Certificates are given to movies in order to make a firm judgment on their suitability for certain target audiences. After researching in depth about each age rating, my group can have a better idea of what we can include in our opening and what type of people we can aim it at. Although we have no budget, we can use creative means to make our opening look as real and professional to achieve a good piece of film.
After thorough analysis of a variety of thriller openings I've realized that certain things differ, such as speed of editing and types of camera shot, depending on the sub-genre of thriller. Common colours that are featured are usually dark and rich such as blacks, greys, whites and reds. Using these colours helps to construct a sense of danger and mystery which ties in with the narrative. Openings are usually quite slow paced with quite long takes to help create suspense. A variety of mid-shots and long shots are used to help the audience engage with both the surrounding environment and the characters, thus supporting the narrative. In addition to this, close-ups are used to show facial expressions to allow the audience to familiarize themselves with the characters. Furthermore, most openings are accompanied by a musical score, to support the narrative by being parallel to what’s happening on screen. It also allows the audience to create their own idea about what is going to happen, again adding to the suspenseful nature of thrillers. The opening credits are normally superimposed with the footage on screen in order to both inform the audience about actors/actresses, directors etc, without re-directing their attention away from what’s happening.
Camera
Film Title: Sin City
Released: 2005
Director: Frank Miller
Camera – distance, angle, movement…
Sin City opens with an establishing high angle shot, tilted in a way that shows both the city landscape and an elegant looking woman emerging from the bottom of the screen. The effect this creates is that it allows the audience to firstly; become familiar with the setting of the film (an unspecified city) and secondly; introduce the distinctive editing techniques that have been used, that being that almost everything is shot in grey scale, bar certain things shown in red to add contrast to the scene, which in this scene happen to be the woman’s dress and lipstick which suggests that she may be killed as red connotes death.
A mixture of CU and MS are then used to establish a flirtatious and somewhat close relationship between the two characters (the woman and the man that has just joined her). SRS are used to track the conversation and show the characters facial expressions in order for the audience to develop an understanding of the characters. As the man showers the woman with compliments the camera doesn’t show him talking but shows the audience how the woman is reacting, which allows them to see that she may feelings for the man due to the longing and fairly lustful look in her eyes.
This is followed by a MS of the two characters; the woman standing with her back to the man as he remains staring at her. The camera slowly zooms in which is effective as it coincides with both the dialogue and music, creating a sense of growing attraction between the two characters.
Next there is a CU of the man leaning in to kiss the woman, followed soon by a mid, two shot of the distinctive silhouette of the couple embracing. The camera tilts up and down (due to obvious height differences to show the facial expressions of the characters; hers appearing to be a sense of hope and his being a blank gaze at the thought of what he is about to do. After he has shot her, the camera tilts down to follow the pair as she collapses on him, followed by a HA shot of him holding her as she slowly dies in his arms, reinforced by the camera slowly zooming out to represent her life fading away.
Sound – effects, musical score…
The extract begins with a mix of ambient sound (cars) and a non-diegetic saxophone and a piano. The jazzy mix of a saxophone and piano is effective for a number of reasons. Firstly, it establishes a sense of location, as jazz is a cultural signifier of America, especially in American cities such as New York. The American location is reinforced by the fact that the dialogue is said in an American accent. Secondly, it produces a romantic atmosphere which is important as it runs parallel with what is happening on screen. Dialogue plays a key part in this extract and is used to generate a certain attraction between the two characters. Both speak very calmly and slowly, using very complimentary and flirtatious language reinforcing the sense of a mutual attraction. Ambient sound continues throughout the scene, with the start of the rain being signified by thunder, which could also suggest a climax within the scene. Also, as thunder was heard to signify the beginning of the rain, it is heard again as he shoots the woman to signify the end of her life, and promote a sense of sadness.
Editing – speed, style…
From an editing stand point, Sin City uses one of the most distinctive and unique editing styles to date. The extract is cleverly shot in black and white, with the contrast of red introduced with some elements (such as the woman’s dress and lipstick in this scene). The shots have been edited to make the colours contrast more, with black elements being darker and white elements appearing much brighter, making every look much more vibrant and striking than it normally would in standard black and white. The effect of having everything in black and white with only a few splashes of colour is to create a ‘comic-book’ feel to the extract.
In this scene, red has been used for emphasis of both the woman and what she is wearing. She is shown in a long red dress which suggests that she is quite elegant, creating a sense of femininity. The dress could also be seen as a signifier of her class, as it looks quite expensive and sleek. Red also connotes love and passion, which can be seen as a key theme in this extract. However, this is juxtaposed with the fact that red also connotes death and murder, which suggests that she is in danger. When the couple are talking, the woman’s eyes flash green as the man compliments them. This emphasizes the fact that he likes them and also shows how she is gazing at him longingly.
The pace of the extract is kept slow throughout to allow tension to slowly build by the development of the conversation. The calm straight cuts help to create a calm and casual atmosphere which juxtaposes the fact that she is going to be killed, as even when this happens the pace remains slow.
Mise-en-scene – props, costume, setting, lighting, colour…
The main character is wearing a red dress with red lipstick to provide contrast to everything else which is shown in black and white, such as the man’s suit. Red connotes both love and death, which is important as the scene focuses on both of those factors. The woman has been chosen to be shown in red as it suggests to the audience that something will happen to the woman, either something positive (love) or negative (death).
Both characters wear fairly sophisticated and high class clothes which suggest the types of lives they lead. This is reinforced by the strong, charming character of the man and the quiet yet confident character of the woman, who remain casual throughout to coincide with the slow pace of editing. The man uses very positive facial expressions and seems very sure of himself and his actions. Similarly, the woman matches the man by replying in the exact same manner, which suggests a close bond between the two.
The purpose of film genres:
Film genres were created to categorize films to make it easier for the public to create initial impressions about films. Each genre has its own specific technical codes and conventions that are consistent throughout the genre and sub-genres. This allows the audience to have some idea of what to expect when seeing a film in a certain genre. We can use the idea of codes and conventions to delve deeper into the thriller genre and find out what makes a successful thriller film.
What is a thriller?
The term thriller refers to the types of film that, quite simple, thrill the audience. To elaborate, they are able to promote a high level of excitement and suspense, as well as including elements that add ultra-heightened expectation to create nerve-wracking tension.
Thriller films only have one aim – to provide something that is thrilling to watch that leaves the audience constantly wanting more. They do this by including intense plots that slowly build up to an exciting climax. Tension is usually created when the main character or group of characters (which is becoming increasingly common) is placed in a dangerous or menacing situation, such as a spy trying to complete a mission that seems impossible. In most cases, the life of the characters is always threatened, usually by placing them unsuspectingly or unknowingly in a deadly situation of which survival appears to be unlikely. Thrillers use plots ridden with villains or monsters which provide some sort of conflict with the protagonist as this makes the story much more exciting.
As thriller is such a wide genre with many sub-genres, it is rare to see a film simple categorized as a thriller. Sub-genres are classed as hybrids as they are made up of two separate genres to create one single, more specific sub genre. With the thriller genre, most films are able to be categorized as these ‘hybrids’ and each include their own set of codes and conventions which differ slightly from others in the thriller genre as conventions from the other half of the hybrid add to make each sub-genre different and unique.
Examples of Sub-Genres of Thriller:
Crime Thriller - This sub-genre offers an account of either successful or failed crimes but presents them in a very suspenseful way to make them more interesting to watch. These films often choose to focus more from the criminal(s) point of view as opposed to the policeman/detective’s side. This is because the lifestyle of the criminal and the part they play within the story tends to be more fast paces and enjoyable to watch. Crime thrillers also include a lot of psychological aspects to play on the audiences emotions which creates a much more thrilling plot. Common themes throughout this sub genre are: robberies, drugs, murders, chases, framing other characters and shootouts.
Action Thriller - This sub-genre usually includes a race against time, in which the main character has to complete a task in a set time period but has to overcome certain obstacles, often using violence and things of that nature. These films also often include an antagonist that challenges the protagonist throughout the film trying to prevent them from succeeding in their task. Common elements of this sub-genre are large amounts of gunfire and explosions and elaborate set pieces and locations. Perfect examples of a successful action-thriller are the James Bond films.
Drama Thriller - This sub-genre includes aspects from both drama and thriller based films. These types of films are normally a lot slower than other thriller films to create a dramatic effect. They also often choose to focus on one character and the development of the character throughout the film including many twists in plot to create an unpredictable ending. A good example of this is the film The Illusionist.
Conspiracy Thriller - This sub-genre focuses on a hero/heroine that confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes. Films such as The Aquitane Progression by Robert Ludlum fall under this sub-genre.
Disaster Thriller - This sub-genre focuses on problems that arise from a natural or artificial disaster. These include things such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, volcanoes and asteroid/comet collisions or in case of an artificial disaster, nuclear disasters. A good example of this is the film Twister by Jan De Bont.
Horror Thriller - This sub-genre focuses on the conflict concerning the mental, emotional and physical state of the main character(s). The horror thriller sub-genre differs from the other sub-genres of thrillers simply due to the consistent element of fear thoughout the story. The main character is always seem to be victimized either as a random act of evil or as a strategic attack for some reason or another. A good example of this is the recent ‘Saw’ series.
Legal Thriller - This sub-genre focuses on a lawyer-heroes/heroines confront foes both in and outside the courtroom, usually using unconvential means to support their case. This commonly poses the risk of the character not only losing the case bu endangering their lives. The Innocent Man by John Grisham is a well known example of this type of film.
Political Thriller - This sub-genre focuses on a hero/heroine that must ensure the stability of the government that employs them. A good example of this type of film is The Manchurian Candidate.
Psychological Thriller - This sub-genre often focuses on the disturbed emotional and mental state of the main character and the way in which this effects their actions, such as random violent acts. David Lynch's bizarre and influential Blue Velvet are notable examples of this type of film.
Spy Thriller - This sub-genre focuses on a hero that is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or (in recent years) terrorists. The James Bond films and The Bourne Identity films are perfect examples of this sub-genre.
Supernatural Thriller - This sub-genre focuses on characters that usually have some form of supernatural powers. This type of film includes the regular aspect of tension that are seen throughout the thriller genre with some elements that are also included in the horror genre, such as the occut and and psychic phenomenon. They also generally eschew the more graphic elements of the horror film in favor of sustaining a mood of menace and unpredictability; supernatural thrillers often find the protagonists either battling a malevolent paranormal force or trapped in a situation seemingly influenced or controlled by an other-worldly entity beyond their comprehension.
Techno-thriller - This sub-genre usually focuses upon the military and the technology used by them. The technology is described in detail which is important as it is key to the audience being able to understand the plot correctly and prevent them from being confuses, as technology can be for some people. After the release of The Hunt for Red October, Tom Clancy is now considered to be the "Father of the Technothriller."
Thriller Conventions:
Below is a list of the conventions of the thriller genre, obtained from - http://thrillerproject.blogspot.com/
o A crime at the core of the narrative (often murder, but not necessarily).
o A complex narrative structure, with false paths, clues and resolutions.
o A narrative pattern of establishing enigmas which the viewer expects to be resolved.
o A protagonist who is systematically dis-empowered and drawn into a complex web of intrigue by the antagonist.
o Extraordinary events happening in ordinary situations.
o Themes of identity.
o Themes of mirroring.
o Themes of voyeurism.
o Protagonist with a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the antagonist.
o Titles often reflect an aspect of the pro/antagonist’s psychological state.
o There is often a scene near the end of the film in which the protagonist is in peril.
o Mise en scene which echoes/ mirrors the protagonist’s plight.
