Research: Censorship - Miss Begum

Censorship

Who are the BBFC and what is their role?

The BBFC are the British Board of Film Classification, their role is to give studios, parents, and directors guidelines through regulating and film classification. The BBFC ensure that children and all filmgoers are protected from harm and illegal material, so they can make informed decisions about their viewing choices. They are also a designated body and therefore have legal powers to rate and sometimes cut, or reject works.

Why is the role of the BBFC important to the film industry?

The role of the BBFC is important to the film industry as they protect younger audiences and assist parents to make informed decisions as to what to let their children watch. If the BBFC didn't exist there would be no regulation in films and younger audiences would be exposed to illegal or harmful things. This could affect them mentally or emotionally. The ratings that the BBFC give out are well worked out according to the content in the film, a PG rated film will not have any drug use in it, it would have to be rated minimum of 15. This shows that children under age of 15 should not be exposed to drug use and those that are 15 and over are old and mature enough to handle viewing it, and not mimic it. Therefore, ratings can also help an audience predict what they should expect from a film, an 18 rated film will most likely have strong violence, sex or drugs in the film and people 18 or over can make informed decisions as to whether they would like to watch an 18 rated film or not.

What things get censored and why?

There are many themes and references that get censored to not expose the wrong things to audiences so they are not affected in any way. Examples are:

• Extreme violence
• Sexual violence
• Gore
• Sex and nudity
• Religion
• Controversy and the press
• Graphic representation
• Race
• Culture
• True events
• Drug abuse or glorification
• Language

What is the difference between films being cut and banned?

Cut

If a film is cut it is being edited to make it appropriate for viewing, this is after it has gone through screening with the BBFC. If a film is to be rated 12, it cannot show a scene with nudity, therefore it has to be cut so it can be given the rating of 12, if not it will have to be rated a 15 or 18.

The Human Centipede 2 is an example of a film that was cut. It was given the age certificate of 18 after the distributors agreed to make 32 cuts lasting two minutes and thirty-seven seconds.

Banned

If a film is banned, it is taken away from cinema viewing entirely due to indecent, harmful or offensive material. If the BBFC decide the content is inappropriate for all viewers and it could have a negative impact, they may ban the film from even entering cinema screens. Usually it is due to excessive amounts of extreme violence, nudity and sexual violence.

Grotesque is an example of a film that was banned, it was banned due to a high level of sexual torture, it also lacked context or purpose behind the content.

Discuss the Forna (for) and Kermode (against) debate, and then discuss where your own opinions lie on this matter.

Aminatta Forna and Mark Kermode have different views on film censorship. Forna argues for film censorship and Kermode argues against her views.

Forna argues that film censorship is used to prevent younger audiences to follow or be influenced negative actions shown in films. Examples of these are drug use, criminal behaviour or violence. This can also be linked to some films showing racism and racial violence, Forna argues that these films could influence younger audiences as the images on shown in film are powerful enough to do so. Her argument supports the BBFC and what they do to protect viewers, especially younger viewers.

On the other hand, Kermode argues that the use of censorship in film and age certificates should not be allowed due to freedom of speech, directors and producers should be allowed to express whatever they want through film and should not be limited due to censorship. As well as this, he argues that cutting parts of film can ruin a film or make it 'dull'. Also, even though some scenes are cut from a film, it can still affect younger audiences as there are still suggestions such as blood or the reactions to certain violent events.

In my opinion, younger children are very vulnerable and are easily influenced, therefore age certificates and censorship is vital to the film industry. Although it can be argued that it is up to the parents to decide what children should watch, the BBFC is still needed to act as a guideline for parents. Also, older people can also be affected by disturbing scenes in films, therefore censorship is needed for people to make informed decisions on what they want to watch.

Conclusion

My research has helped me conclude that my thriller opening will contain appropriate themes for my audience. It will not contain extreme violence or drug use, as these have all previously caused problems in the film industry. I have also learned that the BBFC are very important to act as guidelines for film viewers and I should use these guidelines when making my film as I will need to tackle themes appropriately. For example showing scary scenes with the lighting and soundtrack rather than displaying a lot of blood and violence. Furthermore, I now understand that to use certain themes such as extreme violence and gore has to be justified within the film rather than just there to please an audience, as it is more likely to psychologically effect the audience if there is no motive to violence and gore. 

Research: Typography - Mrs. Quinlan

Typography

What is typography?

Typography is the art and technique of arranging type. Typography differs according to the genre and general tone of the film. The typography in a thriller film would have an discomforting effect on the audience, this is due to the size, colour, font of the text. The typography is extremely vital to the film opening as it gives the audience a chilling response and to build suspense.

Typography and connotations

Thriller:

In Prisoners (2013), the typography in the title of the film is simple and is in a white colour, this connotes innocence. The font is in all caps to grab the attention of the audience and inside the letter 'O' there is the design of a maze, this connotes mystery and not being able to find a way out. This is related to the name of the film. The maze is also a clue for the audience to try and found out what film is about.

Action:

In contrast to Prisoners, Kingsman (2014) the action film has a very professional looking title. It uses two colours, gold and white, with a black background. The gold in the word "Kingsman" connotes that this word has a lot of value and is the main title of the film, it could also be a possible name of a franchise. The letters are quite spaced out to make it clear to the audience that the film will have a professional setting. The sizing of the typography is also different as the main title of the film 'Kingsman' is what the film should be remembered for as created by the production company. The letters are very easy to read and the title therefore looks as if it is referring to a company of some sort.

Adventure:

In this logo for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), there is use of many different images and font sizes for effect as it is an adventure film. A lot is going on in the title which also shows a lot going on in the film. There is an image of a scroll behind the text and an image of a skull with swords through it in the middle. The skull could connote death, as well as the two words connoting violence, this shows that the film will have violence and death in it, and therefore will attract the appropriate audiences who are interested in these themes. This gives the audience clues to what the film is going to be about and the production company have used iconography in their title for effect. The colour of the text is a brown colour, possibly symbolising earth or dirt, as in adventure films there is a lot of travelling involved. As the bigger text is more visible, it is evident that it is the name of a franchise, meaning there are other films with the same name, possibly sequels or prequels.

Typography and thrillers

The typography in the film The Blair Witch Project (1999) is very simple yet the way it is presented is to give the audience a frightened reaction. The font is white on a black background which is used to create fear amongst the audience as well as the title being on two different lines for emphasis on 'THE BLAIR WITCH'. This is to inform the audience as to what they will be looking for in the film.

The typography from the film Sinister (2012) makes it clear that it is a thriller film. The font is in the colour black on a white background to suggest that it is interrupting the purity of the white background. This would give the audience a horrific reaction and make them feel uneasy, the word 'Sinister' is also in capital letters and it slightly blurred, depicting that it is spreading or it is not stable.

Analysis

These critically acclaimed thriller films both use different types of typography to connote danger, excitement and mystery with their logos. The typography used for Shutter Island is in capital letters and in red. The red can connote danger or violence, causing distress amongst the audience. It is also on a black background which promotes darkness and this keeps the audience frightened. The typography from Lucky Number Slevin also connotes danger and suspense. This is due to the large white font on the black background. Also the letter "L" has been turned upside down to possible connote a gun or the number 7 upside down. This suggests instability and mystery.

Conclusion

I have come to the conclusion that I use most likely will be using large white font on a black background, also in large size. This is because this is the most common in thrillers and it brings out the most effective reaction from the audience, I would want them to feel scared and intrigued for my thriller opening. The colours I use will connote danger, death and violence which will be the themes that will be incorporated into my opening.

Research: Opening Credits - Mrs. Quinlan

Opening Credits

What are opening credits?

Opening credits are written information presented to the audience at the start of a film, the information is on who produced the film, who is starring and production details. The design of them depends on the genre and overall tone of the film. For example an action thriller would have faster moving text or simple block colours and an easily legible font.

What is the purpose of opening credits?

The purpose of opening credits is to inform the audience of who was involved in the production of the film, Therefore it includes the most significant people such as the producers, directors and writers, as well as the main cast involved in the film. The rest of the production cast and minor cast will be in the ending credits.

What information do opening credits provide?

Opening credits provide information to the audience about the production in different ways. One way is through the name of the studio first such as Universal, followed by the production company such as Spyglass Entertainment. After this there is the producer, director, main cast, editor and story boarder. Another presentation of opening credits begins with the production company, then the title, main cast, music composer, editor, producer, writer and finally the director. The opening credits help the audience identify who is responsible for what role in the production of a film. Some fans may follow directors and watch films simply because they are made by them, directors such as Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese have followings like this.

How do opening credits make the audience feel?

The way opening credits make the audience feel varies between genre. An opening scene for a horror thriller for example, would be accompanied by a gloomy, slow, soundtrack. As well as font that would make the audience feel uneasy overall. In contrast to this, an animated film would be much more colourful and clearly show names and have an upbeat soundtrack with it. Thriller films generally have distorted font and sometimes have pictures or a video on during the opening credits for the audience to feel frightened, as well as get a feel of the film. This is to make the audience feel fearful and prepare them for the suspense and discomfort during the film.

Scene analysis

In the opening scene for Se7en (1995), it is extremely eerie throughout. The opening is accompanied by a slow, melancholy soundtrack. This is to make the audience feel extreme discomfort and nervous. As well as this there are flashes to the cast names in a gruesome font, making the audience feel uneasy as they are presented on their on in white, on a black screen. In between the presentation of the cast names, there are extreme close ups to a character's fingers, removing their fingerprints with a razor blade. This can suggest that the character is an antagonist and is intending to do wrong. This would scare the audience as this person is unseen but their intentions are clear from early on. The opening credits are therefore extremely effective in generating a reaction from the audience.

Conclusion

From my research I have concluded that I will present my production company first, followed by the director, producer and writer. After this will be the main cast and finally the title. I have chosen this order as I believe this will be the most effective and look the most professional. I also have concluded that my opening credits will be accompanied by an eerie soundtrack which I will create and it will be used effectively it will make the audience frightened while giving them a sense of what the film will be like. The opening credits will mostly be on a black screen written with a white font, taking inspiration from Se7en as it has very effective opening sequence, this will create suspense and confuse the audience as they will not know what to expect from the film, although it will create excitement as to what will come next.

Research: Narrative Themes and Plots - Miss Begum

Narrative Themes and Plots

What are themes? Why are they important to identify for the audience?

A theme is a central topic of the narrative, it informs the audience of what the film is about. It revolves around a repeated idea in a film, commonly spoken, written or thought about. Some narratives may deal with several themes at once, but usually focus on one central theme, these themes may depend on genre. For example, films in the action genre may follow themes of violence, friendship, death and fighting.

Themes and genres - discuss how themes are dependent on genres and why.

Themes are dependent on genre as the audience should be able to expectt certain themes according to the genre of film they are watching. This makes the narrative more clear to the audience and they will not be confused, different genres have different themes but some themes to interlink with each other as they may not be conventional to that specific genre.

Action: Violence, friendship, death, fighting
Thriller: Mystery, sexual, murder, death
Horror: Death, murder, torture, violence
Crime: Violence, death, money, drug use.
War: Violence, death, trust.
Romantic Comedy: Relationships, separation, family.
Sci-fi: Alien, space, travel.

Common themes in thrillers

The themes in the Mystery Thriller The Usual Suspects (1995) are:

• Mystery
• Violence
• Crime

The themes in the Horror Thriller Sinister (2012) are:

• Death
• Torture
• Violence
• Murder

The themes in American History X are:

• Violence
• Racism
• Murder
• Crime
• Revenge

The themes portrayed in the Political Thriller Argo are:

• Violence
• Politics
• Crime

The themes portrayed in the action thriller Furious 7 (2015) are:

• Death
• Violence
• Crime
• Murder
• Revenge

The themes portrayed in the Crime-Mystery Thriller Gone Girl (2014) are:

• Murder
• Death
• Crime
• Revenge

Impact of themes on audiences

Themes impact audiences due to genre and sub genre. For example, action thrillers may have themes of  violence or murder. This can both excite the audience or frighten them, although these themes are expected in an action thriller, the audience will still have an appropriate reaction. As well as this, themes such as death or crime would affect the audience negatively, some may be upset or hysterical. An example of this is after the screening of The Exorcist (1973), this film called a lot of controversy due to this. According to the genre, the audience should be able to identify and follow the themes that the sub genres follow as this will enhance how much they enjoy the film through by relating to it, or simplifying enjoying a specific genre. For example, a movie fan may specifically want to watch films that follow politics, therefore they will continue to look for and watch political thrillers or political dramas.

Conclusion

In conclusion, different themes generate different responses amongst audiences, although it does depend on each individual person. I have concluded through my research that I will follow themes of murder, death and some moderate violence as these are all conventional themes in a thriller and will give the audience the most scared, excited and terrified reactions. I will use these themes by depicting dead bodies in my opening, they will be shown vaguely but not be lingered on. This will be so that the audience will not know the extent of violence that they victims have been through to have died, they will just know that death is a common theme. This will instil dear amongst my audience.

Research: Age Certificates - Mrs. Quinlan

Age Certificates

What is the role of the BBFC and why are they important to the film industry?

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) are highly experienced experts on regulating the moving image in Britain. The BBFC serves a social function in society which is to advise and protect viewers from moving images. They provide public information that empowers them and parents to make appropriate viewing decisions for themselves and those in their care. As well as this, the BBFC help protect vulnerable viewers and society from the effects of viewing potentially harmful or unstable content while respecting adult freedom of choice.

What are the different age certificates?

The U symbol stands for universal. A U film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over, although at this low age, it is impossible to predict what might upset a particular child. In terms of bad language, U films generally only have infrequent uses of very mild bad language such as 'damn' or 'hell. Some characters seen kissing or cuddling would be the closest references to sexual behaviour, there would be no apparent focus on sexual behaviour, language or innuendo. The violence is very mild, there would be brief fight scenes or moments where characters are placed in danger, although scenes of emotional distress will be quickly resolved and the outcome will be reassuring. This is to prevent upsetting any children and their emotional stability. Characters that are portrayed negatively may use or carry weapons although there will be no emphasis on these. Due to the universal rating, there would normally be no references to illegal drugs or misuse of drugs unless there is a clear educational message which would be understood by a younger audience. U films would be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.

Aladdin (1992) is an example of a U rated trailer, it only contains mild threat.

The symbol PG stands for Parental Guidance, these films are suitable for general viewing although some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. A PG film generally should not unsettle a child that is eight years old or over and parents should consider whether the content may upset their children. A PG film would not contain any theme which is inappropriate for a child, PG films may explore challenging issues such as bullying or racism. Also, there may be mild bad language such as "shit" or "son of a bitch", but the context and delivery always will be important, the language would not be used aggressively or excessively. Sex references are unlikely unless they are undetailed and infrequent, if a child is unlikely to understand a reference, it may be allowed a PG rating. In terms of violence, it would be mild and there may be some blood, but the audience would not see how the injury is inflicted.

Matilda (1996) is an example of a PG rated film.

A film that is rated 12A contains material that is not suitable for children aged 12 and under, although children younger than 12 may view 12A films in cinema if accompanied by an adult. The BBFC considers the content of 12A rated films to be suitable for children aged 12 and over although would not recommend taking very young children to see them. Work that has dark or unsettling tones which could disturb audiences may be passed as 12A , adults planning to take children to 12A rated films should consider whether the film is suitable for that child. Strong language may be passed at 12A, although it depends on the manner of which it is used, who is using it, the frequency and any special contextual justification. Although aggressive uses of strong language may result in a film being pushed up to a 15 rating. There may be nudity in 12A films but in sexual context it should only be brief and discreet. Moderate violence is allowed but there should not be detail, weapons should not be glamorised in 12A films.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is an example of a 12A rated movie in cinema.

12 rated films are very similar to 12A films, they are also not generally suitable for children under the age of 12. Due to the fact accompanied viewing cannot be forced at home, the 12 rating remains for DVD and Blu-ray, also it is a simpler system for retailers. Strong language may be used in a 12 rated film but not aggressively, aggressive discriminatory language such as racism or homophobia will only pass as 12 if it is clearly condemned. Much like 12A films, sex can only be brief and discreet, verbal sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Some horror films are passed as 12 such as moderate physical or psychological threat as long as the sequences are not too frequent. Dangerous behaviour may be present but detail should not be dwelled on as it could be copied by children.

Godzilla (2014) is an example of a 12 rated film, both in cinema and on DVD/Blu-ray.

The 15 certificate means that no one below the age of 15 is allowed to see a 15 rated film at the cinema or buy a 15 rated video. In a 15 rated film there will usually be strong violence, frequent strong language, seuxal activity and drug taking. Typically, there is no upper limit for the number of uses of strong language, there may also be racist, homophobic or discriminatory language. Sexual activity can be displayed but not in strong detail, there would also be strong references to sex as there is no constraints on  nudity either. Violence would also be strong in a 15 rated movie, but pain or injury should not be dwelled on. Gory images or sadistic violence would not be acceptable. Drug taking can be shown but not be promoted or encouraged.

Southpaw is an example of a 15 rated film as there is strong language, violence and drug use.

18 rated films are only for adults, no one under 18 is allowed to see 18 rated films in the cinema or buy an 18 rated film. Themes are not prohibited in 18 rated films, therefore some themes shown in 18 rated films may be offensive to some adult viewers. 18 rated movies would show, very strong violence, frequent strong language, strong portrayals of sexual activity, strong blood and gore, discriminatory language and behaviour. There is no limit on the uses of strong language, the uses can be aggressive and directed, sometimes even accompanied by violence.  There may be racist and homophobic language at 18, as well as strong and detailed portrayals of sex such as full nudity. All violence can be strong and portrayed with strong detailed, this includes dwelling on pain or injury, as well as scenes of sadistic or sexual violence. As a whole, drug misuse should not be promoted or encouraged but drug taking can be shown.

An example of an 18 rated film is Watchmen (2009) as it contains strong bloody violence.

Discuss 12A rating

The 12A rating was introduced in 2002, the first film to receive the 12A rating was The Bourne Identity (2002). The film Spider-Man (2002) is believed to be the film that triggered the introduction of this rating as the distributors requested a PG rating. However the film contained personal violence and a revenge theme that was not acceptable under the PG guidelines. The decision was unpopular as under 12s collected merchandise that was marketed specifically at young children, the BBFC received dissapointed letters from parents and children. After the introduction of the 12A rating, the distributor of Spider-Man re-released the film so young children had a chance to see the film in  the cinema as some local authorities did not change the rating.

What age certificates do thrillers tend to get and why?

Thriller films tend to get 15 or 18 ratings. This may be because of the approaches filmmakers take to generate scared, tense, nerve wrecking and frightened responses from audiences. Filmmakers may use violence and gore to get a reaction from the audience as well as iconography that can be used in these scenes. Examples of this iconography are, blood, guns and knives, as well as this, audiences under the age of 15 could imitate this behaviour, which is why most thriller films are rated 15 and over. It is also highly likely that there will be sexual content in a thriller film, although it would not be excessive as those films would be rated 18. There is also a high chance that there will be horror sequences designed to scare audiences, therefore there will be distressing scenes that young people will not be able to handle, this further justifies the 15 or 18 rating that thriller films usually receive.

The Grey (2012) is an example of a thriller film that is rated 15.

The Cabin in the Woods (2012) is another example of a 15 rated film due to strong gore, bloody violence, language and soft drug use.














What age certificate would you give your thriller?

The age certificate I will give my thriller will be 15. This will be due to the content that will be inappropriate for children under the age of 15. I will include violence with weapons, distressing scenes that will most likely make the audience upset. In terms of iconography I will use a sledgehammer and knives as they are conventional to the thriller genre. My aim will be to create suspense within the audience and therefore I will need to use upsetting themes such as murder and mystery to confuse as well as engage the audience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, my research has taught me that some ratings such as 12 and 12A have very similar conditions when watching films with those ratings. Also there are very strict conditions when rating a film as content may be difficult to categorise. Therefore I have learnt that I need to make sure my content is not too excessive for my opening to have 18 rated content, my opening will have to have content suitable for 15 year olds and over. 

Research: Narrative Theory - Miss Begum

Narrative Theory

What is narrative and why is it important?

Narrative is the plot of a film, the story or a sequence of events. Narrative is paramount to a film as it is needed to show the audience what is going on, a clearly structured narrative informs the audience well of what is going on to prevent confusion while watching the film.

Creating meaning in texts: four elements that allow the audience to find meaning

Character

Character representation is extremely important as it makes the audience understand characters in the narrative. This is shown through gender, age, physique, costume and their relationships with other characters. The audience has their first impressions of a character through the first representations of them.

Genre

Genres in film creates meaning depicts the style of a film, the film may follow a certain narrative according to the genre or sub genre. Examples of this are, action thrillers where the protagonist may have an objective to save a kidnapped victim or to stop an antagonist from doing something bad.

Connotation and denotation

Costumes, themes and iconography all connote different things and they are all denotations of certain things in film, this allows the audience to respond in a certain way. Denotations and connotations can give audiences varied reactions, for example a mask might connote a hidden identity or  intention to do harm.

Structure

Structure of a film are the guidelines it follows for the understanding of the audience. Generally a narrative structure would contain a plot, theme and resolution, this is then divided into three structures, setup, conflict and resolution. The setup is where all of the main characters and their basic situations are introduced. Conflict is the main part of the story where there is an incident and this sets things into motion, characters go through major changes in their lives due to what is happening. The resolution is when the story comes to a  close as the characters confront the problem and this allows all the elements of the story come together and lead to an ending.

Propp (Characters): Who was he and what did he say?

Vladimir Propp was a folklorist and scholar who analysed the basic plot components of folk tales to identify narrative elements. Propp was mainly interested in narrative folk tales. He saw folk tales as having the same basic struggles, therefore had the same characters. Propp's characters included:

1. The Hero - A character who seeks for better things.
2. The Villain - A character who opposes or actively blocks the hero's quest.
3. The Donor - A character who provides an object with magical properties.
4. The Dispatcher - A character who sends the hero on his/her quest via a message.
5. The False Hero - A character who disrupts the hero's success by making false claims.
6. The Helper - A character who aids the hero.
7. The Princess - A character who acts as a reward for the hero and the object of the villains plot.
8. Her Father - A character who acts to reward the hero for his effort.

Examples of Propp's theory:

In the trailer for Taken (2008) we can observe some of Propp's characters. The hero is the man shown on the phone who's daughter has been taken, his daughter is the princess as she has been kidnapped and the villain has held her hostage. Although we do not see the villain in the trailer, we hear him clearly saying "good luck" to the hero towards the end of the trailer.

In this example in the trailer for Snitch (2008), we observe a hero with his own goal which is to save his son who is the dispatcher in this case, as he claims he is falsely accused. Later during the trailer we also see the helper who aids the hero to complete his own goal.

Todorov (Equilibrium=Disequilibrium=New equilibrium): Who was he and what did he say?

Tzvetan Todorov was a historian, philosopher and literary critic. His narrative theory states that most story's or plots follow the same structure of equilibrium, disequilibrium and then new equilibrium. Equilibrium is how the characters will appear stable at the beginning. Disequilibrium is when something disrupting happens and a change occurs which needs to be resolved. A new equilibrium is when the disruption sorted and the narrative is closed. Todorov explained that there will be five stages of the narrative structure:

1. A state of equilibrium
2. A disruption of that order by an event
3. A recognition of the disorder
4. An attempt to fix the disorder
5. A new equilibrium - the conclusion

Example of Todorov's theory:

Insidious (2010) follows Todorov's theory quite closely in terms of equilibrium, disequilibrium and new equilibrium.

This still depicts equilibrium as we see a family in a stable state seemingly getting on with their lives as normal.

This is an example of disequilibrium as the young boy becomes possessed in the film and this disrupts the family's normal life.

After the family recognise the disorder, there is an attempt to fix it.

The disruption is now sorted and the narrative is now closed, the possessed boy is now back to normal and the family carry on with their life, this is an example of new equilibrium.




Aristotle (themes and emotions): Who was he and what did he say?

Aristotle observes that all narratives have a beginning, middle and end. This is important to arouse emotion from the audience and this is mainly with tragedy. Aristotle's narrative structure follows five stages.

1. Exposition, the audience getting to know the main character. 
2. Rising action, the protagonist understanding his or her goal and begins to work toward it. 
3. Climax is the greatest overall tension; the phase in which everything goes mostly wrong. 
4. Falling action is the turning point of the story, where the main character makes the decision that defines the outcome of the story. 
5. Denouement is the resolution, when all mystery is solved.

Examples of Aristotle's theory:

Prisoners (2013) is an example of a narrative that follows Aristotle's theory.

This still is an example of exposition where we meet the main character and his family, he is close with his family and has a connection with his daughter.

As the narrative develops, there is rising action as he hasn't seen his daughter in quite some time and begins to look for her, later learning that she has most likely been kidnapped.

This still demonstrates the climax in the film as the protagonist has made the decision to hold the person he thinks is responsible for his missing daughter as a prisoner. This is the greatest overall tension and most things go wrong here as everyone disagrees with what he is doing.

This is the falling action and the turning point of the story as the protagonist decides to use the police to help him find his daughter, this is a turning point as the detective is seen as a valuable resource for finding the missing little girl.

This still depicts denouement in the narrative as the detective has appeared to have found the missing girl and this resolves the biggest problem.






Barthes (semiotics): Who was he and what did he say?

Roland Barthes was a French literary theorist, linguist and semiotician. Barthes researched how audiences interpret what they see, he argued that the audience look for signs to help them interpret the narrative and the signs are based on the expectations the audience have due to prior knowledge. This can be linked to connotations and denotations through iconography, characters and themes. Connotations are symbolic, denotations are semic and cultural understanding are events that can be recognised as being part of a culture.

In this scene from Snowpiercer (2013) there is use of iconography such as the axes and blood are denotations, these objects connote violence and murder. This is clearly visible in the scene and can make the audience upset or cause distress amongst them.

What narrative structure do thrillers tend to take and why?

Thrillers tend to take narrative structure from Todorov and Aristotle. Todorov's theory of equilibrium can be applied to many thrillers as there are stages which involve getting to know the character which is equilibrium. Problems being developed which is rising action, quickly followed by the climax where most of the action occurs and something goes wrong. Eventually as it is the norm to have a protagonist in the thriller genre, the problem is usually addressed and eventually solved. This is a solid theory for thrillers to follow as there is space for problems, violence, suspense and solving problems. In addition to this Aristotle's theory is relevant to the thriller genre as it is quite similar to Todorov's theory. After the introduction of a character, a problem occurs and it has to be, and will be solved over time. The protagonist is usually the one to do this, while encountering obstacles on the way.

Conclusion

In conclusion, from my research I have decided to apply all four of the narrative structures in my thriller opening. This is due to their closeness in detail and the balance it will create in my opening. For example, using Aristotle's theory where the protagonist has a main goal and works towards it during rising action, this can be linked to Propp's theory of characters as there is usually a hero and a villain. There are also helpers who aid the hero on his or her journey. I can also link this to Todorov's theory due to there being a disruption of an event, recognition of it and attempts to fix it, this is common in the thriller genre and will be useful in my opening as it can be used correctly to create suspense amongst the audience, as well as a sense of hope for my protagonist to overcome obstacles. Finally, I can apply Barthes's theory of semiotics as iconography is vital to a thriller opening, the denotations of knives can connote violence or blood and therefore will be effective when generating an appropriate response from the audience.

Research: Scream Analysis - Miss Begum

Thriller Analysis - Miss Begum

How is the opening scene to ‘Scream’ conventional to thriller openings?

 The opening of ‘Scream’ has several significant moments that occur. It is conventional to thriller openings with the themes that are being suggested such as torture, murder and kidnap. There are also conventional uses of cinematography, sound, editing and mise en scene which create a tense atmosphere and excitement. This gives the audience a thrill and allows them to sympathise with protagonists and be fearful of antagonists.

In the first scene, the cinematography and editing that is being used are medium shots and straight cuts, this is to present an unpredictable and nerve wrecking atmosphere to make the audience aware of the setting. The setting is a normal house which suggests innocence and tranquility. This is ironic as the audience can perceive that something bad is about to happen due to the low key lighting and the off screen sound which are the crickets outside, this is the only other sound we can hear apart from the conversation the woman is having on the phone. The sound is extremely chilling as you associate crickets with a field or an empty open space, the fact we can hear them means it is very quiet. In terms of mise en scene, the character we see on screen is wearing white, and lighter coloured clothes. This demonstrates that she is the victim which is also conventional in a thriller as victims tend to be blonde white women which is a pattern in thriller movies as we should feel sympathy for them. This is due to the fact they are being victimized according to a certain theme, such as kidnap or torture.  In addition to this, her body language is very casual as she feels comfortable in her own home, she is not tense or stressed about anything, despite the fact her facial expressions vary from smiling to being confused as she is on the phone to a man she clearly does not want to speak to, but keeps calling back. By extension, this confuses the audience, making sure the audience don’t know what is actually going on as she keeps getting the phone calls. The use of the under lighting can also tell us that there is a dark tone to this scene, as well as suggest that something bad is about to happen. This is conventional in combination with the setting as they contrast each other in terms of good and evil, the high key lighting represents good and the dark tone represents bad, ultimately frightening the audience as they know something bad is about to happen. The audience’s reaction can therefore be curious and nerve wrecking. These are all conventional reactions for an audience to a thriller opening, as it is also parallel to the conventional themes of a thriller.

As the scene develops the unknown person on the phone suggests that he is looking at her, we are able to see a contrast in lighting during the medium shot, right before the character’s facial expression drastically changes and the camera zooms in, there is high key lighting on the right side and low key on the left, outside. The protagonist is frightened as she learns the person she is speaking to is watching her, we learn this from the off screen dialogue from the phone. This contrast in lighting further confuses the audience as it shows both comfortable high key lighting and a darker tone, this can also suggest that something bad is happening outside, or about to happen.

As the second scene begins, there is use of the camera zooming in and we are only able to see the low key lighting that surrounds the victim. This demonstrates that something bad is about to happen due to the combination of the close up and the victim’s petrified facial expression. The audience would have a tense reaction to this as they are worried for the character who has shown innocence until this point. The phone is a use of iconography as it is present throughout all the scenes, the camera follows the woman on the phone as she is nervously walking around her house in fear, checking the windows and the woman reacts to the off screen sound on the phone, therefore the phone is the most important use of iconography. The scene drastically changes when the character walks outside and there is clear under lighting combined with low key lighting, as well as this there is non diegetic sound which is high pitched and very consistent this creates a very tense atmosphere which is a very common convention in thrillers. The unknown antagonist keeps calling her phone and threatening her not to hang up on him. As the scene builds up and the camera zooms into the characters face and we are aware of her terrified facial expression, she is receiving a death threat through the phone as she hung up the phone on him which causes him to build his anger and speak in a much more aggressive tone. This is evident due to her expression and the audience begin to feel increasingly afraid for her character especially as the sound drops to a lower tone which represents danger, this tone is then consistent throughout. The unknown antagonist is becoming agitated as his tone has drastically changed into a more violent, aggressive one. After this, the scene is now generally very dark and we are now very sure that something out of the norm is going to happen, for example a murder or a break in. The use of blue colour connotes this as blue can present sadness or distress. There are consistent booming sounds which are non-diegetic and this represents a build up to very fast paced music as the protagonist is hysterical because the antagonist is watching her and knows her name. She begins to run which is parallel to the fast paced music and this gives the audience a sense of excitement in combination with the distressing scene.

Out of distress she makes it evident to the caller that she does have a boyfriend, showing that he had lied earlier, annoying the caller even more, she describes him while screaming out in distress as she attempts to suggest that her boyfriend would protect her. In the last scene we analyse, there is a sudden jump cut to a long shot of the protagonists boyfriend who is tied up and bleeding as the victim turns around, we can assume that he is held against his will in this situation; a hostage, which is a conventional theme in a thriller. The long shot can show the audience the whole picture as we can see the man and the kind of situation he is in. He is in a casual setting in a back porch. This shows that he is not willingly there and something violent has and will occur. The setting also allows the audience to understand that the protagonist’s safety has been broken down as she has previously suggested her boyfriend would protect her and the audience can feel worried for her. The audience now fear that the same will happen to her. There is then a reaction shot of the woman as she sees her boyfriend who is tied up. This jump cut surprises the audience and fills them with fear as it is unexpected and we are unaware as to how the antagonist is able to torture this woman and her boyfriend as he is unseen throughout the scene. The sound is now very quiet to emphasise the phone conversation and a sense of isolation so we can sympathise with the character. The unchanging dark tone through the rest of the scene is an effective set up for the murderous activities that take place, this makes the audience feel uneasy and it is very conventional in thriller openings.

In conclusion, the opening to scream is conventional to thriller openings as it follows the themes of a conventional thriller, scream has a clear kidnapping situation, as well as murder. This is a common theme in thrillers as is presents disturbed scenes to give the audiences frightened reactions. In addition to this the cinematography is also a convention in thrillers as close up shots are used to show reactions of characters on screen, the lighting is also a convention as low key lighting is common in most thrillers as it is vital to convey the tense atmosphere for the audience to understand the situation the character is in. These micro elements are all used to draw out an appropriate reaction from the audience as we feel sympathy for the characters on screen, as well as being scared of the character on the phone through off screen and non diegetic sound, we are unable to see the antagonists face but we can hear them. Therefore with the audience’s reactions we are able to understand that the opening to scream is conventional to thriller openings.

Research: Conventional Thriller Openings - Mrs. Quinlan

Conventional Thriller Openings

Why are film openings important?

Film openings are essentials to films as they set the mood for the scene and give the audience and idea of what to expect in terms of tone and possibly the narrative. Film openings also give the audience a first impression of the film, an opening of the film is the most important time to be drawn into a film. Openings contain common conventions of thrillers to intrigue the audience, this can be done with fights or murders, usually with unexplained events to grab the attention of the audience. The audience will wonder why and how certain things have happened and will then continue watching the film to find out more about the narrative. This is a very effective example of a convention of a thriller opening as opposed to other genres which open with explanations of the narrative or general character development. 

What is the purpose of film openings?

The purpose of a film opening is to inform the audience of the atmosphere the film will connote, as well as depicting the tone of the film. They should generally appeal to the audience watching the film to keep them watching, usually thriller openings have suspenseful openings which do not explain anything, attempting to make the audience keep wanting more.

An example of this is the opening of The Loft (2014), where there is no narrative right at the start of the film, there is a close up shot to a car and it quickly is smashed and the windows break and the alarm goes off. Judging by the movement of the car downwards we can assume something has fallen on top of the car, damaging it heavily. There is then a straight cut to an inside view of the car, a POV shot from the drivers seat where there is iconography of blood, mixing with rain water making it seem excessive. Another straight cut to a person's hand and then a panning shot upwards to a building suggests that someone has jumped off or fallen off a balcony. This opening is extremely effective as it leaves the audience wondering what has happened, causing them to want to carry on watching the film. As well as frighten them due to the possible event of a suicide or murder as someone has jumped off a balcony.

Conventional thriller openings

Conventionally thriller openings tend to have a lot of close up shots, low key lighting and tense music, this is to make the themes apparent and to present narrative ideas. Audiences tend to make assumptions as to what is going to happen next when they are watching a thriller film opening. It is good to intrigue the audience with a lot of suspense and tension in a conventional thriller opening.

The example below is the opening from I am Legend (2007), this opening is conventional due to the multiple shots used throughout the opening. The scene is set with many establishing shots of an empty city. Until 0:50 there is a close up shot which then pans to a characters face, this is conventional as we can only assume so little. There is then a mix of long shots for when the character is driving around the city. There is low key lighting in the car where the man and his dog are, high key lighting outside. This is conventional to an opening as it establishes the setting as well as the characters involved, without giving away too much narrative. The only thing we can assume from this opening is that the man and dog are alone in the city, making the audience ask questions such as whether they are alone in the world, and why are they alone.

What information needs to go into a film opening?

Generally film openings consist of opening credits, this is to show the audience who was involved when making the film but can also be used to set the tone of the film as the font of the typography can suggest tones or themes.

From this opening we can assume that there will be action due to the man falling into the water and drowning, as well as the typography used which are guns and the blood. Themes are also shown through imagery of a cemetery and a lot of fire. This connotes death or violence. This can lead us to assumptions that this is an action thriller film.

Thriller openings analysis

In this opening to Se7en (1995), there are many examples of conventional thriller openings. Typography is used in a very peculiar font, in white colour over a black background, this is in between jump cuts to extreme close ups of someone cutting off their skin on their fingers with a razor, in an attempt to remove fingerprints. This can suggest that the character is about to do something bad, but this is not enough information to know whether the character is a protagonist or antagonist. This is an example of making the audience to want more as they watch. There is low key lighting throughout this opening sequence, further conveying the dark tone of the film, as well as flashing images which connote mystery, this causes the audience to have a suspenseful reaction.

This opening from Memento (2000) follows some conventions of thriller openings. It starts with an extreme close up in which the only things visible are the man's hand and a photograph. As the man shakes the photograph, the picture starts to fade, this confuses the audience especially as the close up does not show the audience what is actually going on. After the 1:20 mark, we learn that the scene is going backwards, as it cuts to the mans face we see he is angry or upset, with some scratch marks on his face indicating he has been in a fight. The close up of the bullet and the glasses with blood on them also connote this, this gives the audience a sense of danger and makes them feel scared, as well as wanting more as they want to know why all of this has happened.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I have decided with support from my research that I will use close up shots, and non diegetic sound for the soundtrack, this will set the atmosphere for the scene and will convey a dark tone. As well as this, I will use low-key lighting to demonstrate themes such as revenge and the colour red to suggest anger as my thriller opening will revolve around this. I will attempt to be as vague as possible in my opening to make sure I do not reveal too much narrative. From my research I have learnt that conventional openings do not portray a direct narrative or reveal a lot of information about the film itself, therefore I will be applying this and I will attempt to leave the audience quite confused and therefore wanting to watch further than the opening. This is how I will know I have made a successful opening.

Research: Mise En Scene - Setting & Iconography - Mrs. Quinlan

Setting & Iconography

What are Setting & Iconography?

Setting and Iconography are elements of mise en scene which are important for presenting where an event is taking place. Settings generally convey the atmosphere of the scene and iconography is present when a significant event occurs. For example, a setting in a forest could show dark tones and something bad about to happen, it can also build suspense to make the audience feel anxious. Iconography is a significant item on set, usually a prop. An example of iconography would be a gun, if it is the main item in the scene then the audience can assume it is going to be fired at another character or it will be used for bad intentions, this is conventional in a thriller as it makes the audience nervous.

Typical thriller settings

Typical thriller settings are generally dark, sparsely populated areas. Examples of this are forests, empty houses or warehouses, hospitals and confined corridors. Although this does vary by sub-genre. Forests and empty houses are settings that are used to create tension and suspense, these are usually because they have dark tones and an ominous atmosphere. Other settings like vast open spaces, deserts and mountains for example, are used in action thrillers to demonstrate chase sequences properly, or they can be used to present isolation for a character.

Forest Setting

A Forest setting is used in the supernatural thriller film The Forest (2015), it is used to show isolation for the protagonist who is seen in a forest alone, this creates an extremely nerve-wrecking atmosphere for the audience as it fills them with suspense. The audience are unaware as to what will happen to the character and the dark tones further connote this. This is a typical thriller setting as it brings out a very strong, frightening reaction for the audience. 

Desert

In this trailer for Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) we are able to see a conventional action thriller setting of a desert. A desert is used in the context of this film to promote thrilling chase sequences, the audience is able to see everything that is going on and the reactions of characters. This also creates suspense as anything can happen to the characters, due to it being a high speed chase we can see that they are putting their lives on the line. This ultimately thrills the audience and makes them feel very anxious.

Street/Beach

In the opening scene for It Follows (2014), the start of the scene has a woman running away from a house, wearing white. We can assume that she is a victim as the white promotes innocence, and she is quite exposed and looks flustered. This part of the opening is conventional as it is seemingly a normal street where there are a lot of people, this is conventional for a thriller as this could be where an antagonist could have taken his victim as this is a place where less people would expect it. Later during the same opening, we can observe that a woman is alone on a beach, this is also a conventional setting as a beach is a place where bodies could be dumped. Beaches are also places where there are not that many people during the night, therefore there is a lot of space and time for murders to occur, which is also a convention to a thriller.

Setting and sub-genre

Sub-genres are important to setting as they are usually used as the foundation for a setting, for example an action thriller would require open spaces for events to occur. If an actual thriller were to take place in a small room it would not be effective.

Action thriller

Action thrillers are generally placed in deserts and open spaces, this is for observation of events occurring and for the audience to see the whole setting for excitement and tension.

Sci-fi thriller

Sci-fi thrillers are usually set in spaceships or laboratories. This is as sci-fi involves science and the events that take place would make the most sense in spaceships ect. these are usually works of fiction too. This is effective on the audience as if they are viewing a setting they are not used to and in a large, empty area which is outer space. This can terrify audiences as they do not know what will happen on an environmental scale.

Psychological thrillers

Psychological thrillers are mostly set in hospitals and empty houses. This is to convey dark tones as hospitals are quite closed in and empty houses can be linked to a frightening atmosphere. Psychological thrillers create a lot of suspense and mystery therefore hospitals and houses are good settings as the audience cannot always know what is going on.

Disaster thriller

Disaster thrillers are predominantly set on very large scales. A lot of establishing shots are used and a lot of buildings are seen. Usually placed near oceans or large cities, this is to scare the audience as they can relate to these areas and imagine themselves in those positions.

Iconography

Iconography varies according to sub genres as different sub genres require different types of iconography for effect. For example cars and car chases would be seen in action and crime thrillers as opposed to psychological thrillers, this would confuse the audience.

Action Thriller

In action thrillers, common iconography includes cars, drugs and guns. All these connote danger and create an exciting response from the audience. This iconography is generally used in high speed chase sequences and fights. These are common in action thrillers as the protagonist usually has a certain goal they have to achieve by defeating the antagonist. The iconography is usually used as support for them to achieve this.

 

Psychological Thriller

Psychological thrillers generally have a lot of mystery in the story, therefore common iconography are forms of communication such as mobile phones, knives and guns. These denotations connote danger and suspense as there are victims in psychological thrills, also usually someone with loss of memory or other mental health problems. Weapons are used in scenes of distress, for example a mentally unstable person may threaten characters, creating fear amongst the audience. Phones or mobiles can be used to also threaten or for warnings, this creates a lot of suspense and makes the audience anxious.

Crime Thrillers

Crime thrillers have very strong connotations of violence and crime, therefore the detonations of guns, knives and cars are appropriate for this genre. This iconography causes the audience to have an excited yet frightened reaction as there is usually killing involved in a crime thriller, a lot of violence is depicted in crime thriller as protagonists may carry guns for protection and antagonists use guns and knives for attacking or keeping people hostage. The examples below are the guns and masks which are used in The Town (2010), this iconography scares the audience as the masks conceals identities and the guns are used for violence.

Scene Analysis - Setting and Iconography

The opening sequence from The Sixth Sense (1999) presents many examples of various setting and iconography. The scene begins at 2:40 in a dark room with only one light bulb, we quickly learn that this is a basement in someones house. The setting has a dark tone to it as it is an empty, dusty room which clearly depicts that it isn't regularly visited, furthermore after the woman grabs a wine bottle, she shivers and clutches onto her arm, showing the audience that it is a cold room. This setting demonstrates a dark tone to the opening of the scene and creates suspense and a chilling response for the audience. As the scene develops there is a rapid cut to candles and a lot of colourful cards, creating a contrast in the scene, there is low key lighting which is a continuation of the dark tone, although the woman is now upstairs in her living room. The changes in scene present the woman and her husband as possible victims as they seem to be unaware of anything troubling, however as the scene develops and they are in their bedroom, they discover a broken window. There is a troubled man in their bathroom and he eventually presents a gun and shoots the male character in the chest. The use of iconography (the gun) is surprising to the audience as the scene has developed very quickly, the audience do not expect the shooting to occur and it creates a frightful reaction.

Conclusion

In conclusion, my research has helped me to decide what sort of setting and iconography I will use in my thriller opening. The dark tones are very effective in an empty house or an abandoned loft, therefore creating suspense for the audience, these are conventional settings and I will most likely be using them, especially because the audience can relate more to an empty house and this will bring out the most thrilling audience reaction. In terms of iconography, I will use weapons such as knives and bats as these connote a sense of danger, filling the audience with fear and excitement. This is very important to a thriller opening.