CAM RAW's Thriller - Initial Development

We have been discussing various different possibilities for our own thriller, and have decided to include the following conventions:

• The main story line will be a mystery and involve various plot-twists and red-herrings.
• Blood/violence will be used.
• The majority of the opening two minutes will be set at night.
• We will use fast edits to create tension and action.
• The victims are loved ones of the protagonist.
• A drunken night out was the cause of the problems.

We have also decided to challenge the following conventions:

• Music; we want to challenge the conventions of more traditonal thriller soundtracks by introducing new musical styles and elements to the genre (I shall expand more on this in a future post).
• The protagonist will be both a teenage female, and will also be the 'bad guy'. We have decided to portray her as the innocent victim initially, however she is actually the cause of all the problems.
• The credits; rather than have standard 'Live-Type' credits, we have decided to integrate them into the background and set of the film (more on this later!).

In a future post I shall upload images of our 'brainstorm sheets' on which we discussed many of our ideas and essentially let our creativity run wild. We used this to refine our idea into our initial pitch, which we showed to our peers and recorded their response in order to refine our idea into the final film.

Target Audience

Thriller films are aimed at a very broad audience, from teenagers to adults, from older people to younger, 20-something years olds. Depending on the sub-genre and the film itself, it allows for a very wide variety of films and possibilities. For our thriller, we have decided to aim it at a target audience of 15-25 year olds, since they will most easily be able to connect with our characters and the plot of the film on certain levels. They should have a good idea of what it feels like to be alone and isolated, to be scared and not know who to turn to, since they will be traversing adolescence themselves. They will hopefully understand exactly how it feels not to remember what happened the night before, and also how it feels to lose friends overnight. Obviously the film will have a broader scope, extended on to people in their thirties, possibly even their forties, but we are aiming mostly for the 15-25 year old demographic.

Thriller - Initial Ideas

Below is a presentation of the initial ideas our group discussed for our thriller. We then chose one of these and developed it into our final idea.

Summary of Ideas on Prezi

Equipment Test - Tripod/Panning, Dolly and Lighting

In order to implement more technical shots into our film we created test shots using a tripod, practicing panning, a camera dolly and also experimented with lighting to better understand how to correctly illuminate a subject for film. We tested the three-point lighting method, since this will be the easiest and most practical for our films and is also one of the most common types of lighting used.

The idea is to use three lights placed a different points around an object or character in order to illuminate them in the most natural way possible. The Key Light is the main light source and provides the strongest point of illumination. The Fill Light is used to eliminate any shadows that may occur on the opposite side of the object/person due to the Key Light. Finally, the Back Light is used in order to enhance the object/person and bring them out of the background. If something is only lit from the front it will appear very flat against a background, so by illuminating it from behind and highlighting it slightly it will appear a lot more three-dimensional and real.

We tested out the panning on the tripods just to ensure we were able to use them smoothly, particularly since our preliminary task has a few panning issues. We also tried the dolly, which will be useful if we want to do a shot where someone is walking past or running, and we want to follow alongside them.

Below I have included a video of this exercise and the dolly and panning exercises we practiced:

Film Openings Comparison

Below is a collection of film openings. Three of which are the thrillers I analysed in my previous post, however the other three are from completely different genres. I shall draw comparisons between the three and see how they are similar and how they differ.

The Birds

The sound of hundreds of birds squawking and flapping can be heard as images of birds flying appear behind the credits. Gradually, the text appears to be pecked and eaten away, as if the birds are attacking it. The font is simple and is a bright blue colour, almost the colour of the sky, as if that is where the birds should be. Aside from the frantic flapping in the background, they are very simple titles, yet the sounds the birds are making would make you feel trapped and claustrophobic if you were viewing this in a dark cinema with speakers all around you.


A Clockwork Orange

A blood-red background fills the screen as an orchestral score fills the air. Initially, it sounds quite electronic and tense, but soon it builds into much more. This music is intended to make the audience feel quite uncomfortable and on-edge, giving the constant illusion that it is building up to a big event. 'Warner Bros. Presents' appears on the screen in a simple font, yet stands out due to being such a bright white on a vivid background. When Stanley Kubrick's name appears the background changes to blue, this is to grab the attention of the audience and to reinforce who exactly produced this film; the reason for them watching it. It then flashes back to red as the title appears. Shortly after a medium close-up of a man in white with a bowler hat is shown. He has overly-exentuated eyelashes on his right eye and is looking up at the camera with a menacing grin. Once again, the larger-than-life image of this on a cinema screen would be terrifying, as if he is looking down a judging the audience. The music continues to build-up as the camera pans out, showing three more men dressed in similar attire and continues it's path showing more men and naked female mannequins throughout a corridor-like room. Because of the position of the men, it makes the viewer feel very trapped and enclosed.


Reservoir Dogs

Orange text on a black background. The sound of a busy restaurant environment as a man starts talking. The shot then switches to a group of very well dressed men in suits around a table. The nature of what they are discussing is in sharp contrast to their attire, giving the impression that they may be involved in organised crime, possibly even the Mafia. There are many over-the-shoulder shots and it is rare that you see the face of anyone who is talking. There is no music or any particular action, just conversation and discussion. The nature of the camerawork, however, makes the audience feel as if they are part of the conversation, like they are sitting at the table with the group of men and are being included. I feel that the music and silence of the characters are conventions used, since they build tension and intrigue. You want to hear the characters talking in order to associate with them better, yet the foreboding tone of the music twists this and stops you wanting to approach them, as do the characters staring eyes.

Monsters Inc.

A very upbeat, jazzy song is played whilst cartoon doors and monsters are shown on screen, along with the titles and credits. The entire sequence is animated, as is the film, but it simply is a large variety of doors opening and closing revealing parts of different monsters behind them and the catchy tune continues to play. I feel this is used to keep the attention of the younger audience that will be watching the film since there's something new behind each door and it's a surprise for them all the time. This is a convention in children's films, the credits have to be very entertaining and surprising in order to keep the younger audiences attention. They will also really enjoy the music since it is so upbeat and catchy, yet simple at the same time.

Wild Wild West

A traditional Western-style soundtrack is played as the screen is broken up into several sections with a different image in each. Characters from the film are shown, along with credits. The characters start doing various gun-tricks and shooting people. This is most likely showing good guys shooting bad guys. Following this are explosions and more high-action shots. We then see characters being shown with the actors name displayed as a credit underneath. The music suddenly changes to a more modern sound when Will Smith walks towards the camera. This shows that it isn't just an ordinary Western, but rather is a modern twist on a classic formula. Various characters, weapons and credits continue to be shown until the end. I feel that they decided to include such a lengthy title sequence at the start of the film since this is part pf the classic Western formula; they always had the credits and characters right at the start of the film with 'Western' style music playing. It is a homage to the genre they are trying to bring back to life.

Love Actually

Here we have what appears to be home-video style footage of people being re-united at Heathrow Airport arrivals. We know it is Heathrow due to the narrator telling us this. He is talking about love being everywhere in a world that has recently been described as full of hate. He talks about different people being reunited at the airport, boyfriends and girlfriends, fathers and sons, the list goes on. He then talks about people making phone calls from the planes that hit the Twin Towers and how they were messages of love. The final message is that 'Love actually is all around'. This is basically to get you thinking about the film, about what it's all about and what it stands for. You can tell it's going to be a feel-good rom-com from this moment, although it doesn't really use any conventions apart from talking about love and using home-move style footage.

Thriller Content Analysis

Below, I shall be showing the opening to three classic thrillers, and analysing them; I shall talk about conventions they use and how they fit into the thriller genre, even mentioning sub-genres if necessary.


The first film I have chosen is The Birds, by Alfred Hitchcock.

The first thing I noticed was the sheer volume of birds flying around. Although on a small screen this doesn't seem scary, imagine it in a dark cinema where it's all you can see; the sounds of the birds screeching all around you, enclosing you and making you feel trapped and uncomfortable. All of this is before the film has even begun. Next, the credits appear on screen. Each name is shown the disappears bit by bit, creating the illusion that the birds are pecking away at them, foreshadowing the events of the film.

Here is a later scene from the film, in which a woman enters a house, finding it all quiet. Immediately this creates tension and an air that something isn't quite right. The first shot shows her walking towards the house and because of the position and distance of the camera it leads the viewer to believe that they are watching this woman from afar, both making you feel safe, but that you might be part of the problem. There is no answer at the door, so she lets herself in a creeps slowly from room to room, carefully leaning through each doorway and peering around. As she enters the bedroom, she sees that everything is a mass and there has been a struggle. There is a bird, dead against the window too. Gradually, the truth is unearthed and she sees the body lying dead on the floor. The camera shows his face and jump cuts forward several times, revealing the extent of damage done in a way that makes you curious, yet disgusted. As she runs out of the house, the camera is at the end of the path, at a low angle looking up towards her. It appears as if she is falling over, almost falling on top of the viewer, and gives an illusion of extreme fright and urgency.

Some of the conventions used are intentional jump cuts to build tension, a slow reveal, a lot of blood and gore, a murder/death and a lot of panic, the sudden realisation that something is wrong. There is also an eery silence through the film.


Next, is A Clockwork Orange, by Stanley Kubrick.

Alex is shown with a bandaged cut across his nose. He is standing in a white room and tells the police that he knows the law and refuses to talk until his lawyer gets there. It cuts to an elderly officer lighting a cigarette and saying that they'll have to show him that they know the law too, but that it 'isn't everything'. This implies that they are about to break the law, but the viewer isn't quite sure how at the moment. An officer is then shown staring menacingly at Alex, looking fed-up and run-down, like he's lost all of his patience. He menacingly leans over Alex, leading the viewer to believe something is about to happen, and then he pushes down on his damaged nose, forcing him to the floor, causing a fight to break out.

Some conventions used are white-washed walls, creating tension due to stark lighting. They use a lot of close ups, and the dominance of the man leaning over Alex and exerting his power. The fact they are at a police station, and that Alex refuses to talk makes the viewer want to know more and want to know what's going to happen. The police breaking the law and beating a man are also a convention of a thriller, and the viewer wants to know if they'll be any consequences of their actions.


Finally, I will look at a scene from Resevoir Dogs.

This scene is set in a warehouse, with plastic sheeting wrapped around everything. This implies they don't want to get things messy, and given the nature of the film, it implies there will be a lot of blood. The three men are talking then pull guns on each other. The first line of dialogue 'That's the only one I wasn't 100% on.' basically says that something went wrong, which is soon reinforced by a man shouting, covered in blood and obviously stressed out. They continue talking in a calm manner, but they appear out of breath and thus stressed out and nervous. A man is revealed lying in a pool of blood on the floor. The man in blue then starts shouting and they all shoot each other.

Three men pointing guns at each other is a convention, as someone may die, but it is not clear if it will be one person or all of them. There is also the setting, a warehouse with plastic covering everything, implying that blood will be shed. The fact it is a warehouse implies that it's in a secluded location, so things can happen out of the public eye. Calm talking suddenly turning into shouting and screaming as the tension builds, only for it to drop to a normal volume then rise again suddenly. A body covered in blood on the floor builds tension as to whether he will live or die. There is mostly slow cutting, and shot/reverse-shots during the conversation. A character pleading for them not to shoot anyone. The fact that the three men are covered in blood makes the viewer feel slightly uneasy looking at them.

I have covered the basics here, however as my group and I develop our own idea for a thriller opening I will analyse more thrillers and extrapolate as much as I possibly can from them in order to gain as much knowledge as possible.

Top 10 Thriller Films

Here is a list of the Top 10 Thriller films according to IMDB (Internet Movie Database):

The Godfather

The Godfather II

Elite Squad 2

Inception

Pulp Fiction

The Dark Knight

Goodfellas

Fight Club

Rear Window

Psycho

This list has been compiled by people all over the world rating the films, so is public opinion and therefore a very accurate representation of data. 

Many of these films have directors who have filmed a variety of thrillers, and are almost specialists in the genre. David Fincher, the director of Fight Club, is also well known for the films SE7EN and Zodiac, both thrillers. Francis Ford Coppola has directed The Godfather Trilogy and Apocalypse Now. Finally, Alfred Hitchcock, who is often credited with inventing the genre of 'Thriller', with his movie Psycho. This is one of the most well known movies of all time. He has also directed The Birds and Vertigo, two very prominent thrillers that set new benchmarks when they were made.

Genre Study - Thriller

We have decided to create a film under the 'Thriller' genre. We have decided to use this particular genre since it gives us the largest target audience, as well as the ability to challenge and develop many different conventions, as well as using many traditonal ones in our own film. There is also the fact that people truly love being 'thrilled'; they love that rush of adrenaline and shock that comes with watching a good film and feeling as though they are part of the experience, something which transcends age and gender and is of universal appeal to all.


Thriller is a genre of film, literature and television that uses suspence, tension and excitement as its main elements. For the purpose of AS Media I shall be focusing primarily on films. I may reference television shows and literature if I find a good example of something.

Thrillers are mostly characterised by an atmosphere of menace, violence, crime and murder by showing society as dark, corrupt and dangerous, though they often feature a happy ending in which the villains are killed or arrested. Thrillers heavily promote on literary devices such as plot twists, red herrings and cliffhangers. They also promote on moods, such as a high level of anticipation, adrenaline rush, arousal, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety and sometimes even terror. The tones in thrillers are usually gritty, slick and lurid.

[Wikipedia]


Above is a basic definition of what a thriller is, and in this study I shall show examples of thrillers, as well as extrapolating on sub-genres and conventions.

A 'Thriller' aims to thrill. Fundamentally, if it is not doing this, if it is not keeping the audience on the edge of their seat, biting their nails and wanting to know what's about to happen, it's not doing it's job and is not a 'Thriller'. Tension usually occurs when a protagonist is thrown into a menacing, life-threatening or mystery situation, and they must escape this and overthrow whatever evil may be the root cause. Although none of these are a necessity in a thriller, they are at the base of the majority.

Before I continue, I shall outline what is meant by the term 'genre' and 'sub-genre'. A 'genre' is a type, style or category of film, in this instance, although it can also be applied to literature, art, music and many other mediums, which is defined by certain conventions or criteria. Works may fit into multiple genres by borrowing from them or by crossing certain boundaries. Genres change with these conventions over time, meaning they can become outdated and replaced by entirely new ones on a regular basis. As public opinion changes, and as peoples lifestyles change too, the way they view and interact with the world around them also changes. This leads to their ideals and mindset changing with further results in conventions changing, and finally genres.

A 'sub-genre' further breaks down genres into more precise categories and sections by content. For example, 'Thriller' is the main genre, however if a film is about police trying to catch a criminal, it is a 'Crime Thriller' by 'sub-genre'. By the same merit, if a film is a thriller set mainly in a courtroom, it is a 'Legal Thriller'.


Examples of sub-genres of 'Thriller'


Below is a list of examples of sub-genres of 'Thriller':

• Conspiracy Thriller
• Crime Thriller
• Disaster Thriller
• Erotic Thriller
• Legal Thriller
• Medical Thriller
• Mystery Thriller
• Political Thriller
• Pyschological Thriller
• Rape and Revenge Films
• Religious Thriller
• Supernatural Thriller
• Techno Thriller

Although this may appear to be a concise list where you would easily be able to pigeon-hole any film under the umbrella of 'Thriller', many fit into more than one, or even two categories. For example, a 'Crime Thriller' may overspill into 'Conspiracy Thriller', 'Legal Thriller' and 'Mystery Thriller' depending on its content. It is also subjective to ones opinion. Below I will discuss the content of some of the above 'sub-genres', outlining basic conventions of each.

• Conspiracy Thriller - The protagonist is confronted with a situation in which there is a plot to carry out an act without others knowing, usually this act is illegal and politically motivated. An example modern film would be 'Angels and Demons'.

• Crime Thriller - The film offers a suspenseful account of a crime, or crimes, with emphasis typically on action rather than psychological aspects. Central topics include serial killers, shoot-outs and double-crosses. An example film being 'Resevoir Dogs'.

• Disaster Thriller - The main conflict is typically the result of a natural environmental disaster, such as a flood, earthquake or volcano. There are also films featuring man-made disaster, such as a nuclear accident. An example film being 'Deep Impact'.

• Mystery Thriller - The protagonist is involved in a mystery and must find a way to solve it, usually by themself or with the help of a few others. 'The Number 23' is a good example.

• Psychological Thriller - The main action of the film is entirely mental and emotional, rather than physical. Certain physical aspects may also be included to enhance the mental unbalance of a character, such as the violent torture and/or murder of another. An example film being 'Psycho'.

Preliminary Task One

Below is the result of our first preliminary task:

Preliminary exercise: Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.  

Although we didn't adhere entirely to the task, such as not having the character sit opposite another, we did include everything else that was required. We also had the character meet two others and come face-to-face with them, they just weren't sitting down at the time.

There are a few flaws and problems with it, but this was our first time working as a group and working with the equipment and editing software. Overall, we were very pleased with our effort, except there are a few problems that we definitely would change if we went back and filmed it again.

During the first sequence, where a man is seen walking down a corridor, there is a bit of a stall and judder in the panning as he walks around the corner. This wasn't intentional, the camera just got knocked unfortunately and we didn't realise how badly until we were editing the final clip together. The stall was because Holly realised she hadn't moved the camera far enough a little too late. We would also change the length of the corridor scene and either add intention jump-cuts or an elipse, and show him walking the start of the corridor, then rounding the corner to the stairs. Again, we didn't realise how long it was until it was a little too late.

There was a small problem with the credits at the top of the stairs, but that was something we couldn't get rid of. Fortunately, it gave us the name for our film and production company; 'CAM RAW'. Every cloud has a silver lining, as they say.

During the fight scene, we changed from full colour to black and white. We felt this added an effect of drama and increased the tension slightly, although upon peer review and feedback we discovered that this wasn't necessarily the case.

One problem we didn't notice until someone pointed it out during peer review was the continuity error with the wig during the final scene. We didn't notice it moved from the desk to my lap until one of our peers pointed it out to us after we'd edited it all together.

We were very proud of some of the camera angles we achieved during the fight scene, particularly as they break through the doorway. We also liked how we managed to get the head-but and music crescendo perfectly in sync. As well as this, the graphic match with the doorway worked wonderfully. The part we are most proud of, however, is the graphic match in the mirror at the end. We have decided to include a similar shot in our final film, since we feel it worked so well.

Overall, we are very proud of this film, especially since it was our first time making something like this, but as I have highlighted there are many floors and errors that we will ensure don't occur during our final film.