Our Thriller Opening Pitch

Analysis of "The Silence of the Lambs" directed by Jonathan Demme

The opening starts off with a mid-shot of the tree and its branches. The trees have no leaves indicating it may be winters day.Behind the trees it is misty/foggy suggesting that something ominous is about to take place. Showing the shots of the scene allows the audience to get a feel of the setting. It is a sort of backdrop for the first two opening titles which appear in a bold black, white outlined font. The camera does not start moving until 0:44, changing into an establishing shot, zooming and lowering, to a frame filled with a view of trees from a high angle. It is the backdrop for the title of the film.

At 1:08, a figure appears in the distance. This builds up anticipation as the audience are unaware of who the figure is. and makes her way up toward the camera, as though she is running away from something which creates a tense atmosphere. The establishing shot transforms into a long shot of the character rising; and we get a close-up of the characters exhausted expression. The next frame involves the camera following the character running away through a forest. This also adds to a feeling of apprehension as she is running so fast. At 1:45 the characters disappears into the distance, which turns into various tracking shots. At 2.10 the camera goes back to following the character from behind. Each time, the camera gets a little closer to the character, introducing her to the audience. She looks determined to finish her course, not giving up.

As the character climbs up a climbing frame, the camera takes a 180 degree shot, from the back of the frame to the front, slowly rising while doing so. She then runs away from the camera and disappears into the foggy distance once again. Another character enters into the frame. We get a mid-shot of the back of the unknown character, which creates suspicion, as it gets the audience wondering who the character is. They exchange dialogue. The new characters face is revealed. After the girl runs off, we see his face expression, looking concerned yet so calm. His cap says FBI which may change the audience's perception of the female character, leading them to think that she is part of the FBI, and that her journey so far has just been an exercise or training course. We are left unknown as to where she is going, which keeps the audience gripped.

Th There is then a medium/closeup which reveals four name plates saying 'hurt, agony, pain and love-it.’ These may be the themes that are represented in the film. The name plates seem to also relate to the course. It may be encouraging the person to finish the track, and not give up, however hard it is.

The camera quickly changes into various tracking shots of the girl running to and entering building of some sort. The audience are still left unknown as to where she is heading to, which again creates anticipation. She passes a group of males in black clothing, jogging or climbing up ropes. It looks like a training camp. There is a establishing shot of buildings. The camera lens then focuses on a window of one the buildings that the female entered. Titles are still appearing. The frame then changes into a medium shot of a pair of legs pacing down a staircase.

After this there are various other shots of her walking through the building, showing the audience the surrounding areas. The camera then follows her, as she walks through corridors looking around. She seems in a hurry. This creates tension, as the viewer does not know where she is heading to. On her way, there is a mid shot of her entering an elevator, full of men dressed in red tops. This gives a feeling of being trapped, and uneasiness. The corridors she walks through are quite narrow and cramped. Some dialogue is then exchanged with the women and a man, dressed in a suit.

She then enters a room, which is what seems to be at the end of the corridor. It is an office. She wonders around the room. As she does this, the audience is able to get a view of the office, seeing different objects that may reveal or represent the genre. The actress then stops, and the shot changes into a close-up of the lady's face expression which looks speechless. The shot changes, into a long shot showing many murder articles and images pinned to a wall.

Animatic

Condemned on Prezi

Screengrabs from Terence Fisher's films

Screen Grabs

Terence Fisher - Film Director

Terence Fisher was one of the most talented and influential Hammer films director. Hammer film production was best known for its Gothic "Hammer Horror" films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. They produced film genres of thriller, science fiction, film noir and comedy.

Fisher was one of the most famous horror directors of the second half of the 20th century. He was the first to bring Gothic horror in colour. Although his films were commercially successful, Fisher was given received very little critical attention throughout his career. His films were known for their 'fairy-tale' like qualities.

His first major horror film was 'The Curse of Frankenstein', where the actors of the film were made leading horror stars of the era. Some of the other classics he went on to film included, 'Dracula' (1958), 'The Mummy' (1959) and 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' (1959). He also made the 1962 version of 'The Phantom of the Opera' which was a commercial flop.

Dracula(1958) Trailer




'The Mummy'(1959) Trailer

DVD Cover analysis - 'Funny Games'

DVD Cover Analysis

Conventions

Research on Thriller Sub-genres

Prom Night (2008)
Directed By Nelson McCormick
Starring Brittany Show, Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup, Dana Davis, Collins Pennie, Kelly Blatz, James Ransone
Prom Night is a mystery thriller. The storyline of the movie starts off with teenager Donna recounting to her analyst a flashback of the brutal murder of her family, by one of her former school teachers, who is obsessed with her. He was then caught and locked up 'for good'. Now living with her Aunt and Uncle, she is plagued by dreams of what happened to her family, fearing he has escaped prison and is out to get her once again. Her senior prom takes place. However the night turns from magic to murder when the psychopath Richard has escaped from prison and is lodged in the same floor in the hotel chasing Donna, stabbing anyone who gets in his way of reaching Donna. 



Vantage Point (2008)
Directed By Pete Travis
Starring Denis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt
Vantage Point is an action thriller. The storyline is about when the President of the United States visits Spain and is about to address the city about an international treaty designed to combat global terrorism, in a public square. Moments after his arrival he is shot. A bomb also goes off in the square. There are 8 main characters, all at the city place when the shots ring out, all with a different 'vantage point'. This set of eight characters includes people in charge of the President’s security, the media, civilians and the people taking out the attack. Each time the clock rewinds and those same 15 minutes are told several times, from each of the person's perspectives, adding additional details until the terrifying truth behind the assassination attempt is revealed.



The Talented Mr Ripley (1999)
Directed and Written By Anthony Minghella
Starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Philip Seymour Hoffman
The Talented Mr Ripley is a psychological thriller.Tom Ripley is a young man struggling to make a living in New York City. The story starts off with Tom Ripley playing a piano, in a borrowed Princeton jacket, at a party. He is approached by a wealthy father of a recent Princeton, who believes Tom to be an actual graduate of the university and a friend of his son, Dickie Greenleaf. Ripley is then asked to travel to Italy to persuade Dickie to return to the US help run the family business.He agrees, although he does not know who Dickie is. When reaching Italy, contrives an "accidental" meeting on the beach with Dickie and his girlfriend, Marge Sherwoo. Lying his way through, he quickly becomes a part of their lives. Soon later things begin to change when Ripley offers to Greenleaf to travel with him on a short holiday to Sanremo. The two hire a small boat and head out to sea together.Eventually Ripley kills Greenleaf and goes to extreme lengths to take his identity, to make sure no one finds out about the murder.

'Man-on-the-run'

We were given the task of creating a plot called the 'man-on-the-run'. We had to base our movie on a spoof, and so to help us, we watched the openings of a few movies such as 'The fugitive' and 'The Bourne Trilogy'.




The plot that our group came up with is as follows:

• The scene starts off with a bus riding on a long, narrow, deserted road. The setting of the movie will be quite dark to create an eerie atmosphere. The audience are made to think that something ominous is about to take place.
• The bus is holding prisoners that are being transported to another prison.
• All of a sudden a small pair of lights appear in the distance heading in the direction of the bus.
• The bus crashes into the car. The bus driver is not able to control the bus and so it skids and rolls off a hill. 
• The car has crashed and hits a big rock. Many of the prisoners on the bus are dead. 
• At this point the audience meet the main character. He is one of the prisoners. 
• The prisoner manages to escape out of the bus through a hole. 
• He makes a runner and travels to the nearest town.
• In this next scene, he is on the phone to his friend. The audience discover that the prisoner has been wrongly convicted of doing a crime. 
• In the scene, we meet a man hiding amongst the crowds, eying the prisoner. He has a gun. 
• The man shoots, however misses as the prisoner realises his shoe lace is undone and bends down to re-tie it.
• The prisoner ends his phone conversation and walks away, not noticing that he is being aimed at. 
• The man shoots again, failing to hit yet again. The prisoner realises he has been shot at and runs for his life. The chase is through a market place. They destroy everything while running, tripping over things too. This adds a bit of comedy.
• The prisoner turns the corner, walking into a sweet shop crowded with demanding customers. The shooter looses track of him. 

Analysing 'The Birds' Scene

How many shots are there?
17 shots were used


Where was the camera positioned for each shot?
1st shot - Long Shot
2nd shot - Mid Shot
3rd shot - Medium Long Shot (tracking)
4th shot - Low angle Mid Shot turning into a Long Shot as she walks
5th, 6th shot - Mid Shot
7th shot - Medium Close-Up
8th shot - Wide Shot
9th,10th,11th shot - Medium Close-Up
12th shot - High Angle, Wide Shot
13th shot - Medium Shot
14th shot - Close-Up
15th shot - Long shot turning into a Medium Long Shot
16th - Long shot turning into a Low Angle, Close-up

1. What principles of continuity are used here? How successfully? Refer to specific shots / screen grabs.
The continuity is quite successful in this scene as it flows fluently. Examples of this is when the lady looks from the kitchen into the hallway. The first shot is taken from the side of the character looking into the hallway from the kitchen. The second shot is taken from the hallway of the character looking in. The shot creates apprehension and suspense, keeping the audience feeling tense.

2. What is the effect of the editing on the viewer? What are we meant to feel at different stages?
The editing helps to keep the viewer attention and focus on the film. This has been done in many ways in the sequence. When she first knocks on the door no one opens the door. The door then appears to be open which is quite suspicious and gives the viewer a hint that something omnious may be in store. Once the character has entered the house, we come to learn that the glasses are broken which create even more tension and dubiosity. We also see the character moving quite slowly and cautiously, which creates even more apprehension. When the lady enters one of the rooms, we see that the room has been wrecked, everything has been torn up. In this part of the sequence there are 10 shots. In every other shot, we are shown the characters reaction. The viewer is able to experience the characters emotions in a way. The sequence does not use any music, which builds up tension as the audience does not have any clue on what is going to happen next.

3. What is the 'best bit' for you in this sequence in terms of learning new techniques and why?
I felt the best part of the sequence was when she entered the room, and saw how it had been destroyed and torn up. The camera shots enabled us to get a reaction from the character while the frame slowly uncovers the mess that has been made, and of the man covered in blood. This part of the sequence flowed really smoothly.

Preliminary Task - Door Opening Sequence Self-Assessment

 

1. What did you think was the point to the activity? 

The aim of this activity was to enable us to understand and demonstrate the different types of camera techniques that are used in the filming industry. We also learnt how to use a software called 'Final Cut Express', which is what we edited the film on. On this software we were able to crop the shots and put them altogether, so that the scenes would flow, like a proper movie.

2. In regard to your finished sequence, what worked well? 

I felt that the continuity of the sequence was quite successful as the shots flowed smoothly making the scene look professional. To achieve this we had to edit the frames, trimming the shots at appropriate places. The videoing of the sequence was also quite steady, which shows clarity of the picture.

3. What would you aim to improve about your sequence? What continuity mistakes can you see?

If we had a chance to recreate the sequence, I would shoot the scenes again leaving more time at the end of each shot before I cut it, making it look more professional and not so rushed ,allowing time for the audience to digest what has just taken place in the shot. We could have also add music in the background to create more suspense and tension. In some of the shots, there was a bit of background noise of people talking, which we could have prevented by re-shooting the shot, which we did not do.

4. What did you learn from doing this activity?

From this task I was able to learn how to shoot from different types of camera angles such as an 'over head shot' and a 'close-up'. I also learnt how to use the software 'Final Cut Express', when editing and trimming the shots.

Comparing Two Constrasting Film Openings

'Over Her Dead Body'
The film starts off with a shot viewing photographs of a couple. This suggests these two people could be main characters in the film.The last part of the shot is of their wedding invitation, which is going to take place. There is a romantic and calming piece of music playing in the background.It then shows a casting 'New line Cinema and Gold Cinde Film' present'. Suddenly the whole mood changes. Lively, merry music starts playing in the background. It is the big day. The wedding. Preparation is going on for the wedding, such as the tables,flowers, food etc. The first person to talk, is a female character. This suggests she is one of the main characters, as she is also the only one wearing coloured clothing. Our first impressions of the character, is that she is quite well off, bossy and fussy. We are also quickly introduced to the groom, which suggests he must be another main character.

There are a wide range of shots used in the opening of the film. Close-ups to introduce the main characters to the audience. There have also been a use of long shots and wide shots, to show the other characters that are involved in the scene. Tracking has also been used to follow one of the main characters around, so that the audience are able to get a sense of her surroundings.

From the second part of the clip, where the female character is bossy the workers around, the audience are made to think she is domineering and controlling. She seems to be taking control of the whole wedding and she likes things her own way. She has status, as the other people in the scene do not speak up to her.
The groom appears to be quite a laid back and calm character, as he is not helping with setting anything up. He does not appear in much of the first scene. He does not appear to be too stressed about the day, which may suggest he is not too bothered about image and setting of the wedding,
The workers in the background show signs of irritation.

The Eye (2008)
We meet the main character, straight in, as the film starts. The audience quickly come to learn that the character is blind, as she has a stick in her hand, and is wearing sun glasses. The music in the background is very soft and relaxing. The first part of the opening scene has been made in slow motion. It allows the audience to focus on the female character. The second character is quickly introduced. The boy on the skateboard. He is near the blind lady. It creates an ominous feeling. Suddenly the mood changes as a bus drives past. The blind women saves the boy on the skateboard by pulling him back. The first piece of speech starts. Narration also begins. She tells us that she lost her sight at the age of 5. The woman's tone of voice is quite eerie, and the fact that you can't see her eyes is a little mysterious. She walks on her own.

The film starts off with a mid long shot of the female character walking towards the camera. It then becomes a close-up. Low-angles have also been used. This made the female character look taller than everyone else increasing her importance. Long shots were used to show the surrounding of the main character. Point of View shots have also been used allowing the audience to experience being a character, in the world of the story.

The female character is blind. She enjoys playing the violin and is very good at it. She lives in an apartment on her own, and is able to do everyday life things, with her disability. She has an operation on her eyes, and she is able to see again.

Thriller Image

The genre I chose to do was thriller/horror. It is a close up, point of view shot of a knife, with 'blood' splatter and shadow hovering over. The photo is quite dark and shadowy, which emphasises to the mood of the image being eerie and mysterious.It is as though the hand is going to grab the knife. Blood is dripping down the knife, which may suggest that there has been a murder. The hand looks quite tense, which adds to suspicion. 

To create a bold shadow, I shone a light above my hand, so that the reflection would appear on the white sheet. I used Adobe Photoshop and changed the 'vibrance' of the image to -100. As a result it turned the image more black and white. It also added a slight glow to the image, to convey the thriller genre. To create the blood splatter, I got red ink and dribbled it down the knife. I then splatted the ink around the knife. Here I have also created a 'point of view' shot. I did this deliberately to allow the viewer to experience the position of the person. 

I am quite pleased with my shot and feel it is quite successful as it shows the genre clearly. The shadow and ink splatter has really emphasized the typical conventions of my desired genres. 

If I was to re-create the shot I would have maybe added the hand, or a shadow of a face. I would have also tried to have taken the shot more closely, so that the viewer is able to focus on the more on the objects.