Monday, 9 December 2013
Sunday, 1 December 2013
Possible Locations for Thriller Production
I took these photos of possible locations for our thriller production, at about 15:50 - 16:20.
I chose this location as it had a very primeval feel to it, which would highlight the idea of the 'victim' in our narrative being hunted by the aggressor; due to the predatory feel created by the location, of which links to the primeval beach setting of 'Essex boys' which very much creates a similar atmosphere. This setting has a fairly dystopian feel to it, fitting the dark mise-en-scéne of our narrative; which would mean this could hopefully be a effective backdrop for thriller production.
I chose this location as it linked very similarly to the setting of the film 'Ils', which has a large amount of the scenes where the 'victims' are being chased/'hunted down' by the aggressors taken place in a isolated forest in a secluded part of the town. Due to the setting being a main aspect in creating the tension in this film, and we have a similar idea with an aggressor 'hunting' the 'victim'; I thought this would hopefully be a suitable location to fit our thriller production. The use of this desolate forest would fit well with the narrative for our production, therefore hopefully creating an effective setting for our thriller production.
Whitlingham outdoor centre/park
I chose this location as it had a very primeval feel to it, which would highlight the idea of the 'victim' in our narrative being hunted by the aggressor; due to the predatory feel created by the location, of which links to the primeval beach setting of 'Essex boys' which very much creates a similar atmosphere. This setting has a fairly dystopian feel to it, fitting the dark mise-en-scéne of our narrative; which would mean this could hopefully be a effective backdrop for thriller production.
Whitlingham forest
I chose this location as it linked very similarly to the setting of the film 'Ils', which has a large amount of the scenes where the 'victims' are being chased/'hunted down' by the aggressors taken place in a isolated forest in a secluded part of the town. Due to the setting being a main aspect in creating the tension in this film, and we have a similar idea with an aggressor 'hunting' the 'victim'; I thought this would hopefully be a suitable location to fit our thriller production. The use of this desolate forest would fit well with the narrative for our production, therefore hopefully creating an effective setting for our thriller production.
Friday, 29 November 2013
Case Study: 'Essex Boys'
How the thriller genre is established in the title sequence of 'Essex Boys'
Essex boys opens with this shot, using chiaroscuro lighting as to create a sense of surrealism and mystery by having the figure in the background almost enveloped in darkness; as well as creating a focal point as the light in the scene is only coming from one small area. This type of lighting is a key feature of classic noir thrillers, such as 'The Third Man'. The shadows created from this lighting obscured the majority of the 'action' in the scene; also creating a sense of ambiguity and enigma - which is a generic feature of the thriller genre.
This shot depicts the 'down on his luck' character type (Billy), generically used in thriller productions. The use of cobwebs helps to show that the garage of which this scene is set is fairly old and unused; which may help to unsettle the audience as not only is an old, isolated setting a generic feature of thrillers; but also of the horror genre. This seems quite foreboding, possibly indicating that something bad is about to happen to Billy due to the setting, along with the look of hesitance and uncertainty he is portraying. This could possibly be suggesting that it isn't the character himself that is malicious, but the situation he may later find himself in.
There is a point of view shot of the 'criminal/antagonist' character type (Jason), through a dirty car windscreen. This could be reflective of the characters 'dirty' past and corrupted nature. The shot being a point of view shot from Billy within the car helps to create a claustrophobic atmosphere as it is shot in a very small space, as well as possibly seeming as if Billy has 'nowhere to run' from Jason; so is stuck with doing whatever he asks of him-possibly out of fear. The fact that the two characters are separated by the windscreen could be a metaphor for the fact that Jason is very emotionally unattached, reflective of the way he is going to use Billy for his own benefit; and possibly highlights the contrast between the gentleness of Billy and the fraudulence of Jason.
The use of a vanishing point in this shot of Billy driving Jason down the tunnel could be reflective of the fact that now Billy has affiliated himself with Jason, he may not ever be able to return to his former normality and innocent ignorance due to Jason's 'negative influence'. The vanishing point also helps to make the tunnel seem 'never ending', possibly signifying that now he will always be stuck with Jason; and obeying his wishes/whatever he asks of him. The tunnel looks like the barrel of a gun, possibly signifying that - much like that of a bullet- the end of Billy's 'journey' may well end in demise and anguish.
The reflection of the lights from the tunnel in this shot look like jail bars; which could be metaphorical of how -due to his association with Jason- Billy may well be trapped into a life of crime from this point and onwards. This shot also has a slight sense of irony as despite Billy being the one driving, it would appear he isn't actually the one in control. This could be reflective of Billy's life as now he has 'paired up' with Jason, he isn't in control of what he does any more, as portrayed by the fact that he is driving Jason around.
This shot of the man who Jason had just attacked as 'revenge' for him 'grassing' on Jason, shows him wearing very dull, simple clothing which would make him 'blend in' very easily as he looks very ordinary. This could be reflective of him being a 'grass' as he would just seem to 'fade into the background' as there isn't anything memorable about him, enabling him to 'sneak' around and give information to people without being noticed.
Whereas in this shot, we see that Jason has got very 'loud' clothing, suggesting a brash, arrogant, in-your-face attitude that may be expected of a criminal or antagonist. It could also be suggestive of the fact that Jason is very apathetic to what others think, and has no sympathy - hence the life of crime, and attack of the man who 'grassed' on him. This is reinforced by the primeval setting; which makes Jason seem very predatory- enhanced by the gloomy atmosphere which helps to connote the callous nature of this character.
The shot of the man Jason attacked lying down helps to signify how he is of little importance, portraying him as a weak, insignificant character - due to him physically being on a 'lower level' in the scene. The use of ambient lighting helps the scene to feel more 'real', the dull colours giving it a gritty feel. The fact that Jason has left the man there - along with the fact the man is on the floor- helps to portray Jason as a fairly powerful character, as well as reinforcing his disregard for the man; making Jason's character seem more malevolent and menacing.
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Individual/Own Ideas for the Thriller Production
For our thriller production, my idea is to open with a plain black screen with the diegetic sound of heavy breathing as to unsettle the audience, also creating a sense of ambiguity as the audience don't know what is happening. The diegetic sound of heavy breathing will create a sound bridge to the first action shot - a long shot of a girl (girl A) running on a dismal, overcast beach- with the diegetic sound of the girl running on the surface of the beach along with the heavy breathing. This will help to connote the negative atmosphere of the scene and what is actually happening within it; along with the primeval setting of the beach which helps to create a predatory feel, as well as enabling us to use ambient lighting due the gritty and dismal effect created by the dark, overcast beach setting.
We would have a non-linear narrative, so there would then be a flashback to girl A with another girl (girl B); where it would show them being 'friends'. The flashbacks would be in black and white as to enable the audience to differentiate between the flashback scenes and the 'real time' scenes, as well as it linking to other thriller films such as 'Dead Man's Shoes' and 'Kill Bill' - where the flashback's are also black and white.
Following that would be a mid shot of girl A's legs running past the camera, which would then be followed by another mid shot of the aggressor's legs following girl A. This would help to build tension as it gives the audience a glimpse of the antagonist, which may help to 'humanise' them. All of these shots would have the diegetic sound of running on the beach surface and heavy breathing. This would be followed by another flashback of girl A with girl B, but this time it would seem as if something is different about the girls, whether it be the look on their face or the way they hold themselves- which will be used to build suspicion and tension as you don't know what is going on with them; creating a sense of enigma. There would then be a wide tracking shot of girl A running across the beach, without showing the aggressor behind her, from whom she is running from. This would help to present a false sense of security or hope within the audience for girl A, as according to this shot it may seem as if she isn't actually running from anything any more.
This would then be contradicted with an over the shoulder shot of girl A, filmed from behind (over the shoulder of) the antagonist who is chasing her. This would bring back the element of fear as it shows that girl A isn't actually safe, and hasn't managed to 'get away'.
This would then be followed by a 360° shot of girl A looking around her, with there being no sign of the antagonist. This would disorientate the audience whilst helping to build suspense as it gives the feel that something is about to happen.
As the shot gets back to the front of the girl, she would suddenly go still; where over her shoulder, girl B would appear. The scene would then cut out to a plain black screen again - very similar to the one at the beginning of the thriller opening, in an almost 'call back' like fashion, with the diegetic sound of girl A's heart beat and heavy breathing, along with the title of the production appearing on the screen.
We would have a non-linear narrative, so there would then be a flashback to girl A with another girl (girl B); where it would show them being 'friends'. The flashbacks would be in black and white as to enable the audience to differentiate between the flashback scenes and the 'real time' scenes, as well as it linking to other thriller films such as 'Dead Man's Shoes' and 'Kill Bill' - where the flashback's are also black and white.
An example of black and white being used for flashbacks in 'Dead Man's Shoes' can be found at about 0:32.
An example of black and white being used for flashbacks in ''Kill Bill' can be found at about 0:26.
There would then be a point of view shot filmed on a hand held camera - from the point of view of the 'thing' she's running from- of the girl running, where she will then hear a strange sound from behind her; causing her to look over her shoulder- followed by the diegetic sound of a heartbeat. The use of the hand held camera will help to create a sense of fear and urgency from the character, as well as disorientating the audience which will help to build tension within the viewers.
Following that would be a mid shot of girl A's legs running past the camera, which would then be followed by another mid shot of the aggressor's legs following girl A. This would help to build tension as it gives the audience a glimpse of the antagonist, which may help to 'humanise' them. All of these shots would have the diegetic sound of running on the beach surface and heavy breathing. This would be followed by another flashback of girl A with girl B, but this time it would seem as if something is different about the girls, whether it be the look on their face or the way they hold themselves- which will be used to build suspicion and tension as you don't know what is going on with them; creating a sense of enigma. There would then be a wide tracking shot of girl A running across the beach, without showing the aggressor behind her, from whom she is running from. This would help to present a false sense of security or hope within the audience for girl A, as according to this shot it may seem as if she isn't actually running from anything any more.
This would then be contradicted with an over the shoulder shot of girl A, filmed from behind (over the shoulder of) the antagonist who is chasing her. This would bring back the element of fear as it shows that girl A isn't actually safe, and hasn't managed to 'get away'.
This would then be followed by a 360° shot of girl A looking around her, with there being no sign of the antagonist. This would disorientate the audience whilst helping to build suspense as it gives the feel that something is about to happen.
There would be the use of a 360° shot, similar to the shot seen at about 1:24 in this clip of 'Hot Fuzz'
As the shot gets back to the front of the girl, she would suddenly go still; where over her shoulder, girl B would appear. The scene would then cut out to a plain black screen again - very similar to the one at the beginning of the thriller opening, in an almost 'call back' like fashion, with the diegetic sound of girl A's heart beat and heavy breathing, along with the title of the production appearing on the screen.
This would then raise tension and suspense within the audience, keeping the viewers attention and making them want to see what happens next; hopefully making an interesting and effective opening to a thriller film.
Monday, 25 November 2013
Saturday, 9 November 2013
Independent Research: Thriller Texts - 'Dread'
'Dread' - 2009
Director/screenplay: Anthony DiBlasi
Cast: Jackson Rathbone, Hanne Steen, Laura Donnelly, Shaun Evans
Based on story by: Clive Barker
About the film: Three college students producing a documentary on the true nature of fear are slowly drawn into a world of nightmares when one member of the group begins exploiting the phobias of his fellow participants in hopes of seeking salvation from his own dark obsession.
One of the generic features of a thriller film that is featured in 'Dread' is the character types. There is Quaid- the psychotic individual with a dark past; and Stephen, Abby and Cheryl who are some of the 'innocent victims' who had issues from their own, individual pasts, which had a major impact on the rest of their lives. Quaid and stephen also have a very twisted relationship with each other-which soon expands to other participants of the study- which is another generic character feature of this genre.
Another generic feature of thrillers in this text is the locations used throughout the film. A conversation between Quaid and Stephen takes place within a car - which is a generic feature for thrillers- which is the exact model of the car Stephen's brother crashed and died in; which links back to the theme of their 'study' as that is the thing Stephen fears most. Another example of a generic thriller location is when Quaid and Stephen first have their conversation about studying fear, they are in a dimly lit, urban alleyway; which could make the scene feel more gritty and real - which is a generic thriller location. Similarly, Quaid's house is also quite dingy and dark; which creates a sinister feel, along with a feel of ambiguity due to heavy use of shadow- which also helps to create a sense of enigma. This could be reflective of his character as he is a very dark and sadistic individual, who is also suffering from psychological abnormalities due to his experiences from his 'dark past'.
Many of the shots located in this house have a heavy focus on the set of stairs - which is another generic location feature of the genre. The shots located in his house are focused on the stairs as they have a very strong link to the character and his dark past: Quaid had seen his parents killed by an axe murderer as a child, who then ascends the stairs after him, letting the axe thud against each stair on his way up. The film begins with this shot of Quaid as a young boy cowering away from the murderer as he was approaching on the stairs, and is later mirrored by Stephen near the end of the film -in a sort of 'call back' fashion. During Quaid's hallucinations, the colours of the scenes have been enhanced, which is very effective as it portrays to the audience how vivid and real they are to the character, and almost puts the audience in his position - through seeing his faulty perception of reality through his eyes.
"I suppose that is the worst part of it all. You live with the notion that the thing that causes you the most terror could come back at any time."
Director/screenplay: Anthony DiBlasi
Cast: Jackson Rathbone, Hanne Steen, Laura Donnelly, Shaun Evans
Based on story by: Clive Barker
About the film: Three college students producing a documentary on the true nature of fear are slowly drawn into a world of nightmares when one member of the group begins exploiting the phobias of his fellow participants in hopes of seeking salvation from his own dark obsession.
One of the generic features of a thriller film that is featured in 'Dread' is the character types. There is Quaid- the psychotic individual with a dark past; and Stephen, Abby and Cheryl who are some of the 'innocent victims' who had issues from their own, individual pasts, which had a major impact on the rest of their lives. Quaid and stephen also have a very twisted relationship with each other-which soon expands to other participants of the study- which is another generic character feature of this genre.
Another generic feature of thrillers in this text is the locations used throughout the film. A conversation between Quaid and Stephen takes place within a car - which is a generic feature for thrillers- which is the exact model of the car Stephen's brother crashed and died in; which links back to the theme of their 'study' as that is the thing Stephen fears most. Another example of a generic thriller location is when Quaid and Stephen first have their conversation about studying fear, they are in a dimly lit, urban alleyway; which could make the scene feel more gritty and real - which is a generic thriller location. Similarly, Quaid's house is also quite dingy and dark; which creates a sinister feel, along with a feel of ambiguity due to heavy use of shadow- which also helps to create a sense of enigma. This could be reflective of his character as he is a very dark and sadistic individual, who is also suffering from psychological abnormalities due to his experiences from his 'dark past'.
Many of the shots located in this house have a heavy focus on the set of stairs - which is another generic location feature of the genre. The shots located in his house are focused on the stairs as they have a very strong link to the character and his dark past: Quaid had seen his parents killed by an axe murderer as a child, who then ascends the stairs after him, letting the axe thud against each stair on his way up. The film begins with this shot of Quaid as a young boy cowering away from the murderer as he was approaching on the stairs, and is later mirrored by Stephen near the end of the film -in a sort of 'call back' fashion. During Quaid's hallucinations, the colours of the scenes have been enhanced, which is very effective as it portrays to the audience how vivid and real they are to the character, and almost puts the audience in his position - through seeing his faulty perception of reality through his eyes.
"I suppose that is the worst part of it all. You live with the notion that the thing that causes you the most terror could come back at any time."
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