Research Task by Nathan Packham

 Here is my research for the 5 Thriller openings.

Deja Vu

Camera Work

• A long shot of the boat from a high angle to suggest a growing sense of danger. The fast tracking emphasises this.
• Close up of Doll shot from a high angle. This foreshadows the fate of those on board.
• Shallow depth of field during shots of families and children means the audience focuses on and connects emotionally with their story

Mise En Scene

• Use of clothing (Sailors) to promote viewer understanding and to introduce context.
• Body Language of Sailors expresses excitement, later contrasted with utter fear as the Boat explodes.

Sound

• The sound is contrapuntal throughout. The joyful scenes have a melancholy soundtrack, whereas the moment the bomb is found uses a pop track.
• The digetic cheering of the Sailors makes the audience even more nervous about their final fate.

Editing.

• Slow motion throughout suggests something is not quite right and allows the audience to connect emotionally
• Slow cuts until man realises bomb, quickening of pace creates confusion and terror.

Is it a conventional Thriller?

• Lack of dialogue still leaves audience confused as to what is happening in some aspects of the scene.
• Music builds tension and scenes of destruction.

Differences to the norm?

• There is no initial darkness. The film begins with scenes that take place in a high key and appears joyful.

Narrative Structure?

• Jumps in time as the investigation gets underway. The main character is seen on the ground then suddenly on a bridge.
• Objective. The audience is aware of the bomb when the majority of characters are not, likely to create a reaction of worry from the audience.

Things I would want to use in my work? 

• Lack of dialogue to leave the audience questioning the situation.
• Contrapuntel sound to create an omniscient threat of danger.

Green Zone 
Camera Work

• The camera is very unsteady, this creates a sense of confusion.

• There are very few long shots, the close ups allow the viewer to connect to the characters plight.  

Mise En Scene 

• The clothing of a few of the men suggest their authority and their need to be protected.
• Changes in setting sets up an argument between two sides of the story.

Sound

• Soundtrack parallels completley the urgency and confusion within the scene.
• Use of dialogue teases the audience into thinking they will an initial understanding of character traits, but really there is very little that can be drawn from it.

Editing

• Quick cuts add real pace to the scene as it seems to take place in a smaller time frame than it actually does.

Is it a conventional Thriller?

• Scenes of destruction
• Element of mystery. Why are these people under attack?

Differences with conventional Thrillers?

• Use of dialogue

Structure

• Non- Linear- Jumps to 4 Weeks later after opening scene.

Things I would want to use?

• Quick cuts to add urgency.
• Some sort of authority, whether this be corrupt or the protagonist.

Notorious 

Camera

• Low angle on sign expresses authority and possibly the idea that this authority is corrupt or wrong?
• Long shot in court keeps the audience detatched from the case. This would suggest they will later have to make up their mind on the conclusions drawn from the court case.

 Mise En scene

• The use of a Judge's constume inside the court room to show that the authority is present.
• Woman has expensive clothing and perfect hair, but her facial expressions shows her worry.

Sound 

• Cacophony of noise when the courthouse sign is shown makes the audience fear for the characters. 
• The use of dialogue to set up character traits and personality.

Editing

• Long Takes promote viewer understanding, rather than prevent them from understanding what is happening
• Use of Shot/ Reverse Shot to show that a relationship is building between two characters.

Conventional Thriller?

• Element of crime and authority
• Mystery- How did this happen?

Differences?

• A real lack of urgency, Hitchcock appears to want to make the time take its natural course.

Narrative

• Use of a elipsis to skip to later in the day. 

Things I would want to use? 

• Shot/ Reverse shot as a means of continuity.
• Soundtrack or noise that is likely to frighten or worry the audience.

The Departed

 

Camera Work

• Close ups of violence, social upheaval and urban decay.
• Mid long shot of the mystery man, audience is aware of body language but can see no facial features.

Mise En scene

• Lack of light on the mystery man makes him seem dangerous but also intrigues the audience. Use of restricted narration.
• Contrast in costume in the cafe scene shows who is in control of the situation.

Sound

• An unknown narrator commentates over scenes of violence. Is he the perpetrator of the action? A very subjective point of view, the man expresses his feelings of events going on at the time.
• The use of a popular music soundtrack to help the audience understand when the film is initally set.

Editing

• Quick cuts during scenes of violence, this slows to rhythmic cuts to show that the man is in control and aware of the situation surrounding him
• 180 Degree Rule keeps continuity and emphasises the importance of the scene where the mystery man and the boy are talking.

Conventional Thriller?

• Narration by a man who the audience cannot trust is likely to provoke a reaction of interest.
• Scenes of violence.

How is it different?

• Use of archive rather than original footage to create a wider context that surrounds the time of the film.
• Split between long+ short cuts. Drawing parallels between the outside world and the mans personal actions.

Narrative

• Close up of boy changing to man shows a huge jump in time bringing us right up to the present day.

Things I would want to use?

• Binary opposition in clothing. E.g In this opening, one man is in formal clothing whilst the other is weraing his work clothes.
• Themes of conflict brought about by an enigmatic perpetrator. Narration is also very effective in this sequence.

Memento

Camera

• Close ups of blood make the violence seem even more horrific and realistic.
• Man shot from a very high angle expresses his helplessness and utter confusion.
• Subjective POV for a long time, this adds to the shock when the scene of violence is revealed.

Mise En Scene

• Use of polaroid camera immediately creates audience interest into why this man needs to photo this event.
• Use of black+ White colour to suggest a loss of the senses and understanding.

Sound 

• An underlying string soundtrack creates a sense of tension .
• Digetic Sound- Flipping of the photos is a mundane thing to do after you have killed somebody.

Editing 

• Time manipulation, the action begins to go backwards and then suddenly shifts in time, this leaves the audience utterly confused. 
• Extremely long takes promote some viewer understanding as the picture fades for almost 1 minute.

Thriller?

• Violent and destructive themes.
• Mystery- Who is this man who has just killed? Why is he suddenly in a bedroom? Audience likely to question his morality.
• Binary Opposites- Act of agression countered by isolation and confusion?

Differences 

• Urgency builds rather than being present throughout. 

Narrative Structure 

• 2 changes in narrative structure. The first 1 minute 30 goes backwards in time, and then a sudden jump to another moment in time. 

What I would take from this?

• Getting the audience confused by making a character appear as antagonist and protagonist.
• Changes in narrative structure.