27/11/2010
Preliminary Task Feedback
Having put our preliminary task on YouTube we received fairly good feedback, complimenting our variety of camera angles, use of sound and continuity. There was also some good constructive criticism in each of these users comments which you can see below:
25/11/2010
Preliminary Task Outtakes
Purpose
We filmed our preliminary task in one afternoon and as with any filming process there were blunders, people forgetting their lines and people acting stupid, not realising the camera was still on! (Yes, Ellen)
So we put them together into a little outtakes video for your amusement.
Construction
We just chose the clips which we thought were worthy of an outtakes video first of all. We tried not to use too many transitions so any clips with the same background setting we cut straight onto the next one as it ran quite smoothly. There were some swear words used in the outtakes when our actors voiced their frustration at forgetting their lines (Yes, Ed) so we just simply detached and deleted the sound of that part of the clip and overlaid a bottle cork popping sound to replace the word.
We filmed our preliminary task in one afternoon and as with any filming process there were blunders, people forgetting their lines and people acting stupid, not realising the camera was still on! (Yes, Ellen)
So we put them together into a little outtakes video for your amusement.
Construction
We just chose the clips which we thought were worthy of an outtakes video first of all. We tried not to use too many transitions so any clips with the same background setting we cut straight onto the next one as it ran quite smoothly. There were some swear words used in the outtakes when our actors voiced their frustration at forgetting their lines (Yes, Ed) so we just simply detached and deleted the sound of that part of the clip and overlaid a bottle cork popping sound to replace the word.
24/11/2010
Preliminary Task
Brief
We were asked to make a short film (approx. 1 minute) which included someone walking down a corridor, entering a room, crossing the room and engaging in a conversation. We did not use a corridor as this did not fit our opening so instead we used the river bank. We were also asked to use 'Match on Action', 'Shot Reverse Shot' and the '180° rule' which we included.
Construction
After digging out the outtakes and bloopers from our footage we set about creating our preliminary task. Our filming was fairly fluent which helped when constructing our 1 minute task because it meant there was less editing to do when we brought all the clips together. Our main problem was that we had people in our group talking over the filming without realising. To solve this, we detached the audio from the clip and then trimmed it to so we just had the background noise we wanted and placed it back on the video. We then used this audio over and over again in the opening sequence as it was a continuous sound of water gushing.
We then added non-diegetic background music while Ellen is walking along the riverbank to increase the tension and suspense in this part of the sequence as it seems she is being followed.
We added a video effect called 'Old World' to the clip of the newspaper being tossed across the table which darkened it making it seem dramatic and important and to finish off we added a 'fade to black' transition in the closing sequence as Ed stands up. This makes the viewer wonder what is going to happen next after he says "I think it's time this case was closed" as it is not stated although it insinuates that he is going to do something to close the case.
We were asked to make a short film (approx. 1 minute) which included someone walking down a corridor, entering a room, crossing the room and engaging in a conversation. We did not use a corridor as this did not fit our opening so instead we used the river bank. We were also asked to use 'Match on Action', 'Shot Reverse Shot' and the '180° rule' which we included.
Construction
After digging out the outtakes and bloopers from our footage we set about creating our preliminary task. Our filming was fairly fluent which helped when constructing our 1 minute task because it meant there was less editing to do when we brought all the clips together. Our main problem was that we had people in our group talking over the filming without realising. To solve this, we detached the audio from the clip and then trimmed it to so we just had the background noise we wanted and placed it back on the video. We then used this audio over and over again in the opening sequence as it was a continuous sound of water gushing.
We then added non-diegetic background music while Ellen is walking along the riverbank to increase the tension and suspense in this part of the sequence as it seems she is being followed.
We added a video effect called 'Old World' to the clip of the newspaper being tossed across the table which darkened it making it seem dramatic and important and to finish off we added a 'fade to black' transition in the closing sequence as Ed stands up. This makes the viewer wonder what is going to happen next after he says "I think it's time this case was closed" as it is not stated although it insinuates that he is going to do something to close the case.
17/11/2010
Location Shots for Our Preliminary Task
Here are just a few shots of us filming and working on-location for our preliminary task:
14/11/2010
Camera Movements
Pan - A pan is a horizontal camera movement in which the camera moves left and right about a central axis.
Tilt - A tilt is a vertical camera movement in which the camera points up or down from a stationary location.
Dolly - A dolly is a cart which travels along tracks. The camera is mounted on the dolly and records the shot as it moves. It is quite similar to a tracking shot but is often defined as moving closer or further away from the action
Uses of Dolly Shots: Camera Moves -- powered by eHow.com
Tracking - As I said this shot and the dolly shot are very similar with the main difference being that the tracking shot is generally defined as being movement parallel to the action
Here is an iconic tracking shot from a scene in the movie 'Goodfellas'
(This was one of the only clips on YouTube of this great scene from 'Goodfellas' that would allow me to embed it, so sorry about it being in German!)
Zoom - Technically this is not a camera movement as the camera itself does not move but instead the lens zooms in or out. It can be combined with a dolly shot though to create an effective dolly zoom
Tilt - A tilt is a vertical camera movement in which the camera points up or down from a stationary location.
Dolly - A dolly is a cart which travels along tracks. The camera is mounted on the dolly and records the shot as it moves. It is quite similar to a tracking shot but is often defined as moving closer or further away from the action
Uses of Dolly Shots: Camera Moves -- powered by eHow.com
Tracking - As I said this shot and the dolly shot are very similar with the main difference being that the tracking shot is generally defined as being movement parallel to the action
Here is an iconic tracking shot from a scene in the movie 'Goodfellas'
(This was one of the only clips on YouTube of this great scene from 'Goodfellas' that would allow me to embed it, so sorry about it being in German!)
Zoom - Technically this is not a camera movement as the camera itself does not move but instead the lens zooms in or out. It can be combined with a dolly shot though to create an effective dolly zoom
Camera Shots and Angles
Extreme Close Up (ECU) - Extreme close up focuses the audience's attention on a particular detail. It has the effect of intensifying and concentrating an idea, emotion or atmosphere.
Close Up (CU) - Close ups are useful for showing detail. A close-up of a person emphasizes their emotional state. For example the picture below shows the boy to be happy.
Medium Close Up (MCU) - This shot allows the audience to like they are close enough to the subject to have a conversation with them.
Close Up (CU) - Close ups are useful for showing detail. A close-up of a person emphasizes their emotional state. For example the picture below shows the boy to be happy.
Medium Close Up (MCU) - This shot allows the audience to like they are close enough to the subject to have a conversation with them.
Medium or Mid-Shot (MS) - The mid shot shows some part of the subject in more detail, whilst still showing enough for the audience to feel as if they were looking at the whole subject. It also allows enough room for hand gestures and movement.
Long Shot/Establishing Shot (LS/ES)- Shot which shows all or most of a fairly large subject (for example, a person) and usually much of the surroundings.
Two Shot (could be CU/MCU/MS) - Two-shots are good for establishing a relationship between subjects. A two-shot could also involve movement or action. It is a good way to follow the interaction between two people without getting distracted by their surroundings.
'Over the shoulder shot' (OSS) - This shot is framed from behind a person who is looking at the subject. The person facing the subject should usually occupy about 1/3 of the frame. This shot helps to establish the position of each person, and get the feel of looking at one person from the other's point of view. It's common to cut between these shots during a conversation, alternating the view between the different speakers.
High Angle Shot (looking down) - This has the effect of diminishing the subject, making them appear less powerful, less significant or even submissive.
Low Angle Shot (looking up) - This shows the subject from below, giving them the impression of being more powerful or dominant.
Tilted Frame/Dutch Tilt - This camera shot in which the camera angle is deliberately slanted to one side. This can be used for dramatic effect and helps portray unease, disorientation, frantic or desperate action, intoxication, madness, etc. A dutch tilt can be a static shot, or used with simultaneous panning, tilting or zooming.
Point of View Shot (POV) - This shot shows a view from the subject's perspective. It is usually edited in such a way that it is obvious whose POV it is.
Extreme Long Shot/ Establishing Shot (ELS/ES) - This is generally taken from up to a quarter of a mile away and can be used as a scene-setting shot, which establishes location.
Two Shot (could be CU/MCU/MS) - Two-shots are good for establishing a relationship between subjects. A two-shot could also involve movement or action. It is a good way to follow the interaction between two people without getting distracted by their surroundings.
'Over the shoulder shot' (OSS) - This shot is framed from behind a person who is looking at the subject. The person facing the subject should usually occupy about 1/3 of the frame. This shot helps to establish the position of each person, and get the feel of looking at one person from the other's point of view. It's common to cut between these shots during a conversation, alternating the view between the different speakers.
High Angle Shot (looking down) - This has the effect of diminishing the subject, making them appear less powerful, less significant or even submissive.
Low Angle Shot (looking up) - This shows the subject from below, giving them the impression of being more powerful or dominant.
Tilted Frame/Dutch Tilt - This camera shot in which the camera angle is deliberately slanted to one side. This can be used for dramatic effect and helps portray unease, disorientation, frantic or desperate action, intoxication, madness, etc. A dutch tilt can be a static shot, or used with simultaneous panning, tilting or zooming.
Point of View Shot (POV) - This shot shows a view from the subject's perspective. It is usually edited in such a way that it is obvious whose POV it is.
22/10/2010
Continuity Editing
Both match on action and the 180° rule promote continuity editing. Continuity editing is defined as 'the predominant style of editing in narrative cinema and television. The purpose of continuity editing is to smooth over the inherent discontinuity of the editing process and to establish a logical coherence between shots.'
Other techniques that help create continuity editing are fade out/ins, cross cutting, diegetic sound, establishing shots and eyeline matchs.
Other techniques that help create continuity editing are fade out/ins, cross cutting, diegetic sound, establishing shots and eyeline matchs.
21/10/2010
Match On Action
Below is a prime example of match on action, the the director must manipulate the camera as if the film reality they're creating exists when not in view of the camera. For example an action that starts in one shot and finishes in the other, this just says to the audience that when one shot ends another will pick up from where the other one left off making the reality of the film fluid and continuous.
20/10/2010
180° Rule
The 180° rule tells us that one person should always be on the left side of the shot and the other should always be on the right side of the shot. This is a visual clue as to who's talking. Imagine if close ups showed both of the characters on the right side of the shot, the immediate assumption would be that they were talking to someone else, off camera.
Below is a schematic that best explains the 180° rule:
Below is a short video I found on YouTube which goes into more detail about this subject:
Below is a schematic that best explains the 180° rule:
The above schematic shows the axis between two characters and the 180° arc on which cameras may be positioned (green line). When cutting from 180° arc to the red arc the characters switch places on the screen.
Below is a short video I found on YouTube which goes into more detail about this subject:
07/10/2010
The Lost Edit - Sound Does Matter!
This is a version of an early edit from our camera work.
In this clip you will see our first edit of our camera work but with funny background music and effects such as, the Benny Hill theme tune, Homer Simpson laugh and the start of the Spongebob Squarepants theme tune.
In this clip you will see our first edit of our camera work but with funny background music and effects such as, the Benny Hill theme tune, Homer Simpson laugh and the start of the Spongebob Squarepants theme tune.
The idea of this clip is to show you how changing the music and sound effects completely changes the atmosphere and levels of tension/suspense in a film.
This video is quite lighthearted and comical but should you watch the third edit of our camera work (3 posts below) you will see that the exact same video can be spooky and suspenseful with the right music and sound effects.
Year 13 Preliminary Task Research and Analysis
George and Jack's Preliminary
What I liked about this was:
• There was some suspense music then all of a sudden it was as if the music had been muted which created a tense atmosphere, they maintained the anonymity of the characters by not showing their faces to begin with, which also creates tension.
• There was a close up shot of Jack's mouth which focused on what he was saying. This was a good use of the camera and also made the scene more effective.
What I thought could have been improved:
• At certain points in the task, the camera was shaky; they probably should have used a tripod to get rid of any shakiness. The music played when one of the characters was exiting was out of place and wasn’t conventional of a thriller film, therefore it did not sustain any tension created
Callum and Zoe's Preliminary
What I liked about this was:
• I liked the night time setting, this creates tension and mystery. The street lights added an ominous glow which also creates an atmosphere.
What I thought could have been improved:
• Callum and Zoe probably had a good plan and idea of what they wanted to do but when they came to create it, they had problems with sound as you can hear conversations in the café they filmed in.
• Also some of the camera shots were a bit grainy which was probably down to them filming at night. This should have been considered before.
Livi, Tilly, Claudie and Ellen’s Preliminary
What I liked about this was:
• This task felt like it was put together the best as the scenes are well planned out bar the final scene.
• The shot through the doors gave a prison-like feel seeing as the doors have a cubic pattern on the window that looks like prison bars.
• The close up shot of the girl lying on the stairs shows how she is lifeless; this creates tension and suspense and makes the viewer question what has happened therefore engaging them.
What I thought could have been improved:
• The final scene is not quite as good as the rest of the task, they build suspense and tension up well but fail to sustain that through the last scene.
Cissie, Chloe and Jasmine’s Preliminary
What I liked about this was:
• The intro music was quite good and conventional of a thriller.
What I thought could have been improved:
• Apart from the intro music there wasn’t really much conventional of a thriller included which didn’t help.
• This task didn’t build suspense or tension as well as the other tasks, it spent a lot of time interviewing one character, they had obviously planned the camera shots and script well but the editing side of things didn’t produce much excitement or tension
Matt and Lauren’s Preliminary
What I liked about this was:
• The music worked really well especially during the shots on the stairs.
• When the girl was found in the cupboard, this was effective and the screams and constant struggling really showed how she was vulnerable and scared.
What I thought could have been improved:
• The beginning of their piece was very random and didn't really fit in with the rest of their task but apart from that it was a very well produced piece.
Josh and Victoria’s Preliminary
What I liked about this was:
• The darkness of the scene worked well however at certain points
• The effect of hearing her footsteps walking up the stairs also worked very well as it created a lot of tension.
What I thought could have been improved:
• At some points it was too dark to the point where you couldn't see anything.
• The sound of their scene wasn’t as good as some of the other tasks
• Some pauses during the conversation might have increased the tension and some low volume background suspense music throughout the scene would build suspense and eliminate any shots with no sound.
What I liked about this was:
• There was some suspense music then all of a sudden it was as if the music had been muted which created a tense atmosphere, they maintained the anonymity of the characters by not showing their faces to begin with, which also creates tension.
• There was a close up shot of Jack's mouth which focused on what he was saying. This was a good use of the camera and also made the scene more effective.
What I thought could have been improved:
• At certain points in the task, the camera was shaky; they probably should have used a tripod to get rid of any shakiness. The music played when one of the characters was exiting was out of place and wasn’t conventional of a thriller film, therefore it did not sustain any tension created
Callum and Zoe's Preliminary
What I liked about this was:
• I liked the night time setting, this creates tension and mystery. The street lights added an ominous glow which also creates an atmosphere.
What I thought could have been improved:
• Callum and Zoe probably had a good plan and idea of what they wanted to do but when they came to create it, they had problems with sound as you can hear conversations in the café they filmed in.
• Also some of the camera shots were a bit grainy which was probably down to them filming at night. This should have been considered before.
Livi, Tilly, Claudie and Ellen’s Preliminary
What I liked about this was:
• This task felt like it was put together the best as the scenes are well planned out bar the final scene.
• The shot through the doors gave a prison-like feel seeing as the doors have a cubic pattern on the window that looks like prison bars.
• The close up shot of the girl lying on the stairs shows how she is lifeless; this creates tension and suspense and makes the viewer question what has happened therefore engaging them.
What I thought could have been improved:
• The final scene is not quite as good as the rest of the task, they build suspense and tension up well but fail to sustain that through the last scene.
Cissie, Chloe and Jasmine’s Preliminary
What I liked about this was:
• The intro music was quite good and conventional of a thriller.
What I thought could have been improved:
• Apart from the intro music there wasn’t really much conventional of a thriller included which didn’t help.
• This task didn’t build suspense or tension as well as the other tasks, it spent a lot of time interviewing one character, they had obviously planned the camera shots and script well but the editing side of things didn’t produce much excitement or tension
Matt and Lauren’s Preliminary
What I liked about this was:
• The music worked really well especially during the shots on the stairs.
• When the girl was found in the cupboard, this was effective and the screams and constant struggling really showed how she was vulnerable and scared.
What I thought could have been improved:
• The beginning of their piece was very random and didn't really fit in with the rest of their task but apart from that it was a very well produced piece.
Josh and Victoria’s Preliminary
What I liked about this was:
• The darkness of the scene worked well however at certain points
• The effect of hearing her footsteps walking up the stairs also worked very well as it created a lot of tension.
What I thought could have been improved:
• At some points it was too dark to the point where you couldn't see anything.
• The sound of their scene wasn’t as good as some of the other tasks
• Some pauses during the conversation might have increased the tension and some low volume background suspense music throughout the scene would build suspense and eliminate any shots with no sound.
30/09/2010
Flight Plan Research
Flight Plan (2005) is a mystery thriller directed by Robert Schwentke. The film follows Kyle (Mother) and Julia Pratt (Daughter) as they are flying home from Berlin to America. At 30,000 feet Julia vanishes and nobody admits she was ever on that plane. It's a mystery thriller which does not follow the conventional setting of a thriller (Suburbs and Cities). This is most probably because it's a hybrid film. There is no tagline for Flightplan, this makes the potential viewer wonder what it's about, doing the same thing as a tagline essentially. Getting them to watch it!
Camera Work Task
We were given the task of experimenting with the equipment available to us, we used a variety of camera shots and angles to show what we could do. The main part of the task was to film someone walking down a corridor, entering a room then engaging in a meeting. This is practice and in preparation for our preliminary task. We had some shaky shots early on but we went back and re-filmed them until we were happy with them.
(View the clip in the window as opposed to full screen for best quality)
18/09/2010
Thriller Sub-Genres Research
Action Thrillers contain :
• Suspense
• Conspiracies
• The plot revolves around fights, action and revenge
Political Thrillers contain:
• Plots that revolve around conspiracies
• The hero fights to ensure the stability of the government that employs him
• Tense power struggles and conflict
• Examples are 'The Contender', 'JFK', 'All The President's Men'
• Account of successful or failed crime or crimes with suspense
Crime Thrillers contain:
• Account of successful or failed crime or crimes with suspense
• Focus on criminal(s) point of view / criminal(s) narrative
• Serial killers, robberies, chases, shootouts and heists
• Examples are 'The Departed', 'The Usual Suspects'
Psychological Thrillers contain:
• Conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional
Thriller Conventions Research
Typical Thriller Conventions are:
• Mystery
• Suspense
• Tension
• Plot Twists - which engages the audience and retains their interest, should it wander elsewhere.
• Atmosphere - Dark, Terror, Paranoia
• Heroes + Villains
• Some sort of 'happy ending'
Typical Thriller Characters are:
• Criminals • Stalkers
• Assassins
• Innocent Victims
• Characters with dark, mysterious past
• Mentally disturbed + Psychotic Individuals
• Terrorists
• Police
• People involved in twisted relationships
• Disillusioned individuals who want to take revenge on society
• Hero with a mysterious past or a point to prove to society
Typical Themes are:
• Terrorism
• Politics
• Conspiracy
• Conspiracy
• Pursuit
• Romantic triangles or dysfunctional relationships that lead to murder
• Romantic triangles or dysfunctional relationships that lead to murder
16/09/2010
12/09/2010
5 Thriller Films Reasearch
1) Psycho
• Fast jumpy music, gives a creepy effect
• Main character is a psychotic individual
• Marion Crane is the innocent victim (typical thriller convention)
• Quick paced action
• Hybrid film, psychological thriller
• Indirect violence when the viewer hears Marion in the car thinking about past events
• Bad Weather e.g. thunder and heavy rain gives a creepy/mysterious feel to the scene
• Tension is built up with slow paced scenes then followed by fast paced action scenes
• Creepy house Marion sees out her window cannot be seen fully due to shadows. This creates a mysterious feel and a sense of the unknown about the house
• Close ups of faces + expressions focus on reactions from characters and focus on what the character is saying
2) Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer
• Main character is once again a psychotic individual (typical thriller convention)
• The women he kills are innocent victims (typical thriller convention)
• Camera slowly zooms in on faces and expressions to build suspense
• The darkness creates tension and suspense
• The main theme of Perfume is pursuit, this is apparent when the main character pursues the girls for their scents
• Serial killing
• Focuses on the action not the surroundings
• Slow paced scenes, builds suspense
• Close-ups of important yet subtle events/actions
3) Collateral
• Dark / low lighting creates a sense of the unknown
• Green tint during some scenes creates a mysterious feel
• Sudden / dramatic events. Examples in the trailer below are when the dead man falls on the taxi and when Tom Cruise pulls his gun on Jamie Foxx:
• Fast paced music played when something important is going to happen
• Close-ups on faces and expressions
• Camera focuses on action in the foreground and background is out of focus. This can be seen in the trailer above at 0:59 seconds
• Cut-away shots used
4) Kill Bill Vol.1
• Split screen picture used
• Mysterious man whose identity is anonymous, all that the viewer sees is his legs and hand and all that the viewer hears is his voice
• Mixture of colour and black and white scenes
• Heavy breathing audible yet a solid black screen is all that’s visible
• Fast paced music played during the fight scenes
5) The Dark Knight
• Main character is a superhero
• It’s a hybrid, it’s a mixture of superhero and thriller
• Night scenes, so low lighting is used
• Fast paced
• Slow paced music apart from when in pursuit
• Zooms in on facing when talking to show reactions and expressions of characters (The Joker and Batman)
• Birds-eye camera shot
• Camera pans out to birds-eye camera shot of the city
• Fast jumpy music, gives a creepy effect
• Main character is a psychotic individual
• Marion Crane is the innocent victim (typical thriller convention)
• Quick paced action
• Hybrid film, psychological thriller
• Indirect violence when the viewer hears Marion in the car thinking about past events
• Bad Weather e.g. thunder and heavy rain gives a creepy/mysterious feel to the scene
• Tension is built up with slow paced scenes then followed by fast paced action scenes
• Creepy house Marion sees out her window cannot be seen fully due to shadows. This creates a mysterious feel and a sense of the unknown about the house
• Close ups of faces + expressions focus on reactions from characters and focus on what the character is saying
2) Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer
• Main character is once again a psychotic individual (typical thriller convention)
• The women he kills are innocent victims (typical thriller convention)
• Camera slowly zooms in on faces and expressions to build suspense
• The darkness creates tension and suspense
• The main theme of Perfume is pursuit, this is apparent when the main character pursues the girls for their scents
• Serial killing
• Focuses on the action not the surroundings
• Slow paced scenes, builds suspense
• Close-ups of important yet subtle events/actions
3) Collateral
• Dark / low lighting creates a sense of the unknown
• Green tint during some scenes creates a mysterious feel
• Sudden / dramatic events. Examples in the trailer below are when the dead man falls on the taxi and when Tom Cruise pulls his gun on Jamie Foxx:
• Fast paced music played when something important is going to happen
• Close-ups on faces and expressions
• Camera focuses on action in the foreground and background is out of focus. This can be seen in the trailer above at 0:59 seconds
• Cut-away shots used
4) Kill Bill Vol.1
• Split screen picture used
• Mysterious man whose identity is anonymous, all that the viewer sees is his legs and hand and all that the viewer hears is his voice
• Mixture of colour and black and white scenes
• Heavy breathing audible yet a solid black screen is all that’s visible
• Fast paced music played during the fight scenes
5) The Dark Knight
• Main character is a superhero
• It’s a hybrid, it’s a mixture of superhero and thriller
• Night scenes, so low lighting is used
• Fast paced
• Slow paced music apart from when in pursuit
• Zooms in on facing when talking to show reactions and expressions of characters (The Joker and Batman)
• Birds-eye camera shot
• Camera pans out to birds-eye camera shot of the city
10/09/2010
Famous Thriller Directors
1) Christopher Nolan
• He has directed the post-2005 Batman films: 'Batman Begins' (2005) and 'The Dark Knight' (2008) which are superhero action thrillers
• Most of his films are hybrids, bringing together two genres. ‘Inception’ (2010), for example, is a cross between a thriller and a sci-fi film.
• Although it is tipped to do very well, ‘Inception’ (2010) hasn’t been able to win any awards as the Oscars, Golden Globes and Grammys are all scheduled for early 2011. AwardsDaily.com say, “With ten slots, you can bet the bank it will be one of them" regarding the Oscars.
2) Quentin Tarantino
• He is well known for writing the Kill Bill trilogy, which are action/thrillers.
• His most critically acclaimed film in the thriller genre was ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994), which won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his screenplay and writing. Two very prestigious awards in the film industry.
3) Martin Scorsese
• He has written ‘Shutter Island’ (2010), ‘The Departed’ (2006) and numerous other titles
• It’s also worth noting he received an Oscar for “Best Achievement in Directing” for ‘The Departed’ (2006)
• He has directed the post-2005 Batman films: 'Batman Begins' (2005) and 'The Dark Knight' (2008) which are superhero action thrillers
• Most of his films are hybrids, bringing together two genres. ‘Inception’ (2010), for example, is a cross between a thriller and a sci-fi film.
• Although it is tipped to do very well, ‘Inception’ (2010) hasn’t been able to win any awards as the Oscars, Golden Globes and Grammys are all scheduled for early 2011. AwardsDaily.com say, “With ten slots, you can bet the bank it will be one of them" regarding the Oscars.
2) Quentin Tarantino
• He is well known for writing the Kill Bill trilogy, which are action/thrillers.
• His most critically acclaimed film in the thriller genre was ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994), which won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his screenplay and writing. Two very prestigious awards in the film industry.
3) Martin Scorsese
• He has written ‘Shutter Island’ (2010), ‘The Departed’ (2006) and numerous other titles
• It’s also worth noting he received an Oscar for “Best Achievement in Directing” for ‘The Departed’ (2006)
Famous Thrillers
* Conventional Thrillers take place in the suburbs or a city; main characters are criminals, stalkers, assassins, innocent victims and psychotic individuals to name a few. The themes of thrillers often include terrorism, political conspiracy, pursuit or relationships leading to murder.
1) The Godfather
• ‘The Godfather’ is a highly rated thriller, although it is a hybrid between a gangster/crime film and a thriller.
• The leading actors in ‘The Godfather’ were Al Pacino as Michael Corleone and Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone.
• Brief Synopsis:
The story of a New York Mafia family and their how they struggle protect their empire from rival families as the leadership is switched from the father to his youngest son.
• ‘The Godfather’s plot follows the conventions* of a thriller film as you can see below:
Main Characters - Gangsters (criminals)
Setting - New York (City)
Themes –Pursuit
2) Psycho
• ‘Psycho’ is considered to be one of the best thriller films made by Alfred Hitchcock. It is a hybrid between a horror and a thriller.
• The leading actors in the ‘Psycho’ are Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates and Janet Leigh as Marion Crane.
• ‘Psycho’ is based on the crimes of the Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein.
• Brief Synopsis:
A young woman steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently meets a young motel owner under the domination of his mother.
• ‘Psycho’ follows the conventions* of a thriller film as you can see below:
Main Characters – Psychotic Individual
Setting – Suburbs
Themes – Pursuit, Victimisation and Voyeurism
3) Memento
• ‘Memento’ is the film Christopher Nolan was best known for before Inception was released in 2010. It’s a hybrid between a mystery film and a thriller.
• The leading actors in ‘Memento’ were Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby and Carrie-Anne Moss as Natalie.
• Brief Synopsis:
A man struggles with amnesia as he seeks vengeance on his wife's killers.
• ‘Memento’ follows the conventions* of a thriller film as you can see below:
Main Characters – Innocent Victim
Setting – Suburbs
Themes – Pursuit, Revenge, Self-deception and Grief
• ‘Memento’ unfolds in two separate, alternating narratives — one in colour, and the other in black and white. The one in black and white is in chronological order and the one in colour is in reverse chronological order as you can see in the official trailer below:
1) The Godfather
• ‘The Godfather’ is a highly rated thriller, although it is a hybrid between a gangster/crime film and a thriller.
• The leading actors in ‘The Godfather’ were Al Pacino as Michael Corleone and Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone.
• Brief Synopsis:
The story of a New York Mafia family and their how they struggle protect their empire from rival families as the leadership is switched from the father to his youngest son.
• ‘The Godfather’s plot follows the conventions* of a thriller film as you can see below:
Main Characters - Gangsters (criminals)
Setting - New York (City)
Themes –Pursuit
2) Psycho
• ‘Psycho’ is considered to be one of the best thriller films made by Alfred Hitchcock. It is a hybrid between a horror and a thriller.
• The leading actors in the ‘Psycho’ are Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates and Janet Leigh as Marion Crane.
• ‘Psycho’ is based on the crimes of the Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein.
• Brief Synopsis:
A young woman steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently meets a young motel owner under the domination of his mother.
• ‘Psycho’ follows the conventions* of a thriller film as you can see below:
Main Characters – Psychotic Individual
Setting – Suburbs
Themes – Pursuit, Victimisation and Voyeurism
3) Memento
• ‘Memento’ is the film Christopher Nolan was best known for before Inception was released in 2010. It’s a hybrid between a mystery film and a thriller.
• The leading actors in ‘Memento’ were Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby and Carrie-Anne Moss as Natalie.
• Brief Synopsis:
A man struggles with amnesia as he seeks vengeance on his wife's killers.
• ‘Memento’ follows the conventions* of a thriller film as you can see below:
Main Characters – Innocent Victim
Setting – Suburbs
Themes – Pursuit, Revenge, Self-deception and Grief
• ‘Memento’ unfolds in two separate, alternating narratives — one in colour, and the other in black and white. The one in black and white is in chronological order and the one in colour is in reverse chronological order as you can see in the official trailer below:
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