Initial Ideas

Sarah:
In class we were given the task of creating idea pages, in which we came up with a lot of different ideas. The green poster represents a few different basic ideas in which we could include in our final thriller piece. The pink poster was then proper detailed ideas for thriller films, with detailed descriptions of the possible characters, locations, props and narratives.   

Jack:

Following on from Sarah's description above: The green poster shows basic bullet point ideas that we found through a post it note exercise. Here we had to write what we thought were good locations, narrative, props and characters. The pink poster incorporated our own ideas with the post it notes and expanded on the bullet points to create 3 thought out brainstormed ideas. 

Harmony:

In class we were given the task of creating a brainstorm of our initial ideas. As you can see the green poster just presents basic, simple ideas as the class had post-it notes which had ideas about location, narrative etc. so we took the ideas which we liked best straight from the post-it notes and noted it down in a brainstorm. We then considered these ideas further and then created a possible plot for our thriller film. We incorporated our own ideas into the previous ideas that were given to us.

update 8

Today is my BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

Today was the first lesson where we got into our filming groups and discussed initial ideas. Most of the ideas were not practical for an amateur film project but showed how our knowledge on thriller films had broadened. Our greatest idea that the rest of the class loved was the idea of a child's teddybear being used to smuggle drug money from mexico into the US. The bear would be tracked and the final scene would be a massive shootout between the government and the mexican drug lords at a nursery where the child had taken the bear and it had been tracked to.
This is how we came up with the idea of MDB productions Which incidentally stands for Mexican Drug Baby. :)

Shutter Island: Analysis

What does the set up reveal to the audience about setting? 
The set up shows the audience that the setting is very remote and secluded. There is only one way on and off the island which gives the impression that everyone on the island is trapped. Also everywhere is heavily guarded and fenced off so even within the grounds of the island there is still a sense of entrapment.

What does the set up reveal to the audience about characters?
The character that is the assistant to the deputy marshall is already mysterious for a number of reason. He knows a lot of information about, what he calls, "the legendary" deputy marshall which is strange as he only just met him. Also, when he has to hand over his firearm he had great difficulty in doing so which is very strange as he is supposed to be an experience officer.

What does the set up reveal to the audience about interrelationship between characters? Is there anything that becomes important later on?
There is an unknown yet clear relationship between Teddy's partner and the prison guards as they seem to show a facial expression of remembrance. They don't introduce each other and Teddy's partner doesn't seem surprised by anything he sees. This hints that they've been here before.

What is the 'world' like? Safe? Happy? Dangerous? How do you know?
The 'world' appears dangerous but made so by the 'patients' as there are electric fences around the perimeter and un-accessable areas to everyone for fear of the patients attacking them. It's for everyone's safety but it makes the atmosphere seem tense, dangerous and deserted.

What possible conflicts or strains are there that will become part of the story later on?
There are signs that Teddy has been on Shutter Island before or somewhere similar and also he recognises people. These are all very suspicious and so they could be enigma codes that are relevant later on but not understood in the set up.

How does this film opening fit with the codes and conventions of Thriller Films?
There are many enigma codes in the set up as there are many clues that will probably be later solved, such as: Teddy knowing patients, Teddy's new partner knowing so much about him and the fact that Teddy has 'seen something like it before'. Most of the characters are morally complex as you can't who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. Also the whole set up is a red-herring as once you have seen the entire film you realise that everything is not what it seems.

Research: Analysis of The Third Man

The Third Man (1949)

Mise en scene:

The location at the start of the Third Man is a war torn Vienna. In the background there is a ferris wheel, this juxtaposes the ruined bomb struck city streets. The location shows a lot of snow on the ground. Even though the film is black and white the white of the snow is key to the thriller genre. This is because the bright white of the snow gives the scene a grayscale colour which creates tension in the audience as they wonder why the there is an absence of colour.

The costume of Holly Martins is typical to the era of the film (late 1940’s). Martins wears a white shirt with a fabric/tweed tie and fabric/tweed jacket. This costume is iconic to the thriller genre as many male characters wear suits in thrillers. Martins also wears a trilby hat, this is commonly worn in thriller films by detectives and government officials. The trilby was also commonly worn by men in the late 1940’s – 1950’s.

The costume of the femme-fatale is also typical to the late 1940’s. She wears a white blouse and a black jacket. This shows that by wearing smart clothes that are similar to the suit worn by the male character, she is showing that she has power and authority like the male character. This is important as it allows the audience to see how powerful the femme-fatale can be.

In the Third Man chiaroscuro lighting- low key and high contrast lighting- is used when Harry Lime stands in the door way and a house from across the street shines a light on his face. Chiaroscuro lighting allows the audience to see that the shadowy figures face and recognise that it is the supposedly deceased Harry Limes who has faked his death.

The Third Man- Research

Camera Angles

This high angle shot makes the character look weak and vulnerable, this is because the high angle make him look smaller and more fragile than what he actually is, this is done to present to us; the audience how little control and little power he beholds, he is inferior. If this was a low angle shot however we would think the opposite of this; we would assume that he is in full control, superior and powerful. Therefore the high angle shot is used to present to the audience the little power he has and how weak and vulnerable he is.

Lighting

Another factor of mise-en-scene is lighting, dark lighting has been used to create mystery and to present the unknown to the audience. The dark lighting is used to make the audience feel slightly insecure about what they are seeing and also curious to see what lurks ahead in the dark shadows. The dark lighting is also used because it is a common convention of the thriller genre as is creates suspense and confusion.

Costume

The black long coat creates a somewhat of a 'disguise' for the audience, it makes us think that he is hiding something about himself, keeping a secret away from us, trying to keep the unknown...unknown. Black has strong connotations with death, evil, crime and danger therefore in doing so we the audience get a sense that this character is up to no good and potential threat. The long black coat again is a common convention in the thriller genre because it helps create mystery and is linked to the common characters in thriller films such as detectives and investigators.

The Third Man - Mise-En-Scene

Sarah:
These are some image snapshots from the film 'The Third Man' an d we had to organise it into the categories we thought they fit into best. These typical features helped us to work out thriller conventions and things that we could use in our own thriller films.

The Third Man (Analysis)

This part of mise-en-scene would be the location/background. It shows demolition which makes the atmosphere very mysterious and gives a sense of suspense which is perfect for a thriller film as it raises the questions of what? why? when? who? where? how? This is perfect for any thriller film because it gets the audience guessing and trying to figure things out just like a thriller film should. Although, typically thriller films mislead you right until the very end. 

This photo of his fingers coming up through the drain is a camera angle as it's focused on his fingers but you can also see the mysterious deserted background that typically for an old thriller film is dark, wet and the floor is cobbled stones. The fingers through the drain actually show concealment as we don't see the person's face and so it creates a tense moment for the audience in trying to figure out if they know who the character's fingers they are.

The prop use of the gun gives the audience a sense of what the plot will be about without even watching any of it. We know it is more likely to be a crime/police thriller than a psychological thriller for example. Also, with the prop being a gun, we could assume that there might be a police chase or gun fight of some kind which is very classic thriller.

update 7

Today we watched scenes from the Orson Welles film noir classic "The Third Man". We then analysed certain scenes in detail looking at mise en scene items including location, costume and use of lighting. The lighting used was Chiaroscuro which is a form of low key lighting. :)

Thriller film conventions

Sarah:
This poster represents different conventions of thriller films varying from the different types of characters that thriller films typically contain to the various aspects of mise-en-scene. All these ideas, contribute to our ideas of what our thriller film could be based upon or include.

They might be things that we would consider using in our own thriller film opening. These are typical themes, moods and characters and so if we wanted to make our thriller film very classic, then we may want to consider incorporating these things into our thriller opening film. 

Shutter Island: Conventions

For this exercise we got put into groups and had to keep in mind all the mise-en-scene and any questions we had about the opening of the thriller film Shutter Island. 

The main thriller conventions that my group noticed was the characters were morally complex, a flashback, narrative retardation and enigma codes. 

The characters that were being morally complex were the prison guards as they were very tense and held their guns to attention when Teddy came near them which also shows and enigma code as the reason for their behaviour will probably become clear later on in the film, but as we are focusing on the opening we just see these characters as being tense and rigid.

The use of the flashback is very typically thriller films as they are used to confuse and give away hints of the story without having to let the characters talk about it which isn't as entertaining for the audience as watching the sequence take place.
There was use of narrative retardation as Teddy looked familiarised by the prison walls with the electric fences and also the prison gates which makes the audience think about where he might have seen them before and as the film is set in the 1950's, we assume he may have been involved in the holocaust and so been at a concentration camp as that is what you think the resemblance may be but really it's a red-herring as you find out at the end of the film. 

Also, there were many enigma codes such as: the relevance of the storm, his fear of water, his wife's death by fire and the cemetery stone. Obviously, from the short opening sequence we cant actually tell what will happen even though it's littered with these clues but part of the enigma code is to make you think about when you first saw that hint and the sudden realisation that follows will make sense of the whole film. 

Shutter Island Opening Sequence (How It Displays The Common ConventionsOf The Thriller Genre) Research

The opening sequence begins when Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) a U.S marshal meets his new partner Chuck Aule. They set off on a ferry to begin their investigations on Shutter Island, the home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane. Trying to track down Rachel Solando, an escaped patient. 

As the film begins we already get an eerie feel, the music is tense as the opening title unveils, it begins to create suspense from the very start while we are waiting for the opening shot to begin. Already we can see a misty location, the lighting is washed out and very light slowly revealing the silhouette of a creaky old battered boat. The washed out lighting gives off a mysterious effect, typical in the thriller genre as it creates a sense of suspense and curiosity for the audience. As we meet Teddy we begin to ask questions to ourselves, who is he? and why is he on the boat? As Teddy meets Chuck we begin to ask more questions, why does he know so much about Teddy when they've only just met? The constant questions that the audience generates while watching the film is again, another convention on the thriller genre, it keeps the audience engaged and creates the idea of confusion, the numerous questions begin to confuse us making us feel less aware as to what is going on making us just as vulnerable and confused as the characters in the film. Along with the eerie music we also see a slow mo, these are used in the thriller genre to create a sense that it's not reality, it's not the real world. These slow mo shots with the suspense building music really helps empathise to the audience how out of the real world we are supposed to feel. 

In the opening scene we even witness the first flashback, flashbacks are common in the thriller genre as it helps us establish the characters past as we the audience are often thrown right into action or an unclear part of the characters lives. Flashbacks again also add to the idea of confusion. As the boat approaches the island, the music gets louder and louder, the lightening begins to darken, this is done to highlight the fact that the island is a dangerous place, a unsettling place, somewhere that you would not want to be. Dark lighting as a common convention in thriller films as it reinforces the sense of mystery and the unknown. The fact that the location is an island is very common, this is because it is a isolated and secluded area, there's no escape. The isolated location is very common because it creates the idea that the characters are trapped and have no way out. We already find out that there a deadline 'I'd appreciate it if you'd hurry up about it...storms comin' they are against time. Having a deadline is common in the thriller genre as it adds more 'pressure' the characters are against time and we the audience are desperate to see if they will make the deadline. 

We witness a creepy looking woman as Teddy and Chuck enter the hospital grounds who appears to be telling Teddy to 'shhh' we realize that later in the film she was just a red herring however, out initial thoughts are that she's a femme fatale or just plain villain. Red herrings are common in the thriller genre as they confuse the audience, make us believe that someone is a villain when they are not. They are used to lead the audience astray from the plot.

All in all Shutter Island has an fantastic opening for a thriller film as it presents many conventions of a thriller from the very beginning (flashbacks, dark lightening, red herrings etc.) 

Research: analysis of Shutter Island opening

On this poster is a mind map of all the technical features noted in the opening of Shutter island.
The technical features have bubbles coming off them which include examples from the opening that could be a reason or theory that matches the technical feature it is related to.

Research: what is in a thriller film?

On the poster are many ideas as to what should be included in a thriller film. Much of the writing is upside down as it was a group task that I was involved in with another group, before we decided on our final production groups.

update 6

In todays I got a lot done. I completed the task of looking at conventions and themes in the What is in a thriller? task. I then completed the analysis of Shutter island that i had planned at home and then copied onto the blog in class. :)

update 5

Today we looked at the opening to another thriller film starring Leonardo Dicaprio. We looked at Shutter Island. We watched the opening and rather similar to Inception then noted the key conventions and themes used in the opening sequence. The opening was very weird and psychologically disturbing which is why it is such a good thriller film. :)

Research: Shutter Island

Set up: How is it used in the film?

What does the set up reveal to the audience about setting?

From the title screens the set up reveals the location to the audience as at the bottom of the screen the text “Boston harbour islands 1954”. This not only reveals where the film is taking place but also the year so the audience can see why some of the features such as costume are dated from the 50’s era. The first few lines of dialogue on the island itself give key information in the set up on the audience. The warden explains that the “purposely built institute near the old civil war fort was built to house the criminally insane and that the worst patients are housed in the fort”. One of the Marshalls also says that the island isn’t for people “who hear voices and chase butterflies all day”. This gives the audience key information that the patients on the island do not have minor health issues but more severe issues.

What does the set up reveal to the audience about a character?

In the opening the set up gives the audience a lot of key information about the main character Teddy Daniels. The audience first sees Teddy when he is being sick on the boat over to the island, this shows that he suffers from sea sickness but the audience are unsure why. Teddy’s costume of a trilby and trench coat lets the audience know straight away that he is clearly a member of authority. The audience know this because the trench coat and trilby is a key costume of a detective or someone of authority in thriller films. Teddy’s partner Chuck Aule gives a line of dialogue exclaiming to Teddy that Teddy is seen as a legend back in the office, Teddy denies this with “what have you guys been smokin back in Portland”. This allows the audience to see that Teddy does not feel that he is a legend for a reason unknown to the audience. Through dialogue and flashbacks the audience discover that Teddy had a girlfriend but she died in an apartment fire when Teddy was at work. Teddy then adds that it is important that the smoke killed her not the fire as if he didn’t want to picture her burning to death. as the flashback finishes the sea water is shown crashing against the boat then we see his girlfriend’s face. The set up of this makes the audience wonder whether she really died in the fire or whether the water has something to do with her death.

What does the set up reveal to the audience about interrelationship and goals between characters? Are there any things learned that become important later on?

The set up of Teddy and Chuck’s dialogue lets the audience understand from the start, what the goal is for the two Marshalls. We find out through dialogue that the goal is to go to the island and find out how and why a patient has escaped from the institute. In the opening there are many things we learn that are important later on. When the Marshalls boat is docked there is dialogue about a storm coming which could block access to and from the island. This is important as there is now a deadline for the Marshalls to reach because otherwise they may not get off the island. When the Marshalls are escorted through the grounds of the institute, the audience become aware that some of the patients appear to know Teddy as a man stops gardening and waves and a woman smiles and puts her finger to her lips as if something is secret that everybody on the island knows about except Teddy. When Teddy and Chuck are escorted off the boat in to the car all the guards cock there rifles so that they are loaded. Teddy asks “how come the guards are on edge” , the warden then replies “right now we all are”. This dialogue and the expression of the woman gardening are important as they all know more about Teddy than the audience does. Later on the reason as to why everyone was on edge becomes clear when we learn more about Teddy’s past.

What is this “world” like? How do you know?

The “world” of Shutter Island is very dangerous and messed up. This is because although the whole island is heavily guarded by high security with loaded weapons and an electrified perimeter, a patient has escaped the inescapable penitentiary/ institute but however could still be on the island. The set up of the scene reveals how dangerous this world is as there are highly dangerous criminally insane patients walking around the grounds who could turn on anyone at any moment.

What possible conflicts or strains are there that will become part of the story later on?

There is clearly conflict between Teddy and the head warden of the institute. This is because by the official rankings Teddy a Marshall is more powerful than the warden, however because the Marshalls are on the wardens land they must abide by his direction and authority therefore meaning that the warden has more power over Teddy. This is seen when the warden asks Teddy to hand over his firearm as they will “not be allowed into the institute if they have firearms on their person”. Teddy is very angered and snotty as he is not used to being ordered by someone lower than him in the rankings of service.

How does the film opening fit with the codes and conventions of Thriller films?

The opening to Shutter Island shows many codes and conventions of Thriller films. The opening titles are in black and white. Using black and white builds tension and confusion in the audiences as they wonder why colour has not been used in the titles and become alert as they do not know what is going to happen next. A dramatic non-diegetic soundtrack is used in the titles and over the start of the opening scene. This accompanies the black and white titles in building tension on the audience. The setting of Shutter Island is an institute/ Prison. Prisons are key settings in many thriller films as they provide a criminal backdrop and a feeling of mystery as the audience wonders why the character is in prison. Teddy Daniels is played by Leonardo Di Caprio, Leo is a key actor in many thriller films including Inception.

Thriller Film Openings: Conventions

Sarah:
This poster was made to make notes on the general conventions of thriller film openings. The mise-en-scene we included were the themes, characters, time, lighting and then we also though that a main part of a thriller opening is making it exciting and thrilling. These parts combined all make an excellent and successful thriller opening when done well.
The main theme we thought that would work well and that we might want to work towards for our final thriller film was a psychological thriller as we found them the most interesting and intriguing as they play with your mind and really get you thinking which really involves the audience. For a psychological thriller we thought that obsession. mind games, and stalkers were quite key sub-themes. Also, some sub-themes for general thrillers we thought might include kidnappings, crimes, enigma (mystery), etc. At least one of these themes usually take place in a thriller film.
The characters we came up with are very typically thriller film related, for example: cops/policemen, innocent victim, assassins, escaped convict, criminal, stalker, menaced woman and a character that you cannot tell if they are good or bad until the end of the film. At least one of these is also usually included in a thriller film.
As for the lighting, most thriller film openings take the simplistic but effective route of black and white or very dark lights. This type of lighting is very typically thriller film related as it creates and atmosphere of mystery and eeriness.
The time slot for a thriller film is usually opposite ends of the spectrum. Most time frames for thriller openings happen either really quick or build up really slowly, there never seems to be much of an in-between.
 Also, a main convention is making the audience want to continue watching the film by making it thrilling and exciting to draw their attention to the plot and the characters. 

Research: what a thriller opening should include

On this poster I created with Joe (not a member of MDB) there is a list of everything that needs to be in a thriller opening. Included are Camera shots and techniques, themes of a thriller film, characters associated with thriller films. There are also narrative techniques for example enigmatic code and leaving the opening on a cliffhanger. 

update 4

Today we looked at what thriller films should include. This involved looking at key conventions, Narrative ideas, Mise en scene, themes etc. we looked at the most recognisable costumes for thriller film characters and the different narrative ideas including psychological films and action chase thrillers.
:)

Thriller film genre first research

This video is all about the features and conventions of a thriller film. When I first discovered we had to create our own thriller film I had trouble finding the difference between a thriller film and a horror film. This clip helped me to develop this because after researching the conventions I could tell why thriller films were different from horror films or even action films. I realised thriller films are most tense, mysterious and contain more concealment. Also, I realised thriller films contain what is known as a "red-herring" or "narrative retardation" or even "enigma codes". All of these create twists and either lie or hide the truth to confuse the audience and only at the end of the film do they fully understand everything about all the characters and the plot of the film. This is a key separation of thriller films to other types of films. Although horror films are the most known genre for scaring its audience, so are thriller films but the difference is thriller films create fear within the mind and are aimed to make the audience think which is why they are scary whereas horror films are gory and make you jump, although can also have psychological twists.

Youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLzEjk6IwpM 

Silence of the Lambs opening opinions!

My part of the presentation:

• The start was slow as the speech was whispered at a slow pace to add tension and suspense.
• The shots were close ups and very personal and so made you look right at the character and focus on them only.
• It was good because it was intriguing and made you want to watch more but it was slow getting into it. 
• 'Hannibal' was creepy and organised in a prison way as his room was perfectly organised and he was very vertical.
• 'The woman' was innocent and scared and her pale face and pink lips represented this as it showed she was pure and vulnerable. 
• The background made it frightening as the brick walls gave the effect of the prison being cold and dark and therefore evil. It was perfect for a thriller film. 

Class Excercise

Sarah:
This task was conducted as a whole class in which we were given a poster with a snapshot of a thriller film and we had to write down 3 questions related to the image that we wanted to find out - but someone else might know the answer too. So really just obvious questions. This task was made to make us think about more than just the character and plot. It made us think about the camera angles, camera frames, lighting, props, costumes, etc. Whilst doing this we learnt many typical thriller film properties, so when we make our own thriller films, we will remember these posters and think about what props, costumes, lighting, angles, etc. we may want to use.

Jack:
We were given stills from thriller films and were told to write down as many questions on what we wanted to know about the still! I found it easier to ask questions about the films that I hadnt seen as i was unsure of the story line and what happened in the rest of the scene that th still had been taken from. The films that i had seen i knew what was going to happen and the outcome and therefore found it harder to come up questions for the still. 

update 3

Today we did a class exercise where we looked at stills from famous thriller film scenes we then had to ask as many questions as possible about the still to broaden our knowledge on the thriller genre.

Many of the stills were films that i have not yet seen but always have wanted to including Inception, Taken and Reservoir Dogs. :)

Research: Narrative analysis on the opening of Inception

I have never seen Inception before so i was looking at it in a different way to some other students in the class. This is why some of the notes are quite vague.

Storyline:

• DiCaprio can see into minds
• hes after the 'secrets' of the asian guy
• uses his mind to get into the head of the asian guy
• in a trance, where he's trying to get to something before it catches up with him in real time
• DiCaprio can control time
• Theres an old guy who recognises a spinning top

Characters:

• Dont clearly see the old mans face
• DiCaprio is the main man
• Old asian man has power as he is head of the table
• Femme-fatale is DiCaprio's wife and looks as if she gets caught up in the situation
• All the men wear sharp suits during the meeting

Mood of the opening:

• Mysterious
• Tension builder
• Eerie music
• Dark lighting
• Grey/Black and white lighting
• Clear relationships between characters

update 2

Today we watched the opening to inception and looked at common thriller conventions shown in the opening (see separate post).

after watching i now cant wait to watch the rest of the film as it looks AWESOME!
:)

Inception Opening Features

These are all the things that i noticed in the opening sequence of inception. All of these things are relevant to the mise-en-scene. 

Analysis Of Actual Thriller Films (Review Style)

Shutter Island is a typical thriller film because it is littered with enigma codes, red-herrings, narrative retardation and morally complex characters. The opening is extremely dramatic and tense especially with the music and the views of the hospital are similar to that of a concentration camp which makes the audience automatically associate it with pain, suffering and torture. The enigma codes include why Teddy's assistant is so inexperienced and why all the guards are so tense and frightened within Teddy's presence. The whole film is a red-herring really as you discover Teddy's true identity and the real reason behind his presence at the hospital. Also, lots of the flashbacks are narrative retardation as they make the audience more confused about Teddy's past life and his wife and children. Teddy is an extremely morally complex character as you think you have figured out all there is to him and then more information confuses and when you discover his true identity at the end, you feel like everything you've thought throughout the film was pointless and stupid. 

The sixth sense is a very psychological thriller not because it scares you but because it really makes you think about things. It's also very complex and so the audience need to think about lots of different aspects. In this thriller there are so many enigma codes that with first viewing you miss and feel so stupid afterwards because it was so obvious but at the time you are more focused on the plot than the supposedly insignificant twists. Also, Levi Strauss's binary opposite's are included as a main theme as there are the living and the dead in one place at one time. Also, the music throughout the film is incredibly tense which leaves you on the edge of your seat.

Casino Royale is a spy thriller and would also count as an action film but because it is littered with plot twists and turns, red-herrings, chases/pursuits and narrative retardation it is very much a thriller film. The plot twists and turns, red-herrings and narrative retardation are based on the same thing but all count. For example, the femme fatale, that James Bond risks everything for, that throughout we think is perfect and lovely ends up betraying his trust which turns her into an evil and a character we end up not trusting. But as she is, typically for a thriller film, the femme fetale he of course again risks his life to try and save hers even though she betrayed him. And of course it isn't a James Bond film or a spy-thriller film without some chases and pursuits or some gun fights, in which there are many in this film which is one of the reasons it is also so typically a thriller film.    

Jaws's tense music is probably the most well known in the world. It builds up after time getting faster and faster as if something is getting closer and closer which is what makes it so tense and scary. Although it counts as a thriller because of the deadline and chases/pursuits, as it was in 1975 it was made as more of a horror film to entertain and scare people, it's only because of the technology today people don't find it as scary as the did then. The typical thriller convention of having a deadline makes films more tense and under pressure. In this scenario they need to kill the shark before it kills any other people which is the deadline. Also, the chases and pursuits consist of the shark chasing people to attack them and then people chasing the shark to capture and kill it. Throughout the entire film there are chases and pursuits which is what makes it a thriller film.

The Bourne Ultimatum is a thriller film littered with conventions. There are deadlines, concealment, narrative retardation, enigma codes, morally complex characters and red-herrings. There are so many hints at the audience about Jason Bourne but only little things that within the first viewing you would miss but at the end of the film after knowing the truth you would feel stupid for missing. Bourne is a very morally complex character as you think he is one person then his identity has changed. The whole film is based around how Bourne knows that his identity was changed and he wants to know how and why so already his character is changing a lot which confuses the audience. Also, most of the film consists of narrative retardation as throughout the first viewing the audience is confused by all the red-herrings and misdirection. Also, typically of a thriller film there are also many chases and pursuits to build up tension and a sense of a deadline.

Saw is very much a psychological thriller. It would be classed as a horror as well but it contains a few conventions that make it a thriller film. Every part of the film contains a deadline when the victims have to escape their traps within, usually 1 minute, a time period. Also, there is a lot of narrative retardation when trying to figure out the mastermind, the jigsaw, behind all the incredibly nasty psycho pranks. Also, there are quite a few plot twists and turns which makes the film more entertaining but also more tense and creates more suspense which are other reasons why this film is a thriller.

The Ghost (The Ghost Writer) is a thriller film and has very many conventions to support this. Even though it isn't a thriller convention it follows the three-act-structure as it starts off with someone dying but only a quick view and so we assume it's an enigma code and will discover why later but then it develops into the ghost being interviewed for a job which all are the beginning. Then whilst on the job things start happening and red-herrings start coming into place along with narrative retardation and misdirection to confuse the audience and make them believe or think something else and so they are surprised with the end result. Then the ending comes into place with resolutions but ends with a thriller convention of a cliffhanger. Throughout the entire film there are many morally complex characters as we find we are unsure whether many of the characters are good or bad. Also there are many multiple lines of action as the majority of the time there is more than one action at time, or at least more than one story line for the audience to follow which is good for confusing the audience.      

This film is a psychological thriller. The whole film revolves around the central question of when Clay is in surgery and mentally wakes up and discovers that everyone he trusted he shouldn't have and the film is all about him being awake whilst being operated on and he over hears his wife and close friend planning his murder. All of the main characters are quite morally complex because you think the film at the beginning is happy and good and then all the characters change and suddenly become something so different from what you originally thought. A lot of the plot at the beginning is a red-herring as everything is not what it seems.

Taken was a typical action packed thriller film. There were so many conventions which make it a thriller film for example in many shots - including when Kim was taken - there was concealment as you could only see the hands or feet of someone and not their face. This also happened when Bryan was talking on the phone with the kidnappers as he could only hear their voices and so he didn't know what he looked like. Also, there was quite a lot of red-herrings and narrative retardation. You think you we see Kim and then it's someone who looks similar and also you feel like Bryan has found the man who kidnapped her and then you're mislead and it's not him or it's only an associate. There are lots of chases and fights which typically are action or thriller and this is both. Also there is a massive enigma code, obviously within the title, but when Bryan says to Kim about how he knows the real world and how bad things happen which foreshadows what will happen later on in the film. 

Thriller Advert

Wanted: Are you experience with robbing banks? Hunting down criminals in isolated abandoned warehouses? If so then we want you! You must be able to swap character roles instantly. One minuet you're a highly trained robber, the next you're a undercover criminal plotting to set up your arch enemy. You need to have the ability to cover up any clues that you find, failing to do so then you are not the man for us. You should stay away from femme fatales at all costs, stay on track and do not anything to sway you in the wrong direction. You have to have the ability to spot a red herring instantly, this should common sense to you. We expect wit, courage and determination, nothing less. So if you have all these abilities and a clever twisted mind then you're the man we need!

Thriller Film Character Advert

"WANTED!!!
Are you an ex-con with a criminal record? Must have the ability to rob banks with no sweat and to shoot someone blank in the head. Experience with guns, car chases and you're cunning and mysterious. Then we want you! Your job will require time, patience and a want or need to kill! Good luck and don't get caught!"

In class we had to create a thriller advert in that would describe a typical thriller film character. Doing this enabled us to think carefully about typical thriller film characters and will so make it easier in thinking up and creating from scratch characters of our own.

Research: Lonely Hearts/ Recruitment Advert

Wanted: do you have a governmental history or a criminal background? Are you good with a gun and remember everything about your past. Can you kill successfully with as little blood shed as possible. Are you able to see in poorly lit locations and look the part in a dark suit. Can you stalk and kidnap people and plan heists and bank jobs. If you answer yes to any of the above, We need YOU!

update

Today was the first blogging lesson we had of A level media.

Today we looked at many stills from different thriller films and what makes a good thriller character.
we then wrote a lonely hearts/ wanted poster style piece explaining what we find best in a thriller film character. :)