Thriller Openings

Thriller Openings

Secret Window

Conventions1. A normal convention of thriller movies is to have a

young, blonde, female as the main character. By having a young male as their main character, they are subverting this convention rather successfully.

2. There are two forgotten, old , hidden, secluded locations in this opening scene; the first is the Motel that the film begins with. And the second is the cabin in the woods which the man lives. This forgotten location is another convention of thriller movies, because it has connotations of hatred, anger, loneliness, helplessness, bitterness which all add to how we view the scene and our expectations of what’s going to happen.

3. In the beginning there is terrible weather- high winds and snow in this case- this is a typical convention of thriller movies because it implies something terrible is going to happen, which it usually does in thriller movies

4. However during the credits, there is nice weather, and this could signal that the danger is over. Again they are subverting the typical stereotypes of this genre.

5. Also during the credits, there is a long, sweeping, establishing shot this is also typical of this genre, because it feels like it’s the killer picking out his or her victim.

6. The dramatic sounds that can be heard in the first section before the credits could also be viewed as a stereotype of the thriller genre because they help build suspense in the view and can increase the tension greatly.

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Mise En Scene• The setting at the beginning of the film is an old

motel, clearly in a forgotten location, this is also a convention of Thriller Movies. Also the bad weather in this scene reflects the mood, and bad weather often has implications of something terrible happening.

• The man’s dark clothes could mean he has guilt, or is the bad guy in the situation. And his glasses could denote that he is an outsider or outcast, not your typical hero in movies like this.

• His heavy breathing could mean that he is nervous or anxious about something, scared, angry at himself or someone, or in some form of distress.

• The low-key lighting in this screenshot could be showing us that he is bad/sinister/evil or in some way has a questionable character.

• The fact that he is in the middle of the screen indicates to us that he is the main character, and also indicates to us that the voice narrating is his.

• His use of language in this scene shows that he is angry or scared; “Turn around and get the hell out of here”

• The colour values in this scene- mainly black, and dark colours- could indicate evil or sadness.

• The character proxemic in this last screenshot implies that he is friends with the people in the bed.

Use Of Titles

• The credits are white. The colour white has connotations of purity or innocence, this could be because at this part, the story is at a completely innocuous moment in time.

• The credits are set over the top of the film; so the credits are just put in as part of the film- as in it doesn’t have a whole separate credits sequence.

• The fact that the title of the film turns from white to red, could imply that there will be a change of personality maybe, from good, innocent, pure to a darker, evil, twisted murderer.

Sound

• In the beginning scene, you can hear the typical string music of thriller flicks. String music is used so heavily in thriller films because it adds a lot of tension to any given point.

• At the very beginning, the blowing of the wind and the sound of the windscreen wipers add to a very lonely picture.

• The windscreen wipers sound almost like a heart beat, and accentuates the fact that he’s nervous or scared or angry.

• The narrative voice of his thoughts also makes him seem more alone- he is alone with his thoughts. It could also be an indicator of a split personality.

Thriller Openings

Psycho

Titles•The titles being in white make them stand out from the background, possibly highlighting the exclusion of the killer, maybe the reason that he has become a psychopath.

•The fact that the words are split maybe a forewarning about the main characters split personality.

• It also resembles knifes cutting things, appropriate as a knife is the most common weapon in a slasher, and what is used to kill in psycho.

•The music is high pitched string, common for thriller films. The high pitched eerie noises and fast pace give a sense of danger and excitement.

•The high pitched music makes the viewer uncomfortable as it isn’t a very pleasant noise and the pace creates a sense of confusion.

•Writer - 00:13

•Title of film – 00:18

•Main male role – 00:26

•2nd most important male role – 00:29

•2nd most important female role – 00:33

•Co-stars – 00:38

•Actors with small roles – 00:44

•Main female role – 00:54

•Screenplay and writer of original novel -1:01

•Director of photography, art direction, set decorator, unit manager and titles designer – 1:11

•Editor, costume, make-up, hair, special effects, sound and copyright- 1:21

•Assistant director and pictorial consultant – 1:34

•Music - 1:42

•Director - 1:47

Timing Of Titles

Thriller Openings

Thirteen Ghosts

•The first introduction section sticks to the normal thriller convention, as it uses dark colours to start with, an isolated area, has a few cuts and uses certain sounds (wind, evil laugh, creeks) to show that it could be “haunted”. •The second intro goes against the normal thriller convention, as it has a slower and softer touch to it as it is showing the past history of the household. Using bright colours and one camera technique which is the panning shot. It also shows who the main character is at first. •The panning shot is a 360° motion which follows the convention of a thriller as it shows me exactly where the film is set. It also stops on the mans face which also shows me that he is the main character.

Conventions

• As the first production companies come up, the first one uses the sound of ‘creeks’ and ‘wind’. This helps emphasise the fact that it is a ‘ghostly’ film and help build up the presence of a ghost.

• As the second production company appears, we hear ‘lightening’ which is also shown on screen. This helps emphasise the fact that this is a thriller and helps create the sense that this is reality. Then there is a use of ‘creeks’ once the car dump appears on screen. The use of the ‘windy’ noise helps create the feeling of ghost’s passing by and coming which sticks to the convention of thriller movies.

Sound

• They use windy, basely sound to give and illusion of ghost passing by. At this same time, the titles and name of movie appear one by one, fading in and fading out also in a ghostly manor giving another illusion of ghost. The cars that have been stacked on top of each other are making a creaking sound (like in a haunted house). As the third title comes up, there is a dark and evil laugh in the background but as there is nobody there we assume that it will be a ghost laughing

• Classical music is playing, with the little brother and older sister talking to each other. Sisters says “you’re the best little brother ever, I love you, I'm gunna get you! I'm gunna get you!” the voices have a slight echo to it to show that it was in the past (like a ghostly voice). Then hear “happy birthday” when the see family pictures but then we hear a fire alarm as we come to the kitchen door. We then hear a fire brigade and family panicking and saying they cant find the mum. We then hear a heart machine which stops beeping (showing the mums death). We then hear a funeral and someone crying.

• The camera starts off by looking at the car on the magnet and then starts to move around the scrap yard, as if it was looking for something (then mysterious laugh and crash).

• Starts with a medium long shot to show children in the garden, and then pans across slowly to the mum talking (using a medium shot) and then to the dad (using a medium shot) and then pans across all the pictures showing the family. We then see the whole house and go back to the dad who is in the same position as he was first, but this time alone and upset with burnt images this time of the mum.

Camera Techniques

Titles• Both of the titles have a luminous orangey glow to them, with the writing in a

black font. These two colours normally associated with Halloween were we see a lot of ‘Ghostly’ things.

• Both of the titles fades in and also fade out, lasting for about 3 – 5 seconds long. They are put in a specific order to show who the main people in the whole production are.

Thriller Openings

Donnie Darko

Titles

• The use of small white font contrasted against a black background suggests it will be a dark film where good is overshadowed by evil. This is a technique commonly used in the thriller genre to create a sense of foreboding.

• The lack of colors, patterns or images in the opening titles give very little away as to what the film is about, thus drawing the audience in and creating a sense of intrigue.

• The low diagetic sounds of thunder uses pathetic

fallacy to create suspense, particularly as its subverting the convention of having high pitched, fast paced music as typically used in the classic thriller Psycho.

• Between the credits and the film starting there is approximately 3 seconds of a black screen, this instantly creates mystery and suspense.

Conventions

Some typical conventions of this film are:

•The main character- Donnie- wakes up in a deserted road in the middle of nowhere, this creates a sense of confusion in the viewer as it doesn’t really establish the main location of the film, it gives nothing away about events in the film and makes you uncertain of this persons fate, which can create anxiety and fear maybe.

•But it may also give us a clue to the nature of this character; he wakes up in a lonely area and this may suggest that he is a loner or in some way an outcast. Also that he may be a bit weird.