I watched the opening of 'The Butterfly Effect' as it is a psycological thriller, much like the one we are making. It is a film about a boy who blocks out parts of his life. As he grows up he finds a way to remember them, and a way to alter his life.
Opens with a quote: "It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterflys wings can ultimatley cause a typhoon halfway around the world." - Chaos Theory. This makes the watcher think about what relevance this will have to the story that follows.
It instantly makes you jump, which unnerves the audience for throughout the film.
The film begins in a dark room with Ashton Kutcher creating a panicked atmosphere.
The film then changes to what appears to be a 'normal' day, thirteen years earlier. This leads the audience into a false sense of security.
You are instantly introduced to the fact that his dad isn't around, but we aren't old why.
Small 'everyday' things make you jump, even though they are completely normal.
The child's drawing at school seems older than what a boy that age could draw, which makes the audience's mind wander.
You are introduced to "sunnyvale institution" which appears daunting and dark, where the young boyhas an MRI scan, which is also seen as being 'scary'.
The boy appars to be being 'possesed' when he is stood in the kitchen holding a knife, which again makes the audience jump.
The title sequence is just the title, with a butterfly but created into what seems to be a skull,which makes the audience wonder what relevance the 'Butterful Effect' has to the skull
Camera work is quick to begin with, but then changes to 'normal' when the film goes back thirteen years, but then changes to quick again when the boy appears to be possesed to indicate that this is not normal.
The editing is continuous and
The lighting changes much lik the camera work throughout the film. It begins dark as Ashton Kutcher is in the small room and then when we go thirteen years earlier, it appears to be very bright, nearly looking clinical.
The opening of a film is used mainly to attract the audiences interest and make them want to continue watching, but it also sets the tone of the film and identifies the genre.
What techniques can a director use to create suspense in a film?
Directors often use Music to create suspense and tension. strings and 'low' music are popular. Low key lighting is used, as is intimate cinematography. Editing is a popular way to create tension, by using jump cuts and cross cutting. False shocks are also a popular way to intrigue the audience and get them sat on the edge of their seat to emphasize tension futher on in the films.
How do you think a 'Thiller' is defined?
Thriller is a genre of literature, film, and television that uses suspense, tension, and as the main elements.excitement. A genuine, standalone thriller is a film that provide thrills and keeps the audience cliff-hanging at the "edge of their seats" as the plot builds towards a climax. The primary subgenres of thrillers are: mystery, crime and psychological thrillers
What films can you think of that would fit into the 'Thriller' genre?
The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)
Se7en (David Fincher, 1995)
The Departed (Martin Scorsese, 2006)
The 'Thriller' film can be divided into sub-genres, what different types of thriller do you think exists?
1. Thriller involving murderous passions'; a husband, a wife, a lover. One gets murdered. The motive for crime is usually passion or greed. An example of this is 'What Lies Beneath' (Robert Zemeckis, 200)
2. A political Thriller: the assasinations of leaders of government conspiracy. The motive for crime is usually power and domination. An example of this is 'Salt' (Phillip Noyce, 2010)
3. Change of identity thriller. Where the main character changes or conceals their identity and deals with the consequences. The motive is often hiding the crime. An example of this is 'The Bourne Identity' (Doug Liman, 2002)
4. Moral confrontation thriller. This is the 'good v evil' thriller. The motive is usually evil wants to defeat good. An example of this is 'Law Abiding Citizen' (F. Gary Gray, 2009)
5. Psyco-traumatic thriller. this is where the main character is traumatised by past events, causing them to commit crime. The motive is often the character trying to deal with the events. An example of this is 'Se7en' (David Fincher, 1995)
6. 'innocent on the run' thriller. This is where the hero is falsly accused and has to escape to prove his innocence. The motive is usually that the hero's bosses want them out of the way. An example of this is 'Salt' (Phillip Noyce, 2010)
What are the characteristics or conventions of a thriller film?
The conventions of the thriller genre are often to do with the editing. Quick cuts and camera angle changes are used and music that creates tension. It can also be to do with lighting, especially the use of shadows and low lighting. Thrillers often involve the use of mirrors or stairs and they tend to make things we use everyday, such as the bathroom, and make them creepy.
What do you think is the audience pleasure of a thriller film?
The audience pleasures are the suspense, and not knowing what is going to happen. I also think that guessing whos fault it is or who's committed the crime is a pleasure. The fact that throughout Thrillers the audience is often kept on the 'edge of their seat' is also a pleasure.
What do you think are the differences between a horror and a thiller film?
Thriller films are more about the story behind the action and building the suspense without too much happening whereas Horror films are about the blood and gore. Horror films often have little story line, whereas thrillers are often confusing and keep the audience thinking.
Using the internet, research the 'Top 50 Thriller Films' Look at the top twenty. How many have you watched and which ones? If not many, why is thi the case:?
I found a list of the top 50 thriller films and in the top twenty I have only seen one - The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan). I think this is because I don't tend to watch the older films, and 16 out of the 20 were made before 2000.
Thriller is a genre of film and literature which uses suspense, tension and excitement to attract the audience. I am going to reasearch into the history of the thriller genre by looking at thrillers through the decades. I will look at one film from each decade to see how each film changed the style and shape of the thriller genre.
1910 - 1920 Les Vampires (Louis Feuillade 1915)
One of the first recorded thriller films is Louis Feuillade's 'Les Vampires' - released in France on 13th November 1915. It is a story about a reporter and his friend who battle a society of vampires. The run-time on the US DVD is 399 minutes and it is a silent, black and white film.
1920 - 1930 The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (Robert Wiene 1920)
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari was released in Germany on the 27th February 1920. It is a tinted black and white thriller that runs for around 71 mintues. The story is based around Dr Caligari's predictions - involving savage murders. The film is said to be the first film to introduce 'twist' endings.
1930 - 1940 The Man who Knew too Much (Alfred Hitchcock 1934)
The Man Who Knew Too Much is an Alfred Hitchock film, released in 1934, about a young girl who is kidnapped to prevent her parents from revealing what they know about an assasination plot. It's a black and white film, with mono sounds and it runs for 75 minutes. Hitchcock remade the film in 1956 for Paramount Pictures. Alfred Hickcock was an English producer, director and screenwriter. He produced block-buster thriller films between 1920 and 1980. He was known for breaking the boundaries with his unique filming style, using framed shots to manipulate the viewer and innovative editing to demonstrate point of view.
1940 - 1950 Nightmare (Tim Whelan 1942)
Nightmare is a black and white film with mino sound and it runs for 81 minutes. Its a 'crime thriller' about an ex gambler who helps out a widow and becomes involved with murder and secret agents. The 'crime thriller' sub-genre only really came to light in the 1940's. It involves a mix of cime and thriller films that offer an account of crimes to build suspense. These films almost always focus on the criminal and central topics including robbery, chases and shootouts.
1950 - 1960 Les Espions (Henri-Georges Clouzot 1957)
'Les Espions' is a black and white film with mono sound and it runs for 125 minutes. Clouzot wrote the story, involving a doctor who is offered money to shelter a new patient. This film introduced the 'spy thriller' sub-genre.
1960 - 1970 Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock 1960)
Hitchcock's 'Psycho' is a black and white film, with mono sound and it runs for 109 minutes. It has gained alot of recognition over the years, placing 1st in AFI's top 100 thrillers and being nominated for 4 oscars. It is now seen as Hitchcock's best film.
1970 - 1980 Dirty Harry (Dont Siegel 1971)
'Dirty Harry' is an American 'crime thriller' and was the first film of the 'Dirty Harry' series. The running time was 102 minutes and it was a colour film. The film caused major controversy when it was released over issues ranging from police brutality to victims rights. It was cominated for an Edgar Allen Poe award in 1972.
1980 - 1990 Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982)
Blade runner is a 'sci-fi thriller' about a blade runner who has to track down and kill 4 replicants. Its a colour film that runs for 117 minutes.The film explored a world that was driven by technology and in recent years it is thought that the films version of reality is coming true.
Pulp fiction is rated the number one thriller film of all time. It's actors include John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson. It was created in the USA and is a colour film that runs for 154 minutes. It is well known for its ironic mix of humour and violence. It also uses a 'non-linear' storyline which was quite innovative for the thriller genre. It was nominated for seven oscars, won an Acadamy Award and a BAFTA.
2000 - 2010 The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)
The Dark Knight is rated number three in AFI's all time thriller films. It runs for 152 minutes and is a colour film. The film was based on the DC comics character Batman and was a sequal to Batman Begins (Christopher Nolan, 2005). The film has won and been nominated for over 30 awards, including winning an two Oscars, a BAFTA, two Critics Choice awards and a golden globe.
By looking at these 10 films, you can see that there are certain ones which really changed the shape of the thriller genre, like 'The Cabinet of Dr Caligari' which introduced twist endings and 'Pulp Fiction' which introduced humour into a thriller film.
