Vox Pops- Miss Miller

Research was carried out to find out what people enjoy in thrillers so we can use it as a guide when we create our own thriller. The information we gathered was very useful as know our group know what we have to base our thriller on and what conventions to add in for it to be successful. We had open and closed questions on our questionnaire to gather quantitative and qualitative data. For our closed questions we created pie charts.

We asked this question so our group can see what age type like thrillers so we can get an idea on what age we should make are target audience and what conventions we should add in our opening sequence to suit them. Our pie chart showed that most of the people we asked were between 11-15 or older which shows that we need to make our opening sequence suited to teenagers and older. From this result we should create our film to be an age certificate of 15. Also its very conventional for a thriller film to be a 15 so as this age range enjoy adrenaline rushes etc. 

We asked this question to identify what gender prefers thrillers and what gender I should target my opening sequence for. The results are almost equal however the results are slightly in males favour. This results suggest to use that we should add in conventions which would suit each genders and characters that males and females can relate to. Therefore we should have a male and female character which would suit both and conventions such as elements of suspense, excitement and a tense atmosphere to interest both genders.

We had this question in our questionnaire so that our group could find out what age certificate we should make our thriller film. From our results we gathered that we should aim our film at either 15 or 18 year old's. However we should try and aim our opening scene at 18 year old's as this most of the percentage of people chose that answer. Our group will try and add conventions of an 18 film such as pain, weapons and strong language as well as typical conventions of a thriller.

We asked this question to gather information about what sub-genre they prefer. Most people like drama thrillers meaning that our sequence will be drama based with elements of excitement and suspense to interest the audience. We will add in an event such as a death to suit our audience. 

Our results from this question show that basically an equal mix of people find hidden identity, low key lighting and camera shots all effective. From this result it shows our group to have all of those 3 things in our thriller opening for it to suit a range of people and to be effective. If we do have hidden identity, low key lighting and different camera shots in our thriller it will be very successful and interesting for the audience.

From the results we gathered here our group can see that we need to definitely have elements of suspense and enigma in our thriller. We could also have a chase scene as most people answered that but it will be unlikely if our thriller will be jumpy as not many people answered with that choice. 

We also asked 4 other questions in which they were open questions so we couldn't create pie charts for them as results were completely different to each other. The four questions we asked were:

              What do you expect to see in thrillers?

         What type of sound do you find effective?

       What type of characters would you expect to find in a thriller film?

4      What type of setting would you like to see?

For all these questions we got different responses so we aren't going to use the results to base our thriller on. We used open questions to get more qualitative results also. Qualitative results are very useful as we can see peoples opinions more clearer as the question is open. It helped me a lot to understand what people want to see in my opening sequence. For example for the question 'what type of setting would you like to see' gathered many different opinions which is useful for us as it showed that the setting can be anything and it will still interest the audience.

The research was very useful for the closed questions as now we know what age we should aim our thriller at, what gender, what thriller genre to create and what conventions to add in. We will definitely use our results to help us create our thriller. If we was to do this differently we would make sure all are questions are closed so we can generalise information and create pies charts for them. 
We found that boys mainly watch thrillers, the age certificates are mainly a 15, people like drama based thrillers, all elements make a thriller film effective and suspense elements interest the audience. From these results I will take on board and may incorporate them into my opening sequence.

Preliminary Task- Miss Georgiou

For our task we decided for me to walk up the stairs whilst holding the camera to get a point of view shot, then me walking to the door with a long shot and a over the shoulder shot, after that me and Domenico had a conversation whilst Harry was filming.

It was much harder then expected it to be, when I was walking up the stairs there was a lot of background sound when it was meant to be silent which was a major problem for us. Also when I was holding the camera it was very unsteady which was another problem as it was meant to be still. When we start filming our opening sequence properly, I will make sure our camera is dead still or is set in a way on the tripod where it will be steady. Also I will make sure there is no sound in the background so it doesn't ruin the effect of the shot. There was sound also coming from students when we filmed up the stairs but obviously that wont happen when we film properly as it wont be filmed in school.                                          

Another problem we faced was when we watched the sequence back the shots didn't flow, for example I would walk to the end of the corridor and the next minute I would be behind the door. The reason we had this problem is because we didn't have the camera in the exact same spot at all times. When we create our thriller opening we will make sure we keep our camera in the right spot or if not by then our editing skills will be better so we will be able to edit and cut things out of the sequence to make sure it flows.

- example of high angle 

- example of our conversation

- example of close up 

-example of close up

- example of when walking up stairs

Another problem is that we had a broken tripod, so all our shots were jerky, we can overcome this quite easily just by getting a working tripod.

The next problem we had was acting, when I was being filmed all I kept doing was laughing as I've never been in front of a camera before however in my opening sequence I wont be in the thriller so it wont be a problem. Also when we had a conversation we didn't know what to talk about so Domenico and I kept stuttering which also made the sequence not flow. When we film our thriller we wont be speaking in the sequence as it will be unprofessional instead we will have drama students acting in our scene.

The good things about our task sequence is that we used a variety of shots which made are sequence interesting even though we had many problems. We are planning to use different shots in our Thriller opening to create an element of excitement for the audience.

 Doing a preliminary task has been very helpful for our group as we now know who's good with the camera and can create successful shots. Its also showed us how to overcome problems when we do film. Also to get a new tri-pod  to make sure are shots will be steady. We could also see what shots work best when filming. However we will film in a different environment to the school so we may face other problems that we wont know how to overcome.

How does the opening sequence of 'Halloween' inform the audience of the conventions of a thriller film? Miss Georgiou

A purpose of an opening sequence is to make the audience engaged with the film by setting the scene, showing the characters and creating enigma. The opening scene is also to show the audience what genre of the film it is and to give the audience an idea of what is to follow in the film. The opening sequence has to be interesting to keep the audience engaged with the film.

The film "Halloween" informs the audience of the conventions of a thriller film as they are all included in the opening sequence.
The first convention which is included in the opening sequence is sound. Sound is a convention a thriller as it creates suspense or creates an element of excitement for the audience. In the opening sequence of Halloween there is non digetic of the soundtrack at the beginning and the end of the sequence. The sound track is an eerie noise which is very loud at the beginning to build suspense for the audience, it also makes the audience excited for the rest of the film. Its conventional to thrillers to have a non digetic sound track as its makes the audience feel more tense and on the edge of there seats which is key in thrillers. Its cleverly put right at the beginning of the sequence and making it loud and scary to ensure the audience are nervous as soon as they start watching the film which is conventional to thrillers. There's also non digetic sound of children laughing in the beginning of the sequence which can also be seen as contrapuntal sounds as there are happily laughing. This misleads the audience so when the attack happens in the film the audience are not expecting it which creates more tension. There's non digetic sound when the killer picks up the knife and starts walking through the house up the stairs to kill the girl, the sound is a very high pitch piano note which makes the atmosphere for the audience tense and also makes the audience sympathize for the victim as they may get an idea that she is about to be killed. The loud high pitch piano sound builds tension for the audience as they may feel startled which is key in thrillers. There's off screen sound of a clock ticking when the killer is walking up the stairs. Each time the killer goes up a step a sound of a tick is played which can show the audience that the clocks ticking down to her death which builds an element of excitement to the film and makes it more interesting. Parallel sound is also used when the attack is happening, the sounds of stabbing is parallel sound as you can see where the sound is coming from. The sound of stabbing and screaming makes the audience understand that the victim is in a lot of pain therefore making the audience feel sorry for her which builds a relationship between them. The parallel sounds just make the audience understand what is going on in the film in detail which is key in thrillers.

There is cinematography used in the opening sequence as different camera shots are used to interest the audience. There is a point of view shot of the killer where the audience can only see what the killer is seeing. It is used when the killer gets the knife from the kitchen and walks up the stairs to attack the girl. It builds a relationship between the killer and the audience as it puts the audience 'in there shoes'. Its conventional to a thriller as it builds tension successfully as the audience don't know what might jump out. There's a handheld shot of the knife, it makes the audience feel unsettled as there is jerky flashes of the knife. It builds tension really well as the audience may get an idea that's the weapon the killer will be using to attack the victim therefore making the audience sympathize for the girl which builds a relationship. The jerky images makes the atmosphere tense for the audience which is key in thrillers. At the end of the scene, after the attack happens, there's a zooming out shot of the house where the boy (killer) is standing. It represents that an attack has happened and makes the audience feel in shock. The zooming out of the house makes the house look smaller therefore meaning that a family member has died. It also makes the killer look smaller meaning that hes not emotionally right.

There's editing used in the opening sequence, a jump cut is used of the knife where it suddenly focuses on the knife. This reveals to the audience that someone will be attacked by that weapon which builds suspense and excitement for the audience. By focusing on the knife it builds tension successfully as the audience may start to feel on edge or scared. It conventional to thrillers as there is always weapons used in thrillers to kill the victims which panics the audience. There is also timing of shots used where before the kill,the pace of the shots are quite slow including the music. This builds up to the kill, building tension for the audience and leaving them on the edge of there seats. After the kill the shots are faster showing that the killers panicking and might be regretting what hes just done. The shots are ultimately faster so the film is more engaging for the audience and makes it more interesting to watch, Its conventional to thrillers as it adds an element of excitement and engages the audience successfully.

In the opening sequence there are many conventions of a thriller in it. Its stereo typically set in a dark suburban town in a big quite creepy house, there's a loud soundtrack at the beginning and different sound techniques throughout, there's stereo typically a blonde victim, low key lighting is used throughout the scene and lastly there's hidden identity of the killer until the end.These all are stereotypically included in the thriller.

The narrative of 'Halloween' is set in a suburban town in a large house which is very stereotypical for thrillers. Its about a boy who kills his sister on Halloween however the boys identity is hidden by a mask. The mask may cause the death of his sister as the mask may take over the boys body. The narrative of the film is very stereotypical to a thriller film as it includes many conventions of a thriller.

The characters in the opening sequence are a young girl, her boyfriend, a young boy and his parents. The young boy is the killer which isn't stereotypical at all which builds tension for the audience, the young girl is blonde which is usually the hair colour of victims in thrillers. The boyfriend plays a small part but he allows the girl to die as he leaves her house just before she is killed. The parents come home right at the end of the scene and they look very confused to see there son holding a knife. The couple are very stereotypical as they cant understand why and what there son has done, its almost as if they don't believe what there seeing. The audience sympathize for the girl whereas they feel envious towards the young boy as he is the murderer.

The sequence overall informs the audience of the conventions of a thriller as the sequence includes all the different conventions which makes up a thriller. It has different sound techniques which make the opening sequence tense, different camera shots to build up relationships with characters, editing shots to build suspense for the audience, low key lighting and a dark setting and stereotypical characters. Its very successful opening scene as it has many conventions of a thriller. This analysis will help me with my thriller as I know now I need to add all the  different conventions to my opening sequence for it be successful. It will help me with planning with my opening sequence as it will be quicker as ive analysed conventions from this post.

Group narrative- Miss Georgiou

Purpose of narrative- A purpose of a narrative is to tell the story of the film.

My idea of the opening scene is that this young six year old girl gets bullied at school or at home as a result she tries to murder the person therefore she ends up in  a mental home. A month later she escapes and comes back to haunt the family/school and ends up killing the whole year/family. The six year old girl will be very innocent and will have typically have blonde hair whereas after she has been at the mental home she will look distorted and look completely different as this will build a relationship between the audience and the character as they will have sympathy towards her and it will show she has changed and become even more mental. It will be set in an urban area because its not typical and will interest the audience more. The main concept of my idea is for it to be jumpy as this is conventional to the thriller genre. My idea is different to typical thriller films as the character is both the victim and the killer so that the audience will engage with the film more as by having one character but being two role will interest them. The main conventions of the scene will be the use of low key lighting throughout and the murder weapons. The victims will look really innocent before with blonde hair but after the incident of her murdering someone and going to a mental home she will look completely different by looking older, having darker hair and wearing dark clothes so the audience are aware that she has turned into the killer and can see the contrast in characters. I will use low key lighting throughout as its very conventional to the thriller genre and will build high suspense. I will rate my idea as a 15 as there will be slight violence, dangerous weapons and blood which young viewers may find offensive.

Advantages- Easy to film,
Disadvantages- There will be dialogue, Take long to edit, time consuming.

Harry's narrative- My narrative idea is three school children go back up to school (Media class) when the students enter the class and go on the computers all the computers will switch off and start fuzzing - there will be a high angle shot of this to make the students look smaller and vulnerable. When the door shuts I will use a close up shot to show the emotion of one of the student to show they are scared which will make the audience feel sorry for them. I will keep using high angle shots on one of the students more than the others to make him look more vulnerable and suggest to the audience he is in the most danger. I want to include a establishing shot in my thriller film to show the view from the camera to give a perspective of what will follow as there will be a man outside the window wearing a mask creating mystery. When the lights turn off and on it will create tension as you expect something to appear and scare the audience, but I want to add a false sense of security to my thriller film by not having anything appear so when the audience become calm after watching the lights turn off and on and nothing happens then i will scare them by having a hand covered in blood slam against the window. Also i want to include handheld camera movements for chase scenes to create jerky images which will produce a sense of urgency and chaos making the audience know they are in danger and running for their lives.The students are going to be wearing school clothes and as used in other conventions of a thriller film, I will include girls to be the victims as generally they are to victims in films. The costume will indicate who the bad guy is as he will be wearing a scary clown mask with blood stains on it, the bad guy will also be holding a knife dripping with blood which will show the audience what is about to follow. The colours used will be dark and create distinct shadows which will create tension throughout.

Domenicos idea-The idea for my opening sequence is to be set in an urban area unlike many other opening scenes mainly because otherwise I think it will just be a stereotypical thriller film and will be boring for the audience. The plot I was thinking of a house in the city at night, they're experiencing a power cut so the lights are out. The parents are asleep and one teenage boy is still awake watching TV on the sofa, he keeps hearing movement that he can't see. He ignores it and tries to sleep on the sofa. He hears a constant peculiar knocking so goes to the back door looks out in the garden and then he sees a young girl dressed in a white gown, then she screams and it ends… The conventions that i would aim to have within my clip would be shock and tension that will continue to build throughout the progression of the clip. The advantages of my idea is that it would keep the audience in suspense. Advantages of this we will be able to find a location easily however we will have to find many actors/actresses which can be difficult.

We decided our group narrative will be based on Halloween where two young small children go trick or treating and come across a house which the lady inside is the killer and kidnaps them ties them to a bed and drugs them. However this is just one of the child's dream. She wakes up all panicky goes to the bathroom and sees that she has got cuts on her arms which the lady gave to her in her dream, she turns on the bathroom light and the lady is standing behind her. Our opening sequence will hold great suspense throughout and make the audience jump which is very conventional to a thriller. We wanted to create a whole new idea as we thought our original ideas was not as good.

After filming we decided to change our narrative again because we come across many issues when filming. An issue we come across was that each time we filmed in my house the camera became blurry which made the quality of our shots really bad even when we changed the camera it still came our blurry. Another issue was we was limited on how many shots we could do which was very bad as the audience wouldn't be interested in our opening sequence. The main reason why we changed our narrative was because it didn't make sense when we put all our shots together. It meant that the audience wouldn't understand the narrative which would make our opening sequence unsuccessful. Even when we began to edit our opening sequence we couldn't fix it so we decided to start from scratch and film a new opening sequence. After discussing with the group we changed our narrative to a story about a girl being possessed by water. It would start off with creepy household objects to set the scene and make the audience aware that its set in a creepy house. After that the character we decided to pick as the victim is a typical young blonde haired girl as its very conventional to the thriller genre. She would be doing her make-up to show off she is innocent and then leave the bedroom looking ill which is evident to the audience that she has been possessed. She then goes to the bathroom and washes her face which proves to the audience that she is not normal as she has just done her make- up which builds a relationship between them as they sympathy for her. She then goes downstairs get a glass of water, circles the top and drops the glass to emphasise that she has been taken over by something/someone. She walks pass a static television and a flickering light which builds up suspense and leaves the house. She creepily walks down the road and up to the forest where her death occurs as she drowns herself in the lake.
Our new narrative will be more successful as its more simpler than are narrative before so the audience will understand what's going on, there are more conventions of a thriller in this narrative such as the typical blonde hair girl and the way she gets possessed and finally we wont have problems with the camera which will make our new opening sequence more better quality.

These are shots of our old opening sequence.

Research into sound- Miss Miller

The film i will be researching into is Silence of the lambs.Sound is a key a element in thriller genres. Different sound techniques give off different effects on the audience. For example Parallel sound is where the image and sound on the screen complements each other to make the audience aware of whats going on. I chose this particular clip as it has many different sound techniques included in the clip.

At the beginning of the clip a slow paced sound of a piano is played from a radio cassette for a couple of minutes until the attack occurs. Its quite a happy sound and quite cheerful which doesn't suit what will happen later in the clip so its Contrapuntal sound. Contrapuntal sound is where the sound and image do not complement each other. Even though the happy sound isn't being played over something sad its still contrapuntal sound as after the sound is played the mentalist murders the two policeman. The sound misleads the audience into thinking that the scene would be a happy scene where as its the opposite so when the murder does take place the audience are more unaware which creates a tense atmosphere. Contrapuntal sound is also used at the end of the scene after the murder takes place. It proves that the person that killed the policeman is mental or has issues. It makes the audience aware that the killer isn't right in the head which creates a tense atmosphere especially as it lasted for 2 minutes and 25 seconds. The audience may feel more awkward afterwards and uncomfortable. Contrapuntal sound is conventional to a thriller as it creates tension for the audience which is key in thrillers.

In the clip the two guards/policeman footsteps are made very clear and quite loud which shows that there alone. This is called on screen sound as the audience can see where the sound is coming from. The reason that the footsteps are made quite loud to prove that there alone is to create suspense for the audience as they may feel something bad will happen to them. The audience also sympathies for the policeman as they know they might get killed which builds a relationship between them. Its conventional to a thriller as it successfully builds suspense and tension for the audience. The sound is in the middle of the clip.

Non digetic sound is sound or music that is added on after in the editing stage. Non digetic sound is used just before the attack of the mentalist, a loud weary sound is played to build tension and to make the audience feel more uncomfortable. Without this sound being added in the effect of the murder wouldn't be as exciting and interesting for the audience. Non digetic sound in this scene is used to build tension for the audience as the loud music creates a tense atmosphere. The Non digetic sound is played after the contrapuntal sound which makes them realise something bad is going to happen which create suspense, also by playing a loud non digetic sound after contrapuntal sound creates more tension as it misleads the audience. Its conventional to a thriller as it builds tension successfully which is key in thrillers. The sound is towards the end of the clip.

Parallel sound is when the sound and the image on the screen complements each other. In the scene parallel sound is used when the mentalist is stabbing the policemen for a minute, the sound of stabbing and the policeman screaming is parallel sound as you expect that noise to occur. The sound of screaming shows that the policeman is in pain which allows the audience to sympathise for him therefore building a relationship between the audience and the character. It also just makes the audience aware that hes in pain which creates suspense of what is to come next. The sound of stabbing builds tension for the audience which is key in thrillers. Without parallel sound the scene wouldn't be as interesting and the audience wouldn't be able to build a relationship with the characters. The parallel sound is at the end of the scene.

In my opinion sound is important in thriller films as they create successful different effects on the audience. In my opening thriller I will use different sound techniques to interest my audience and build relationships between the audience and characters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3nIw30hn4U

Research into the history of thriller films- Miss Georgiou

Thriller films are made up of suspense, excitement and tension which are the main elements of the genre. There usually fast pace films and tend to be adrenaline rushing. Thrillers heavily stimulate the viewer's moods giving them a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, surprise, anxiety and/or terror. It keeps the audience in suspense as the plot builds towards the climax. In thrillers there is always a victim and a killer, sometimes the killer can have a hidden identity. Common sub genres are psychological thrillers, crime thrillers, erotic thrillers and mystery thrillers. Common conventions of a thriller is low key lighting, chase scenes, pain, blood, loud music, non digetic sound and suspense, tension and excitement. (wikipedia) 

Through out the years thrillers have changed dramatically. 1930's and 1940's thriller films are based on more crime thrillers, they didn't have any monster killers and was based on true life situations. Thrillers back in the 1930's and 40's were more realistic then thrillers we have today. The thriller conventions we have today are low key lighting, pain, blood, and elements of suspense. Thrillers back in the 1930's and 40's were also mainly based around a romance where the men character's run off with a woman to protect themselves or to keep them from trouble. Having a mystery element was common in thrillers back then also. In the 1960's and 1970's thrillers started moving on from a mystery theme to a fast paced horror theme. There was more killing in thrillers from the 60's and 7o's with the murderer having a hidden identity. The characters in the film showed more pain and created an element of suspense for the audience. Thriller films we have today are all fast paced and are more edited to build tension for the audience. Some are gory and the killers are monsters for example the film mama the killer is a monster. 

An example of a 1930's film is the 39 steps. It was made in 1935 and was one of the first thriller/crime films to be made and was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starred  Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll.The plot is about a man in London who tries to help a counter-espionage agent prevent an organisation of spies called the 39 steps from stealing top secret information. An agent is killed and he is accused of murder, as a result of this he goes on the run with a lady he has a romance with to save himself and stop the spy ring. In 1999, the film came fourth in a BFI poll of British films and in 2004 Total film named it the 21st greatest British movie of all time. It was voted one of the best British thriller films of the 30's. 


Vertigo is a psychological thriller based film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and was released in 1958.. The narrative is about A retired San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her. The film also comes under a mystery and romance genre. Hitchcock used a 'dolly zoom' method involves the camera physically moving away from a subject whilst simultaneously zooming in to create a 'vertigo effect' The music in the film seems like it goes round in circles to create a vertigo effect also. Similar to the 1930's film the 39 steps, there both mystery thrillers based around a women and both directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Both Vertigo and The 39 Steps arn't fast paced horrors, theres no chase scenes in them and the theme is crime thrillers.

Psycho is a thriller suspense film which was released in 1960 and was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The narrative of the film is about a young woman who is in a relationship with her boyfriend Sam but they cant afford to get married so she steals money from her work and decides to run away when she embarks on a hotel called 'bate motel' where she ends up staying. The hotel manager 'Norman bates' has schizophrenia as he pretends to be his dead mother and murder people including the young women. Alfred Hitchcock decided to make thrillers evolve in a different way. Psycho wasn't a mystery film or a crime thriller, the narrative of the film was completly different to all the other thriller films that have been made before. Alfred Hitchcock started something new which changed thrillers from then on.

Halloween was made in 1978 and directed by John Carpenter. Its very different to The 39 steps and vertigo as by this point over time thrillers changed by becoming more exciting and having an element of suspense. Halloween was one of the films to be evolved in this way. The plot is about a six year old boy (Micheal) who killed his sister on Halloween in  1963. Exactly 15 years later he escapes out of  psychiatric hospital, returns home, and stalks teenager Laurie Strode and her friends. It was inspired by 1960's film psycho which started the change in thriller films. 

In 1999 a thriller film named the sixth sense was released. It was directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells the story of Cole Sear  a troubled, isolated boy who is able to see and talk to the dead, and an equally troubled child psychologist who tries to help him. Thriller films in the 90's had more editing shots in the film to build suspense for the audience. By the 90's a key element in the films was to create an element of excitement and they all mainly done that. They also had conventions in thrillers we have today such as low key lighting, loud music and blood. 

Thriller films that have been very successful are: The sixth sense, Psycho, Shutter Island, Seven, The silence of the lambs and vertigo. I believe there all successful as they incorporate a murder which creates an element of excitement and makes it very interesting for he audience. One of the best thriller directors is Alfred Hitchcock. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. He framed shots to maximize anxiety, fear, or empathy, and used innovative film editing. Hitchcock was known for engaging the audience with suspense, accusing the wrong man of something, and portraying a fear of authority. He also threw in comic relief, portrayed villains as charming, used unusual camera angles, and preferred classic blondes for his leading ladies. His leads (both male and female) portrayed poise, intelligence, underlying passion, and glamour.
 Many of Hitchcock's films have twist endings and thrilling plots featuring depictions of violence, murder, and crime. He became known as the master of suspense and created many thrillers between the 20's and 60's. Hes most successful films are thrillers such as: the 39 steps, the lady vanishes, strangers on a train, vertigo, Psycho and the birds.
Another successful director is Quentin Tarantino. His most famous thriller film is reservoir dog which was released in 1992 which one greatest independent film of all time from empire magazine. His second film 'pulp fiction' was also very successful and is viewed as the greatest films of all time. Most of his films are fast paced with violence which is why they became successful. Revenge is also often common in his films. He became very successful from the kill bill films also.

This research will help me plan my film as i can see how thrillers have changed and need to add conventions into my film which recent thriller films have. Also i will add a sense of mystery to my thriller film as many mystery based thriller films have been successful and maybe have a blonde woman to play the victim. 

Conventions of a thriller- Miss Miller

·     In this essay i will be discussing the conventions in the sloth scene of the film Seven. Conventions are things that are presented in films that relate to that specific genre for example in thrillers you expect it to be set in a forest as its quite a dark scary place and builds tension for audience. Another example is a chase scene as in thrillers there is normally a chase scene between the killer and the victim. I chose the particular clip as it has many conventions of a thriller film which is ideal for this essay.

Camera shots and angles are very important in thriller genres as it gives the film the thriller genre. Different camera angles creates different senses of body language and emotions. In the clip of seven a steadi cam is used to create a smooth shots and angles of the setting so the audience can get a better feel of where the film is set. A steadi cam is used around the hallways of the house/factory of the place the characters are in too let audience get a brilliant picture of what the characters are seeing and feeling at that time. The place the characters are in is quite dark, gloomy and looks quite dirty so by using a steadi cam it enables the audience to feel sorry for the characters as they can get a clear image of where they are. By using a steadi cam it also allows suspense to be built as by going through the halls slowly its building up to the climax where at the end the man under the cover is shown making it more jumpier and scarier for the audience. It builds a relationship between the audience and the characters as they can clearly see the men walking through the corridors meaning they will sympathise for them. Its conventional to a thriller as normally in thriller films the setting of the film is made clear in which a steadi cam does that. 

Another important convention in a thriller is editing as it gives thriller films a sense of excitement and builds suspense. In the film seven a jump cut edit is used. A jump cut edit is where suddenly the camera suddenly focuses on something to build suspense. In the clip the torches of the characters suddenly focus on the door, this creates tension for the audience as it allows them to believe something scary is behind it. By focusing on something quickly it makes the film more jumpy which is conventional to a thriller. It builds an element of excitement as by focusing on something the audience may think something bad is going to happen which builds up tension for them which is key for thrillers. It enables the audience to feel quite scared as they don't know why it has focused on the door which is very important in thrillers. Another editing shot used is timing of shots. The timing of shots is quite slow at the beginning of the scene which allows the audience to understand the setting and how the characters are feeling which enables them to build a relationship with them however towards the end of the scene where tension has been built up the shots are really quick which creates an element of excitement for the audience and allows them to feel the pace the characters are going at to understand there point of view. In the film seven the quick shots are used straight after the jump cut shot on the door so it can release all the build up of tension quicker which makes the audience more jumpy which is key in thriller films.

Another convention of a thriller is lighting. Lighting is key in thrillers as it can make the film more sinister if it is dark (low key) which is stereotypical in thrillers. The lighting can be light (high key) which gives the audience the wrong impression of the film so when something scary does happen it builds more tension and creates more suspense then normally. In seven low key lighting is used inside the house to give of the idea to the audience that it is a sinister and mysterious place. Low key lighting is used as it makes the audience feel more vulnerable and uncomfortable which is key in thriller genres. Using low key lighting also builds tension as anything could jump out without the audience being aware off which creates an element of excitement. By using low key lighting it allows the characters in the film searching through the house to have torches, the torches give the audience to focus on so when the torches focused on the door it allowed the audience to engage even more with the film. Its conventional to thriller films as normally in other thriller films low key lighting is used to build tension as something will pop out which will make the audience more scared as they wouldn't expect it. The setting is also in a dark place which is typical for a thriller film and can make the audience feel sorry for the characters meaning it builds a relationship and builds suspense and tension. 

Another convention in the thriller genre is sound. Sound is ultimately the most important convention in thrillers, without sound the film wont be as jumpy and wouldn't be as interesting for the audience. There is different types of sound used in films. In seven there is sound used on screen, this means that you can see where the sound is coming from. In the film the sound is coming from the ambulance which gives the audience that someone is hurt which enables them to sympathise for the character that is in pain which is usually the victim. On screen sound just proves to the audience what is happening and where the sound is coming from. There's non digetic sound throughout the film which is a sound track of loud instruments and high beats to build suspense and tension for the audience. The soundtrack is loud at the beginning but is quite slow to create a sense of excitement and to make the audience feel quite scared, then when the door is smashed open the music gets even more louder and the pace is quicker to build even more tension for the audience. The beat of the soundtrack can shock the audience as it is loud which is key for thrillers to do so. 

The clip has inspired me to add all these conventions into my own thriller opening as they all engage the audience really well and make it more interesting for them. They all build suspense really well but in different ways and makes the film more exciting. If these conventions weren't used in the clip, so the setting would be light, there wouldn't be any music, or no different shots used the overall effect wouldn't be as good and wouldn't create a sense of excitement for the audience. 

Research into age certificates and the BBFC- Miss Georgiou

The BBFC which stands for British Board of film classification basically classifies what age certificate to give the film. Its important to the the film industry as it allows the director of the film to add in conventions to the film which are suitable for the age certificate. The BBFC is basically to protect children. They have classification guidelines which enable them to choose what rating to give each film. Two examiners examine each film and come to a group decision into what to give the film. They look at stuff like drugs, horror, discrimination, danger, language, nudity, sex and violence when making the decision. They also consider the theme and whether its suitable for children. BBFC gives out different age certificates such as

U,PG,12,12A,15 and 18

U stands for universal which means its suitable for any ages. It should be for people over 4 years old but people younger are allowed to watch films with U rating. Films with a U rating shouldn't have any bad language but mild words like 'for god sake' is allowed. In films rated U characters are able to kiss and cuddle but no other sexual behavior is allowed. Brief violence is allowed however it must be resolved quickly. There may be brief scary scenes and moments where the characters are placed in danger. As with violence, however, these scenes will be balanced by reassuring elements, such as comic interludes or music.‘Baddie’ characters may carry or use weapons, but there will be no emphasis on these. Child or ‘hero’ characters are unlikely to use any kind of weapon outside, for example, historical settings. A U film can be any theme as long as its suitable for younger audiences. Its not just children films that are rated U also adult films can be rated U. U rated films shouldn't have any references to drugs as children wont understand the concept. 

An example of a U film is Walt Disney Peter Pan. Its rated a U film as it follows all the U guidelines for example a fight is quickly resolved between peter pan and the enemy 'Hook' so it doesn't upset younger viewers. Also there is no references to drugs, sexual behavior and no use of bad language throughout the film allowing the BBFC to rate it a U.

Pg stands for parental guidance which basically means parents can decide whether they want there child to watch the film, even though its suitable for general viewing its shouldn't disturb any child over 8 years old. A pg rating films are for all audience, young to old, there appropriate from people older then 8 years old.  No themes are prohibited for PG but themes such as bullying, drugs, smoking and drinking will be seen as bad in PG films and discourage people from doing it. There may be mild language in PG films such as 'shit' but wont be used aggressively. There can be mild sex references in PGs but not in detail or there can be but a child wont be able to understand it as its said in a comical way. There shouldn't be a huge detail of violence in PGs, there might be some blood but the audience wont see the whole wound in detail. An example of a pg film  is 'Home Alone'. In the film there is violence between the boy and the 2 robbers but there are no injuries in detail. There's also mild language used but no sexual references at all through out the film.

12A means that people over 12 are allowed to see the film by themselves but people under 12 can see it but have to be with an adult. The 12 rating is for films and videos and 12A rating is for films at the cinema only.The BBFC believe that films rated 12A should only be seen by viewers over 12  but its up to parents choice. There may be bad language in a 12 or a 12A film but its its infrequent.Sex may be briefly and discreetly portrayed at 12 or 12A. Verbal sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. There can be violence but shouldnt go into detail as it may upset viewers. Weapons are allowed but should be seen as bad. There may be violence, drugs and drink  but shouldn't be in detail. An example of a 12A film is 'the hangover'. Its rated a 12A because some scenes contain bad language which parents may not want there child viewing. Also there is a scene of violence between the 3 men and a Chinese man. There's small references to drink and drugs but doesn't go into detail. Some parents may allow there child to watch it whereas others may not. An example of a 12 film is 'Marley And Me' I believe its a 12 film because even though there is no drugs, bad language, violence and sexual references but the end scene where Marley dies is quite emotional and young viewers may not handle it too well. 

15 films mean that only people over 15 years old are allowed to see the film. No theme is prohibited as long as its its appropriate for 15 year old's. There is a big difference between 12 films and 15 films. 15 films allow strong violence, frequent bad language, sexual activity, nudity, drug taking and discriminant language or behavior. Bad language is allowed in 15s but cant be seen as aggressively. There may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory language, and the work could explore themes relating to this. Even though nudity and sexual activity is allowed, there shouldn't be strong detail. There can be strong references to sex and sexual behavior  but especially strong or crude references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Violence in 15s can be strong and detailed however sexual violence is unlikely to be unacceptable. Most horror films are set at the rating of 15 as strong threat and menace is allowed but strong gory images is unacceptable. Drugs may be shown but the misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances like aerosols or solvents is unlikely to be acceptable at 15. An example of a 15 rated film is 'Adulthood' In the film there is weapons used throughout but there's no details of violence or injuries. For example, a drug dealer punishes a man by burning him with a heated hair iron – the man’s pain is evident but we see no detail of the assault. There is drug use in Adulthood where Jay does deals on the street, characters smoke joints and Lexi snorts cocaine but the film presents them to be disgusting and discourages the viewers. There is bad language used throughout the film but not used aggressively. 

18 rated films mean no one under 18 is allowed to see the film. Strong language is allowed is 18 films and can be used frequently and aggressively.  There may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory language at 18, and the work could explore themes relating to this. There can be strong and detailed portrayals of sex at 18, including full nudity. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context. Sexual activity can be detailed and nudity also.Violence can be very strong and in great detail, There may even be dwelling on the infliction of pain or injury, or scenes of strong sadistic or sexual violence. The strongest gory images are permitted at this category. Drug taking can be shown in 18 films but like the other ratings it has to be shown as bad. In 18 films there also may be strong horror, strong blood and gore, real sex and discriminatory language and behavior. An example of an 18 film is 'The Exorcist' Its an 18 film because its a strong horror, it shows violence in detail and infliction of pain. 

For my thriller film i will rate it at a 15 as there will be low key lighting used throughout, no violence as there will only be a death scene, there will be drug references as she gets possessed by water. There will be no strong language as there is going to be no dialogue in our opening scene. It cannot be rated a 12 or younger as they may find our opening offensive as a girl drowns. We wont have any weapons as we dont have a killer in our scene.