Section 2: Seven

Seven

Narrative

Seven starts with a clear beginning and shows a build up of action, this proves to be a linear narrative. A book is shown which reflects the beginning of the film and also the mans actions towards death. The audience is not given who the character in the film is in the opening sequence. The reason for this is there would be no point watchin the film if we found out who the killer was in the opening sequence so suspense urges us to carry on watching.

Codes and Conventions

Partial Vision it used throughout the entire opening sequence of seven. Concealment and protraction is aslo used as you only see the persons hands and not the rest of their body or face.This makes the audience ask questions about the film and the person in it - why is this person slicing his fingers with a blade? What are they looking for?

Camerawork

Close ups of pages being turned over and a person slicing his fingers with a blade to make the audience question. Concealment is used as everything is fast paced so that the audience does not fully know what is going on. The close ups highlight the persons personality as we see what he/she is doing and looking at. Extreme close ups are used throughout for different purposes. The first one is used to emphasis what the audience should be looking at in the film, the second extreme close up is used so you cant tell who the character in the shot is.

Mise-en-scene

Whilst watching the film most parts and scenes seen to be unclear as the shots that are used do not really give much away to the audience. It looks as though the person is in the office and the character has pricision, slow movement and is calm in comparison to the editing of the film and the music being played.

Sound

The sounds that are played seem supernatural-like. There is a continuous heartbeat being played throughout the opening sequence which gradually builds up as the film moves on. Scratchy and screechy noises like a zip are used which are disturbing, these noises are used so they unsettle the viewer and make them want to carry on watching to find out what or who was creating the noises. The heartbeats become louder and simultaneously, this build suspense and tension. It sounds urgent as it changes pace which makes the audience feel uneasy. The person cuts out word 'GOD' from a newspaper and then the music highlights that word by having the lyric 'You've brought me closer to God'.

Editing

There are lots of jump cuts used to make it fast paced so that the audience is unclear of what the person is looking at.A split-screen occurs focusing on a shot of the book, it appears that the top of the screen is a transparent red colour and shows a person developing pictures in a red mixture possibly? The bottom screen is just a normal capture of the book being examined.

Graphics

The text used is white and disturbing. It is disturbing because it flickers on and off They are central, and the credits are in the corners of the screen with an outlined glow. They often jump around the screen whilst flashing so that the audience does not expect them and this builds suspense.

Section 2: Jaws

Jaws

The narrative has a linear narrative which is shown as the film is a fast flowing sequel. There is equilibrium which is balanced this is shown as the teenagers drinking beer and all happy sitting round a camp fire together. Also there is a disequilibrium, this is shown when the girl goes into the water and we know whats going to happen to her and why. Narrative creates lots of suspense, this leads you to carry on watching as your drawn in to find out what happens to the girl and why it happens.

Many codes and conventions were used throughout Jaws. Partial vision is used to create suspense so we dont know whats in the water. Transformed City is used where the beach is a safe place usually but is transformed into a not so safe place as shark are infested in the waters. Concealment and protraction are also used as they help conceal the identity of the creature in the water going to kill the helpless girl which makes us ask these questions like, whats in the water? what the boy doing? will the girl survive?

Camerawork is used widely throughout Jaws. The film starts with a point of view shot, this is the point of view of the killer. This shot is unsettaling for the audience as we start to ask questions on what the killer is and where its going. Then there's a tracking shot through the reef as the killer moves around. These shots are followed by a shot of the teenagers partying on the beach, tracking, which makes us feel like were at the party enjoying it aswell as the others there. A over the shoulder shot is used to make us feel like we shouldnt be there with the other teenagers at the party.

Mise-en-scene has been used effectively altogether in jaws. At the start of the film, one of the first shots is of the group of teenagers at the beach, this is seen to be safety associated as nothing majorly dramatic happens on a beach at night. Also the first shots are taken at night time, this could suggest it isnt clear for the character and what they can and cant see whats around them. Although nothing major looks like it could escalade, there is a theme of ' naughtiness ' as the teenageers are drinking and getting ' rowdy ' with each other.

Sound is used extremely well in these opening scenes of Jaws. An non diagetic soundtrack is player over the of the scenes which is not there for the characters to hear, just the audience to listen to builds tension, in which is now iconicly known worldwide for building up tension. Other sound we can hear is diagetic, this includes the harmonica being played by a dude in the group and guitar. The fire also crackles showing a sign of relaxation as no one is bothered. In contrast with the fire, when the bell rings on the buoy this signals danger as its a sound when the seas are picking up and weather goes stormy.

Editing is used throughout Jaws and plays a major part in making the film more effective and creates more suspence making the audience watch on to find out what happens next. At the start of the film a long take is used to show the audience the characters in the film and the location which set up most parts of the mise-en-scene. Also when watching the long take tracking through the landscape this builds up tension as the viewers are waiting for the camera to change angles and shot. A shot reverse shot is used to show the conversation between the main character and the girl who he is interested in. This shot reverse shot also introduces sexual tension between the two actors in the film. Ediiting is used in different ways in this film as we expect many breaks between different shot but we find it unusual because not many breaks are used to break the shots up. Cross-cuts are used throughout aswell, these shots take one piece of action to another such as the shot on the shark ( Jaws ) and back to the shot of the characters on the beach, this also takes us to different tension in the film.

The graphics in Jaws are used boldly to emphasis a point. The graphics used are white and large in size, placed centrally on the screen. Using them in this way makes the graphics more ' in your face ' which make you focus in on then. The actors names and production company are shown to the viewer in the graphics, this could show the viewer how well the film is going to be, mainly form the reputation of the actors and the director of the film for example Steven Spielberg directed the film.

Section 2: American Psycho

American Psycho

Narrative Structure

The narrative structure of American Psycho is a linear. We know this when the viewer watches the killer's daily routine which is clear and we know he is the killer. In the opening sequence nothing is concealed and nothing is hidden from us as we know who the killer is straight away. There is also an equilibrium shown.

Thriller Codes and Conventions

At the start of the first sequence of the thriller a transformed city is shown. It is shown when at the start the killer and the location is set in a night club, which is usually safe but is turned into a place of danger when the guy starts to threaten the girl at the bar. Then the location turns to the killers flat which is a safe bright place in contrast with the night club. There is also a question and answer model used in the opening sequence, for example the killer gets the audience asking questions about his next actions, will he kill the girl that is serving him at the bar? Is he the killer in the film? Why is he in a nightclub and what is he going to do next? Also it is odd that the killer is in the city a busy and crowded place where killers are normally hidden away from other people.

Camerawork

The first shot is an overhead shot of the nightclub, this shows how busy and crowded the night club is and how the location is set out. This makes the audience ask more questions like why would a killer be in a place so busy? Is it too crowded to kill somebody in such a busy place. There is an over the shoulder shot of the girl serving the killer at the bar, this helps us to understand whats going on. When the camera cross cuts it leads us into the killer apartment, this shot takes us through each room and also shows us what his living conditions are and where he lives whilst introducing us to the killers surroundings. Further on in the opening sequence there are a large range of medium shot, close ups and extreme close ups. These shots mainly consist of highlighting the killer regime to the viewer and showing us that he takes part in yoga, there are a few long shots of the killer in the shower naked aswell.

Mise-en-scene

In the first few minutes of the opening sequence there is a contrast between the killer night life and his daily life at home. Whilst the killer is a nightclub which is dark and crowded in the evening, his apartment is full of light, clean and in order which is the total opposite to the nightclub that he is in at the evening. In the killers apartment there is many mirrors placed around which could show there is two sides to the killer. Also the killer uses a face mask which could show he is trying to hide who he really is and is putting a mask on to hide away his bad side to his identity. Whilst walking around the killers apartement his movement is slowly and he purposely moves around the apartment without urgency. There is a Les Miserables picture placed on the wall of the killers apartment this could reflect how the killer feels about life and the situation he is in. Les Miserables is about a lonely person, this could reflect with the killer and he could be lonely and miserable too.

Sound

When were first brought into the film we are in the nightclub and 1980's music is being played which is diagetic. This could signify the time period of the film and when it was set or if could signify that the nightclub is a 1980's nightclub that the killer is in. In the killers apartment there is classical music played, although it is hard to decide whether this music is diagetic or non-diagetic. The only dailogue used in the first sequence of the film is when the killer talks about killing the women at the bar. Again this is also hard to determine whether he is thinking this or joking or saying it out loud the women at the bar.

Editing

At the beginning of the opening of the film a shot reverse shot is used when the killer and the bar girl are talking and slow placed cuts dont move the narrative along,this makes us unaware who the main character/focus is. A cross cut is also used when the camera goes from the nightclub to the apartment. In the apartment we are taken clamly through giving the viewer a calm inpression.

Graphics

The graphics used in the opening of American Psycho are central, white and in capitals. These graphics make the names of the actors/actress' and directors stand out and are made more visible to the viewer.

Section 2: Silence Of The Lambs

Silence Of The Lambs

The narrative structure of the Silence of the Lambs is unclear at the start. We know this as an audience because we dont know whether the women at the beginning is on a journey or not. We get more confused with the narrative structure as an audience as a tall man with a FBI hat on comes up to the women and tells her shes wanted. We start to question what the man with the FBI hat on wanted as she goes straight away, running, could it be her boss?

There are many codes and conventions in the film ' Silence Of The Lambs' we know this because many are shown in different ways. We are made to ask questions whilst watching the film, but no answers are given eg when the women looks at the wall , things are hidden from her which shes wants to know and know we want to know. There is partial vision used in the film where the women whom is running through the woods in confronted by smog which doesnt allow us to see whats going on clearly. Also transformed city is used whereas the women was once in the forest but then goes into the police station. The ignigma code is used to help keep the audience watching the film, were not to sure whats going on so we want to carry on watching so we find out what happens to the women, whats on the wall that is hidden for her and why she totally different from everyone else at the police station, this is where the exotic comes into play as she doesnt fit in anywhere with the rest of the people at the police station.

Many camerawork is used throughout the film, panning, close ups and tracking. Tracking is used to follow the women as she runs through the forest completing the assault course. Close ups are used to focus into her face as she makes experssions and reactions to dilemmas brought upon her. A crane shot is also used as a panning shot which was following her moves up into a crane shot.

Mise-En-Scene is constantly used throughout the film. It is shown as in the lift as she is dwarfed compared to all the men around her. Also while she walks around the police station she is clearly wearing grey whilst everyone else wears red which suggests she stands out from the others and is more important as she is the main focus. The item on the wall suggests is it a clue that the women has read or is it new evidence that she hasnt read before.

Sound is used effectively throughout the film, diagetic and non-diagetic. Diagetic sound is used as the women runs through the woods the viewer can hear her footsteps which brings suspence to the viewer as she runs through, the rustling of the leaves and heavy breathing cause more suspence. Non-diagetic sound is also used as a soundtrack is played over the top as she runs through the woods, in which gets louder as she gets faster which involves louder breathing. Little or less dialogue is used which causes suspense, this is caused by if less is used it means the viewer knows less about whats going on in the film and whats happening. Dialogue is used but only at the end which is official dialogue.

The film consists of many forms of editing throughout. Eyeline matches are used to see images from the characters own perspective and height. Match on action is used, this is effective as it lets the audience feel like they are folllowing the victim? it also shows her from a different angles from a different point of view.

Finally, graphics are used at the start of the film, they are mostly black and white and are over most of the screen. White graphics are also used to show the producers names and directors.

Section 1: Thriller Theories

Northrope Frye

Northrope Frye thought that the hero in a thriller should be one of us, an ordinary person who becomes extra ordinary under circumstances that make him/her a hero.

For example Brad Pitt's character in the filim Seven.

G. K. Chesterton

G.K Chesterton was a 20th Century Thriller writer whom argued that thrillers took urban settings and transformed them into exciting locations for dramatic stories. He suggested Thrillers should be set in large urban enviroments where they would be transformed by danger. Chesterton also suggested that Thrillers add probability and change into films. E.g. Se7en

Pascal Bonitze

Pascal's theory was that in thrillers you could only see so much i.e blurred , this effect doesnt give away too much about the film and the killer which is hidden from view. E.g. The shark in Jaws

Lars Ole Aqurberg

Lars' theory was of concelement and protraction, he suggested in pulling the audience in different directions but giving a clue to the action plot. This delays the suspence, the outcome and countdown to the dilemma for example a bomb.

Noel Carroll

Carrolls theory was of questioning a dn answering model. He suggested that the audience would be always questioning and must always be kept in suspence. In doing so they would be left with the questions to keep them intrested whilst waiting in suspence. He also suggested that for the questions to be stated clearly, answers must not be given to the audience.

John Cawelti

John's theory was that in thriler films there should be an exotic, for example an exotic place, item, jewel, object or a lady. Many thrillers make use of old artifacts as exotics which would not be boring such as a crown jewel.

W.H. Matthews

Matthews' theory was involving mazes and labyniths, twists and dead ends.

He involved the idea of E.g coming out of an alley way and coming out somewhere totally different to the place before. This was seen as unexpected, maze like which was complex.

Pressure could be gained from long lasting mazes and clues would be given to build up more tension.

Section 1: Definition Of Thriller

Thrillers

Definition of Thrillers

A thriller is a genre of fiction that attemps to thrill the audeince by plafcing the character at risk. There is no clear ingredience of what a thriller should consist of. A thriller is a problematic genre and can be catorized by fast paced editing, action, a hero who must outwit the villan. Devises such as red herrings and cliff hangers are usual.

Thrillers usually take place in exotic places e.g. Foreign cities, deserts etc. The hero is uaually a ' Hardman ' accustom to danger, usually normal people. Thrillers often overlap mystery stories, however thrillers usually work on a much grander scale such as big crimes and mass murders etc.