Opening sequence analysis

I quite liked this film opening because it is black and white quite easy for the audience and viewers to see and the font is quite bold not girly or in nice colors just a blunt black and white. On the other hand, a calm, quiet and classic font can be really efficient and contrast with the suggested horror  of the movie.

Also if you see how the fonts are used in this picture you can see how they are big and bold and most of them are in bold writing most of them are  made to look like objects like spiders and ones that drip like blood to put a chilling up the audience spine before the movie even starts.

Institutional Research (Universal Studios)

Universal Studios is a film company also known as Universal Pictures which provides motion picture production, distribution, and applied services through its sound stages, back lot locations, and broadcast studios. Universal Studios has also has gone into making theme parks in Florida and in other states in America.  

Its production activities include feature films, television programs, commercials, music, corporate, and industrial videos production; and sound stages and studios’ activities comprise shooting various productions, including live audience based shows. 

The company offers welding, painting, plumbing, H VAC, landscaping, automotive, and electrical support through its technical services support center. It also provides back lot locations, and office and facility rentals; and broadcast equipment rental 

Audience Research - Questionnaire

Audience Research Questionnaire Results

I conducted my Questionnaire by asking 10 different people, per question, and organised the results into the following pie charts:

The first question was populated by the answer 'Suspense' as many thought it was key to feel excited as to what will happen next. It keeps people on the edge of their seats, always wanting more.

The majority of people, I asked, felt as if 'Music' achieved most of the suspense in a Thriller film. Most feel that 'Music' incorporates different speeds which add a variety of moods and atmosphere's to the film.

This question was tough as it has two interested answers. It was between a 'Chase Scene' and a 'Flashback' although 'Flashback' became notorious; 'Chase Scene' wasn't far behind. A 'Flashback' encourages the audience to think and enlightens them to know what's happening, so the film can jump straight into the action without anyone feeling lost or unknowing.

This was a clear answer as nearly everyone managed to pick 'As little as possible'. By films revealing as little as possible it enables the audience to be aware of the story-line however it could have multiple interpretations therefore the audience is incapable of clinching onto what's happening next straight away.

'Tension Music' was founded to be the most conventional because it has the ability to create different emotions upon the audience but it can also clarify the scenes and characters mood.

I wasn't surprised to find 'Trailer' as the most selected, since the producers put a lot of money and time into the trailer because they want to grab the viewers attention and pull them into buying the film.

'Gore' became justified to an extent that near enough everyone doesn't go to watch a Thriller for 'Gore' but for a creative, extraordinary plot. 'Gore' is as a conventional trait for a  Horror film.

Initial Thriller Moodboard

From this moodboard I have now got an understanding of the conventions of the target audience and the type of images that would be expected for a 'Thriller' film. The use of the face in  low key lighting is one of the key elements noted from the images above it creates an element of mystery for the audience to build anticipation. In some respects this then contrasts with the high key lighting e.g. 'The Ninth Gate' and 'The Dark Knight Rises'. Even though these have separate hybrids e.g. history and superhero, the same conventions can be seen because they are Thiller films.

The use of a close up of the eyes or the face also adds to the suspense that is being built because the audience do not know or understand who that person is or why they are involved in the story yet.

Thriller Conventions

Some of the basic ingredients of a successful thriller include:

  

Good background Story:

A common ingredient in thrillers include the main character falling victim to someone else's scheme and getting stuck in the moment of dread. This fits the genre of thriller as the audience will be intrigued in the story and therefore be forced to watch on.

Todorov’s narrative theory - Saw, as an exemplar

Equilibrium – normal people having normal lives however they have been convicted for doing something bad or illegal and now being kidnapped

Disruption They then get kidnapped and face death with the master if they don’t play the death game they will die themselves

Restoration  They will need to cut of one of their body parts in order for them to be free if not they will die so it is a lose/lose situation

Different types of shots can be effective:

They allow the audience inside the head of the characters which builds an insane amount of tension and mystery, which will again intrigue the audience like for example if someone is getting chased in a location the camera will change a lot to keep the audience entertained and on their toes, because if it is the same angle it will get boring for the audience

Giving audience clear understanding of the protagonist:

At the beginning of the film the audience usually know who the protagonist is scared of and who he/she is trying to avoid or run from, this gives the audience a vague understanding of what is going on when more is revealed they are able to relate it to the back story instead of them to keep guessing who the good and bad guy is through out the film they will know straight away to stop them from guessing.

Making protagonist scared is effective:

In the majority of thriller films the character is never happy he/she is always filled with grief, sadness and uncertainty this usually reflects upon the audience and the audience will begin to feel suspense and sadness which reinforces the thriller genre this will make the audience feel their pain and what they are going through, kind of like putting the audience in their shoes

Editing:

Editing in all films is vital, no matter how good the footage is editing is what brings all the clips together, and thriller films are no exception. In thriller films editing is important because it allows the editor to add transitions between different shots. Transitions are useful because it can escalate a situation and it can also de-escalate a situation, A video editor can use the timing and pace of clips to build anticipation and grow suspense making it more entertaining for audience,

Lighting

The lighting in a thriller movie is one of the most of the most important because if the film goes darker in an instant the audience and viewers know what is coming and when the lighting increases then they know nothing might pop out or that the scene will be a talking scene however that is not always the case, some films increase the lighting and make it day time and sometimes horror does happen and if the lighting goes darker shows that there is mystery behind it

Understanding Genre

What Is Thriller?

I also think it is important to note that some of these conventions already indicate that a thriller film will probably be from 12 rating and above due to the content.

A thriller is often a lot of the time mistaken for the mystery genre. Although they are very similar they are both very different. A mystery usually entails the protagonist who puts together clues to solve a crime after it's been committed. A thriller usually details the prevention of a crime before it's been committed.

I have found this graphic that clearly identifies the generic conventions of a thriller film, through my future textual analysis I will now be attempting to see how each of these conventions are used to draw in an audience. 

Narrative research

Typical narrative structure is often broken down this way:

1. Opening establishes setting and introduces the characters
2. Build up, Relationships established, Development of characters and their world
3. Problem ; a dilemma

This is important to know as I will now be attempting to develop this narrative by linking it to pre-existing films to see how this structure fits. 

This will be important for later on in developing my own storyline with my group to understand how to engage and attract a potential audience.

I will now be looking at different theories so that I can develop my understanding of film draws in an audience.

I will be researching two key theories
- Propp's Character Theory
- Todorov's Structure Theory (as seen above)

Then for further research I will be looking at
- Levi Strauss (Binary Oppositions)
- Barthes (Semiotics)

What is representation in film?

Media Representations are ways in which the media portrays particular groups, communities, experience, ideas or topics from a particular ideological or value perspective

Introduction to my blog

This blog will talk about Thriller and anything to do with it along those lines, i will be learning and talking in detail about what makes a good thriller movies and etc. I will be mentioning about other peoples theories and how they affected the world of media and I will talking about different media companies both in the UK and in the USA