Research: Mise En Scene: Costume, hair and make-up - Mrs. Quinlan

Costume, hair and make-up

What is costume hair and make-up? Why is it an important convention How can it help with character representation and understand?

Creating a thriller film, the director alongside with the head of mise en scene must both decide on the characters specific characteristics that include unique individual differences such as their costume, hair and make-up in order to portray them in a particular way by also giving them particular roles to follow for example the protagonist, antagonist and victim.

A characters costume is one of the most crucial factors when making a thriller film or any type of film in fact. The costume determines the characters role in the particular film by their clothes that they're wearing in the whole film or just a scene. The costume immediately allows the audience to identify whether they are the protagonist, antagonist or victim. For example, a common conventional protagonist would be wearing bright colours to show that they're good and not afraid to show they're identity or in some cases they might be wearing black and covering their identity but this doesn't mean their the protagonist. Certain key characteristics you want to point out are if you're struggling to make a judgement on a character whether the protagonist or antagonist is if they're look a certain way i.e scary, revolting and intimidating, they are most likely the antagonist. If however they look cool and heroic than chances are they are the protagonist. For a female victim, they conventionally always look vulnerable, innocent and pure which is why they always wear warm, bright colours such as white.

Hair and make-up is used to create an image of a characters appearance. It is also very important convention as these key elements also make up the characters suitable role in the movie. For example, if a character plays a role if an antagonist who usually hides their identity, they usually have make-up that does this job. The hair of the character also adds an extra characteristic to their character as it also adds to their particular persona. 

Examples of stereotypical clothing:

Se7en - Antagonist

Stereotypical clothing for a psychotic antagonist could possibly wear the color orange. Just like from the film 'Se7en', the antaognist wears an orange jump suit which denotes that he has been in prion making him already a dangerous person. In this scene, he is led by two detectives wearing the opposite colours. The colour orange is combined with the colour red that we all know too well connotes danger. It is also mixed with the colour yellow which connotes the opposite. The colour and red combining with the colour yellow making the colour orange associates with joy and sunshine telling that this antagonist is happy with what he is done. In addition, he is quite proud and confident with the choices he has made by murdering those many people. However mixed with the colour red, it also tells the audience he is psychotically creative with his murders and determined to kill anyone in his way including the detectives.

Blade - Protagonist

The protagonist from Blade is portrayed with a superior and dominant look through the use of his cool costume. He wears dark clothing which is quite ambiguous and can connote dark and evil intentions however the leather material clothing makes him look very cool and superior which tell the audience he is the protagonist. There are many protagonist which also wear dark clothing such as 'Ethan Hunt'. The protagonist is able to fight the antagonist and overcome any particular issues he has with the villain with confidence reassuring the audience. The protagonist has no makeup but wears black shades to hide his identity so it is not revealed to the antagonist as it could put his normal life in danger.

Scream 1996 - Victim

This would be a conventional victim as she shows her vulnerability through her brightly coloured clothes. We know she's not a protagonist, instead she's a victim because they're aren't key characters that show her heroicism such as a costume she would usually fight her antagonist with - instead she is wearing everyday clothes to show that she is in fact a normal person and not a hero.

Hair and make-up

The Dark Knight - Joker (Antagonist)

This is a great example of hair and make-up. The joker from the dark knight clearly presents himself to the audience that he's the antagonist. He looks much more frightful with scary and disturbing make-up on - the red and white that connotes danger. His hair that is messed up and green illustrate envy and deceit.

The Hunger Games - Katniss (Protagonist)

Katniss from the action thriller 'Huger Games' shows that she is an independent and strong character which the audience are allowed to guess that she is the protagonist. We know this as her make-up is quite simple and is not overdone which shows that she is mature and independent. The minimum make-up she has on is neatly put on making her look harmful to others and as a result wont make the audience afraid of her instead, happy to see her.

Scream 1996 - Casey Becker (Victim)

Casey Becker the character from Scream 1996 is clearly seen as a victim as she is a conventional character who plays a victim. She has neat blonde hair, pretty make-up on which demonstrates her vulnerability to danger. Sometimes the victim and protagonist can get mixed up as they are very similar in many ways because of their harmful persona. To differentiate the victim and protagonist between each other, the victim always wears slightly more make-up than the protagonist as they have more time to do this and less responsibility. It also shows that the majority of the victims are teenagers which make them more vulnerable.

In this scene from the dark knight, the antagonist makes his grand appearance scaring everyone at the Wayne Party. We know that he is the antagonist because of his costume that are coloured deep purple and green. It symbolises jealousy and envy that straight away we as the audience can infer. He's hair and make-up also looks frightful as the dark black around his eyes cover his true identity.
Soon-after the antagonist is confronted by a brave citizen that shortly after becomes a victim, we know shes the victim as she is stereotypically beautiful, her hair and make-up is neatly done that connote that she has nothing to do with fighting against a protagonist or antagonist.
Then after we are pleasantly introduced to the protagonist of the scene who attacks the antagonist. He wears an amour to show that he fights, in this case, fights against the antagonist to save the people around him. He wears a cape to show he is a hero and looks brave with the muscles we can see from his suit.

Conclusion:

I have learnt that the micro-element Mise en scene that involve the costume, hair and make-up of a certain character is important because it helps the audience infer who they are and what they're role portrays for example dark coloured clothing is conventionally associated with antagonists as brightly coloured clothing associate with protagonists or sometimes even victims.
After doing this research, I now know clearly about how to represent my characters appropiately with the use of hair, makeup and costume. When representing the antagonist, I know that I should use dark coloured costumes to allow the audience infer their evil inentions however i can also be creative and use colours like green and orange which show psychotic intentions and envy. The antagonist can either have messy hair or neat hair depending how psychotic he is that can synmbolise if he's wealthy or not.
If I want to present my protaognist, I know that I can use dark clothing but I need to make sure that this type of dark clothing is leather to show his/hers superior and dominance. I can also use light coloured clothing to present an antagonist to inform the audience that he/she has good intentions however I must be careful when I present the victim as they both have similar types of costume. To differentiate these two different characters, I can use props such as fake blood to use for the victim as it tells the audience that the victim has been hurt due to the lack of strength the have to defend themselves unlike the protagonist.

Research: Mise En Scene: Lighting & Colour - Mrs. Quinlan

Why is the lighting and colour important?

Both the lighting and colour is an important convention as it creates a purposeful meaning which helps convey the mood and atmosphere such as low-key lighting might convey messages like we should be afraid of this particular character because we are not able to see his identity properly. Sometimes when low-key lighting is used, shadows are casted upon the particular characters face which means that their face is not completely covered. This could suggest that the character is dark with dark intentions or it could just mean their in a dark situation e.g. depressed. Furthermore, it can be used to guide the audience's attention to get a particular object, person, emotion or gesture. Colour is important as it conveys the audiences interpretation of the film, using filters to create conventional themes e.g. innocence, sinister, envy, anger.
Lighting creates further meaning than we actually think as its a crucial convention to the thriller convention as it massively improves the quality of an image that the audience can see. It us also important as it plays the role of a visual element that dicates how a character or scene is to interpreted by the viewers.
Colour on the other hand is the filter that is additionally added to lighting to create a more obvious effect instead of it being subtle like the lighting. Moreover, colour connotes partiuclar messages, emotions and moods that can be interpreted differently from the audience.

Angles of lighting - Examples:

Angles of lighting important because it demonstrates whether the character has good or evil intentions. In addition, the lighting can tell us a lot about the character like what type of person they are. There are three main types of angles of lighting:

Prisoners (2013)

• High - This makes the particular character look glamorous or innocent. This is because we are able to see their face clearly, it demonstrates that they're not afraid to hide and are confident with who they are. This type of high angle lighting is usually used with protagonists because it creates a friendly feeling. Top/high angle lighting comes from above the character and highlights the features of the character as well as making them look non-threatening. This type of lighting is always used when a protagonist is present. In this scene from 'prisoners' the lighting show that the two characters are evidently two protagonists. The lighting does not hesitate to show off their masculine features further demonstrating their power and intelligence. This is conventional to the thriller genre as top lighting is used on the protagonists to symbolise their courageous and powerful manner.

The Dark Knight 2008

• Low - Low/under angle lighting always casts shadows on that particular character which can either convey that they have dark intentions themselves or their in a dark situation such as being depressed, upset, scared. This type if low angle lighting is usually used with antagonists because they do not want anyone including the audience who they are. Under lighting usually comes from below the antagonist which often creates a distorted image of their face making it much more challenging to identify who this individual is. Moreover, it has been used in this scene from 'The Dark Knight' on the antagonist 'Joker' to present him as an evil character with dark intentions. Despite the character is sitting in what looks like to be a cold and dark prison cell, the audience have no sympathy for him as he does not have sympathetic persona which is also encouraged by the lighting. The use of this low/under lighting used on this protagonist makes it conventional to a thriller because it presents them in a negative way further creating chilling responses form the audience.

Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)

• Back - Back lighting is usually achieved by the light source coming from behind the character. This type of lighting is often used with protagonists in thrillers as it allows silhouettes to be created furthermore, creating a fearful and disgust response from the audience. In addition, the back lighting enables the antagonists persona not to be revealed to the audience and as a result, creates a sense of mystery for the audience as well as fear. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it is expected for the antagonist to create mystery without being identified which makes it more difficult for the protagonist and audience to work harder and defeat this villain. It connotes darkness and suggests that the disequilibrium is about to take place.

Types of lighting - Examples:

There are two types of lighting:

The Dark Knight (2008) Low-key

• Low-key lighting is dark with small areas of light allowing to create shadows. Low-key lighting is perceived in this scene when the antagonist walks through a dark street. there is little light from this scene which enables this scene make it a fearful atmosphere. Shadows are cast on the antagonists face which makes the viewers fear this character as they're not able to identify this character clearly. This is conventional to a thriller film as low-key lighting is used during the disequilibrium when the antagonist is causing problems connoting danger and fear.

The Dark Knight (2008)

• High-key lighting almost always appears to represent protagonists. The high-key lighting used in this scene with two protagonists and its evident that it symbolises that the protagonists are dominant and intelligent giving the audience hope that they're able to defeat the antagonist. The effect of high-key lighting heightens as the pressure is on the protagonists constantly as they know they must not let the audience down knowing that that everyone is relying on them. This is conventional to the thriller genre as high key lighting is used to highlight the protagonists skills that does create anticipation and excitement for viewers. 

What type of lighting is conventional in thrillers? Why?

Low-key lighting is usually conventional in thrillers because it creates a sense of mystery. Most people are not actually scared of the antagonist but what really scared the audience is the unknowing. One the 'mask' is taken off and the identity is shown, we feel relieved to know what we're trying to run away from. This is why when low-key lighting is used, it gets a particular response from the audience because we are not able to see the characters face clearly.

Colour in scenes

Colour in scenes are important as it also conveys hidden messages for the audience to pick up on. It may foreshadow future events that are going to happen to this particular character or what type of person thet could possibly be. Common colours in scenes used in thrillers are red, black and green that connate quite negative ideas and intentions of the character. 

Examples:

Being Human (2008)

• This scene from 'Being Human' portrays colour filters such as black and white that are used to connate danger and the supernatural. Colours such as black and white are powerful as it portrays strength however it may have negative connotations also for example fear creating suspense. Although the white can suggest innocence, it could also demonstrate a darker side to the character using the colour black. The filters used in this scene are conventional to a thriller film as it symbolises danger and tension that are key elements to a successful thriller genre. 

Insidious 2 (2014)

• Red lighting is used in this scene to show the antagonists evil intentions due to the red filter that portrays this. The colour connotes danger and also a sense of terror that demonstrates danger as the antagonist clearly shows he has some supernatural powers. This scene creates a chilling response from the audience as they fear for the protagonist that might be fighting with the villain. The colour red is a conventional colour to the thriller genre as tension is built and adrenaline is created for the audience and the victim how is now in danger. In this scene from 'Insidious' the female vicitm sees the antagonist behind the curtain and instantly the red filter makes it more of a spine chilling scene. The red connotes blood and fire which highlights the antagonists intentions in killing the female. 

The Dark Knight (2008)

• The green lighting is used in this scene connotes envy and deceit. It symbolises that the antagonist has traits such as envy as he envies the protagonist of the film which is Batman and does everything in his power to defeat the protagonist, he is also deceitful and mischievous as he creates problems for the protagonist due to the envy and deceit he feels towards the protagonist. With this green filter, it creates a chilling response from the audience as they despise and fear the antagonist because he makes the protagonist work harder.

Analyse a scene identifying with use of colour and lighting

In this scene from 'The moon in the Gutter', there are various use of lighting techniques to help the audience make inferences. It has many messages just from the use of lighting and filters which both connote positive and negative things. It is evident that the female victim walking through the street at night with the use of low-key lighting infers that something bad will happen. The low-key lighting casts shadows and distorts the image a little which makes the antagonists who stalks her difficult to identify. Moreover, top lighting is also used on the female to inform audience that shes the victim. The female victim walks through various of lighting and filters that connote many messages for example: she walks through bright white light connoting her innocence, purity and vulnerability however she passes a shop that has red lighting connoting that something awful is going to happen and shes in danger. The audience are fearful and sympathetic towards the female as they have infer shes the victim through various lighting used in this scene. This conventional to the thriller genre as it is expected for murders take place at night when crimes are more likely to take place furthermore, the antagonist is able to escape without getting caught.

Conclusion:

Researching about mise en scene lighting and colour, I have much greater knowledge on how to tackle particular lighting and colours that are needed to create a successful thriller. For example conventional filters like red, black and white and green are often used to symbolise anger, death, passion, the supernatural and envy. Moreover which are common themes that are used in popular thrillers. I understand clearly that the lighting is most important when creating a thriller as it can suggest major ideas about that particular character such as is he/she the protagonist of the film or antagonist.
When I am creating my thriller, I am able to understand the different meanings of lighting. I will ensure that I try to use all of the types of lighting that I've mentioned knowing that it'll make a successful thriller. I know that I must use low-key lighting when the antagonist is present so the audience can easily infer this making it clear to them that the antagonist is in the scene. If I really want a spine chilling response from my audience, I know that I can put filters like the colour red and black to show that dangerous/ paranormal things are going to happen.

Research: Editing - Miss Begum

Editing

What is editing? And why it is important to use in films?

Editing is a type of technique used to correct, condense or otherwise to modify a certain clip to either empathise or subtly change the scene to get a specific reaction from the audience. It is important to to use editing in films in order for a proper sequencing to try and achieve a smooth flow of narrative. The use of editing sometimes is used to encourage tension build up for the audience through transitions of one shot to another by the speed of the editing.
A transition is a type of edit used where there are some sort of filter or technique to show the next image or scene.

Editing Key Terminology

Edits:

Straight cuts: A straight cut is a simple edit or clip that is put together. Something that is put together to introduce the next scene, character or idea in a simple manner so there is no disruption to the audiences understanding of what is going on in the scene. This creates a more fluent transition to the next scene but no too subtle that wouldn't be noticeable.

Shot Reverse Shot: A shot reverse shot is usually used during a conversation between two people or more, following one shot to another. Its very similar to a straight cut but only used in a conversation so the audience doesn't get confused on who is talking.

Straight cuts are used in this scene from the thriller movie 'Se7en' when it jumps from one detective to another still keeping the tension present as we don't know what is in the box, the straight cuts are have no transitions between them that create tension but not enough to make the audience confuse that its quite subtle and unnoticeable.
There is also a use of a shot reverse shot in this short movie clip from 'Se7en' when the antagonist confesses to the detective (protagonist) to a brutal murder he committed to his wife. As he explains what he has done, the audience are able to get a clear image of the antagonist motionless face to the protagonists broken-hearted. Although the audience are feeling the sympathy for protagonist, they are also fearful that he might be responsible for the antagonists death which creates tension.

Montage: A montage is an edit of clips condensed to demonstrate a short story that might not always make sense but to give us an idea of what would've or could've happened. This is either edited together in slow motion or fast to get the audiences understanding.

In the movie 'Psycho' the infamous shower scene uses a montage with a series of shots that are shown in a rapid succession to a condense space which really empathises the murder. Similar to the straight cuts but only faster, the shots quickly flicker from the knife to the victim to demonstrate that she is being brutally attacked by this mysterious antagonist. Montages are very simple yet very effective as the audience is able to interpret this scene without actually having to see the actual stabbing.

Fast Editing: Fast editing is used when clips are put together at a faster pace to create excitement and suspense. The audience is always on the edge of their seats when there is fast editing involved because in thrillers, especially in thrillers, it creates of thrill that we are not able to experience in real life.

In this movie clip from 'Fast and Furious 6', the fast editing is used during a rescue scene. The male and female protagonists are working together to stop the antagonist. This means that they are forced to work quickly making this scene a fast editing. When the truck is getting closer to the edge of the cliff, the suspense and tension is being built up for the audience who are uneasy and unsure whether the protagonists are going to survive.

Slow motion editing: When slow motion editing is used, it slows down the shots from the film to really empathise what is going on. This is typically used in fast action scenes such as fight scenes and chase scenes where they needed to be slow down to be understandable.

In the film 'Inception', slow editing is used in this scene where there are multiple explosions and cuts in slow motion for the audience to be able to see the full scale of them. Moreover, it creates excitement because we able to observe these fast moving scenes slowly.

Jump Cut Scene: A jump cut scene is a drastic camera movement that is noticeable to the eye. It is used to create awareness to the audience that something has happened and we are able to find out later in the film. 

In the 'Iron Man' trailer, jump cuts are used to show short parts of the movie, using a short narrative to show the audience was will happen although it doesn't give out much. 

Reaction Shot: A reaction shot us a shot that is often used as a cutaways in which a subject reacts to the previous shot. When a reaction shot is used, we are able to see the subjects face more clearly, the expression of their face from the previous shot creates thrill as we (the audience) are able to experience their mentality and emotions.

In this clip from 'The Grudge', a reaction shot is used to evidently present the female protagonist which is also a victim at this very point. She responds to the supernatural antagonist frightfully. When we see the supernatural antagonist, the shot is quickly reverted back to the protagonist who is socked stiff as this is a unconventional to real life circumstances.

Transitions:

Fade To Black: A fade to black is a transition which is has a literal meaning where the scene we are presented with at first fades to blank black screen. This creates tension for audience as black is a symbolic colour for death, hurt and the end, it tells the audience that this will end darkly.

The film 'The Grudge' also uses a perfect example of the fade to black editing technique. When the flash backs (montage) turns back into reality and the female protagonist notices the grudge at the top of the staircase. This creates a spine chilling experience for the audience as the female protagonist is in serious danger and has limited time to herself and her brother. The use of the fade to black transition repesents conventional themes such as death and danger.

Dissolve: A dissolve shot is a shot which disintegrates into another shot which means you are able to see bits from the previous scene into the new shot. It can also sometimes convey hidden messages for the audience to spot out on.

A perfect example is from the movie 'Psycho'. When the killer is discovered, there is a shot of him which dissolves into another scene of a rope which if you look closely looks like its tied to his neck. This conveys messages such as he was hung right after the scene for his convicted murders.

Wipe Cut: A wipe cut is a transition to which when one shot slides into another which is noticeable to the audience.

Conclusion:

Researching on the different editing techniques has taught me that editing is very important when it comes to a thriller movie. I have a clear understanding how to create a fluent edit allowing the audience to understand and familiarise themselves with the characters and the particular scene. Editing is important and I know that because with each and every unique edit, it conveys hidden messages which then the audience will pick out and understand the movie more.

Research: Sound - Mrs. Quinlan

Sound

What is sound and why is it important to use it in films?

Sound is crucial in every single movie especially in thrillers because it is what makes a thriller thrilling. Sound is used in films to create an understanding for the audience, creating more meaning about the character and their emotions. In addition, sound is also used to create a response from the audience whether it is to scare them or build up tension. There are two categories of sound in a movie including diegetic sounds and non-diegetic sounds. It is an important micro element as it's used to provide a particular mood for the audience providing them with information such as the characters in the film, the plot and location. If the sound was absent in a film the audience wouldn't react the same as if it did have sound therefore, sound is essential in films as it creates the tension and suspense for the audience.

Key Terminology and its use to create a response from the audience

Sound is categorised into two different types of sound:

• Diegetic Sound - Diegetic sounds is the sound which is part of the film world such as the dialouge, music from a radio or jukebox.
• Non-Diegetic Sound - A non-diegetic sound is the sound which is not part of the film world for example the soundtrack, sound effects or the narrative.
• Off-Screen Sound - You can the sound in the particular scene but you cannot see it or you don't know where it's coming from e.g. laughing, coughing
• On-Screen Sound - With on-screen sound, you are able to see where it's coming from e.g radio, car
• Parallel Sound - Parallel sound is when the sound you hear in a film is what is expected of depending on what is happening.
•  Contrapuntal Sound - This type of sound is when the sound does not match what is expected of the movie in other words a sound that doesn't correlate to what is specifically is happening in the film.

Examples:

Diegetic sound is used in this movie clip from 'The Dark Knight' which means that the sound is part of the film world and can be heard by the characters. There is diegetic sound heard when the glass is shattered by the antagonist and his accomplices, this is the sound that they and the people around them can hear which is why it is called a diegetic sound. The glass shattering creates fear and uneasiness for the audience as it is a sound which is associated with being endangered. If a glass is broken, you are exposed by the outer world which is associated with danger and this is why the sound of the glass is significant. Therefore this makes the audience dislike the antagonists as they are causing problems for the protagonist.

There is non-diegetic sound used in this movie called 'Jaws'. In the clip, non-diegetic sound is used which means the soundtrack playing in the background cannot be heard by the characters in the film but only by the audience. The non-diegetic sound is clearly noticeably in this movie clip when the victims notice the shark. The soundtrack is accompanied by the theme tune 'dur dur' which creates fear within the audience and anxiousness. In addition, the audience is able to make a prediction in the next scene because of the sound that is presented makes us think of what the shark is capable of due to the build up of the soundtrack.

Analyse a scene from a thriller and identify three effective uses of sound

'The Dark Knight' (2013) Batman VS Joker:

• In this movie clip 'Batman Vs The Joker', there are dogs barking at the sight of the dark knight appearing, this highlights that the dogs are afraid or are enemies of the dark knight, furthermore when the dogs are told by The Joker to "get him" they immediately attack Batman by barking loudly. This is a diegetic sound because we as the audience and the characters in the movie can hear the barking. This creates a chilling response from the audience because they fear the the Batman with get hurt as he is the protagonist in the film.
• Futhermore, there is also the use of parallel sound when the Joker and the Batman are fighting there is the parallel sound of the kicking and punching. These are the type of typical sounds we as the audience is expected when watching a fight scene.
• Moreover, there is also non-diegetic sound being used when the soundtrack is playing after the Batman throws the Joker off the edge of the building. This is non-diegetic because the chracters within the movie are not able to hear this because it is not part of the film world. This creates excitement and thrill because it makes us think if the Joker will fall to his death or not. 

Conclusion

Researching on sound has gave me an insight on how important sound is especially in thrillers because it is what creates a superb thrilling experience for the audience. I know that I must select the correct and appropriate sound to make it sound to make it effective and achieve how I want my audience to react to it.

Research: Cinematography - Miss Begum

Cinematography

Examples of cinematography:

Avengers: Long shot

Avengers: Medium close up

What is cinematography?

Cinematography is looking at the way the shot is framed, how the angle of the camera is taken and the movement of the camera within the movie clip. It is broken down in 3 main sectors that is the movement of the camera, size and angle that are crucial when making a movie because it will empathise what you are trying to portray.
Cinematography is an important micro-element in film because it emphasises the current moment to make it seem more dramatic and thrilling for the audience. The specific type of cinematography can be used to also let the audience know the importance of this specific character as these shots can either make a particular character look more dominant or submissive.

Key Terminology

(CU) Close Up - A close up shot is when it focuses on one object/ person which usually takes up the whole screen. This is so the audience can see clearly what is or about to happen. For example, a close up on someone's face. This helps us the audience to understand the character's emotions and mentality by their reaction.

(ECU) Extreme Close Up - An a extreme close is a shot that shows one single detail so the only thing that we can see is the object/ person up close such as someone's eye. This will then make the audience established clearly that this person is feeling upset or scared due to the reaction of their eye.




(MS) Medium shot - A medium shot is generally presenting the subject from the waist above.




(MCU) Medium Close Up - A Medium close-up lies between a close up and a medium shot. This shows the subject from the waist and shoulders.



(LS) Long Shot - A long shot is a shot that presents the subject from head to toe which allows the audience to know the character more by seeing how they look like. Sometimes this shot can been taken differently for example in 'low-key lighting' which then of course we wont be able to see how the character looks like, furthermore creating a common thriller convention of mystery.



(ELS) Extreme Long Shot - An extreme long shot usually shows the audience the subject followed by the background or scene that they're in. This is also called an 'Establishing Shot' which means that the audience is able to establish the character and the type of scene that they're in clearly.


(OSS) Over Shoulder Shot - An over shoulder shot is what it is, self-explanatory. This is an over shoulder shot which allows us to see clearly that they're talking, this is preferable used with two people to demonstrate that they're having a conversation. It usually flicks back to each person depending who is talking at the time. This is similar to the close up shot (reaction shot) because we can see the character clearly and how they're reacting to the other person talking.

Aerial Shot - An aerial shot is a camera shot filmed from an airplane, helicopter, blimp, balloon, kite or high building to get something similar to 'a birds eye view'. This is an effective shot as it allows the audience to establish the certain scenery which would put them in the characters mental state. This further creates excitement and suspense as they are now enable to feel how these specific characters feel.

Examples of camera shots

Suicide Squad (2016) Close Up Shot

This is a close up shot of the Joker from 'Suicide Squad'. In this scene the close up shot is used appropriately to portray the Joker as a twisted, disturbed, mischievous character. We are enabled to make this judgement because of the shot that is taken here. In this shot we can clearly see his expression which allows the audience to make observations about this specific character.

The Dark Knight (2008) Long Shot

This is a long shot used in 'The Dark Knight' to portray the mysterious, anti-superhero 'Batman'. In long shots, they can be used in various different ways for example in this picture, it shows the dark knight from head to toe but we are not able to see him clearly because of the 'low-key lighting'. This creates a mysterious feeling because we don't know the person behind 'Batman' but we are able to establish who he is from his silhouette.

Examples of camera angles

Harry Potter and the Dealthly Hallows Pt.1 (2010) High Angle

In this example, the angle of the shot is taken from above is a 'high-angle' which portrays the subject, in this case 'Harry Potter' to be belittled and less powerful than the person whom stands before him. It also shows the expression on his face that he is scared, furthermore demonstrating that the person before him is much more significant and powerful than he is.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Low Angle

In 'The Dark Knight Rises' it shows that this character Bane as an inferior, powerful and dominant character as the angle of the shot is taken from below 'low-angle' to make it seem he is bigger than usual. This is also cast in 'low-key lighting' which casts shadows on the character to make them seem mysterious and in some cases terrifying.

Examples of camera movements

• Panning Shot - A panning shot is when the camera moves alongside with the character, usually in a horizontal plane.
• Tilt Shot - A tilt shot is when the camera tilts up and down.
• Crane Shot - A crane shot is one of the most difficult camera movements to achieve because when the camera is movie, it is very flexible allowing it to move with the character going in many directions.
• Zoom - Zooming is a camera movement that captures the moment or retreats from it.
• Point Of View - A point of view camera movement is shot in the person's view so we are able to see what they're doing. It also gives us a feeling of being in the characters shoes which then experience their emotions and mentality in a better perspective which furthermore always creates a fantastic thriller.
• Hand-Held - The camera is moving with the person and held by that particular person.

This scene is from 'The Dark Knight'. The Joker is getting interrogated by Batman. There is a short panning shot in the beginning that follows the police officer out of the interrogation room. After that, the conversation between the Joker and the Batman is flicked back and fourth using the camera movement of the over the shoulder shot which shows the protagonist and antagonist coversating. This allows the audience to understand who is talking and when they're talking clearly demonstrating the characters emotions during the scene.
These shots enable the audience to establish the roles of each character without getting them confused. Particularly, the over shoulder shot allows audience to experience the characters point of view whether its the antagonist or protagonist. Furthermore, this makes the audience feel more tensed and excited about the scene as they are now able to feel the characters mental state.
This is a very conventional shot for thrillers especially because we're able to see the character talking with someone else yet we're not able to see the face of the second party which creates a thrilling experience for the audience.

This scene from 'The Hunger Games' shows the movement of the camera called a 'Crane Shot' which allows the camera move flexibly. The camera is moving a-lined with the protagonist whilst she is running which also makes the audience feel excited. It is moving from side to side, high and low to catch her every movement and demonstrate her struggles whilst running through the burning flames.
The crane shot allows audience to feel like they are apart of the scene as it moves flexibly around the protagonist, this makes the movie experience for the audience more exciting.
Moreover, this is a conventional thriller shot because it enables the audience to experience the action uniquely. It further creates a more tense atmosphere where the audience question themselves if the protagonist is able to get away or not. 

Conclusion: After researching on Cinematography, I now fully understand how important cinematography is to make a movie clip effective because without it, the audience wouldn't understand what is going on. Before deciding on what camera shots I want, I need to decide what I want to capture for my thriller trailer, for example if I want to capture the victims reaction, I must use a close up to ensure that the audience understands how this particular character feels. This really empathises it as it is a close shot of their face showing their reaction in detail. If I want to further make this victim look vulnerable, I know that I should use a high angle shot to make it seem that they are vulnerable. Overall, I feel as I am very confident in using these cinematography techniques to present my thriller trailer effectively.

Research: What is Thriller? - Miss Begum

What is Thriller?

What are genres? Why is it important to know this?

Genres is what separates different categories of films and novels according to their plots, themes, conventions, filming techniques and more. Genres are usually dependent on factors such as story-lines and the director's choice of the target audience response.There are many genres in the media industry, from romance to adventure - horror, action, science-fiction and fantasy. It is important that we know this because a specific type of genre determines an individual's decision whether they want to watch the movie or not, depending on the plot style and how appropriate it is for their age, this is what makes the movie unique. If movies were all the same and shared exactly the same genre, this will result in similar plots and story-lines. Furthermore, the public would loose interest immediately and Hollywood would be dead cause.

What is a thriller?

The genre 'thriller' is commonly mistaken with 'horror' because of the similarities they share yet there are certain characteristics that separate the two. Themes such as suspense, crime, mystery and excitement are the key elements of the thriller genre and is what diverts it from being categorised as a 'horror'. Moreover a thriller is what keeps the audience engaged with an exciting plot twist keeping us on edge every second and leaving us craving for more.

Examples of thriller films - State why/brief description of narrative

There are many examples of thriller films, they are the most popular genre because it creates an exhilarating journey for the audience but my favorites are:

The Call (2013)

The Call - What would you do if you heard the noises of an intruder? The desperation of a young girl trying to escape? What would you do if you had the power to save this girl but you made an error that cost her life. 'The Call' is an action packed thriller that takes the audience on an emotional journey to saving a young girls life. When a 911 operator is in a life-alternating call from a call from a young teen who has been abducted, and a killer from her past returns - she is forced to confront this killer and squeeze every last drop of her power to find this girl and bring her back to safety. This spine-chilling thriller is so successful in encouraging the thriller theme because the particular plot twist and story line creates a huge amount of the stress that will make you go mad. It also encourages the idea of tension all the way through, maintaining the audience on the edge of their seats.

Black Swan (2010)

Black Swan - A young ballet dancer has been accepted the role of the infamous character 'Adete' from Swan Lake. Making her dreams come true, she is working in one of the most top, prestigest companies ever but a little competition drives her insane and the only person standing in her way is herself. This perfectly portrays the key elements of a fantastic thriller as it cleverly demonstrates her thrilling nightmares coming to life. This is so well done that the audience is able to understand the characters emotions and mentality that gives a hair raising standing performance. This is highly recommended film if you like thrillers that make you jump and little and keeping you thinking about the movie every second.

SAW IV (2007)

SAW IV - SAW is one of the most popular thriller franchises out there that tells a story of a serial killer... with good intentions? The man behind 'JIGSAW' has received unfortunate news, he is dying of cancer and he wants to spend every last breath doing something good, in fact, he wants the same for everyone. Although he has good intentions, he has a peculiar way of showing others how to cherish their lives. A life threatening puzzle must be solved within limited time before they die and only one can escape. A gory thriller but manages to keep the audience engaged, we want to know who 'JIGSAW' is and we want to know how he does this! This is why SAW is an amazing thriller that despite the gory scenes that make us want to puke, it keeps us staying and that's the beauty of a fantastic thriller.



X-MEN DOOFP (2014)

X-MEN: Days Of Our Future Past - X-MEN DOOFP is a confusing title but portrays a fun thrilling adventure. When we must change the past to save our future selves and the whole of humanity, the heroes of 'X-MEN' are forced to travel back in time and save the world. With special individuals with side kick powers, what is not there to love?! This is a perfect portrayal of a thriller because it manages to create the right amount of thrill to keep us entertained and engaged. It does this by cool, realistic CGI and incredible plot twists.

 

Taken - A self explanatory movie, the protagonist, former agent receives a call from his daughter across a country but something is not right. Intruders are there to capture her and he is makes the toughest decision a father can make to let her go but in order to find her afterwards. All the way through we are slapped repeatedly with suspense demonstrating how a great thriller is made.

 

Sub-Genres of thrillers - Example

Similarly to genres categorised in different types of style in content, they are also divided furthermore into what is called a sub-genre. This varies from:

Psychological thrillers - Psychological thrillers mainly focuses on the audiences mental and emotional states of the characters, furthermore it commonly plays on the individuals mind a little more which produces suspense in the film as it reflects the characters mentality. A great example is the 'Orphan' which stimulates and incorporates all these emotions into one giving it a chilling performance.

Action thrillers - Action thrillers are packed with plenty of action packed scenes such as; a car chase on New York's busiest road, a fight scene between the protagonist and antagonist, etc. It't what keeps us on edge of our seats with amazing story-lines and plot twists. Usually action thrillers deal with semi-realistic story-lines and is what mostly intrigues the audience because we can slyly relate to it. An example of an action thriller is 'Taken' that portrays a perfect combination of action and thriller keeping us on edge of our seats and engaged.

Adventure thrillers - Adventure thrillers is a mixture of adventure with a thrilling story-line that also keeps on changing to keep the audience engaged throughout the whole movie. Usually an adventure thriller takes us on a fun and exciting journey that is either relatable or out of this world. This makes us as the audience understand and enjoy the movie more. An example of a adventure thriller is 'The Hunger Games' which adopts key elements to an adventure thriller by including many running, fighting scenes out of this world!

Science-Fiction thrillers - Sci-Fi thrillers usually have a futuristic science and technology feel. Space travelling and time travelling are usually popular with the science-fiction fans. An example would be 'Star Wars' as it demonstrates to juggle a combination of science fiction and thriller action with amazing star-ships that travel all around the world in order to save their planet!

Paranormal/ Supernatural thrillers - These type of thrillers bring a mixture of elements such as horror to create suspense, tension resulting in a superb plot twist. Sometimes the protagonist or antagonist possess some type of supernatural power that gives us audience a creepy yet exciting feel. Movies such as 'The Conjuring' portray a perfect mixture of paranormal elements including a main character that has supernatural powers to sense nearby spirits.

Spy thrillers - Spy thrillers usually have key elements of action. Spy thrillers often use a government agency whether it's fictional or fantasy, it is used as the base of the film. Moreover it sometimes even includes some other elements of science fiction combined with action and crime. An example of this is the famous 'Mission Impossible' starring Tom Cruise that illustrates equal amounts of spy thriller, action, mystery and crime.

Common conventions of thrillers

Common conventions of thrillers might include:

A typical protagonist and antagonist

Run down on abandoned buildings as location

Usually filmed at night

Common themes of thrillers

Common themes in thrillers usually depend on the sub-genre in belongs to but they all might include at least one of these themes such as:

Kid-knapping, revenge, family, heists, obsession, death, violence, crime and religion.

Audience response to thrillers

The audience response to a thriller majority of the time depends on the age of the audience. Usually the younger aged audience would be more frightened whereas the older males would be less affected because of their dominant role of becoming the more aggressive and protective gender.

In general, thrillers usually create spine chilling response that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. The audience is usually left in suspense as the tension is built up creating excitement and adrenaline. If the audience is watching a psychological thriller, then this would supposedly play on their minds more than the other sub-genre thrillers tend to do.

Why is it a popular genre? Personal opinion.

The thriller genre is so popular because it always leaves the audience wanting more, keeping us engaged at all times because we as the audience want to know what happens despite the fact it might even scare us a little... or a lot. People watch thrillers mainly to be entertained and thrilled, with almost every genre, it's a opportunity to escape reality, furthermore feeling the emotions expressed within a thriller and being involved makes us excited that we always come back for more.

Conclusion: How has this helped your understanding of thrillers and the coursework requirement?

This has made me understand that there are many requirements to make an impressive thriller trailer. To make a good trailer I need to take in account genres, sub-genres, the audience it's aimed at and specific conventions that should be followed in order for the viewers to clearly understand that what they're watching is a thriller. Moreover, this has taught me that I need to have some common conventional thriller characters to allow the movie trailer to adapt to its genre so its very clear to the audience. The antagonist should be something conventional such as a hideous and frightful appearance that frightens the audience, in addition, their behavior and attitudes also adds a sense of fear and suspicion. Whereas the protagonist (the hero) is seemed as dominant, inferior and heroic that gives the audience a sense of hope and sympathy mainly towards the victims of the movie. Finally, the location of the thriller is likely to be in run down areas like abandoned buildings and church yard to really give it that spooky and thrilling feel.