signifier of the thriller genre and begins to create a tense atmosphere. The soundtrack begins with a song that sounds as though it is being sung by a choir - this brings connotations of a Church or religion, and sounds almost heavenly. Something which is also closely linked to death.



The screen then goes completely black, which gives implications of death yet again. Then, extremely quickly, some car headlights light up a small part of the shot (above). Car headlights are another generic signifier of a thriller genre, as they only show a selected part of the set which is an easy way to create tension - as there is no way of knowing what could be hiding elsewhere. The shot is still an aerial shot which shows the deserted streets - however, other than vague outlines , it is relatively difficult to see anything other than where the car is heading, thanks to shadows etc.

The camera then pans down behind the trees until it meets the road. The weather has gotten lighter, which could signify a passing of time. The car drives along the wet (a feature used by many Thriller film-makers), uneven and winding road, this could be metaphorical for the journey the characters of the film are about to undertake.

The film then cuts into an interior shot of the car. The weather prevents the audience from being able to see much, again - only dark shapes and shadows. It is here that we meet the character, Michelle, for the first time. Michelle is a classic victim for thriller movies - young, pretty and seemingly carefree - instantly likeable to the audience.



In the above shot, we see Michelle's car driving along an isolated road. An easy way of identifying that this shot is from a Thriller film is the structure of the road - there are gates either side of the car which entrap Michelle, although this may not be an obvious feature, it helps to subtly add tension to the atmosphere. It also seem as though the gates/fences on either side of the road are taller than the car, which gives an impression of intimidation and overpowerment.

Another cut is made to a long shot of the road, with the car travelling towards the camera. This could represent the facts that many people believe that things will "never happen to them," and that these instances seem distant, but are closer than the characters think. The camera pans around as the car goes past, giving the audience the feeling that they are watching the car travel. Something that makes them feel suspicious and begin to worry for Michelle.



There is another shot of the interior of the car, however this one is from the dashboard. We can see not only Michelle, but also her backseats and her back window. However, we cannot see it clearly, thanks to the gloomy weather and shadows shrouding the car. This makes the audience question why they can see this much of the car, and cause the tension to rise as they anticipate what is about to happen.

Michelle plays a tape of Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart.' Michelle sings to the lyrics "Turn around!" which is a classic use of irony which foreshadows later on in the opening sequence where there is a murderer in the back seat of her car. Throughout the whole sequence so far, there is a violent storm. The rain is preventing a clear view of everything that's happening and the lightning brings flashes of light to the scenes - where we can see everything for around half a second. This technique is brilliant for creating tension, as the audience are anticipating the next time they will be able to see and whether it's safe for the driver. This is also stereotypical of the thriller genre and has been used for decades in both thriller and horror movies alike (Dracula and Frankenstein classically, as examples of horror movies that use the 'storm' technique.) Another point to raise is that the director could be using the close lightning to signify that an event is about to happen or that something is about to 'strike' Michelle.



An extreme close up of the fuel gauge tells the audience that the car is almost out of petrol. This is a crisis that could happen to anybody; which makes it all the more tense for the audience. The situation is worsened by the way the character is on an isolated road where the storm can prevent her from doing anything or finding anybody with ease. Again, this is another technique used widely in thriller films.

Another close up of Michelle is used, but here she is more surrounded in darkness than in any of the shots thus far. It could be that the director is trying to hint towards what is about to happen, using the darkness to emphasise how Michelle can't see around her.



The story continues with Michelle managing it to the gas station and getting the attendant to fill up her tank etc. etc. The tension reaches a high as the attendant knocks on the window. (Above) The rain had prevented both the character and the audience from seeing him approach, and it seems that the glass is the only thing seperating them, and it's only fragile. The director has also made use of many people's (wrongful) distrust of those that are unable to communicate properly and given the gas attendant a stutter. Thus, making Michelle automatically a bit wary of the character.



The above shot is probably one of my favourites from this sequence, as the whole mise-en-scene creates a brilliant atmosphere and is so effective. There is a two-shot here of the character we have grown to know over the past few minutes, and the one that we have immedietly distrusted. The gas attendant is blurry, and we cannot see him very clearly which constrasts with the clear view we have of Michelle. This could represent the audience's relationship with the characters, or could signify that we cannot see his true personality.

The song (Bonnie Tyler's, Total Eclipse Of The Heart) has since finished and the score becomes more and more dramatic the longer the car is parked, getting louder as the man runs back into the garage. We cannot see clearly what is going on, only glimpses from outside of the car when the windscreen wipers clear away the rain for a split second - this makes it harder for the audience to understand what's going on, also creating a tense, suspicious atmosphere.



The camera cuts to a close up of the meter charging her for the petrol, which also in this situation seems like a stopwatch towards her death - or at least an important event. As Michelle leaves the car, she pulls on a black coat over her white t-shirt. This could signify how death is near, or even how her innocence will be lost.

An aerial view shows the two characters walking to the garage, and the shadows are illuminated over the ground. From this view, we see how it seems as though the gas attendant is following her. It could also be a representation of how she is being stalked by death or danger.

Another generic feature of a thriller film is apparent when they reach the garage. The attendant locks the door, and the camera pans around the room, emphasising the small size of it. The small room creates a feeling of claustrophobia and entrapment, bringing the tension yet higher. The music reaches it's crescendo, at it's loudest and most dramatic of the film thus far.



There is an over the shoulder, low angle shot of the attendant as he tries to prevent Michelle from leaving the garage. The low angle shot presents him as an intimidating figure, stronger and more powerful than the girl. The tension is at it's highest point of the film thus far, and suddenly the noise becomes overpowering. The car alarm goes off, Michelle is locking and unlocking her doors in a panic, she is screaming, he is grunting whilst trying to catch her up, the rain and still the music getting louder creates a confusion within the audience and also a sympathy towards Michelle who just wants to get away from the chaos.



One of my favourite shots of the clip is when we see the gas attendant standing at the gas station after Michelle has driven away (above.) The man is bent over, which can hold connotations of the ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’ (a story about a disabled man that was misunderstood.) The man is left alone in the rain, and the darkness is surrounding him. This is a typical mise-en-scene for thriller films, as it holds many generic conventions (the rain and wet roads etc) and also increases the tension dramatically.

The director has then decided to show Michelle using mid shots from the dashboard once again. This could symbolise comfort as we have seen this shot before and are relieved that we are seeing something we recognise as Michelle would be feeling relief at getting back into her car and away from the man that she thought dangerous. The lighting changes from darkness - where the audience can see only half of her face and outlines of shapes that can't be made out, to brightness when the lightning flashes and the audience can see everything in the car. The tension builds as the storm gets worse, the pathetic fallacy implying that something worse is about to happen.



As the "lightning" flashes, the audience become aware of a silhouette that is rising in the back seat with an axe (above); the lighting goes dark again and we can't make anything else out. The fact that we can't make out any of the features of the character in the back seat gives implications of the Grim Reaper: telling us that Michelle's death is near. As you can also see in the screen-shot, the audience cannot see through the windscreen very clearly, this could show that Michelle is neither thinking nor seeing clearly thanks to what had happened, and also because she is crying. The director here has attempted to further increase the relationship between the audience and the main character.



Michelle's eyes then catch the eyes of the murderer through the interior mirror (above). The director could have used this technique to reflect the small amount of space in the car through the small mirror. Thanks to the rain outside (a generic convention that has been widely used in this clip so far), we cannot see anything outside of the vehicle. The film-maker has used this to show that it seems nothing in the outside of this world matters, and also shows how closely we are involved in the film as viewers now.



In the seventh minute of the film, there is a low angle shot of an axe smashing through the driver's side window, there is also blood noticable through the shards of glass(above). The glass and the axe are both things that can be used as weapons, which implicates the dangers of life. The glass smashing could also symbolise how fragile life is. The colours in the mise-en-scene also reflect the tone of the film so far. There are blues of the background which represent misery, and the blacks of the shadows and silhouettes that represents death of evil.



The film then cuts to a university campus (above). The sign welcoming people to the university looks like a grave stone, thus implicating death of those that go there. Diagetic sounds of church bells can be heard, and connote church occasions such as funerals. The rain is continuing to fall, and there are steps up to the doors of the university, represending an uphill struggle, and the railings along the steps also implicate entrapment.

After a few more shots of the university campus, the opening of the film finishes with university students discussing a "scary story" with both diagetic and non-diagetic sounds to increase the tension yet again. There are sound-bites of the choir that is reminiscent to the start of the film, giving the audience the idea that history may be about to repeat itself.

Overall, I believe that this is one of the most effective openings to a Thriller that I have ever seen.

Thriller Planning (re-draft)

CHARACTERS

There will be three main characters in our thriller: 'The Rep,' the shopkeeper and the shop assistant.

The Rep: Grace Jones.

Our film will be set in the modern day, and therefore the costumes of all our characters will be fairly simple. The Rep - our femme fatale will probably have a few signifiers or traits stereotypical to Hollywood's idea of a femme fatale. This may include high heels or lipstick etc. I will be wearing a black denim skirt and tights with heels as this is the 'classic' image of a stereotypical femme fatale but also casual enough to not arouse suspicion or give the character too much attention. I will be wearing a leather jacket as stereotypically these are worn by 'bad guys' and in my audience research, when I asked what the ideal villain should be, many of the participants relayed the wish for them to be wearing a leather jacket. We believe that wearing a red t-shirt underneath may be a good idea as it connotes blood and danger, foreshadowing what will come.

I have mentioned multiple times that Grace Jones is a femme fatale. However, different directors have different takes on the idea (the femme fatale in Tarantino's 'Kill Bill' is contemporary and powerful whereas the one in Hitchcock's 'Psycho' is slight and fragile.) Grace Jones will be more contemporary - with a denim skirt and leather jacket, however still hold generic aspects of the classic femme fatale - with heels and confidence etc.

Props for The Rep will include a handbag and a knife - obviously we are aware that we will not be able to have the knife with us in public locations, however as the basement of the shop is private property, it will be completely legal. Obviously, we would have a responsibility to make sure everybody involved is safe at all times, and we will ensure that nobody is in danger.

The Rep will be played by myself. Originally, Sam's sister was going to play this character however she unfortunately went back to university before we could film. I'm now playing the character as I will be available for each filming session and will understand how we want to shoot certain shots. It also doesn't really matter about my facial features etc. as we are not planning to have any shots of the face (as this will build suspense and also leave the audience wanting to watch more.) For the parts we will see (hair, legs etc.) I will be able to do this as I have dark hair - which will connote an evil nature etc.

Shopkeeper: Julie.

Again, our thriller is set in modern day life, and therefore our shopkeeper will be wearing an ordinary outfit. This will include the uniform that she wears on a daily basis to connote power (ironic as she will know nothing about our femme fatale (Grace Jones) and therefore is powerless!) The real owner of the shop will be playing this part, and therefore we could just ask her to wear what she would on an ordinary working day. We thought that she would be a fitting person to play this as she would know how to act this role naturally, and would make the film more believable. It woudl also give us a wider age range to make the film look less amateur. This should include smart clothing etc so she is easily identifiable as the shopkeeper.

The only prop needed for the shopkeeper is money, as in one of the scenes she is handing over a wad of money to the shop assistant so he can take it to the bank. Again, we will have a responsibility not to lose any of the money but we be extremely cautious.

Shop Assistant: Sam

I believe that the shop assistant will be played by Sam, himself. He, too will be wearing modern clothing that is also formal enough that it is believable he is working in a shop. This will include a shirt and plain black trousers, or something similar. This gives him a distinction against the customers so the audience knows who is meant to be doing what. We thought Sam would be an effective person to play this role as he is about the right age to have a part time job, and therefore it's realistic for him to play it. Him playing the role would also hopefully cause empathy within the audience when he is killed because he is so young.

The props needed for the shop assistant include a coat which plays a vital part in our thriller. The coat is the reason the character heads to the basement and ends up being murdered - therefore, without it the whole basis of the film is disrupted.

Other responsibilites
Other responsibilities we will have include making sure we treat both the shop and everything within it with respect. We would hate to do any damage and therefore would treat it as carefully as possible. We will also ensure that we take great care with the school equipment so that it is not damaged in any way.

Films/Shots that have influenced our thriller
So far, there are two films that have influenced our film. The first, and most dominant being 'Psycho.' One of the shots in our film is a sihlouette of the shop assistant being stabbed by The Rep. This is our own take on the shot from Hitchcock's 'Psycho' where Norman Bates stabs Marion in the shower. We believe that the shot was extremely effective, and has also gone down in history as one of the most classic thriller moments of all time.

Another shot that inspired us was from Oliver Parker's recent film adaption of Oscar Wilde's novel 'Dorian Gray.' The film included a shot where Dorian is ascending a set of stairs, and the camera is situated at the top of the stairs with the character walking towards it. I believed that this was an effective technique of raising tension as the audience cannot see what is behind the camera - or what is causing fear in the character.

Photos of Thriller Location (re-draft)

The majority of our thriller film is to be shot in a shop basement. One of the other members of my group (Sam Cameron) has a mum that owns a shop in North Walsham called House of Hobbies. Sam kindly took photos of his mum's shop/our location as the rest of the group are unable to get there easily.

Outside of shop:


We believed that this location would be perfect for many reasons. Of course, the most obvious being that we will have access to all areas of the shop as it belongs to Sam's mum. The outside of the shop will only be in a couple of shots in our thriller, however I believe that it will bring a lot to the shots in which you can see it, especially if it is in the evening/late afternoon with similar light to that in the photo. The binary opposites of the white of the panels on the shop front against the dark windows and light could show the contrast of good against evil. The white panels also could represent jail thanks to the various vertical panels - ironic, though - as they are white, which is the colour of innocence.

Inside shop:


The inside of the shop would be a perfect location for our thriller because as you can see, there is quite a lot in quite a cramped space. This means that there are a lot of places to hide behind and would also be effective to film - we could show Grace Jones (our femme fatale) walking out from around a corner etc.

It is also a small space which enables us to use another generic feature of the thriller genre (claustrophobic space) especially as all the shelves and racks provide hurdles that would prevent an easy escape.

Basement (Where the majority of filming will take place):


The basement is where the majority of our thriller film will take place. The initial reason that we thought this space would be amazing to shoot is that it is a claustophobic space and also underground - both generic signifiers of the thriller genre. The walls and floor are all tile or brick, which will create a cold and dangerous atmosphere and subsequently tension. This will also be brilliant because there are various ways we could use lighting to create some good shots and an effective thriller.



Using shots like this in the basement would be brilliant as it shows not only the claustophobic space in the basement but also a descent (which could connote a descent into hell etc.)

Overall, I believe that our location is brilliant for our thriller film and will help to create a tense atmosphere and consequently a better film.