LESSON 1: INTRO TO GENRE & AUDIENCE

2.4 GENRE STUDY LESSON PACK (YR 12 MEDIA): PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER FILMS

Achievement Standard: 2.4

Demonstrate an understanding of an aspect of a media genre.

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Genre Study:

Genre is a type, style or category of film.

Films are classified into genres based on the conventions of the genre.

Examples of genres include comedy, horror, musical, sci-fi, drama and rom-com.

Psychological Thrillersick state of mind fear + excitement

Psychological thrillers tell stories that explore a state of mind.

Psychological thrillers use key conventions to trigger fear and excitement in an audience

CONVENTIONSof the Psychological Thriller

madness

psychosis

isolated setting

domestic setting

voyeurism

narrative delay

split personality / duality

bad mothers

transgressive pleasure

invasion of interior space

suspense

tension

fear

sadomasochism

Psychological thrillers share many similar aspects.

KEY CONVENTIONS

Four key conventions of the psychological thriller genre are:

• Protagonist Duality• Voyeurism• Invasion of Interior Space• Isolated Setting

Because of cultural changes in society and changes in audience perception and expectation, the essence of these conventions have changed over time.

Protagonist Duality

Protagoniust duality is when a character in the film suffers from a split personality / identity disorder.

Protagonist Duality

Eg:

SPLIT PERSONALITYinhabits two very different characters – saintly & monstrous

Protagonist Duality

SUDDEN PERSONALITY CHANGEfrom kind and loving to a crazed lunatic.

Protagonist Duality

BEST FRIEND BECOMES WORST ENEMYWho can I trust?

Protagonist Duality

IDENTITY CRISISProtagonist starts asking: Who am I?

Isolated Settings

The protagonist is trapped in an isolated setting – where no one from the outside can help. They must survive on their own.

Isolated Setting Isolated Settings

REMOTE LOCATIONNo contact with the ‘normal’ / outside world.

Isolated Settings

DOMESTIC SPACESomething familiar and safe becomes strange and unsafe.

Isolated Settings

“HOME” AS A CHARACTERThe building takes on a life force of its own.

Isolated Settings

BLURRING OF REALITY & FANTASY Until the audience doesn’t know what to believe.

Voyeurism

The practice of obtaining sexual gratification by looking at sexual objects or acts secretively

Voyeurism

PEEPING TOMGazing into other people’s private lives without permission.

Narrative Delay• In which suspense is built and then drawn out

so as to make the viewers believe that something terrible is about to happen for the entire movie.

• Therefore, when an event finally does occur, it is all the more shocking.

Invasion of Interior Space

Personal boundaries of the characters on screen are invaded by physical and psychological threats. This experience is shared by the audience who begin to feel that there is no escape.

Invasion of Interior Space

INVADING BOUNDARIESFor both the character on screen and the audience,

no one can escape the madness.

Transgressive Pleasure• The line between “watching a film” and “reality”

becomes blurred.

• To transgress is to invade the audience’s personal space. The viewer will become so immersed that he/she cannot look away yet may desperately want to.

Achievement Standard: 2.4

Demonstrate an understanding of an aspect of a media genre.

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How one of the following key conventions has changed over time: • character duality• voyeurism• invasion of interior space • isolated setting

Type of Film:Psychological Thriller

Films being studied:

• Psycho: Alfred Hitchcock (1960)• The Shining: Stanley Kubrick (1980)• Misery: Rob Reiner (1990)• The Sixth Sense: M. Night Shyamalan (1999)• Black Swan: Darren Aronosfsky (2010)

SIXTH SENSE LESSON 1 :

DO NOW: COPY

media genre = the psychological thrilleraspect of a media genre = changes over time to the key conventions of the genre, and / or changes to audience responses to the genre

In other words…Give reasoned explanations for changes to at least two key conventions of the psychological thriller genre. Examine the implications of those changes (that is, the impact on either the genre and / or society.) Provide evidence from multiple films to support your ideas.

GENRE STUDY: 2.4demonstrate an understanding of an aspect of a media genre

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GENRE STUDY: THE SIXTH SENSEA “MODERN” PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER

WHIANGA / GOAL: By the end of today, we should be able to answer the following:

1. What key genre conventions are found in the The Sixth Sense?

2. How do the genre conventions found in The Sixth Sense compare with the same genre conventions found in earlier psychological thrillers?

3. Has the genre changed over time? If so, how has it changed? Why has it changed?

4. What are the implications of these changes to the conventions of the genre?

CLOSE READING : GOOGLE DOC ACTIVITYa close reading activity working online in groups

1. COLLECT A LAPTOP - one laptop per person. (If one laptop doesn’t work, share one between you.)

2. LOGIN to your gmail account (one login per laptop)3. FIND your group Google Doc spreadsheet (Google

Drive)4. OPEN your Google Doc spreadsheet5. OPEN The Sixth Sense & The Shining in the shared

resources folder.6. SKIP to the start of your scene and begin close

reading – looking closely at our key conventions. 7. In Google Docs: ENTER INFORMATION about key

conventions of the genre found in your scene into your doc. Keep it concise, informative and relevant.

INSTRUCTIONS

TODAY: Close Reading Film ClipsCONTINUE FROM YESTERDAY

1. Close read your scenes from The Sixth Sense and The Shining.

2. Add your I.D.E.A.S. in google doc – for each convention.

3. Do loads!! Original ideas are tops! Find something new!

NB: Close readings for BOTH scenes need to be completed today.

Tomorrow: COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SCENES (THE SIXTH SENSE & THE SHINING)

Friday: CLASS SHARING SESSION & BYE, MS HUGHES!

IDENTIFY the convention in the scene

DESCRIBE use of the convention within the scene – use film language including ‘technical’ techniques (camera, audio, edit, etc)

ANALYSE the function and effect of the convention

EVIDENCE - with clear examples from scene

IDEA

SUMMARISE the impact of the convention on audience experienceS

1. Name Scene(include start time)

2. Fill in IDEAS

3. Add comparative notes

SIXTH SENSE LESSON 2 :

DO NOW: FILM MAKERS You are an emerging scriptwriter / director who has just been told that a big studio exec has $1 million to spend on a locally produced psychological thriller. She is meeting you in 5 min to discuss your ideas. Quietly working on your own, jot down your film’s:

1. Setting2. Protagonist 3. Other Key Characters (eg children, mothers, etc)4. Key Character Relationships5. Soundtrack

THINK ABOUT GENRE CONVENTIONS AND THE WAY THEY ARE CHANGING TO SUIT A MODERN AUDIENCE

Close Reading Film ClipsCONTINUE FROM YESTERDAY

1. Compare IDEAS from The Sixth Sense with IDEAS from The Shining

2. Make comparative notes in your Google Docs, including:- how / why these changes are taking place.- the implications of these changes on genre / society.

3. Finalise work – ready for class share on Friday.

NB: Comparative study for need to be completed today.

Tomorrow: CLASS SHARING SESSION