Psycho Analysis- Miss Frisendar

Psycho Shower Scene Analysis identifying Thriller Conventions

There are many Thriller conventions throughout the shower scene of Hitchcocks' 'Psycho' from close up shots to shadows. These are used to let the audience see whats happening from the characters point of view.

Throughout the film Psycho there are many camera shots being used to create an understanding that something bad may happen: Panning is used when the woman walks from her dresser to the shower which indicates a change of location, there is also a zoom in shot into the shower plug which shows the running water and the woman's blood circling down the drain which represents her life being washed away which is conventional to a thriller as a innocent and vulnerable woman has been murdered. Another camera shot that has been used throughout the shower scene is a zoom out from her eye to her face which shows not only is she dead but her full facial expression in which the audience can see the fear and shock in her face which makes them uncomfortable as they did not anticipate that.

There are many camera angles that have been used as well, including a straight on angle which shows the woman's scared facial expression as she is being attacked, there is also a high angle shot in which we witness the killing from a birds eye view which represents the murderer being more powerful than the woman which is conventional to a Thriller as the woman is vulnerable and is fighting to stay alive. There is an extreme close up of the womans eye, the fact that it is wide open with no movement indicates she is dead, there is also a close up on the murder weapon which is conventional to a thriller and makes the audience uncomfortable as they can see the brutal murder taking place.

Another Thriller convention in the shower scene is that the murderer has a hidden identity, this creates more suspense and mystery to the scene and makes the audience uncomfortable as you can't see the murderers face. The murderer is also dressed in black which represents danger and doom which is also conventional to a Thriller film also as the murdered sneaks up on the female in the shower the audience can see the murderers silhouette in the background behind  the shower curtain which gives them an idea that something bad will occur which makes the audience uncomfortable, these are all conventional to a Thriller film.

Scream Analysis- Miss Frisendar

 Scream Thriller Conventions Analysis

Cinematography is used in Thriller films so that we can see the shot from different angles to create a dramatic effect on the audience: an example of this is in Scream and there is a close-up shot which is used, this is used to show Casey's facial expression whilst shes on the phone to the villain and she realizes she is being watched by him, the close up shows the fear in her eyes which allows the audience to relate to just how scared she actually is.

There is also a high angle shot being used when Casey sees her boyfriend dead and tied up outside her house which highlights they are both powerless compared to the villain, this is conventional to a Thriller as there has been a murder and the victims are powerless, this makes the audience uncomfortable as they realize something bad is about to occur.

Another aspect of cinematography used throughout 'Scream' is a mid shot, also used during the phone call to the villain which helps to show the audience just how frightened she is; this is shown by her body language where she is sat down looking tense and her eyes are shut which and tells us she is scared, this makes the audience scared also. This is conventional to a Thriller as it represents a scared and vulnerable female who is trying to stay alive. 

In Scream there is a zoom-in shot which shows Casey's dead body hanging on the tree, the purpose of this is to show that there has been a murder and the victim is in fact dead which shocks the viewer as they aren't expecting to see a close up of a dead body this early into the film. This is conventional to a thriller film as it shows just how brutally murdered she was which will make the audience uncomfortable even though they expect a death as it is a Thriller, also the fact that the victim is a girl makes it conventional to a Thriller as they portray girls as vulnerable.

The Strangers Sound Analysis- Miss Georgiou

The Strangers Sound Analysis

Sound is used in Thriller films to create an understanding for the audience and to create more meaning about the character and their emotions. The editing of sound is also important in Thriller films when the sound speeds up and is louder its creates a tensed and panicked atmosphere, where as if Sound is quiet and at a slower pace it is a more calm atmosphere.
Sound is also used to create a response from the audience: to make them feel uncomfortable.

On screen sound is used in The Strangers when the girl character plays a record from in the kitchen when she makes a drink, the music from the record players pace speeds up when the girl sees the villains in her house which makes the audience tensed and uncomfortable as they have had experiences whilst watching other Thrillers which they can relate back to and know something will happen, there is also an on screen sound in The Strangers just after there has been a knock at the door and the girl sees smoke coming from the fire and the fire alarm goes off, this is also a tensed moment during the film as its just after the knock at the door so it makes the audience think that maybe the person who was at the door has done something to make the fire alarm go off and distract her.

There is also a non-diegetic sound in this clip of The Strangers when there is a knock at the door when the female character is on her own in the house, the knock gets louder and louder and more violent, you can see the female is hesititant and you also see the fear on her face, as the knock gets louder it brings suspense within the audience and also makes them scared and weak which is conventional to a Thriller film. The knock also makes the audience tensed as they can not see what it is behind the door, so there's a hidden identity which is also conventional to a Thriller.

There is an Off Screen Sound during the kitchen scene just after we see 'The Stranger' appear behind the woman when we can hear a door shut but cant see it, the female is very hesitant in whether she should investigate further into the noise which is conventional to a Thriller or if it is her boyfriend James, this makes the audience uncomfortable as we already know the villains already been in the house but she doesn't which is conventional to a Thriller as the girl is vulnerable.

  

An example of diegetic sound is also in this clip of The Strangers when there is a knock at the door;  and there is a close up shot of the girls face and you can hear her breathing heavily which shows that she is scared and vulnerable which is conventional to a Thriller film, this represents the audience being tense and makes them know something is going to happen to her which is also conventional to a thriller film as shes a girl alone in a house.

How does editing inform the audience and how does sound enhance the tension within The Strangers?- Miss Frisendar - Miss Frisender

"How does editing inform the audience of the generic conventions of the film and enhance the tension within the scene with the use of sound?"

Editing in The Strangers is used to inform the audience that something terrible is going to happen by the use of the generic Thriller conventions.This enhances the tension of the audience throughout the scene with sound by the tones and the pace of the music.

An example of this is when there is a knock at the door and the noise gets louder and faster, you can see the fear in the characters eyes and facial expression which makes her look vulnerable which is conventional to a thriller film as they make females less powerful. When the knock at the door gets faster and more intense there is a fast cut from the character to the door and then the camera zooms in onto the door, this makes the audience feel uncomfortable as you can tell something bad is about to happen; this is conventional towards a thriller film.

Slow editing is also used when the female character is walking towards the doors whilst someone is knocking, the pace of the editing shows us that she is hesitant to open the door which connotes she is scared. The audience can relate to this as when the character is shown as being scared the audience are as well, they are represented as weak which is common in the Thriller genre.

Diegetic sound is used as well during the slow editing shot of the female character as she is moving towards the door you can hear her breathing heavily which connotes she is scared which also makes the audience tensed as they don't know whether she'll open the door and don't know what they are expecting to be there this is also conventional to a Thriller film.

Alfred Hitchcock Research- Miss Frisendar

Alfred Hitchcock Research 

Sir Alfred Hitchcock, was an English film director and producer who was born in Leytonstone in 1899 and died in 1980. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in silent films, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood to carry on his career in film making, his first film he made in Hollywood was called Rebecca (1940) where he won an Academy Award for best picture.

Over a very successful career Hitchcock was known for his high suspense Thrillers and thrilling plots and later on known as an ‘auteur’ which is a director who has been known to be successful with a specific genre.

Hitchcock directed more than fifty featured films in a career lasting more then 6 decades.

 His most famous films are: 

• Psycho
• Mr and Mrs Smith 
• Saboteur
• Notorious
• Strangers on a Train
• The Birds
• To Catch a Thief
• Veritgo
• The 39 Steps 

A famous quote by Hitchcock is: 

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

There are many Thriller conventions throughout  Hitchcocks' famous film 'Psycho' from close up shots to shadows. These are used to let the audience see whats happening from the characters point of view.

Throughout the film Psycho there are many camera shots being used to create an understanding that something bad may happen: Panning is used when the woman walks from her dresser to the shower which indicates a change of location, there is also a zoom in shot into the shower plug which shows the running water and the woman's blood circling down the drain which represents her life being washed away which is conventional to a thriller as a innocent and vulnerable woman has been murdered. Another camera shot that has been used throughout the shower scene is a zoom out from her eye to her face which shows not only is she dead but her full facial expression in which the audience can see the fear and shock in her face which makes them uncomfortable as they did not anticipate that.
There are many camera angles that have been used as well, including a straight on angle which shows the woman's scared facial expression as she is being attacked, there is also a high angle shot in which we witness the killing from a birds eye view which represents the murderer being more powerful than the woman which is conventional to a Thriller as the woman is vulnerable and is fighting to stay alive. There is an extreme close up of the womans eye, the fact that it is wide open with no movement indicates she is dead, there is also a close up on the murder weapon which is conventional to a thriller and makes the audience uncomfortable as they can see the brutal murder taking place.

What is a Thriller Film?- Miss Georgiou

What is a Thriller Film?


There are a few generic conventions which make a film a Thriller, including camera shots and camera angles for example: high angle, zoom in/out, hand held and close ups so the audience can see an object from the characters point of view. There are also different paces of editing which can instantly change the effect of a scene, if there is fast cutting it can show chaos and panic. As well as camera shots and cutting there is also the low key/high key lighting according to the setting and also sounds which can show a different atmosphere which causes different kind of feelings and emotions within the audience. Another generic convention are weapons and iconography, and also if the villain has a hidden identity it makes a Thriller more tensed and uncomfortable to watch.
Finally there is always a theme throughout a Thriller whether it being a love triangle or envy thriller, also there is always a Target Audience which ranges between 15 and above which of whom are mainly male.

A Thriller film is a film which creates suspense within the audience throughout the whole entire film, it makes the audience feel uncomfortable throughout by the dark settings, slow or fat pace editing, non-diegetic sounds and diegetic sounds for example heavy breathing and screams.

Saw Opening Scene

In the opening sequence of Saw it starts off straight away with a generic convention of a Thriller film as we hear a non-diegetic sound which comes from the bath, this gets our attention straight away, after this we hear someone speak and as there is low-key lighting the character who is speaking has a hidden identity which is also generic to a Thriller as we can't see who it is, which causes tension. When the lights turn on we see a dead body which straight away is conventional to a Thriller as there has been a murder, there is also a close up shot on the dead body which we see from the characters point of view, it then zooms out so we get a view of the whole of the body which gives the audience an idea of how he got killed and maybe how the other victims may get killed. It is also a high angle shot which shows us the killer has a higher power then the victims which is also conventional to a Thriller film.

How does the opening sequence help to define the genre?

The opening sequence helps us to define the genre as it shows the audience all the main conventions to a Thriller film as soon as the film starts; we hear a natural spooky sound and there is low key lighting used which creates a tension as to where the noise is coming from. After the sound the character appears to be shocked which puts the viewer in an uncomfortable position, there is also a voice over but again the setting is full darkness so there's a hidden identity which will create a feel of suspense within the audience. Finally, in the same scene when the character turns the light on the first thing you hear are non-diegetic sounds for example: screams, gagging noises which will also cause tension within the audience and then we are shown a close up on a dead body which puts us in the characters point of view, deads bodies are also conventional to a thriller film and when the shot zooms out to show us the full body it gives the audience a clue as to how maybe the other characters will get murdered later on in the film.

How can you use the film to help you to plan your own Thriller film?

I can use how they have drawn the audience straight into the film by not showing us the main villian straight away, in my own Thriller film and also how they start with spooky noises in the dark which makes the audience tense. Also how they haven't shown you the murder and just a dead body which leaves the viewer wondering how the victim was murdered and who by, by keeping the villians identity hidden.

The Orphan Analysis

In the Orphan there are many varied generic conventions which makes it a Thriller film throughout. The film starts off with high key lighting whilst Esthers foster mum and dad are in the hospital and the mum  (kate) is about to have a baby, this makes the audience think straight away that something happy will happen but it doesn't, instead Kate has a miscarriage and then we find out it was just a nightmare which then again surprises the audience as they think it is really happening. This is conventional to a Thriller film as nightmares link to the psychological side to a Thriller. Throughout the scene the lighting and colours vary between high and low key lighting, there is low key lighting when the film goes back to the present time to show its no longer a happy time, this is also shown by the clothes worn as they are all dull and dark colours, also the sky is always grey and gloomy where as when there is a flashback the lighting is high-key the majority of the time and there are bright colours, these flashbacks can give the audience an idea as to why Esther is now mentally disturbed as they show the demons of the families past. This shows suspense and shock within the audience which disturbs them.

Another generic convention in the scene is when Esther holds a knife as she walks to her step dad which makes the audience think something bad like a murder is about to take place but there isn't. The strongest weapon in the film is Esthers twisted mind which is like a weapon of fear towards the victims especially her family, the use of weapons in this scene makes the audience uncomfortable as its scary how someone so young can have such a disturbed mind, especially how the Target Audience for The Orphan is 15+ it can disturb them as maybe some of the audience can relate towards it. Including the settings as the location is a home and there could be some viewers having family trouble which would then relate to them which could then make the audience feel uncomfortable.

Esther is a young, disturbed individual who is the main antagonist who goes back for revenge on her family, mainly her foster mum and other children because she is jealous or just for revenge. Female audiences can relate to this as her main victims are females, which in a generic convention to a Thriller film.

In this Thriller there is a lot of violence, physically and mentally which creates a lot of discomfort to the viewer by exposing psychological vulnerability as it exposes the evil behind normality which shocks the viewer especially how a small child can hurt people like she does.

No Country For Old Men- Miss Frisendar

No Country for Old Men

 In this lesson I have learnt how to identify the codes and conventions, camera shots, and editing techniques whilst watching an opening scene to a Thriller. I have also learnt how to identify the target audience due to these techniques.

Opening Scene of 'No Country for Old Men'

The editing during the first scene of 'No Country for Old Men' shows an establishing shot of different landscapes that cut to each shot with a slow pace. The voiceover during this establishing shot tells us about the villains background and lets the audience know that he has killed before so gives us an idea that he may kill again. When there is the scene whilst the policemen is on the phone and the villain is in handcuffs behind him there is another slow pace editing shot as the man creeps up on the cop which creates an eerie effect. There is also a zooming in shot of the villain strangling the cop which lets the audience see the killing from a closer point of view.

The setting during the opening scene of 'No Country for Old Men' shows a deserted place which makes it seem like its hard to get help or to escape from, it is also isolated and intimidating which are both conventional to a Thriller film. The landscape of the establishing shot was field with all of the plants and land dead which links to the killings during the film. Also the Police Station was very unequipped which made the villain superior to the cop which is another convention to a Thriller as the villain was more powerful then the victim. These are all essential towards the plot as they signify murder.

The events in the opening scene of 'No Country for Old Men' starts off with the establishing shots of the peaceful landscapes which contrasts with the fact the villain gets arrested in which the peacefulness is killed by this and the voiceover saying 'See you in hell' which is conventional to a Thriller film as we associate hell with murder or murderers. Another event during the opening scene is when the villain is creeping up on the cop from the background which makes it mysterious, also after he kills the cop he leaves the evidence of the killing behind in the bathroom and then goes on to the next killing and kills an innocent man which is also conventional to a Thriller. 

Characters during the opening scene of 'No Country for Old Men' contrast from innocent to evil throughout the scene, for example the policeman was small and the villain was bigger which makes him more vulnerable and weak straight away. The villain has killed before as we learn at the beginning due to the voiceover, h is a psychopath and is dressed in black which represents doom and danger which are all convention to a Thriller as well as the villains voice which had a creepy tone but also a calm tone which tells us he is confident and calm in what he about to do as he has done it before.

The Camera Work throughout the opening scene uses close ups and high angle during the murder which can show the audience a closer view of the murder and also see their facial expression clearer which can tell us what exactly they are feeling at that moment and the audience can relate to the character. There's an establishing shot right at the beginning which shows us where the film is set which brings us a sense of mystery as we are not familiar with the scenery.

The target audience for 'No Country for Old Men' is a 15 because it contains quite a lot of violence which can be disturbing for a viewer of a younger age also as this film is quite violent it will attract mostly male audiences. Most Thriller films attract viewers under 25.