Thriller Conventions and Textual analysis of title sequences and openings

Thriller conventions include;

• Blood
• A killer
• Tension
• Dim/dark, low-key lighting
• Scary atmosphere
• Jumpy
• Medium close-up, extreme close up and close up shots
• Scary, atmospheric music
• Normally set at night or in stormy weather, lightning and thunder

Films:

Leon

• Shaky camera work, hand-held:this creates realism, documentary
• CU shots, this captures the characters emotions/facial expressions
• Shot-reverse-shot, used in a conversation
• ECU shots-used to show reflection off glasses, so you can see other character, also creates tension
• High angle shots
• 180 degree rule, smoother camera work, defying the 180 degree rule would make the editing look jumpy
• Low-key lighting, lots of shadows-used a lot in thrillers to create suspense and tension
• Fade to black, fade out and in
• VLS: establishing shot, showing where film is set.
• Set in a backstreet, grimy. Feel of film.
• Reflection in glasses, showing the other person through reflection so audience can see them as well as the person actually on camera
• Music creates tense atmosphere, low droning sound, creating tension

The Machinist

Tech. Codes:

• Non-focused camera work, makes the audience concentrate on what is in focus
• MCU shots, shows facial expression as well as posture or body language
• Low angle and high angle shots
• CU shots, shows emotion
• Music creating tension, use of violins contrasting-loud to quiet etc...
• Waves crashing in background
• Camera work looks as if the audience are spying on the character, voyuerism
• Camera focuses on the window pane, not the character, this creates Sensory Deprivation, in this case, sight
• A sound bridge is used to create a smooth transition from one scene to the next
• When the film first starts, there is only sound, no picture, which makes the audience think 'what is happening?'
• Over-shoulder shot, is something going to happen behind him?
• Tracking

Lighting:

• Low-key lighting and set at night
• Dark shadows on his face, up-lighting, distortion

Mise en scene:

• Bleach:get rid of blood, did he kill the man who saw him dump the body? Insight into character and what he does
• Torch on his table
• His room is dirty and has minimal stuff, suggests he may be a killer?
• Character smoking and quite thin-shows stress
• Cuts and bruises on his face, not clean but looks like an ordinary man

Editing:

• Silver text, font is mechanic
• Slow paced opening, about 6-10 shots a minute, not many-makes audience pay attention to what's happening and all the little details
• Titles quite subtle
• Eye-line match:watching the character's face, then cutting to what he sees