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.

"Hunted" Continuous Edit Project With Analysis!

“Hunted” is the short-film made by our media group for the continuous editing task. Although I was not part of the group originally during the planning or filming stages, I helped with the editing. The reason for this being that the person I was originally working with left the sixth form college and I was unable to film on my own.

Our short film begins with thriller-style music, similar to that of ‘Psycho.’ This immediately gives an implication of danger and therefore the audience should start to feel tense. The camera is focused on some lockers at the end of a corridor – something which could signify secrets or entrapment - until a character walks around the corner. The mid-shot shows the character walking on the left hand side of the screen rather than in the centre, this shot follows the rule of thirds – an effective way to draw the viewer’s eye to the character. The character is wearing a red coat, a colour which is often associated with blood or again, danger.

There is then a cut to another corridor. The setting of which is quite repetitive and we can see the same poster in the same position repeated over and over again in the background. This could represent a repetition in the situation, implying that something similar has happened before. Behind the character we met in the last shot, we can see the figure of another person – this time wearing a cream or beige coloured t-shirt; the character tends to blend more with the walls than the main character who is wearing bright colours – red and blue, and gives the impression that she is trying to remain unnoticed.

The camera zooms as the main character walks towards us; giving the idea that whatever is happening is fast-paced. It could also create a sense of confusion or disorientation as the camera is zooming the opposite direction to where the character is walking. It may show that there is something about to happen that the main character is not aware of, or that a plan is about to be interrupted.

There is a slow-motion shot as the main character turns her head. In a femme-fatale style, (which this character follows most of the stereotypes of –red clothes, confidence etc.) the character turns her head, which then means the camera is blocked by her hair. This could implicate that the characters have not seen something or again that there is something that we don’t know. The slow-motion, extreme close up shot also gives the impression that that moment in time was of extreme importance – a moment of realisation or where somebody is almost caught out (as the character behind seems to be following.)

There is a space of around a second and a half where we are left seeing only the second character approaching – after the main character has already turned the corner. Again, the neutral colour of her clothes seems to make her almost invisible – therefore a threat. This is a long shot and so we cannot clearly make out any of the second characters features , something that again may create tension as we could not recognise her or see clearly what expression she is wearing.

The camera jostles, and although this may be accidental or an editing fault, it also gives us the feeling that something is not running smoothly – again adding to the tension.

It then switches to another long shot, where we see the departing figure of the main character. This could either be viewed as a Point of View shot; where we are given the eyes of the second, following character or it could purely be giving us another way to look at the character we have so far only seen from the front. At one point, the character steps into a shadow which could implicate that she’s not one of the ‘good guys.’ In this shot, we can also see that the tiles of pillars do not match exactly – this could give a sense of disillusion or mystery.

As the character leaves the corridor, the camera hesitates on the hallway. The second character is nowhere to be seen, and leaves the scene with an eerie tone. The audience cannot be completely sure of what is going on, and although the room has a sense of grandeur (arched ceilings etc.), it also seems a perfect setting for somebody that is being haunted – a word only one letter away from the title.

The camera then tracks the character as they walk up to a door. The fact that the door is closed signifies a challenge or a hurdle that needs to be overcome. It could also imply that the room is private – meaning that other people become outcasts or outsiders.

The tone of the soundtrack changes as the door opens – to a more light-hearted sound. This changes the atmosphere from tense to one of relief; giving us the impression that the character we have been following has made it safely to her destination. There is a cut to a mid shot and we catch the character entering from inside the room – making the outside world look bleak compared to the room we are now situated in (as the walls inside the room are blue compared to the cream outside.)

The character weaves between tables, which shows that there is not a simple path to achieving what she wants, although she walks with some speed. This could imply that the hurdles are easy to overcome. The main character then takes a seat opposite somebody waiting in the room – somebody that looks as though she has been expecting her. The fact that she sits down also shows us that they are equal, and the main character stops moving for the first time since we have met her, at which point the music cuts entirely. This tells us that the conversation we are about to hear is extremely important, and also emphasises the silence in the room other than their conversation; this carries on the ‘eerie’ atmosphere that had been slightly reduced thanks to the change in tone of the music.

At the end of the film, we see the character that has been following the main character through the clip. She finally contrasts against the white walls with her grey clothes and black hair – although the darker colours show her to have a slightly evil or mischievous nature.

The film also tested our knowledge of the 180 Degree Rule. The 180 Degree Rule is a basic film editing guideline which states that two characters in the same scene should maintain the same left/right relationship to each other. This means that the camera can show various shots of the characters, however he must always ensure that the characters appear on the side of the screen that we originally saw them - unless we see them move from one side of the screen to the other. If the camera crosses this invisible axis, it is called "crossing the line" - creating a new shot called a "reverse angle."

"Crossing the line" is viewed as bad continuity and can often create confusion within the audience, as the characters seem to be shifting positions without moving. However, many film-makers use the reverse angle to intentionally create a sense of disorientation.

"Hunted" does not use the 'crossing the line' technique, as we wanted our film to be as smooth as possible. We also did not believe that using the technique to create disorientation would help our film in any way - just become the cause of the storyline becoming unclear. I believe that we stuck to the 180 Degree rule extremely well - even in scenes where the characters were being followed. The rule is most evident when two of the characters are having a discussion, as we changed shots multiple times but always ensured that Phoebe was on the left and Laura to the right of the screen.

We also used the editing to make sure this worked - cutting out any parts that may not have followed smoothly. Without editing, our film would have been extremely hard to make - after we had cut out the unwanted footage, the shots seemed to jump from one to another, making the film difficult to watch. To remedy this, we added in transitions such as cuts and fades to make the film smoother.

Overall, I believe that thanks to editing and the various shots (long shot, mid shot, extreme close up, close up, tracking etc), the film has a slightly thriller-esque feel and also that with the way it has been edited, it is very successful.

Thriller Planing/Synopsis

Our original production group consisted of Adam Ward, Andreas Varhus and myself and between us we began to plan an opening to a thriller for our coursework.

We had completed a synopsis and a storyboard for our idea (although our characters were not fully developed):

Shot 1:
Mid shot of 'Man One' in a parked car, holding onto the steering wheel.

Shot 2:
The camera pans out out the car and tracks him as he walks around to the boot.

Shot 3:
Mid shot from inside the boot. 'Man One' opens the boot and it slowly reveals him bit by bit.

Shot 4:
Point of View, low angle shot of a lift descending.

Shot 5:
'Man Two' POV shot from inside the lift, as the lift doors open there is a silhouette in the doorway, however it's just a normal person.

Shot 6:
Cut back to 'Man One' in the car park, long shot - he is pulling a body from the boot of the car.

Shot 7:
Cut back to 'Man Two.' Low angle shot as the lift opens, the camera pans his feet as he walks out.

Shot 8:
Long shot of the man walking from the lift, closer to the camera.

Shot 9:
Cut back to the car park, long shot as we see 'Man Two' coming closer to the car.

*End*

However, the groups were changed (and now consists of Adam Ward, Andreas Varhus, Sam Cameron and myself) and we decided to merge all of our ideas and ended up with a better idea overall.

NEW SYNOPSIS:

CHARACTERS:
The Rep
Shop-Keeper
Shop-Assistant

Shot 1:
Extreme close up of femme-fatale's ('The Rep') hands turning the keys in an ignition, turning the engine off.

Shot 2:
Close up of her feet as she gets out of the car. She is wearing heels.

Shot 3:
The camera pans (close up) her shoes as she walks to the boot of the car.

Shot 4:
Mid-shot from the inside of the boot as she opens it and picks up a bag. The end of a knife can be seen from inside the bag.

Shot 5:
Mid/Long/Over the shoulder shot of The Rep opening the shop door.

Shot 6:
Mid Shot - The Rep and the shopkeeper show an acknowledgement of each other (a nod, a small conversation, a wave etc.)

Shot 7:
Close up of shopkeepers hands counting some money behind the till.

Shot 8:
POV shot of The Rep watching the shopkeeper behind the till giving the shop assistant some money.

Shot 9:
Low angle, medium shot from the bottom of the stairs as the shop assistant walks towards the camera (into the basement) to get his coat.

Shot 10:
Camera angles are the same, the shop assistant walks past the camera and we see a shadow begin to descend down the basement stairs.

Shot 11:
Cut to a mid shot of a silhouette of the rep stabbing the shop assistant.

Shot 12:
Close up of the femme fatale as she leaves the shop.

Shot 13:
Zoom from a dead body lying sprawled to a dead eye (either zoom in front a long shot to an extreme close up, or vice verca). Non-diagetic sounds of the rep's heels as she walks away.