Group Narrative - Miss Georgiou

In this post i will be analysing the different types of narratives that all my group members have come up with to decide which one we will be going with, or what elements of our ideas we would combine together to create our own thriller opening. My group consists of 3 girls , Jemimah (me) , Rishika and Ella and together we are going to make a 2-3min thriller opening scene. 

Group member 1 - Rishika Sohal 

The possible titles for this opening scene are: Trapped, You're not alone and He's Here.

Rishika's narrative is about a girl who is at her house alone as her parents have gone out for the evening, however she is not alone. In their home there is a trapped soul within their walls that makes creaky noises and sounds of scratching against the walls. Many things happen such as flickery lights, objects banging and eerie sounds until she enters the kitchen where she gets her neck snapped by this supposed evil spirit in her house. 

There a quite a few advantages in Rishika's idea, firstly the use of sound is dominate in her piece as it creates suspense and shock for the audience which would be conventional to a thriller. Also her protagonist is a female which is commonly used in thrillers as girls in thrillers are seen to be as weak characters and the audience can sympathise with them more creating a closer relationship with them. More over her antagonist has a hidden identity as the audience does not see him/her at all in the scene but they know they are around through the sounds used and the protagonists dialogue. The setting of her piece is a at the protagonists home which is conventional to a thriller as the antagonist often kills their victims in a isolated house, making the audience relate and connect more with the protagonist. 

The disadvantages of her narrative is that some of the things that she wants to do may be too complicated and time consuming as she wants objects to move by themselves which is impossible as we don't have the advanced technology and equipment to create this. 

Group member 2 - Ella Hutchins


Ella's narrative is about a girl who is sleeping in her bed and begins to wake up as there is a figure standing over her watching her sleep. She questions the figures presence and asks if it is her mother but its a stranger. Once the girl notices that this is a stranger she tries to get away from them and ends up going through a forest. Unfortunately the stranger gets a hold of the girl causing her to fall into a pond. Whilst the girl is in the pond 'drowning' , there are flashbacks of her past happy memories that were in the forest.

The advantages in Ella's narrative is firstly that the protagonist is a girl, this is conventional to a thriller as girls are seen as weak characters, and the audience can sympathise with whats going on with her. Also the settings that are included in the opening scene e.g forest and bedroom are isolated places which is conventional to a thriller because when the protagonist is in need of help she cannot receive it as there is no one around. This makes the audience create a closer relationship with her as they could relate to her age and empathise her situation. The use of a hidden identity is used in her thriller opening as the antagonist is masked, this is conventional to a thriller as it creates suspense and tension of who the stranger is, making the audience want to carry on watching the film to find out.

A disadvantage that I have found in Ella's narrative is the complexity of the narrative as there are two locations to shoot. I believe this would be quite hard and time-consuming to do as shooting one place to another could make the opening thriller quite long. Also I think the pond scene would be quite difficult to shoot, as we would need to buy more equipment to make it suitable for this scene and we may not even be allowed to use a pool. Secondly, I think her narrative has quite a lot of things going on which may give too much away to the audience which breaches the lack of suspense,tension and surprise expected further in the thriller movie. 

Group member 3 - Jemimah Ali (Myself)

Possible Titles : Human Switch, Switched Off, Humanity Off, Emotions Off

Narrative : My own narrative is about a very disturbed, troubled boy who is laying on the floor with a mask beside him on the road and is having flashbacks of events of his previous life.  Meanwhile two girls walk down the pavement besides him after coming back from a night out. One of the girls notice the boy on the road and checks on him to see if he's ok, but little does she know that he's a psycho. When she comes closer and stands over him, the boy finally wakes up from his flashbacks and then attacks her ( The audience wouldn't see the event). The other friend hears her friend scream and looks back to see that her friend is on the floor dead, she eventually starts to run away from the scene and goes through a forest but then the boys dark figure(wearing a mask) stands in her way to stop her. 

Characters : two protagonist's ( Girls ) , 1 antagonist ( Male )
Location : Forest, Road
Iconography : Mask
Make up & costume - Fake Blood, White pupil contact lenses , girls are wearing out-going clothes, Antagonist wears normal ragged clothes.

My advantages are, firstly I believe my thriller opening is quite easy to do as the setting is easy to find e.g forests and this is conventional to a thriller as forests are usually isolated with no one in them at night. Furthermore, the iconography needed is quick to access as masks could be found on line, in shops and even from friends or family. The narrative is conventional to a thriller as the antagonist has a hidden identity which creates enigma for the audience, also the protagonists are girls; girls are seen to be weak and an easy target for antagonists in thriller films. I believe that the narrative is quite unique as there are small elements that are unusual in a thriller e.g boy laying down on the road , change of eye colour.. but I believe that this is an advantage so that the audience wouldn't know what expect as it is not your typical thriller. 

The disadvantages of my narrative is that it could be seen as a supernatural film because when the boy wakes up from his dream he's eye colour changes to white which cannot happen in real life. This may be a slight problem as supernatural behaviour in films are usually in horrors because of their explicit gore scenes. Another disadvantage about my narrative is that they're may be too much going on, so the opening may include to much information in it which leads to a lack of enigma. 

Final Group Narrative

As a group, me and my peers came to a decision to follow my own narrative as our final thriller opening scene. We decided to go with my narrative because of the availability of the props and setting and also it conveys many of the thriller conventions making it a successful thriller creating suspense,tension and surprise. In summary, my narrative was about a disturbed boy who is laying on the road and is having flashbacks of previous events in his life. Meanwhile, two girls who are the protagonists are walking down the sidewalk besides him coming back from a night out, so they're quite drunk. One of the girls notices the boy laying on the road and goes to check on him to see if he's okay, but the boy wakes up from his flashbacks and kills the girl ( audience would not see how she was killed, creating suspense). Her friend who was left on the sidewalk, hears her friend scream and then notices that her friend has been attacked so she starts to run away as there is no one else with her. As she runs away, she goes into a forest and the scene ends with the boy standing in her way wearing a mask. 

I believe that our opening thriller scene conveys many conventions in a thriller. Firstly the use of a hidden identity for the antagonist creates enigma and suspicion on who he is and why he is hiding his identity. Moreover, I will be using a low-key lighted setting which is a forest as it is a isolated place, so the protagonist will not have people to call out for help making the audience sympathies with them as they wouldn't want to be in their position.

Narrative Theories

I think the narrative theory that suits our narrative the best is Aristotle; a narrative that includes an inciting incident, dramatic question, character goal, antagonist/protagonist, stakes, resolution and sympathy/empathy. The dramatic questions in my thriller opening are why the boy kills the girl? and why he lays down in the middle of the road? also if he kills the second friend in the forest or not? The characters goal for the antagonist is to be noticed and to be powerful because when he was child he was never noticed by his family and they only cared to when he did dangerous things to be seen. Also because he knew a lot of secrets about his mother and how she killed his biological father due to him finding out she was cheating he plots revenge to all girls that are seen to be stuck up or popular. Furthermore, the audience will feel sympathises the innocent girls that are killed by the antagonist as they're being punished for someone else wrong doing. Me and my group are following this narrative theory as the aspects that are included are conventional to a thriller film and our opening scene conveys most of the points in the theory. 

Individual Narrative Ideas - Miss Georgiou

A Narrative is a media term for spoken or written account of connected events which create a story. Narratives are very crucial to films as they have different elements to a story which are organised to make a meaningful story.

Possible Titles : Human Switch, Switched Off, Humanity Off, Emotions Off

Narrative : My own narrative is about a very disturbed, troubled boy who is laying on the floor with a mask beside him on the road and is having flashbacks of events of his previous life.  Meanwhile two girls walk down the pavement besides him after coming back from a night out. One of the girls notice the boy on the road and checks on him to see if he's ok, but little does she know that he's a psycho. When she comes closer and stands over him, the boy finally wakes up from his flashbacks and then attacks her ( The audience wouldn't see the event). The other friend hears her friend scream and looks back to see that her friend is on the floor dead, she eventually starts to run away from the scene and goes through a forest but then the boys dark figure(wearing a mask) stands in her way to stop her.

Characters : two protagonist's ( Girls ) , 1 antagonist ( Male )
Location : Forest, Road
Iconography : Mask
Make up & costume - Fake Blood, White pupil contact lenses , girls are wearing out-going clothes, Antagonist wears normal ragged clothes.



The mise-en-scene I would use firstly is costumes. The costumes which I will use for the girls is that they're in dresses and heels as they are coming from a night out, this exaggerates their vulnerability as they are not sober and not fully aware of what they're doing making them an easy target for the antagonist. In contrast, the boy will be dressed in  informal, scruffy dark clothing to represent his lack of life inside of him and that he is evil and dangerous. Also the iconography used is the boys mask, which will be a white mask to contrast his clothes which emphasises the use of hiding his identity and that he is more alive when the mask is on. 
The Facial expressions and body language used in my scene will help make the characters look more realistic so that the audience can build a relationship or relate to them. When the antagonist is laying on the floor, his facial expressions would be like he is spaced out and not engaged with what is going on around him as if he was dead. In contrast, the girls facial expressions and body language would  be that they're happy, cheerful as they've had a good night out but they wouldn't be stable as they have been drinking. 
The lighting of my scene will mostly be very low-key lighting as I would like it to be set in the evening, as it shows the fact there is no one out at this time so if anything was to happen, no one would be able to help the victims quickly. 

Also I will use different types of camera and editing techniques such as panning, zoom in, point of view and slow editing to create more impact on the audience within the scene. These will help me on the thriller conventions to create suspense, shock and tension in the audience. For example, the setting would be of a forest and the camera shot would be a handheld( POV) of someone walking. Once out of the forest, the camera will zoom in onto the boy ( antagonist ) who is laying down in the middle of the road. 

As sound is very important in thriller films, I will use a variety of sound techniques such as parallel , diegetic, non-diegetic and even silence to emphasise what is happening in the scene.

The target audience I am going to refer my thriller opening to is a 15 classification because the themes and guidelines that I would like to use are permitted in a 15 and the people that are 15+ will relate more to the characters in the scene.

When I get into my group, i will share this information by explaining my narrative and gather all of our thoughts about each others to create a final story board of our opening thriller sequence. 

Opening Sequence Analysis - Miss Georgiou

The purpose of an opening scene is to engange the audience and create enigma making them want to watch more of the film so their questions could be anwsered. The opening scene is very cruical as it may introduce the main characaters; most likely the antagonist,and provides a clear narrative of what is going to happen so the audience can understand the film. In the post I will be exploring the different types of coventions in thrillers in the opening sequence of 'Hallowen 1978'. This opening scene should include cinematography, sound, conventions and editing.

Narrative 

The narrative of this film's opening scene is about a girl who's spending a night with her boyfriend who eventually leaves her, and her little brother kills her by stabbing her with a knife which is very shocking to see. The opening scene of Halloween includes a young female who is blonde, that is alone in her house with a boy, this is a real life setting which makes the audience relate to what is happening. We know that they're alone from the dialogue said by the boy " we are alone aren't we? ". This creates suspense as the audience don't know if someone else is with there with them, making the audience build a closer relationship with the couple as they're in a isolated place which is a convention for a thriller. Antagonist tend to attack their victims in a abandoned place; which implies that something bad is going to happen, so that the protagonist can't reach out for help nor save themselves. Moreover the narrative is based around the event Halloween, which is conventional to a thriller as it is well known for its frightening aspects that provoke fear and scariness.

Cinematography 

In this opening, throughout the whole scene there is a point of view shot used forming the perspective of the antagonist. The use of this shot allows the audience to connect and get an insight of the antagonist and relate to them as if they were the person walking around. This creates suspense as the identity of the antagonist is not shown, and it makes the audience feel on edge, creating tension as they don't know what is going to be around in the surroundings of the house. This is conventional to a thriller as it does help create several elements of the main elements in thrillers; shock,suspense and surprise making the audience engage more to the film.

Isolated house

In the beginning of the scene, it starts off with a long shot of the house. This technique makes the house look smaller, highlighting the vulnerability and lack of safety of the characters who may be in there as there is low-key lighting. In addition, the long shot emphasis the important of the house and makes the audience feel paranoid and anxious on what is going to happen in this house as it is the only house you can see in the shot. This is conventional to a thriller as antagonists tend to kill in an isolated house which makes the audience feel frightened and relate to the protagonist as they may be watching the film at home and think that this could happen to them.

Editing 

Antagonist walking up the stairs, POV shot

Timing of shots change between the scene, firstly when the antagonist is walking around the house and stairs, there is the use of slow editing. The aim of this technique is to focus and emphasise on the small details around the room whereas if it was fast you wouldn't be able to notice the. The slowness creates suspense as the audience don't know where the antagonist is going and what he's going to do which is conventional to a thriller as it creates enigma. This technique makes the audience build a relationship with the person who is walking around the house because they're the only person we can see, leaving the audience no choice but to relate with them making them feel paranoid on what is going to happen to the character,who is in control of the movements around the house.

Antagonist running down the stairs, POV shot

In contrast the timing of shots change to become more faster as the antagonist runs downs the stairs after killing the protagonist who is the sister. This change suggests that the antagonist is desperate to run away from the scene urgently, and makes the audience relate to them as it is still in a point of view camera shot which makes them feel on edge and panic. Faster editing used in this particular scene is conventional to a thriller as the antagonist usually does run away from the scene quickly so they can't not be seen or go to kill someone else as well.

At the end of the scene a fade editing technique is used; fade is usually used when its the end of a scene or sequence. The purpose of this technique leaves a huge amount of suspense and enigma for the audience as they do not know what is going to happen next. In this scene the fade was used after the father revealed the antagonists identity, who is his son. The fade emphasises the shock and surprise created by this dramatic discovery of the antagonist being a young boy making the audience curious and anxious, questioning how a little boy can be capable of committing such a crime. The fade helps give the audience a breather of the film so that they can relax and reflect on what just happened as they are confused, also it keeps them engage as they would want to see what happens later in the film. This also helps the audience build a closer, sympathetic relationship with the remaining characters as they can relate to them because they're in shock too on what the antagonist has done to the protagonist. Fade is conventional to a thriller as it helps create suspense and tension in the audience because they do not know whats going to happen next as the screen has turned black,making them pay more attention to the film.

Character representation 

Antagonist is a little boy

The first character representation we witness is of the antagonist who is in a hidden identity as it is shot in a point of view camera shot and he is hidden behind a clown mask. The use of the mask is conventional to a thriller as most antagonist tend to hind behind a mask and not reveal their selves as this makes the audience and protagonist more scared of them. However he's real identity does get revealed later on at the end of the scene, when he walks out of the house and the parents remove his masks and are in shock seeing their son holding a knife covered with blood. The outcome of the scene is very unexpectedly as the killer is a young child who did just kill his own flesh and blood brutally with a knife. This makes the audience question the motive of the boy, why he was observing his older sister and why he killed her.

Secondly, the protagonist in this scene was a young female, who was shockingly known by the antagonist who killed her as she shouts out his name in a surprisingly way " Michael " when he creeps up on her holding a knife. The purpose of this was to raise enigma on how the victim knows the antagonist making the audience curious and suspicious.

Protagonist on floor after being attacked

It is very unusual as in thriller films the protagonist is often unknown to their victim however when the killer enters the room, the female is shocked and embarrassed because she is not fully clothed but this changes when the antagonist displays his knife and begins to attack her as she is in pain and shock on why "Michael" is doing this to her.The use of this character is conventional to a thriller as it  shocks the audience because the victim knew the person who was killing her. This created tension and curiosity on why the antagonist would kill someone they knew making them more engage with the film and carry on watching. 

Parents and antagonist look in shock

Lastly were then introduced to two more people in this scene. Where a man and women look at the masked little boy and whilst removing his mask they look in shock. The man says " Michael" which was said by the previous character who was the protagonist who got killed, this suggests that the the man is the father of the child and the little boy killed his sister. This plot twist excites the audience shockingly as you wouldn't expect a child to kill their own sister, this is conventional to a thriller as it makes the audience want to carry on watching and see why a child would do such a thing. 

Conventions 

One very known convention for a thriller is the use of a isolated place/house

Isolated house 

which was shown at the beginning of scene where the camera shows the outside of the home through the antagonists point of view. Isolated places/homes are used regularly in thriller films which is conventional as the protagonist do not have anyone to call for help or no one to run to. This makes the audience feel anxious and weary of themselves, as when they're alone they could think that the same things that happen to the protagonist in the film could happen to them. However this artificial setting cannot relate to the audience as in real life no one would live in a isolated house in the middle of no where by themselves, but this creates shock and surprise elements as the audience do not know what to expect in this unrealistic environment. 

Antagonist holding up knife

Another convention in a thriller is the use of iconography, in this scene it was a knife which is very stereotypical in a thriller film. We see this when the antagonist gets it out of a draw because the camera focuses on this weapon it creates an importance for it and makes the audience suspicious on what its going to be used for. As a knife is a self controlled weapon; unlike guns where the bullets are what hurts the object, the use of this shows that the antagonist is in control and is powerful in the situation and has every intention on using the knife. The reason why knifes are conventional to thrillers is because they are weapons that are easy to access and they have more of a huge impact when used because its a self controlled object. 

Sound

The scene begins with a Non-Diegetic sound of children, talking and laughing at trick or treating.This relates to the theme of the night and the actual film title exaggerating the time of year where fear is dominate and "evil spirits" come out. Non-Diegetic sound in this scene is conventional to the thriller genre as it connects with the theme of Halloween making it seem more realistic. The use of the children's voices is conventional to a thriller as it foreshadows the characters including in the scene; a little boy who is the antagonist. The use of this makes the audience relate to the characters that are going to come as they may have children of their own or younger siblings. This makes the audience feel tensed and worried, questioning whether children are included in the film, are they going to be harmed and what is going to happen to them. 

Lights are on

Furthermore, non-diegetic sound is used in this scene when the camera looks up at the top window where the couple are. Before the lights are on in the room where the window, here it is silent and nothing is going on.This builds tension as the audience do not know whats going to happen.

Lights are turned off

However it changes when the lights are switched off as a diegetic screechy sound appears when that happens making the audience jump as it is shocking as it is sudden after the silences.Also it is a loud, striking noise that could symbolises a persons scream hinting that something terrible is going to happen in that room. This suggests that this is a warning for the audience that the two characters upstairs in the room could be in danger as they are vulnerable. It even shows that they're possible victims of the antagonist creating a closer relationship with them as you sympathise them as they are unaware of what is going to happen to them. This sound is conventional to a thriller as it is a dramatic noise that makes the audience more alert of the scene, also it makes the audience feel nervous and anxious on what is going to happen.

Many would think that silence isn't a sound technique, however it is and it is used in this thriller opening. Silence is used when the is panning and zooming into the couple inside the house. The purpose of this technique is to create suspense and tension as it builds up what could possibly happen in the scene. The anxiety and curiosity is built in the audience making them on edge of their seats and weary on what is bound to happen to the characters indoor and whether they're in danger. Silence is conventional to a thriller as it helps build more suspense,tension and anxiety in the audience because there is no sound supporting the scene making the audience question what is going to happen. Also it helps create a relationship with the two characters indoors because as it makes the audience feel worried and have a gut feeling that something awful is going to approach their way. 

Overall, this particular opening sequence illustrates the conventions of a thriller genre, which make the audience engage more to the film and what to carry on watching even though it is only the first scene. It also produces different types of impacts that effect the audiences thoughts and feelings throughout the whole scene, identifying what the causes where for these emotions 

In summary, this post will assist me with planning on my own thriller opening as it has provided the many different conventions that are use in thrillers in such a limited time. I will consider to use some aspects from this opening such as : isolated places , point of view camera shots, iconography e.g knifes as these will provoke the 3 main elements of thrillers which are shock,surprise and suspense for the audience. Furthermore i have learnt the different types of ways of engaging the audience by using conventions that affect mood, emotions and feelings when creating enigma. I believe that if i reflect back on this piece of research ill make a successful thriller opening that will grab the audiences attention and make them want to carry on watching. 

Research into editing styles - Miss Gerogiou



Editing in film is the process whereby shots from a scene are selected and constructed together to create the final edit. Editing styles create meaning in the film through collages, tempo and timing through the scenes. Which helps highlight the significant parts of the film and also editing styles are used in thrillers to create shock,surprise,suspense

The clip I will be researching and exploring different types of editing styles is Scream 4 - Olivia's Death scene.

 

Shot reverse shot

Kirby on the phone 

Olivia on the phone

My first editing technique i will be analysing is the shot reverse shot, this is mostly used in films when a conversation is taking place and its when one shot quickly follows another. In my chosen scene it starts off with a shot reverse shot from 0:19 - 0:48 where two girls, Kirby and Olivia are having a phone conversation Kirby is inside her house and Olivia is outside walking to her house. As they live opposite each other you can tell that these two girls are quite close to each other. The reverse shot gives both characters more importance in the scene as it keeps cross cutting back and fourth the two making the audience pay more attention on them. The fact that their two girls with blonde hair, this suggest that they're innocent and vulnerable making the audience wonder if they're the victims which creates a closer relationship with them. Furthermore, the this editing technique also reveals where the two girls are, kirby is indoors whilst Olivia is outside. This shows that Kirby is less likely to be the victim as she's indoors and safe in her own home, however Olivia is outside walking where its isolated, dark and quiet. Which makes the audience feel tensed as they feel something is lurking and watching her, this foreshadows that she may be in danger from the antagonist as she is alone which will be appropriate for the thriller genre. The use of the shot reverse shot is conventional to a thriller as the cross cutting between the two creates tension and suspicion on whats going to happen, to either both of them or one as they're the main focus on the scene, making the audience wonder who is going to be the victim. Moreover, the cross cutting gets quicker as she approaches her house which could represent her quickly being close to her death.

Reaction Shot

Kirby and Jill's reactions to Olivia's death

A reaction shot is where ' any shot (often used as a cutaway) in which the subject reacts to a previous shot'. A reaction shot is used repeatedly in this scene when Olivia is getting stabbed by the antagonist. This editing technique is used to emphasise the two witnesses shock and surprise as well as the audiences reaction to Olivia's death. The two girls on the left are friends of the victim who is being hurt by the antagonist at the house which is on the other side of the street. Their

POV camera shot 

facial expressions exaggerate the amount of shock their in as their mouths are open which makes the audience relate to them as they're probably doing the same thing. The purpose of a reaction shot is to show the facial expressions of a character(s) and their body language to show their emotional state, this also helps build a relationship with the audience as they can relate to their reactions as they would react the same as them. Also theres a point of view, handheld camera shot which shows the unsteadiness of the event implying that whatever they are seeing is a blur and its going all too quick to take in, also it places the audience into their position to witness whats going on from where they are watching from. The use of this creates a connection between the girls and the audience making them emphasise them for the horror they are witnessing. This reaction shot is conventional to a thriller as the characters feelings mirrors the way the audience are feeling about the scene too which creates a closer relationship to the victim because no one would ever want to witness anything happen to their friend. 

Timing of shots



Olivia getting stabbed by the antagonist 

Olivia's friend walking up the stairs 

This editing style is when the sequence is edited either really slow or fast to add emotional impact or to create suspense for the audience. From 3:02 - 3:22 , the timing of the shots are increased and made faster , making the audience shocked and jump as they wasn't expecting that to happen. During this time, Olivia is being stabbed all over her body, thrown against the wall and desks by the masked antagonist known as ' Ghost Face '. The speed of the shots are quicker as it creates an emotional impact on the audience as they feel sympathetic for her as she is getting stabbed and no one can do anything about it. Fast editing is conventional to the thriller genre as it shows the audience how fast the event is going, and as it goes too quick it makes the audience feel more tensed and shocked as its a lot to take in. However as the scene goes on the timing of shots become slower as Olivia's friend tries to come and save her. As she is walking up the stairs slowly the lighting is really low and dark making it harder for her and the audience to see whats up the stairs creating more tension. Also her walking up the stairs slowly, shows that she is cautious and weary because the antagonist may still be at Olivia's room where he killed her. Her bravery and loyalty makes the audience create a closer relationship with her, as she is risking her life to go and check on her friend who has just been brutality abused by the antagonist. The use of slow editing in thrillers is conventional as it makes the scene slow which amplifies the suspense of the atmosphere which makes the audience feel apprehensive on whats going to appear.  The timing of shots either slow or fast are conventional to a thriller because they create a emotional impact or create suspense for the audience which makes them connect more with the characters or continue to watch more of the movie.

In conclusion, I believe that this scene I researched has successfully created all elements of shock,surprise and suspense. Also this post has helped me research the different types of editing styles that are used in this clip which created suspense,shock and tension. Also how much editing styles play a role in portraying characters and telling the storyline. I would definitely consider using a reaction shot , to show what my antagonists are feeling and so they can connect with the audience more in my opening thriller scene. Furthermore , i will use a shot reverse shot, to engage the audience to my main characters so that they follow them through the story creating suspense and a closer relationship with them. Also, in my opening I will make sure the timing of shots are quicker when the victim is running away in the woods from the antagonist as this will represent the urgency of her getting away from him.

Research into Conventions - Miss Miller

Codes & Conventions are used in films to create a precise effect on the audience. Conventions are things that we, the audience expect to see or happen as it is typical in the type of genre they're watching. As i am going to being making a thriller opening sequence, i would definitely consider and include the connections that are used in the thriller genre: Abandoned setting/ isolated, low-key lighting, chase scenes, antagonist, victims, enigma, suspense, shock, surprise, tension, eerie music and sounds. 

In this post I'll be analysing the some of the different types of conventions used in my chosen film ' Scream 3 ' - Shattered Glass, I have chosen this particular scene as it does acquire many elements of thriller conventions in it which the audience may gather.

Characters - Antagonists and Protagonists 

Ghost Face - Antagonist 

My first convention to a thriller film that I found in this scene is the use of characters and their positions in the film. Every thriller film usually has an Antagonist, which is seen to be ' bad guy', villain and the one who is the killer.  This is convention because without an antagonist, there will be no thriller, as the antagonist is the one character that the audience follow as they're the ones that are set to kill or have a mysterious dangerous motive for its victims. This creates tension in the audience as they would want to know who the antagonist is killing and why. Most of the time the Antagonist has a hidden identity in thriller but some films may differ, likewise in this film the killer does have a hidden identity as he wears a mask which is known as the ' ghost face '. The ghost face could represent that the antagonist feels like a dead person inside , so they prefer to portray themselves like that because they may like death and not the living. The use of hidden identity is conventional to a thriller as it creates enigma and suspense for the audience, as they're curious on who the person behind the mask is, this can also make the audience want to watch more of the film just to find out who the antagonist is. More over , it creates a distant relationship between the audience and the protagonist as his anonymous prospective makes him not trust-worthy, sly and dangerous because you don't know who he is.

Protagonist - Young lady

In contrast to an Antagonist, the opposite to that is a Protagonist who is the good, hero or victim in thriller films. The protagonist in these films is always set against a problem - an escape, a mission, or a mystery. No matter what, thriller films will emphasise the danger that the protagonist faces. The tension with the antagonist and protagonist is built throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax. In this scene , the protagonist is a young lady who tries to run away from the masked killer but unfortunately ends up getting killed. The use of this convention is essential to the thriller genre as women are usually seen to be innocent, weak targets for the antagonists. As she is a young lady, the target audience chosen for this film can build a close relationship to her as they're roughly around the same age as her, so they can view themselves in her position, which no one would really want to be in. Furthermore, having a victim in a thriller is very vital as it helps follow the narrative as well as give the audience someone to follow through the story and want to sympathise. 

Iconography

Antagonist stabbing the girl with a knife

Secondly, iconography is another convention that is used in thrillers. In Scream 3, the antagonist uses a knife which is he's signature murder weapon, to stab all of his victims. As a knife is used in an everyday life by the audience, the use of this weapon provokes fear and exaggerates the bad use of it within the film as the audience are used to using it for reasonable situations unlike murdering someone. It also makes the audience shocked when they see the antagonist use the weapon because of its likelihood of being used in the real world. The use of a knife is a weapon that is quite quick to use and access, which suggests that the antagonist has every intention and motive to kill these people. Knifes are often conventional to a thriller because of their easy access, and it gives the antagonist more power and control on his weapon, whereas a gun is not controllable, as the bullets are what effects and harms the person. The use of this iconography makes the audience build a distant relationship with the antagonist as they are taking someones life and using all their power to make sure they do. Also the use of the knife could symbolise a sacrifice that has to made for the antagonist to feel better as he is in control of the possession and he continues to stab into the girl with pleasure.This makes the audience feel angry and sympathise the victim as no one would want to be in her position making them build a closer relationship with her. A knife also connotes blood as we see in this scene, when he is stabbing her with the knife blood is splattered everywhere, which exaggerates the injuries she has from the antagonists act. 

Chase scene

Antagonist pulling the rug 

Chase scene in thrillers consists between the protagonist and the antagonist. In this scene we see two protagonists both trying to get away from the antagonist from killing them. The first protagonist already looks badly injured but is still running for his life away from the masked person. When he is running away from him the antagonist, he runs across a rug which the killer finds an advantage in as he pulls the rug causing the injured man to slip and land on his neck. This exaggerates the power that the killer has as he stops bothering running after him and uses something else to eventually hurt his victim.

Protagonist banging on the mirror

In addition, the second chase scene is with another character who is a girl. As the antagonist is walking; whereas she is running and banging mirrors calling out for help, it shows that the killer is confident that he will achieve his goal and will catch her. This is conventional to a thriller as antagonist often walk to confuse their victims and the audience as they're not trying nor running after their protagonist which makes them more superior and powerful in the situation. Chase scenes are conventional to the thriller genre as they  make the audience build a closer relationship with the victim because they would like them to run away and save their own lives however with the antagonist walking, this creates more suspense as they don't know when they're going to attack.

Low-key lighting 

Protagonist running away 

Low key lighting is essential to a thriller as it creates tension, enigma and makes everything a bit of a blur. This convention is used in this scene when the antagonist is chasing after the girl through the closet hall way. The use of low key lighting in this scene is that it gives a dim, shadowy setting which benefits the antagonist with his hidden identity as in the screen shot on the right, you cannot even see his mask which was another convention used. The use of this low lighting creates enigma as you cannot see clearly where the antagonist and victim are but also suggest that something could be lurking in the darkness which makes the audience feel tense and aware of whats happening. This creates suspense and tension because you don't know what the killers going to do next as he's almost camouflaged in the dark surroundings. To continue, the use of lighting confirms the roles of the two characters in the scene, as the girl you can see her face and whats she wearing means that she's the protagonist. However, in contrast the antagonist lighting is blackish as you cannot see what he's wearing and the only light we see on him is the reflection of the knife, highlighting that he is very dangerous. This is conventional to a thriller as it helps the audience create a a closer relationship with the victim as there is limited lighting, so the audience will want her to be safe. Also and like her, we cannot see clearly on both of hers and the antagonists whereabouts which creates anxiety and tension in the atmosphere, so the audience are made to be put in her shoes.



Conventions in a thriller are very important as it helps convey the three S's: Shock, Surprise and Suspense.  The Scream 3 - shattered glass scene that I analysed was very successful on using conventions for thrillers as each helped make the audience understand the situation and feelings of the characters in the scene. This research will influence my choices of conventions I would like to use in my own thriller as it helps make it easier for the audience engage and understand what is going on. The conventions I would consider definitely using in my thriller are iconography: the knife , as it makes the audience question what the antagonist is going to use it for and creates suspense. Furthermore I will use a dark setting and lighting to create enigma as it will make the audience more focused on what they're watching. Overall this post has helped me explore more and understand the conventions within a thriller so that I can refer to these points when creating my own. 

Research into sound - Miss Miller

Sound is very crucial in films as it gives a variety of effects and certain impacts on the viewer. It is used to create an understanding for the audience and give more meanings about the characters and their emotions. Sound engages the audience and creates a response from them whilst their watching. There are 3 types of sounds ill be researching: Diegetic , Non-Diegetic and Parallel sound

Diegetic Sound- This is when the sound in the film is visible on the screen, or whose source is implied to be present by the action e.g music playing out from a radio, dialogue 

Non-Diegetic Sound - unlike Diegetic sound this is sound which is not visible on the screen nor has been implied to present in the action e.g soundtracks, theme music and background music.

Parallel sound - Is sound that you expect to hear in the film e.g scene with children at the beach you expect laughter, talking and the sea.

Contrapuntal Sound - This is sound that doesn't easily doesn't match what the audience expect to be in the image e.g tip toeing through the tulips in Insidious 

Silence - Even though there is no sound, this can create an impact in the scene 

In this post i will be exploring and researching different sounds techniques that are used in my chosen thriller clip 'The Shining' scene - Here's Johnny!

Jack walking up the stairs

Firstly, at the beginning of the clip its starts off with a non-diegetic screechy sound when jack is walking up the stairs, this creates curiosity and tension making the audience think he is the antagonist as he is carrying an axe with him. The screechy sound quietens when the antagonist gets closer to his protagonists hiding destination, this creates suspense as he is approaching to his victims area making the audience feel unease. Moreover, the screechy sound is quite startling and unsettling to listen to,this could represent jack himself as he is not in his normal state and he is holding a weapon which makes the audience feel uncomfortable and suspicious on what he's going to do with it. Through out the scene the screechy sound gets quicker and higher than normal, which represents the antagonist getting closer to the protagonist like it was a cat and mouse chase. This increases the woman's and audiences fear as he is getting closer to hurt her, making the audience build a sympathetic relationship and pity the woman as she's in a terrible situation with her husband. This type of sound used in this particular scene is conventional to a thriller as they often help build up the tension when the antagonist is chasing its victim which is a key element within the thriller genre. 

Antagonist walking towards bathroom door

From 0:15-0:18 the antagonist says " come out,come out! where ever you are", this is an on-screen diegetic sound as it is dialogue. The dialogue is said in a playful, sarcastic way as he walks towards the door. The sentence jack says is supposedly used when children are playing hide and seek. This suggests to the audience that he thinks its a game creating more of a distant relationship with him because the audience may find it disturbing that he is using a childrens' phrase in a murder plot which they can relate to if they had children. Furthermore this is conventional to a thriller as the antagonists often do use dark humour that juxtaposes the situation making the protagonist fear even more because it is not a 'playful game'.

Jack trying to open the door

From 0:31 - 0:35 , the non-diegetic sound ( screechy noise ) suddenly stops as he reaches the bathroom door where the protagonist is hiding in. This moment of silence has a huge impact on the audience as it makes them feel apprehensive and creates an awkward, tensed atmosphere making them engage more to the scene. After jack tries to open the door we hear a click which is a diegetic off screen sound as we actually don't see the lock or handle its self but we know he's trying to open the door. The click that is heard when the hands is being turned, gives the a sense of normality in the audience as that's what you expect to hear from the object. The click symbolises that time has run out and gives the protagonist inside the bathroom no hope and the antagonist assured that he has reach his goal because she is now trapped. This makes the audience feel concerned and uneasy because they don't know whats going to happen to the woman now that she's trapped which creates a closer relationship with her as they feel sympathy for her. Also the antagonist cannot get in as its locked which makes the audience and protagonist question how he is going to enter the bathroom and how she will defend her self, creating anxiety and making the audience feel on edge as they carry on watching.

Jack banging on the door with axe

When Jack starts banging the door with his axe it is a parallel, diegetic on screen sound. Each time Jack bangs the axe through the door, he gets closer to the protagonist creating suspense and tension between them. As he keeps on chopping through the door, the loud sound effect of the axe gradually dominates the whole sound effects, blocking out the screechy background music. This shows that the chase is over and the antagonist has won which creates tension for the audience as he has become more superior in the situation. Even though the audience have already seen his axe, when he actually uses it, it produces shock and terror which may make the audience jump like the protagonist because it has a thundering and threatening impact. The use of this sound gives a sense of foreboding as it suggests that something bad might occur later on the scene which is conventional to the thriller genre. 



Antagonist attacks protagonist 

Another Parallel sound we hear is when they woman slices the antagonist's hand with a knife. This creates a sense of realism for the audience as you would expect to hear that noise when somethings been slices. The sound made is what we expected even though it may be artificial, but this creates suspense and tension because the protagonist has assaulted him which may make the antagonist furious and want to attack her even more. The sharp sound also makes the audience jump as its quite alerting and quick making them feel on edge.This makes the audience support and build a closer relationship with the wife as they see that she has fought back for her safety showing her braveness in a difficult situation. This is conventional in a thriller because the protagonists usually try and defend themselves but sadly, they fail to and end up getting killed which makes the audience loath the antagonist even more.


To conclude, I have successfully found out research into sound which I will think would be beneficial when it comes to my thriller. I have learnt that sound is very essential in thriller films because it helps to build the 3 main S's ( Shock, Suspense and Surprise. Also it helps create an understanding for the audience and connect with the different types of characters variously helping the audience respond emotionally. Sounds in thrillers is what grabs the audiences attention and gets a response out of them. When I start my own thriller piece I will look into my sounds research so I can gather what would be significant and meaningful to be used e.g like in the shining, I will use silence to create suspense in the audience which will make them engage more and wonder what is going to happen next. I will make sure I use a variety of sounds to give the audience an understanding of my opening scene and engage them to carry on watching. Furthermore I will use different types of speed sounds so it builds up tension and makes the audience feel on edge. Also ill include a small silent part so that it makes the audience feel unease and weary on whats going to happen next. Overall, this post has given me a more understanding on how sounds are used an effective to give a huge impact on whats happening in the film and on the audiences feelings towards the characters.