Generic Conventions of a Thriller- Miss Frisendar

Generic Conventions of a Thriller

In this lesson I have learnt the basic conventions of a Thriller film and what makes a Thriller.
A few Codes and Conventions of a Thriller are shadows, slow spooky and fast creepy music, a rainy setting and dim low key lighting.
Thriller and Suspense films are types of films that create an excitement, suspense, high level of anticipation and tension. They are deisgned to 'thrill' you and are restless and pursues and single minded goal.
The most important thing for a Thriller film is Tension, when the main character is placed in a menacing situation or mystery, dangerous mission from which their life is threatened, usually because the principal character is unsuspecting, unknowingly in a dangerous or potentially deadly situation.

Villains are usually convicts, stalkers, assassins, or psychotic individuals. A Thriller film usually has a basic theme, for example Jealousy, Love Triangle, Greed and anything leading to a death in locations including basements, houses, dimly lit urban streets and cemeteries. 

Alfred Hitchcock-

"The purpose of a thriller is to put their (audiences) totally in the cold water of fear to see what it's like"

Auteur- Director who works with a specific genre. 

Terminology- Miss Frisendar

Key Convensions of a Film

Genre- A genre is the category the film fits into, and the motif throughout. 

Code and Convention- How to identify the genre/ regular occurancies.

Target Audience- The audience in which the film is aimed at.

Cinematography is to be able to identify how camera shots are used in the Thriller genre.

Camera Angles

Low angle shots makes the image look bigger and powerful where as High Angle shots makes the object look smaller and vulnerable. A Canted Angle is when the camera is tilted which suggests instability and imbalance, as though as its surreal. Another angle is Eye Level which makes the audience more engaged with the scene it is also more realistic.

Camera Movements

A crane movement is when the cameras mounted on a crane and moves at a distance above ground level, Zoom in creates importance where as Zoom out creates an emotional distance. Also Panning is when the camera moves for left to right to follow a moving object within the shot and creates a chaotic atmosphere.

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Camera Positions 

Shallow Focus is used in films to show the audience one image in full focus while the rest of the screen is out of focus and appears to be blurry on scene.

Deep Focus means the depth the audience can see it. This means that the audience can see the foreground, middle ground and is also background. Shows Mise-en-Scene and different representation of the characters. 

Editing
Editing is the juxtaposition (placing side by side) of different shots/scenes to create a meaning with different camera shots/angles/movements. Editing gives YOU total control.

Transition- Is the word used to describe the way in which one shot changes to another (e.g cut).

Continuity Editing- Creating a seamless and continuous flow of shots. Should give the audience a clear sense of time. 

Editing Transition

There are many editing transitions including cuts which is where two shots come together, dissolve which shows two scenes in one and wipes, cross zooms, flash frames.

Cutting

Fast and Slow Cutting

• Fast cutting from more than one camera angle- better viewing for action and creates tension.
• Slow cutting is better for romance. Slow and high tone of music.

A cross cut is a cut from one narrative or piece of action to another. A straight cut is a sudden change of shot from one viewpoint to another. A match on action is when you edit together shots if an action from different angles to make an action appear smooth.

Fade is a transition to or from a black screen, dissolve is a slow transition as one image merges into another and finally a wipe is an optical effect in which one shot wipes another off the screen for dramatic effect.

• Music and editing gets faster as more stuff happens which builds tension.

In todays lesson I have learnt different camera angles and shots and why they are used, for example close  ups are used to see an object or something in a characters point of view, another example is Panning which is used to see all the chaos in the shot. I will take these shots and angles into consideration when I start to film my own Thriller opening.
Also I have learnt that the faster the pace of the cutting and editing the more discomforting it is for the audience. 

Terminology- Miss Georgiou

Mise-En-Scene

• Settings and Iconography 
• Costume, hair and make up 
• Facial expression and body language 
• Positioning of character and objects with in the frame
• Lighting and colour 

Denotation- First meaning 

Connotation- The implied meaning 

Types of Lighting

Low Key Lighting is created by only using key and backlights which produces sharp contrasts of light and dark areas. Shadows and silhouettes are formed. High Key Lighting is created by filler lights, the lighting is natural and realistic to our eyes which produces brightly lit sets.

Terminology-Sound

Sounds in films

• Sounds are used in films to create an understanding for the audience and to create more meaning about the character and emotions. 
• Sound is also used to create a response to the audience.

Diegetic Sound is a sound which is part of the film world. e.g dialogue, music from radio. The sound can be on and off the film. Non-Diegetic Sound is a sound which is not part of the film world e.g soundtrack, sound effect. Emphasizing of sound.

On screen sound is a sound in which you can see where the sound is coming from e.g... radio and Off screen sound is a sound in which you can hear sound but can't see it.

Parallel Sound is when a sound goes with the image.

Contraputal Sound is when the sound doesn't match the expectations of what you are viewing.

In todays lesson I have learnt that Low key lighting is one of the main lightings used in a Thriller film to create shadows and that diegetic and non-diegetic sounds are also very conventional to a Thriller film. I will take these into consideration for when I make my opening for a Thriller.

Camera Shot- Miss Frisendar

The Strangers

In the film The Strangers there are a range of different camera shots used throughout the film from close ups to panning. These shots are used to create tension within the audience, they are conventional to a thriller film so the audience can see whats happening from the characters point of view. 

A close up shot has been used when the villians face pops up through the curtain and scares the woman. The purpose of the close up shot of The Stranger is to create a dramatic effect within the audience. This is conventional to a thriller film as it shows a close up of the villain which makes it uncomfortable for the viewer as we see from the characters point of view. Close up is also used when the woman is on the phone to her boyfriend after he disappears which has the same dramatic effect as you can see the fear and vulnerability on her face. 

Panning is another camera shot that has been used during the film when the woman is standing in the kitchen and The Stranger just appears from behind her unexpectedly and she is completely oblivious to it and then he disappears. The purpose of panning is to scare the audience as they are not expecting it to  happen as there was no one there when they first show you the door and then the camera goes back to the door and he appears then disappears again. The speed of the camera is fast in this shot as it creates a tension and you know something will be there. This is conventional to a thriller film as it shows you the Stranger being there one second then the next he has completely gone which will leave the audience wondering where he has disappeared to and where he will pop up next. This also makes the audience uncomfortable as you sense something bad will happen later on in the film.
Another shot used during The Stranger is a hand held shot when the woman looks out of the window to see if anything is there, the purpose of this is to see it from her point of view which is conventional to a thriller film as the setting we are shown is dark and isolated which is stereotypical towards a Thriller fillm as thrillers are always set in an isolated place.

Mise En Scene- Miss Georgiou

Paranormal Activity 

In Paranormal Activity there are varied aspects of Mise-en-Scene throughout the film. 

In this scene the character is just standing at the side of her bed staring at her boyfriend for hours until he notices, during this scene there are many things that represent Mise-en-Scene including the use of dull colour especially black which represents danger and gloom which is also a thriller convention and this could make the audience suspect something that could be happening.

Another aspect of mise-en-scene in this scene are the shadows, they are conventional to a thriller film as it makes the audience get the idea that something scary is about to happen as shadows are a generic convention to a Thriller as they bring suspense within the audience and are dark and mysterious, especially as the girl is standing there on her own looking mysterious and is also represented as vulnerable. 

Furthermore the shadows and colours both contrast as the characters bed and her are light where as the hallway and door are both dark which tricks the audience as you would suspect something bad would happen in the dark areas and it doesn't, the activity is happening to the girl who is in white which usually represents innocence but in this scene its the total opposite and represents the devil. She also doesnt look innocent as her fists are clenched and she is stood in a very menacing way.

There is a back light on the head board which is a convention to a Thriller, this makes us think the bed could be an important aspect in the scene and as we find out throughout the film more paranormal activity happens within the bed. 

The use of Iconography is very minimum in this scene except for the use of the lamp which is also conventional to a thriller film as in a majority of thrillers when the lamp starts to flicker something bad follows it but with this scene it doesn't.