Research Task by Becky

1. Requiem for a Dream
Camera Work

• A point of view shot is used when the mother is looking through the key hole. This was used so that the audience can see through her perspective and see what level she is at compared to her son, who she is peering at through the key hole. 

• A close-up is used when the mother is in the bathroom. This has been used so that the audience can clearly see her emotions and her reactions to what is being said to her, from the other character in the other room. 

Mise-en-scene

• Everyday props such as a table, a lamp and a telephone have been used to create realism. This psychological thriller is meant to be realistic and having props that everybody else uses, makes the audience automatically think that this is meant to be a normal home, in everyday life. 
• Again, to create realism, the characters hair, make-up and costumes have been done in a way that portrays them as 'normal' people, so that people can possibly relate to them. As the film begins with what we can presume is a T.V. programme, we wonder why we are seeing this. When the camera cuts to the characters in the house, the main focus is the on son, trying to take the T.V. This creates enigma and questions. Why is he taking the T.V.? and what has a T.V. got to do with anything?
• The lighting is supposed to be natural, as it is coming through the window. When the mother locked herself in the bathroom, she perhaps feels isolates and upset with her son, to reflect this, low key lighting has been used. In the other room, where the son is shouting and rushing around, high key lighting has been used, which possibly makes him look superior to his mother.

Editing

• Quick cuts have been used because a lot of shouting and running around is happening in the house, so this creates confusion and disorientates the audience. 



An example from later in the film of a split screen.

• A split screen has been used, which is strange as the characters are only a door away from each other. In other films such as '(500) Days of Summer' they used it to show distance. I think this has been used because it shows each of their emotions, and possibly to show comparison between each of the characters and show what their relationship is like with one another.

Sound

• There is a lot of dialogue used in this opening sequence, which is not at all common in thrillers. It isn't a common convention which I think makes this film all the more interesting.
• The soundtrack is however something common in thrillers. Dark ominous music has been used to create suspense and build tension.

Types of character again aren't something common to thrillers. A mother and an adult son isn't perhaps what you would expect.
The narrative order is what appears to be chronological.
I would definitely say the theme for this thriller is psychological.


2. Shutter Island
Camera Work

• An establishing shot is of an old looking boat out at sea is the first thing we see. This has been used to give the audience context of where the story begins and possibly what to expect.



The establishing shot

• A close-up is used of what we can presume is the main character. He looks fairly scruffy and not the type to care about his appearance, therefore the close-up automatically tells the audience what kind of man he his, just by his appearance and the way he presents himself. 

Mise-en-scene

• The costume of the two characters automatically sets the time period for this film without even seeing anything else. They are wearing old-fashioned suits, with the typical trilby hats from the 50's and 60's. 
• The props in this film show that this film will have a crime element to it. Props such as a gun, chains, handcuffs and old rusty doors suggest we won't be watching a comedy. 

• Lighting in this scene is meant to look natural, so when sunlight is coming through the window, it creates realism. However, when the main character steps outside, it is all cloudy and the colour is a low grading and desaturated colour. This channels the theme of the film, as it is a thriller, the colouring won't exactly be bright and full of sunshine, therefore with a dim and dull grading, its goes with the scene. 

Editing

• In this opening, a flashback has been used to show more background information on the main character. He is telling a story to the other character, and the flashback channels what he is saying.
• The cuts in this film aren't at all short and quick, they are much longer and slower. This is because in this particular scene, there isn't a tremendous amount of action as we are just learning about the character. It would be inappropriate to have a lot of cuts when there isn't much happening.

Sound

• Dialogue in this opening scene is used quite a lot, just like in Requiem for a Dream. The first thing we hear is the main character talking to himself. This has been used so that the audience can find out more about his character and get an insight to his emotions.

• Diegetic sounds such as the chains, footsteps and the metal gate have been heightened and you can imagine a Foley artist making these sounds. This has been done to add emphasis on the props and pay more attention to them.

I think that this thriller doesn't create a lot of enigma, as whilst the characters are having a conversation, we are learning everything we are asking in our heads. For example, we wonder who the main character is talking to, and he says 'you alright boss'. We automatically learn that he is his partner.
The narrative structure appears to be in chronological order as there is a flashback we can presume that it was in the past, and when it switches back, we are back to the current time period.

3. Pi
Camera Work

• The very first shot is a canted close-up. This may disorientate the viewers, and also show that the main character is confused as well, because he is just waking up, not in his bed but from his desk, he too doesn't know what is happening. 
• Again, Darren Aronofsky uses a point of view shot, where the character is peering through the key hole. He wants the audience to know what the character is exactly looking at.

Mise-en-scene

• The setting of this opening scene is clearly of his home. The desk, bathroom, front door and the outside corridor suggest we are in his flat and learning about him just by what his home looks like.
• One prop makes automatically informs the audience about what this film is going to be evolved around. A calculator. A girl is holding a calculator and asks the main character what the answer is to a really difficult sum, he doesn't even look at it and knows the answer in a flash. As soon as we see this calculator, we know what to expect.

Editing

• A montage of quick action cuts is used so that it doesn't take as long to show what is happening and to create psychological tension. He opens a bottle, puts pills in his hand and takes them. This happens in about 3 seconds. 
• This film is in black in white, which is intentional because of the year it was made (1998), colour was the common way in which films were shot. I think the use of black and white is because it doesn't show everything in great detail, therefore stimulates your mind to think about what is being portrayed in the scene.

Sound

• A voice over is being used, even though it is coming from the main character himself. This is because he is letting us know what he is thinking and feeling.
• At the opening, an upbeat electric soundtrack is being used, which suggests that the film could be futuristic, and something out of the ordinary. 

This film doesn't contain many common conventions of a horror film. There isn't any obvious hero or villain or mood/atmosphere (such as suspense, danger or darkness). The narrative structure is what we can presume is chronological order.


4. Fight Club
Camera Work

The low angle , from the side shot

• A low angle has been used from the side of the face. This shows superiority from the character who is standing taller than the other male character.
• A common convention from these thrillers seems to be close ups. It has been used in this case to focus on the characters injuries to his face, which creates enigma. Why does he look as if he has been beaten up?
• Shallow depth of field is used, when the focus is on the main character. It directs the audience to focus on him.

Mise-en-scene

• The setting is clearly a typical American city, possibly New York. We can tell this from the tall lit up buildings and big roads. The room that they are in looks like a modern office which portrays the idea they are in a busy city.
• Low key lighting is used to counter act the action that is taking place in the scene. Dark, and low grading is used to show what is taking place is dangerous.

Editing

• A flashback has been used, where the main character reminisces of how he got into that situation. And in that flashback, another one has been used to go back even further. This is a manipulation of time, which gets the audience to really think about what is going on.
• Slow cuts have been used so that the story is being told with clarity and there is no confusion withing the audience.

Sound

• To add emphasis to the fact they are in a city, sirens and car noises have been added and heightened, also conveying a lot of action is taking place, in this certain scene.
• Just like 'Pi', the main character is narrating, whilst the scene is taking place. This is cleverly done, as the narration carries on back in time with the flashbacks.

This is in a non-chronological order, which may confuse the audience. We can tell that the themes of this film is suspense, danger, crime and urban decay. We know this because we see a beaten up man, tied to a chair which adds to the crime factor. Also a gun adds to the danger and darkness theme.

A close-up of the main character lying on the floor.

5. 44inch Chest
Camera Work

• Still shots have been used to set the scene 
• Slow panning is used to reveal the shocking image of a scruffy looking character lying on the floor.

Mise-en-scene

• A messed up and trashed flat suggest something violent has happened, which creates questions that the audience are thinking. What has happened? Why is this flat trashed?
• Realistic props have been used to create realism. A typical sofa, kitchen and T.V. show that this is meant to be something that could possibly happen.

Editing

• The cuts fit are in time with the music. Every four beats, the cut switches to another still image of another messed up area of the house.
• The narrative structure is something that gets the audience to interact more, and think about. The beginning is actually at the start of the film, and then after the title appears, it cuts to the 'present time'.

Sound

• Contrapuntal sound has been used as the soundtrack. An 80's love ballad is not what you would normally associate or pair with in a thriller. 

• There isn't any dialogue in this opening scene, unlike all the other thrillers I have analyised. It is used sparingly, and done so that we can concentrate on the setting and let the destruction of the house let itself do the talking.

This makes us ask questions and feel hostile. We know that it is going to be a crime film and there will be violence. It makes us confused and the types of character are sinister and that there will be protagonist and antagonist. The flat looks fairly modern so we know that it is set in current time.