1. What is told to the audience?
The audience is shown a women lying on the floor and then someone else shooting her. It misses out all the action as when you first see her, see is already cut up. At this point you know that the man who is called Bill is the antagonist and the audience believe that that the women is a innocent victim. There is talking between the two characters and right before Bill shoots her, she says 'It's your baby.' This tells the audience she isn't just an innocent victim and Bill killed her for revenge.
2. What is conventional?
- You get introduced to the main characters, even though you don't see the man and you don't realise that the women is also a main character.
- The music over the titles are strings and drums. This builds up tension.
- Only straight cuts are used apart from right at the end of the opening sequence to show it is ended.
- The titles are white writing on a black background.
3. What is unconventional?
- Over the titles, there is a voice over which then blends into the two characters talking.
- The action is in black and white. However this is used to show what happened in the past.
4. How has it inspired me?
I like the way it doesn't have a built up to the action or actually getting to see the fight, but it shows the after effect of it. Also, I like the way it has a connection between the two characters. In normal thriller, you see an antagonist killing an innocent victim, but in Kill Bill vol.2 it shows a connection between them.
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
THRILLER ANALYSIS - Scream (1996) - Wes Craven - psychological thriller and comedy thriller
1. What is told to the audience?
During the first 3 minutes of Scream not a lot is told to the audience. The only thing that is clear to the audience is the man voice on the phone is the antagonist. This isn't so clear until he says 'I want to know who I am looking at' after 2 minutes and 23 seconds of the action. When he says this, you know that something is going to happen to the girl but aren't sure whether she is a main character or just an innocent victim.
2.What is conventional?
- There is a clear antagonist (the man on the phone). This is found out after 2 minutes 23 seconds of the opening sequence.
- The titles are conventional as they are white tittles on a black background, and then the titles turn red
- The music gets faster and has more tension in it.
3. What is unconventional?
- Although we find out that the antagonist is the man on the phone, we never actually get to see who the main characters are.
- The title of 'Scream' is very animated and there is some flashing involved.
- Apart from the main tittle of 'Scream', there were no other tittles.
4.How has it inspired me?
It has inspired me, as it showed me that you can introduce your antagonist character without actually introducing him. I also like the way that, half way through the opening section, it stops to show the location of where it is happening.
During the first 3 minutes of Scream not a lot is told to the audience. The only thing that is clear to the audience is the man voice on the phone is the antagonist. This isn't so clear until he says 'I want to know who I am looking at' after 2 minutes and 23 seconds of the action. When he says this, you know that something is going to happen to the girl but aren't sure whether she is a main character or just an innocent victim.
2.What is conventional?
- There is a clear antagonist (the man on the phone). This is found out after 2 minutes 23 seconds of the opening sequence.
- The titles are conventional as they are white tittles on a black background, and then the titles turn red
- The music gets faster and has more tension in it.
3. What is unconventional?
- Although we find out that the antagonist is the man on the phone, we never actually get to see who the main characters are.
- The title of 'Scream' is very animated and there is some flashing involved.
- Apart from the main tittle of 'Scream', there were no other tittles.
4.How has it inspired me?
It has inspired me, as it showed me that you can introduce your antagonist character without actually introducing him. I also like the way that, half way through the opening section, it stops to show the location of where it is happening.
Sunday, 27 December 2009
THRILLER ANALYSIS - Memento (2000) - Christopher Nolan - Paranoid thriller
1. What is told to the audience?
The only thing that it shows is a man as been shot and another man is taking a picture of him. However, all this section is shown backwards. You get to meet two characters in the first few minutes. However, the man taken the picture is shown to be that bad person and the man being shot, to be just an innocent victim. So in the first few minutes, not a lot has been told to the audience.
2. What is conventional?
- The main convention of Memento is that in the first few minutes, is there are more questions are asked than been answered
- There is non-diegetic sound over the action which adds suspense to the action
- The main characters were introduced
- Sting music used to create tension
- The main man is wearing a wedding rain which suggests that he his a normal/average man
3. What is unconventional?
- It is going in a backwards order.
4. How has it inspired me?
I like the idea of no dialogue being used and the audience just getting a feel for the film from just the actions. I also like the idea of the scene going backwards as it is different and no other film does this. However, I don't think I would like to use this in our thriller as its to unique.
The only thing that it shows is a man as been shot and another man is taking a picture of him. However, all this section is shown backwards. You get to meet two characters in the first few minutes. However, the man taken the picture is shown to be that bad person and the man being shot, to be just an innocent victim. So in the first few minutes, not a lot has been told to the audience.
2. What is conventional?
- The main convention of Memento is that in the first few minutes, is there are more questions are asked than been answered
- There is non-diegetic sound over the action which adds suspense to the action
- The main characters were introduced
- Sting music used to create tension
- The main man is wearing a wedding rain which suggests that he his a normal/average man
3. What is unconventional?
- It is going in a backwards order.
4. How has it inspired me?
I like the idea of no dialogue being used and the audience just getting a feel for the film from just the actions. I also like the idea of the scene going backwards as it is different and no other film does this. However, I don't think I would like to use this in our thriller as its to unique.
Thursday, 24 December 2009
THRILLER ANALYSIS - Dr Strangelove (Stanley Kubrick, 1964) Disaster Thriller
1. What is revealed to the audience?
A voiceover is talking about the Russians planning a nuclear bomb attack, whilst the camera slowly zooms in (or flies towards) a group of mountains in the distance. Following this, a series of shots that looks at two airplanes together in the sky is overlaid with what appears to be hand-drawn titles.
2. What is conventional?
- Titles: white over a background of planes flying
- A clear antagonist (Russia) is established through what the voiceover is saying
A voiceover is talking about the Russians planning a nuclear bomb attack, whilst the camera slowly zooms in (or flies towards) a group of mountains in the distance. Following this, a series of shots that looks at two airplanes together in the sky is overlaid with what appears to be hand-drawn titles.
2. What is conventional?
- Titles: white over a background of planes flying
- A clear antagonist (Russia) is established through what the voiceover is saying
3. What is unconventional?
- The main character is not introduced - we have no idea who it could be
- It is filmed in black and white. Although this would have not been unusual in it's day, nowadays it is more unheard of.
- Titles: appear to be hand drawn
- Sound: Music reminds me of theatrical ballet music, such as swan lake, and makes the scene in front of the audience's eyes seem much more tranquil
- The main character is not introduced - we have no idea who it could be
- It is filmed in black and white. Although this would have not been unusual in it's day, nowadays it is more unheard of.
- Titles: appear to be hand drawn
- Sound: Music reminds me of theatrical ballet music, such as swan lake, and makes the scene in front of the audience's eyes seem much more tranquil
- A voiceover is heard at the start of the opening sequence
4. How has it inspired me?
4. How has it inspired me?
I really like the hand drawn effect of the titles - it looks so much more personal than any usual font, although it may not be suitable for a different sub-genre of thriller, and I also quite like the black and white effect, especially since it adds a sense of mystery to what is going on.
THRILLER ANALYSIS - Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954) Psychological Thriller
1. What is revealed to the audience?
Behind the titles, a large window is seen, with blinds that slowly roll up one at a time, and then the camera zooms through the window and into the courtyard beneath. Following this, a single tracking shot follows a cat up a set of stairs, then all around the courtyard, before finally coming back through the window and into a close up of the protagonist's face, sweating and clearly in pain.
Behind the titles, a large window is seen, with blinds that slowly roll up one at a time, and then the camera zooms through the window and into the courtyard beneath. Following this, a single tracking shot follows a cat up a set of stairs, then all around the courtyard, before finally coming back through the window and into a close up of the protagonist's face, sweating and clearly in pain.
2. What is conventional?
- Titles: Although rather old fashioned nowadays, the titles are a simple red and white
- Sound: upbeat, almost comedic music with cymbals throughout, yet reminiscent of old detectives etc with a hint of urgency to it.
- Titles: Although rather old fashioned nowadays, the titles are a simple red and white
- Sound: upbeat, almost comedic music with cymbals throughout, yet reminiscent of old detectives etc with a hint of urgency to it.
- The main character is introduced, albeit briefly
- The setting is introduced also - an apartment block in what we assume is America
3. What is unconventional?
- Camerawork: only two shots are used in the entire opening sequence, and one of these is a highly unconventional track
- Sound: no diegetic sound is used, only the music is heard throughout the opening
- Camerawork: only two shots are used in the entire opening sequence, and one of these is a highly unconventional track
- Sound: no diegetic sound is used, only the music is heard throughout the opening
- The main character is only introduced right at the very end of the introduction, and even then, only for a second.
4. How has it inspired me?
The use of very few shots has confirmed that it doesn't take a lot of different shots to set up the scene and to introduce the characters. The lack of dialogue is also good, as it is something else to bear in mind for our own thriller.
The use of very few shots has confirmed that it doesn't take a lot of different shots to set up the scene and to introduce the characters. The lack of dialogue is also good, as it is something else to bear in mind for our own thriller.
THRILLER ANALYSIS - Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976) Psychological Thriller
1. What is revealed to the audience?
Very little - a man's face is seen in extreme close up (just his eyes are revealed to the audience), and a New York street with lots of steam/smoke obscuring the view, followed by a blurry shot of another street at night through a windscreen.
Very little - a man's face is seen in extreme close up (just his eyes are revealed to the audience), and a New York street with lots of steam/smoke obscuring the view, followed by a blurry shot of another street at night through a windscreen.
2. What is conventional?
- Titles: Starting a dark red and lightening to yellow
- The main character is introduced, although we know little about him
- Editing: Straight cut editing is used predominately throughout the opening
- Camera: Mainly still shots, one tilt used right at the start to reveal to the audience that a taxi is being driven
3. What is unconventional?
- Sound: juxtaposition of slow, soft jazz and tense, orchestral music, neither of which are that conventional to the thriller genre.
- No diegetic sound, or indeed sound at all except for the music
4. How has it inspired me?
I like the way that there is no dialogue, leaving lots of questions unanswered in the audiences mind, and also the use of very few shots, which all last for quite a long time. Also, the music used shows to me that typically 'thriller' music doesn't always have to be used.
- Titles: Starting a dark red and lightening to yellow
- The main character is introduced, although we know little about him
- Editing: Straight cut editing is used predominately throughout the opening
- Camera: Mainly still shots, one tilt used right at the start to reveal to the audience that a taxi is being driven
3. What is unconventional?
- Sound: juxtaposition of slow, soft jazz and tense, orchestral music, neither of which are that conventional to the thriller genre.
- No diegetic sound, or indeed sound at all except for the music
4. How has it inspired me?
I like the way that there is no dialogue, leaving lots of questions unanswered in the audiences mind, and also the use of very few shots, which all last for quite a long time. Also, the music used shows to me that typically 'thriller' music doesn't always have to be used.
Saturday, 19 December 2009
THRILLER ANALYSIS - Fight Club (David Fincher 1999) Psychological thriller
1. What is revealed to the audience?
The main character is being held at gun point by a man named Tyler Durton, whilst an organisation called 'project mayhem' is planning/carrying out a "controlled demolition" of a number of skyscrapers. We are told that everything we have seen so far all relates to a woman called Marlar Singer.
2. What is conventional?
- Titles: white lettering on a black background,
- the main character is introduced, although we are not told his name,
- the main character is being held hostage; a typical situation in this genre,
- Sound: Very high tempo non-diegetic music using drums and guitar.
- a clear antagonist (or so we think) is established.
- Editing: straight cut editing is used through the majority of the opening.
3. What is unconventional?
- A voice over is used throughout the opening,
- The narrative time is fragmented and goes back in time. The end of the film is essentially at the beginning.
- Camera: the camera zooms around the location with varying speed, frames and angles which give the action a very surreal atmosphere.
- Titles: heavily animated and flashing.
4. How has it inspired me?
I really like the use of fragmented narrative as this enhances the tension of the viewing and the ambiguity of the narrative.
The main character is being held at gun point by a man named Tyler Durton, whilst an organisation called 'project mayhem' is planning/carrying out a "controlled demolition" of a number of skyscrapers. We are told that everything we have seen so far all relates to a woman called Marlar Singer.
2. What is conventional?
- Titles: white lettering on a black background,
- the main character is introduced, although we are not told his name,
- the main character is being held hostage; a typical situation in this genre,
- Sound: Very high tempo non-diegetic music using drums and guitar.
- a clear antagonist (or so we think) is established.
- Editing: straight cut editing is used through the majority of the opening.
3. What is unconventional?
- A voice over is used throughout the opening,
- The narrative time is fragmented and goes back in time. The end of the film is essentially at the beginning.
- Camera: the camera zooms around the location with varying speed, frames and angles which give the action a very surreal atmosphere.
- Titles: heavily animated and flashing.
4. How has it inspired me?
I really like the use of fragmented narrative as this enhances the tension of the viewing and the ambiguity of the narrative.
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