Location scouting / walk-through

This is a sequence of stills from our 'location scouting' which, as you can see, turned into an informal run through of our opening scene. Maybe with just one look we realised that empty cornfields = dramatic murder, who knows, but the fact of that matter was that we decided straight away we wanted to use the field. A flaw in our plan was that on one side of the field is a very modern looking housing estate - a slight departure from the timeless, neutral feel we were hoping to acheive - so this run through also served the purpose of working out how best to avoid the estate sneaking into shot. We hope to film at dusk as this will create more tension than this unusually bright, sunny day did.

This is the alley way that leads into the field. We thought that it would look especially menacing at night, and that the main character could walk down it into the field oblivious to the murderer lurking in the shadows behind her.

Our victim would then proceed to walk accross the field. A panning shot would be used.

The victim, having become unnerved and suspicious she is being followed turns and looks over her shoulder. The camera would follow her head as it turns around and the killer would be then seen in the background silhouetted against a tree. (The details of this shot are not finalised as of yet.)

Quick cuts will then be used between the victim approaching the tree...




...and the murderer, here preparing an invisible piece of rope to use as a weapon.




The cuts quicken as the victim gets closer.




The murderer appears silhouetted/half in shadow. This is when the murder will then be committed, drawing inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho' whereby no explicit violence is shown but fast cuts are utilised to give an impression of panic.


We will then cut to a long shot of the field. The next scene will start with the same long shot, only at a different time of day to show the time lapse and differentiation between the scenes. Originally, we contemplated a shot where the sky is filmed overnight and then sped up so the shot lasts a few seconds to show the time passing, but the technical and logistical issues with this meant that it was an unrealistic idea.

'Psycho' analysis

The 'shower scene' in 'Psycho' is one of the most iconic moments in cinematic history. Whilst viewing it I found it especially interesting how despite portraying a brutal attack, Hitchcock does it without actually showing any explicit violence. Quick cuts are utilised to their best effect and this combined with close ups and shadows delivers a realistic and scary murder scene. We are planning on including a murder scene in our thriller opening,so we will be taking notice of this technique; I think that if we try and explicitly show a murder taking place our film may end up looking too amateur.

Initial ideas

This is our first mind map of ideas for our thriller opening. To produce this we remembered the conventions of a thriller that we had researched (violence, suspense, action sequences, an unusual setting, ordinary characters in extraordinary situations) and brainstormed for some potential plots. Some were developed more than others, and through discussion we arrived at the idea of a chase sequence.

We especially drew inspiration from 'No Country For Old Men'. The idea of a countryside setting proved both appealing and accessable, and the neutral background, costume and props was especially interesting to us as a group.

Scene 1 - Our main character would be stalked through a cornfield - possibly at dusk for a more dramatic feel. The killer would be shown subtly, either silhouetted or in shadow. The main character would then be strangled.

Scene 2 - The next day. The main character would be found by a girl merrily roaming through the field.

Film Classifications

The BBFC stands for the British Board of Film Classification, and is responsible for classifiying cinema films to advise the public wether a not a film is suitable for their viewing.

U - films given a U rating must be suitable for children over the age of 4, they must contain a 'positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counter-balances to any violence, threat and horror.'

PG - PG stands for 'parental guidence' and should not disturb any child aged 8 or over. However, some scenes may be unsuitable for young children - parents should use their discretion as to wether or not they allow their child to watch it unaccompanied. Mild bad language is accepted in a PG film, as are mild sex references and moderate violence, but frightening sequences may not be prolonged or intense.

12A - This is a cinema classification only, no-one younger than 12 can watch a 12A classified film unless accompanied by an adult. Discrimination may not be included unless it is being clearly condemned, drug use should not be glamourised, moderate horror is permitted as long as it is not sustained, moderate language is allowed, as are discreet sex references and mature themes - as long as they are portrayed in a way acceptable for young teenagers.

12 - The same criteria exists in classifying a 12 film as with a 12A film, however the 12 classification is used only for video and dvd works.

15 - Children under 15 may not watch or buy a film with a 15 rating. Drug taking may be shown as long as the film does not promote misuse, strong horror may be used, strong language is justifiable based on the context, sexual activity may be shown without strong detail, no theme is prohibited and violence may be strong.

18 - An 18 film does not prohibite many elements on the basis that adults are at liberty to choose their own entertainment. The only exceptions are where there are explicit sexual images not justifiable by context, or where the material risks harm to individuals or society .

R18 - R18 films are only to be shown in specialised cinemas or liscened sex shops and may not be supplied via mail order. Any content is permitted except that which may encourage sexually abusive and illegal behaviour such as paedophilia or rape.

Information courtesy of http://www.bbfc.co.uk/

Most thriller films tend to fall into the category of 12, 15 and 18 classifications, as use of violence, bad language, adult themes and suspense and tension are almost always included. Category '15' is often the most desirable rating for film companies especially when making a thriller, as this means their film can reach a very audience without having to compromise on the content. In our thriller we are keen to include the conventional elements such as violence and suspenseful sequences, maybe not in the opening but definitely in the rest of the film if we were to make it. Therefore, we are aiming to make a film that would be given a rating of '15'.

This is the opening to 1995 thriller 'Se7en'; I think it is particularly effective. The use of extreme close ups, quick cuts, odd camera angles (for example, one shot is upside down) and some out-of-focus shots all create a dramatic feel and heighten tension right from the very start - the quick cuts directly contrasting with the slow deliberate movements of the person featured also help this. As is typical with thrillers, the colours in the sequence are kept dark with mainly blacks and browns being used and the use of shadow is prominent. The effect of this is that the film exudes mystery and suspense with the audience already hooked and wanting to know more. A lot of the shots overlap, with images and text being super-imposed on top of each other, sometimes there are two seperate shots on the screen at one time and sometimes there are flashes of scribblings and text too quick for the audience to fully read. This implies that there is a lot more to know with this film and that hidden meanings and many layers are going to be used. The music used is very sombre and dark, with echoing, industrial sounds built into it. It sounds ominous and heightens the tension. As the content itself is not that scary, the music plays a huge part in making the scene seem it. For my thriller, I will really have to consider how music can change the mood of the scene.

'Taking Lives' analysis

After watching 2004 thriller 'Taking Lives', I decided to write an analysis aiming to reach a conclusion as to wether it conformed to or subverted the typical conventions of a thriller.

In what ways does ‘Taking Lives’ conform to or subvert what you consider the conventions of the thriller genre?

Each genre of film has its own set of techniques and elements that define it. Films classed at thrillers generally make use of things like suspense, complicated storylines usually with many twists and character driven action sequences. The film Taking Lives features some typical thriller characteristics, but rejects others.

The storyline of Taking Lives is one you would expect from a thriller. The basic overview is that there are a series of murders and the detective is trying to track down the killer. Special agent Illeana Scott uncovers various clues and becomes closer to solving the identity of the killer. There are various twists, turns and red herrings along the way designed to keep the audience guessing, as is usually the case with this genre. Near the end of the film, Costa (who was previously believed to be a witness, a love interest and the next victim) is revealed as the killer, but just as the audience have got over that shock, at the very end of the film another twist follows. Illeana is seen to be living in a remote house, and it also pregnant. Costa tracks her down and they fight in the house, culminating in him stabbing her in the stomach. Illeana then stabs him back, whilst telling him she wasn’t really pregnant and it was a trap devised to catch him. This twist at the very end when the audience think the film is over is used in many thrillers, for example The Usual Suspects where Verbal Kint is shown to be Kaiser Sosay and Layer Cake where Daniel Craig is shot in the last few seconds of the film.

Taking Lives is full of tension and suspense. A particular scene that exemplifies this is when Illeana Scott is walking around the killer’s old bedroom. Dramatic music is used, the room is dark and Scott is slowly walking around it on her own. Suddenly the killer grabs her from under the bed accompanied by an increase in the music’s volume and tempo, and runs out of the room before the audience or Illeana can see his face. This makes the audience jump, even though the built up tension means they were expecting it. The use of suspense shows Taking Lives conforming to the conventions of this genre.

This film is very character driven, as usual with thrillers. The protagonist, Illeana Scott starts off in a normal situation – working as a special agent and doing her every day job. As the plot thickens she becomes part of a situation that is extraordinary even for a special agent, she becomes romantically involved with a suspect who turns out to be the murder and almost becomes a victim before becoming a murderer herself. However this act of murdering Costa symbolises her life becoming ordinary again, as the audience gain a sense that things can now go back to normal and Illeana can have her life back. Films in the thriller genre often follow this structure, with a character starting and ending with a normal life and a problem being encountered in the middle. This film also follows the idea that the hero is usually someone in a dangerous job such as a police officer, spy, assassin etc, and in this case Angelina Jolie plays a Special Agent. The film ‘Taken’ is one of many that follow these elements, the family start of living quite normally - although the dad is a retired spy – before the daughter is kidnapped. The bulk of the film is taken up with the dad trying to track down his daughter, and at the end he succeeds and normality is restored.

However not all elements of Taking Lives follow the conventions of the thriller genre. The genre typically includes violence, either for the shock value or to tell the story. On first viewing you may think that Taking Lives is quite a violent film, but actually it is not very graphic and hardly any actual violence is shown. It focuses on the aftermath of brutality, with quite a few gory shots (particularly a shot of Costa in a lift holding his mothers head which he has just severed). Even the first scene where a boy is pushed in front of a car and then gets beaten with a rock, sound effects mainly create the illusion of violence. This makes Taking Lives similar to legendary thriller Psycho, where in both cases the lack of actual violence subverts the conventions of the thriller genre.

The lead character in Taking Lives is Special Agent Illeana Scott. This is unusual for a thriller, the protagonist is typically a strong male character. In this case it also makes the film slightly implausible, the idea that someone such as Angelina Jolie would have a job like that, let alone fall for average-looking witness/killer Costa. It is refreshing to see a strong female lead though, especially someone like Illeana Scott who is tough, good at her job, organised and meticulous. This makes it similar to ‘The Bone Collector’, as this is one of few other female-lead thrillers (also starring Angeline Jolie in the main role). In this regard, this film subverts the typical ideas of the thriller genre, along with any sexism that occurs when writing a film such as this.

In conclusion, Taking Lives is very much a typical thriller including all the elements you would want to find from one. However there is enough examples of it subverting the genre’s conventions to make it individual and stand out from other films in the thriller genre.

The 'thriller' genre

'Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, television, and gaming that includes numerous and often overlapping sub-genres.'

The genre 'thriller' contains many characteristics specific to it. It can encompass many sub-genres: medical ('Awake'), war ('The Hurt Locker'), crime ('Seven'), science-fiction ('Donnie Darko'), religious ('The DaVinci Code) and many more. As my final piece is to be the opening to a thriller I will have to research the conventions of them in order to fully understand the genre and make my piece as effective as possible.

• Thrillers often take place in exotic or foreign settings. This makes the action seem more fantastical, providing a sense of escapism for the viewer and making the film more dramatic. An example of this is 'Taken' which is set in various locations throughout Europe whilst Liam Neeson's character is on a mission to find his kidnapped daughter.
  
• Tension and suspense are key features in thrillers, these are often acheived through the use of dramatic/eerie music, quick cuts, camera angle changes and the use of features such as shadows, mirrors and darkness.
  
• Violence is often used in thrillers, as is the inclusion of various shocking events and images of horror, for example dead bodies.
  
• The protaganist is often a man of action or a "hard man", often a spy, assassin, police officer, gangster, detective or other government operative. Examples of this are 'The Bourne Identity' where Matt Damon plays assassin Jason Bourne and the 'James Bond' films where many actors over the years have played spy James Bond who aims to defeat the infamous 'Bond villains' and their evil plans.
  
• The main character often endeavers to defeat the villain or the evil of the situation to allow good to prosper.
  
• The storylines of thrillers, no matter how different they seem, mostly have a similar structure. The protaganist starts off in a regular situation just living his or her life, when an event happens which plunges them into an extraordinary situation. Following this, there are always many twists and turns designed to keep the audience guessing until the very end when the main character eventually returns to a normal life.
  
• Thrillers often start by setting up the story straight away, by beginning at a crime scene or in the midst of a dramatic event. This intruiges the viewer and keeps them hooked from the very first scene.