“Bleak House” is the motion picture representation of Charles Dickens’ ninth novel, a dark and dramatic story that conveys well on screen as a period drama. “Bleak House” is created (like most period dramas) by the BBC, however it differs considerably as it challenges previous Nineteenth century era dramatizations with an undertone of modernity, allowing its genre to be redefined due to it galvanizing the audience with thriller conventions (creating tension and suspense), instead of presenting a subdued, monotonous depiction of Victorian or Regency life. It achieves this with a significantly contrasting mise-en-scene to that of a traditional period drama, with the use of; camera angles, lighting, sound and editing techniques to instill a contemporary feel to an arguably outdated narrative.
The audience are immediately introduced to the bleak surroundings as the drama begins, the actual “House” appearing on screen as the title fades to black. Dingy lighting is created by the overcast sky that the audience instantly see, creating an unwelcoming feel as the drama begins, again supporting the word “Bleak” in the title. The string score from the title sequence carries on through to the first scene, though changing in pace as it interweaves with the action, creating both pace and adding to the tensions of the scenario. Suddenly the camera zooms in to its subject; a horse and cart (confirming the drama’s context) accentuating its importance. An array of varying camera shots is then used used, with the majority being handheld, giving the audience a first person sensation and creating an atmosphere of chaos as a non-diegetic thunder clap is hastily included to create pathetic fallacy. Already the audience can interpret “Bleak House” isn’t a conventional period drama as these sudden camera shots and editing techniques are generally unused in the genre. With this action already occurring, the audiences attention is diverted to a character cloaked in a black hood and a large black box that a character dressed in generic Victorian era costume is stumbling to deliver. This mise-en-scene fuels the audiences curiosity as the mystery is heightened in the scene. The cloaked character is again displayed on screen and unveiled as a young woman appears from under the cloth, in the cabin of the cart, the mayhem ceasing along with the music, which pacifies promptly. This chiaroscuro setting uses the dark backdrop and the light upon the female character’s face to contrast her femininity with the masculine havoc of the previous setting. This momentary tranquility is short-lived however, and the action of the cart returns, traveling briskly through the woods with a tracking shot creating pace and tension for the audience. This follows a close up of a horse’s features and a crescendo of non-diegetic thunder and panic-stricken whinny.
Later on the in the episode we are introduced to another set of characters. A close up of a woman’s face is focused on, with depth of field used to blur the character she is talking to, who sits behind her in a chair. No music is used here, only the diegetic sounds of the crackling fire to add a sense of realism into the setting. This allows the audience to focus on the conversation, therefore heightening tensions and curiosity. As she speaks a characters name the shot cuts to a low angle tracking shot of two sets of legs walking up a flight of stairs. These legs are partially obscured by the ironwork of the banisters, creating a sense of voyeurism for the audience, a common technique used by the directors of “Bleak House” to incorporate the audience within the epoch. This is accompanied by eerie non-diegetic sounds that generate a sense of suspense for the viewer. Eventually this shot also cuts, when the both characters’ features have been exposed by the camera and they enter the room which was the subject just moments before. The depth of field is still employed to highlight the female character’s emotions, and with it shadows and a blue hue to the camera are added, producing an unsettling tone to the surroundings. Here the music is again removed, making way for the dialogue of the characters to guide the narrative.
Voyeurism of the audience is again used here as objects obscure full vision. This gives the effect that the audience are in the action of the scene, just out of the character’s line of sight. This could imply that the truth is in actuality being obscured, with one of the character’s being doubled by a glass object, perhaps indicating that his character is duplicitous. As the conversation continues it is obvious that “Bleak House” does not follow the conventions of lucid 180 degree shots, instead utilizing avant-garde methods with the use of handheld cameras and depth of field.
The camera shots follow the narrative as the character becomes aware of a name on a letter. With a sped up zoom that heightens the importance of the name on the letter and a sharp, non-diegetic sound effect that echoes those used on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 thriller, “Psycho”. This emphasises her emotions as she discovers the name and increases tension is, forging an edge of seat moment for the audience.
As the narrative continues, the camera becomes blurred as it attempts to focus on the text again and the male character’s voice is given the editing technique of “reverb”. As the character faints, the blur and the echoes of the mise-en-scene allow the audience to experience her fate. This editing technique is another example of “Bleak House” not following period drama conventions, as in others such as “Pride and Prejudice” there would be no need for the use of this editing, as it would merely distort the program’s portrayal of basic Victorian life.
As the fainted character recovers she, and the maids (who again support the context of “Bleak House”) that follow cross in front of the camera, enforcing the voyeurism again. The male character retrieves the document she was reading and stares after those who have left the room with a piercing glare. This is slowed down to connote his sinister personality and coupled with a crashing non-diegetic sound effect that links the scene with another.
The new scene brings with it again new characters, including a man who is being shouted at from the bottom of a spiralling staircase by another. Low and high angle shots are used here to connote the protagonist who is climbing the stairs. This character escapes through a door, which is zoomed into by the camera as he enters. A close up of his face follows, allowing the audience to become familiar with his features and his emotions; a visage of uncertainty and anxiety. This shot follows on as it tracks him to another position. This time, the film is cut in several places as he fondles with keys, building tension as the film is not continuous, the audience question “what is he doing?”. This interesting editing technique is not one that would usually be associated with a representation of a Victorian drama. An eerie sound provides the backdrop to this action, increasing in volume as it links to another scene.
The new scene is entered with a further serene undercurrent, though mystery is still highlighted as the camera uses an extreme close up to view what the female character is looking at as a plot device. It is filmed as the character is sitting a dressing table, the mirror being used as the centre of action as it displays what she is doing, due to her actions being obscured by her back to the camera. This experimental camera angle provides the viewer with a feeling that they are in fact spying on this character, with the theme of voyeurism again explored.
Thriller Evaluation
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My research into the thriller genre helped me decide what sub-genre to base my thriller “Obliquity” in, which location to film it in and what kind of characters and camera angles to include in the narrative structure. After researching thriller films from the first half of the 20th century, I decided that I wanted to create a thriller in which glamour and fear coexist together suggesting the classic 1940’s noir thriller aesthetic. I believe the largest influence on my media product was “the Third Man” which encompassed everything that I wanted to portray in my film; a glamourous location (similar to the medieval streets of Norwich) with elegant characters (some of who had alter egos, such as Harry Lime, who gave the film a vicious, mischievous edge) and oblique camera angles like those used in the final chase of the motion picture. In “Obliquity” the shot of Harold Mardel in a doorway with a ghostly white light upon his face echoes the iconic shot of Harry Lime in a doorway on the streets of post-war Vienna as a passing car lights his face. The soundtrack of my product evokes the tensions that are created in the 1960 classic thriller “Psycho” by Hitchcock, using classical strings that crescendo several times during the two minutes. It also supports the glamorous character Sylvia Rose within “Obliquity” and elegant setting of the cobbled street. The limited lighting used in each location conjures up the unwelcoming darkness that is used in the beginning of thriller “Essex Boys” and throughout “Sin City” creating a suspense for the audience who cannot define what will happen next. Costumes in my product evoke those of classic noir thrillers based in the 1930’s and 40’s with the use of fur coats and glamorous pearls also used Alfred Hitchcock’s noir thriller “Lifeboat”. I decided to name my product “Obliquity” connoting Harold Mardel’s immorality and mental perversity and the oblique angles used within it.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My thriller represents the villain as a dominant male character whose purpose is to intimidate the more passive protagonist that is the female character. He is represented as a shadowy menacing, predator who smokes. This references him to the character Harry Lime in the Third Man and gives him a mysterious yet sophisticated persona, that does not allow the audience to sympathise or warm to him. The female character in my thriller is not represented as a femme fatal, but a victim of a dominant man’s wrath. Her character is not deepened throughout the two minutes, instead she paints her nails, portraying her as a shallow and preoccupied with appearance. This references the contemporary obsession with appearance thus the character, though placed in a noir setting, and suggestive of a period when women were marginalised to in the thriller genre (for example in Elia Kazan’s film noir “Streetcar”) reinforces the helpless stereotyped female character, so consequently my product perpetuates traditional representations of gender. The recent Television trilogy ‘Red Riding’ also reinforces these representations of gender with female characters reduced to dead meat on a slate.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
“Obliquity” is an independent thriller made with little to no budget. I do not believe its narrative is particularly original as many of the ideas were taken from noir thrillers of the 1940’s. Like “Obliquity”, the structures of many of these films’ plots were built around a protagonist (Sylvia) and an antagonist (Harold). If this introduction was developed on, the antagonist would eventually lose the hold on which he/she had held over the protagonist for the film’s majority and succeed in being victorious in some way. Due to this cliched end I doubt that “Warp Films” or “Working Titles” would be interested in funding my project as it does not challenge conformities that these two industries are usually interested in, such as the early “Working Titles” release: “My Beautiful Launderette”.
I believe my thriller would not belong in a main stream, Multiplex cinema, but instead would be exhibited in a smaller, perhaps independent cinema. Larger mainstream institutions today are attracted to thrillers that can be marketed with a cast of well known actors, an award winning directors, a large budget and special effects. I am aware that my thriller does not and will not boast any of these attributes and thus under the circumstances I do not consider it would be viable. The most obvious outlet for my product is the Internet. The video media website “Youtube” is free to exhibit short films or any other type of film. Here it can be accessed by anyone from around the world on various new technologies such as Computers, iMacs, MP4 players (such as iPods) and mobile phones with internet. I am also able to exhibit my thriller on social networking sites such as “Facebook”, “Myspace”, “Bebo” and “Blogger”. As these websites are visited by millions of users everyday, they are a good free space in which people can view my thriller.
If “Obliquity” was to become successful, a television outlet would perhaps follow, being exhibited late night on film4 perhaps, or other such specialist channels that would gain a more film-educated audience.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
I feel that my thriller’s 40’s noir film edge would not be well suited to mainstream audiences and would predominantly attract either an older demographic who enjoy film noir. My thriller audience research (in which the majority of those asked were under 20 years of age) claimed to prefer violent thrillers that would need successful actors to be starred in it in order for it to be attractive to them. In support of this, those questioned did not reference classic thriller films (with the exception; Psycho) and thus my thriller would not likely attract the 15-20 demographic. I presume that the audience that would be attracted to my thriller would view noir thrillers such as “the Third Man” due to the mise-en-scene closely referencing the dark cobbled labyrinth of post-war Vienna, the villainous character of “Cody Jarrett” in noir classic “White Heat”, and also other crime thrillers on television such as “Silent Witness” or “Spooks”. Although these both have modern aspects and do not closely associate with the mise-en-scene of “Obliquity”, they are both mature thrillers, achieving dramatic effect without CGI or other special effects. I believe that female audience members could relate and sympathise with Sylvia’s situation. Male and female viewers may even be able to infer that Sylvia is a strong character who can walk away from her fears (Harold Mardel).
How did you attract/address your audience?
Fourteen audience members from ages varying between 16-19 were asked to feedback on my final product. The questions on the evaluation; “Was the film’s narrative easy to understand?” and “Is the production clearly the opening of a thriller film?” would allow me to understand whether my thriller was successful in its goals or not. Thankfully the majority of the audience selected 5/5 and from this I can infer that they have understood my intentions and have been able to read my product. Although I believe that both camera work and editing could have been achieved to a higher standard, the audience seemed to enjoy both and gave an average of 4/5 points for this aspect. Other questions such as “Would the opening inspire you to watch the rest of the film?” were answered by all fourteen audience members with “Yes”, and no viewer found any part “confusing” or “hard to understand”. I believe the mise-en-scene of locations to be a significant appeal of my product, and this could attract the audience, making them want to view more. The cliffhanger used at the end of the two minutes also could leave the viewers wanting more, with the music adding suspense to the action of the film.
What have you learnt about technologies for the process of constructing the product?
From the making of my thriller introduction I have learnt to use the digital camcorder as on the Media course’s preliminary task I acted and edited. I learnt that filming is a lengthy process and requires patience (especially for shooting in public places). I also discovered that the more footage and attempts taken the better the result will invariably be as there is a bigger selection of footage to choose from and in consequence, this makes editing easier.
In “Obliquity” I used several types camera shots and angles to create an interesting mise-en-scene. These include the tilted angles of the street as Harold Mardel follows Sylvia Rose down the wet cobbled streets, creating a sense of confusion and making the street appear as if it is coming down upon the characters. I have become aware that camera angles are vital to the film, and that a bad shot will effect the quality on a whole. This led to re-shoots of poor footage, with two attempts of filming on the cobbled street and 50% of the footage going to waste. Editing for my thriller has been considerably different to that of the preliminary continuity exercise as it needed far more transitions and effects to make a more professional and believable product. I used several “cross fades”, giving the shot transitions a dreamy feel and letting the audience become aware of what is on Sylvia Rose’s mind. Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” also uses “cross fade” frequently to achieve the same effect. The biggest decision of the editing process was whether to keep the final footage in colour or to discard this, leaving it with a classic feel in black and white, confirming the film’s noir genre. My final decision was to discard the colour after criticisms from viewers, making my product a true noir thriller. The importance of sequencing shots is incredibly important, as it allows the footage to compliment and develop the narrative.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
The preliminary task required a small plan and a limited ability to shoot with a digital “Canon” camcorder, and edit the footage with "Premiere Elements", for example regular close ups are generic thriller conventions, and thus are not needed in the preliminary task so much. Editing in the preliminary task does not need an abundance of special effects or transitions due to its simple conversational basis, though I did learn basic skills of editing in the process. I am of opinion that the thriller has needed more attention, time and effort to warrant its completion due to; planning in depth, filming in varying locations and narrating a believable story line through actors that the audience can form a short-term relationship with.
There are specific differences between the production of the thriller and the preliminary task. The thriller is much more complex as I had to; cast characters that would be able to capture the audiences attention and achieve a believable 1930’s look, find costumes and props that represent the era correctly such as a fir coat, pearls, a bowler hat and an over coat, research a variety of locations that prohibited me to film in and that again represented the era correctly, and researching un-copyrighted music that will support the tension and suspense necessary in a thriller.
Learning about working with the new technologies has been an interesting part of the process. Using a blog to replace traditional coursework methods and being submitted on the internet instead of in hard copy was beneficial. The blog being used instead of having to carry to school a large folder, full of; audience research, thriller research and thriller planning was a physical relief. Organizing on the blog is also a lot easier, with "labels" available to catagorize work accordingly. Other strengths of this technology include; teachers being able to comment on work quickly, the convenience of the blog being on the internet (allowing me to work on it when not at home or at school) and the ability to be able to upload pictures, videos and music clips onto it. Of the few weaknesses the blog had, one was the fact teachers could not go through work thoroughly for marking, with hard copies still having to be produced for this.
As I did not work within a group for my thriller, I did not experience working constructively within a group. The unreliability and eventual departure of the rest of the group during the planning resulted in original plans having to be discarded and starting again from scratch. Therefore my responsibilities included; the initial ideas, planning, casting, costume, filming and editing. I have also helped out by performing a lead character in another group’s thriller.
Audience feedback has been a insightful part of the experience of film-making. The feedback I received for “Obliquity” was better than I imagined with an average rating of 9/10 from fourteen evaluation questionnaires. The audiences responses did not offend me as luckily no negative comments were made.
I believe that my thriller possess several weaknesses including the variety of shots, and lack of comprehendible story line. If I would have included all that I planned, using several interweaving characters story lines, I believe that my thriller would have finished a further intelligent production, that would have been more impressive. I believe that the locations used, casting and costume were successful, and portrayed the late 1930’s early 1940’s effectively.
I believe that the most important aspect of making a production that I have learnt about during the filming of the thriller lies in the editing, which can turn a mediocre piece of film into a high standard of film and vice versa.
My research into the thriller genre helped me decide what sub-genre to base my thriller “Obliquity” in, which location to film it in and what kind of characters and camera angles to include in the narrative structure. After researching thriller films from the first half of the 20th century, I decided that I wanted to create a thriller in which glamour and fear coexist together suggesting the classic 1940’s noir thriller aesthetic. I believe the largest influence on my media product was “the Third Man” which encompassed everything that I wanted to portray in my film; a glamourous location (similar to the medieval streets of Norwich) with elegant characters (some of who had alter egos, such as Harry Lime, who gave the film a vicious, mischievous edge) and oblique camera angles like those used in the final chase of the motion picture. In “Obliquity” the shot of Harold Mardel in a doorway with a ghostly white light upon his face echoes the iconic shot of Harry Lime in a doorway on the streets of post-war Vienna as a passing car lights his face. The soundtrack of my product evokes the tensions that are created in the 1960 classic thriller “Psycho” by Hitchcock, using classical strings that crescendo several times during the two minutes. It also supports the glamorous character Sylvia Rose within “Obliquity” and elegant setting of the cobbled street. The limited lighting used in each location conjures up the unwelcoming darkness that is used in the beginning of thriller “Essex Boys” and throughout “Sin City” creating a suspense for the audience who cannot define what will happen next. Costumes in my product evoke those of classic noir thrillers based in the 1930’s and 40’s with the use of fur coats and glamorous pearls also used Alfred Hitchcock’s noir thriller “Lifeboat”. I decided to name my product “Obliquity” connoting Harold Mardel’s immorality and mental perversity and the oblique angles used within it.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
My thriller represents the villain as a dominant male character whose purpose is to intimidate the more passive protagonist that is the female character. He is represented as a shadowy menacing, predator who smokes. This references him to the character Harry Lime in the Third Man and gives him a mysterious yet sophisticated persona, that does not allow the audience to sympathise or warm to him. The female character in my thriller is not represented as a femme fatal, but a victim of a dominant man’s wrath. Her character is not deepened throughout the two minutes, instead she paints her nails, portraying her as a shallow and preoccupied with appearance. This references the contemporary obsession with appearance thus the character, though placed in a noir setting, and suggestive of a period when women were marginalised to in the thriller genre (for example in Elia Kazan’s film noir “Streetcar”) reinforces the helpless stereotyped female character, so consequently my product perpetuates traditional representations of gender. The recent Television trilogy ‘Red Riding’ also reinforces these representations of gender with female characters reduced to dead meat on a slate.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
“Obliquity” is an independent thriller made with little to no budget. I do not believe its narrative is particularly original as many of the ideas were taken from noir thrillers of the 1940’s. Like “Obliquity”, the structures of many of these films’ plots were built around a protagonist (Sylvia) and an antagonist (Harold). If this introduction was developed on, the antagonist would eventually lose the hold on which he/she had held over the protagonist for the film’s majority and succeed in being victorious in some way. Due to this cliched end I doubt that “Warp Films” or “Working Titles” would be interested in funding my project as it does not challenge conformities that these two industries are usually interested in, such as the early “Working Titles” release: “My Beautiful Launderette”.
I believe my thriller would not belong in a main stream, Multiplex cinema, but instead would be exhibited in a smaller, perhaps independent cinema. Larger mainstream institutions today are attracted to thrillers that can be marketed with a cast of well known actors, an award winning directors, a large budget and special effects. I am aware that my thriller does not and will not boast any of these attributes and thus under the circumstances I do not consider it would be viable. The most obvious outlet for my product is the Internet. The video media website “Youtube” is free to exhibit short films or any other type of film. Here it can be accessed by anyone from around the world on various new technologies such as Computers, iMacs, MP4 players (such as iPods) and mobile phones with internet. I am also able to exhibit my thriller on social networking sites such as “Facebook”, “Myspace”, “Bebo” and “Blogger”. As these websites are visited by millions of users everyday, they are a good free space in which people can view my thriller.
If “Obliquity” was to become successful, a television outlet would perhaps follow, being exhibited late night on film4 perhaps, or other such specialist channels that would gain a more film-educated audience.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
I feel that my thriller’s 40’s noir film edge would not be well suited to mainstream audiences and would predominantly attract either an older demographic who enjoy film noir. My thriller audience research (in which the majority of those asked were under 20 years of age) claimed to prefer violent thrillers that would need successful actors to be starred in it in order for it to be attractive to them. In support of this, those questioned did not reference classic thriller films (with the exception; Psycho) and thus my thriller would not likely attract the 15-20 demographic. I presume that the audience that would be attracted to my thriller would view noir thrillers such as “the Third Man” due to the mise-en-scene closely referencing the dark cobbled labyrinth of post-war Vienna, the villainous character of “Cody Jarrett” in noir classic “White Heat”, and also other crime thrillers on television such as “Silent Witness” or “Spooks”. Although these both have modern aspects and do not closely associate with the mise-en-scene of “Obliquity”, they are both mature thrillers, achieving dramatic effect without CGI or other special effects. I believe that female audience members could relate and sympathise with Sylvia’s situation. Male and female viewers may even be able to infer that Sylvia is a strong character who can walk away from her fears (Harold Mardel).
How did you attract/address your audience?
Fourteen audience members from ages varying between 16-19 were asked to feedback on my final product. The questions on the evaluation; “Was the film’s narrative easy to understand?” and “Is the production clearly the opening of a thriller film?” would allow me to understand whether my thriller was successful in its goals or not. Thankfully the majority of the audience selected 5/5 and from this I can infer that they have understood my intentions and have been able to read my product. Although I believe that both camera work and editing could have been achieved to a higher standard, the audience seemed to enjoy both and gave an average of 4/5 points for this aspect. Other questions such as “Would the opening inspire you to watch the rest of the film?” were answered by all fourteen audience members with “Yes”, and no viewer found any part “confusing” or “hard to understand”. I believe the mise-en-scene of locations to be a significant appeal of my product, and this could attract the audience, making them want to view more. The cliffhanger used at the end of the two minutes also could leave the viewers wanting more, with the music adding suspense to the action of the film.
What have you learnt about technologies for the process of constructing the product?
From the making of my thriller introduction I have learnt to use the digital camcorder as on the Media course’s preliminary task I acted and edited. I learnt that filming is a lengthy process and requires patience (especially for shooting in public places). I also discovered that the more footage and attempts taken the better the result will invariably be as there is a bigger selection of footage to choose from and in consequence, this makes editing easier.
In “Obliquity” I used several types camera shots and angles to create an interesting mise-en-scene. These include the tilted angles of the street as Harold Mardel follows Sylvia Rose down the wet cobbled streets, creating a sense of confusion and making the street appear as if it is coming down upon the characters. I have become aware that camera angles are vital to the film, and that a bad shot will effect the quality on a whole. This led to re-shoots of poor footage, with two attempts of filming on the cobbled street and 50% of the footage going to waste. Editing for my thriller has been considerably different to that of the preliminary continuity exercise as it needed far more transitions and effects to make a more professional and believable product. I used several “cross fades”, giving the shot transitions a dreamy feel and letting the audience become aware of what is on Sylvia Rose’s mind. Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” also uses “cross fade” frequently to achieve the same effect. The biggest decision of the editing process was whether to keep the final footage in colour or to discard this, leaving it with a classic feel in black and white, confirming the film’s noir genre. My final decision was to discard the colour after criticisms from viewers, making my product a true noir thriller. The importance of sequencing shots is incredibly important, as it allows the footage to compliment and develop the narrative.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
The preliminary task required a small plan and a limited ability to shoot with a digital “Canon” camcorder, and edit the footage with "Premiere Elements", for example regular close ups are generic thriller conventions, and thus are not needed in the preliminary task so much. Editing in the preliminary task does not need an abundance of special effects or transitions due to its simple conversational basis, though I did learn basic skills of editing in the process. I am of opinion that the thriller has needed more attention, time and effort to warrant its completion due to; planning in depth, filming in varying locations and narrating a believable story line through actors that the audience can form a short-term relationship with.
There are specific differences between the production of the thriller and the preliminary task. The thriller is much more complex as I had to; cast characters that would be able to capture the audiences attention and achieve a believable 1930’s look, find costumes and props that represent the era correctly such as a fir coat, pearls, a bowler hat and an over coat, research a variety of locations that prohibited me to film in and that again represented the era correctly, and researching un-copyrighted music that will support the tension and suspense necessary in a thriller.
Learning about working with the new technologies has been an interesting part of the process. Using a blog to replace traditional coursework methods and being submitted on the internet instead of in hard copy was beneficial. The blog being used instead of having to carry to school a large folder, full of; audience research, thriller research and thriller planning was a physical relief. Organizing on the blog is also a lot easier, with "labels" available to catagorize work accordingly. Other strengths of this technology include; teachers being able to comment on work quickly, the convenience of the blog being on the internet (allowing me to work on it when not at home or at school) and the ability to be able to upload pictures, videos and music clips onto it. Of the few weaknesses the blog had, one was the fact teachers could not go through work thoroughly for marking, with hard copies still having to be produced for this.
As I did not work within a group for my thriller, I did not experience working constructively within a group. The unreliability and eventual departure of the rest of the group during the planning resulted in original plans having to be discarded and starting again from scratch. Therefore my responsibilities included; the initial ideas, planning, casting, costume, filming and editing. I have also helped out by performing a lead character in another group’s thriller.
Audience feedback has been a insightful part of the experience of film-making. The feedback I received for “Obliquity” was better than I imagined with an average rating of 9/10 from fourteen evaluation questionnaires. The audiences responses did not offend me as luckily no negative comments were made.
I believe that my thriller possess several weaknesses including the variety of shots, and lack of comprehendible story line. If I would have included all that I planned, using several interweaving characters story lines, I believe that my thriller would have finished a further intelligent production, that would have been more impressive. I believe that the locations used, casting and costume were successful, and portrayed the late 1930’s early 1940’s effectively.
I believe that the most important aspect of making a production that I have learnt about during the filming of the thriller lies in the editing, which can turn a mediocre piece of film into a high standard of film and vice versa.
Drama Assessment - How is Sexuality Represented in Torchwood?
Torchwood is renown for it’s modern approach to sexuality, with the lead character being homosexual. They have represented homosexuality in a positive way, not conforming to generic stereotypes that cause prejudice in society. This episode of Torchwood sees the lead character, Captain Jack as a masculine figure who is not afraid of expressing his sexuality.
The introduction initially sees sexuality stereotypes being reversed as the feet of Captain Jack are shown walking into the bar as the doors fling open, this echoes the style of the typically heterosexual Western films. This is immediately supported by the camera which cuts between each character walking together, both looking confident as if about to duel. The shot types include many close ups, tracking and shot/reverse shots, which give the scenario a fast suspense built pace. The feet of both men are shown, eventually tracking up to show each character’s attire in full. Instantly stereotypes of homosexuality are confirmed as each character is well dressed and well groomed, with immaculate hair, teeth and cleanliness. As the characters stride towards each other they stop and stare at each other, causing suspense for the audience who question what will happen next. The two men passionately kiss, confirming their sexuality to the audience and translating the action into the sexuality it represents. This kiss takes place in front of a moving image of a burning red fire on a screen, which illustrates the passion that exists in their relationship.
Suddenly these common stereotypes are reversed as the two characters begin to fight. This violence goes against the homosexual stereotype. As homosexual intercourse is not allowed to be exhibited on television, the director has used the fight to represent sex. To symbolize this, the director has reinforced the fight with flamboyancy; the mise-en-scene showing the smashing bottles and furniture and the grimaces and passionate facial expressions to display the characters enjoyment. The fight itself is shown through skewed angles, quick shots and is edited to show the key action only and to maintain pace. This adds to the edgy violent tone, an atmosphere not usually related to gay stereotypes. The mise en scene of the red decor of the bar against the dark lighting highlights the violent feel but also supports the passion that exists between the two characters and the dark, sinister relationship they have. This reinforces the stereotype that gay men are very passionate. The music accompanying the fight begins on the first punch. Both the non-diegetic sounds of the exaggerated sound effects and music “Song Two” by Blur gives the fight the energy as well as a light hearted feel, reflecting the character’s facial expressions and the flamboyancy of the action. This violent scenario is not an action that you would associate with gay men and thus stereotypes of sexuality in Torchwood are ambiguous.
As the two men fight, the other characters in the scene are shown in a taxi, talking about their colleague Captain Jack. The music from the fight cuts as the two epochs interweave, creating a calm and slightly tedious surrounding that contrasts from the loud and violent feel of the fight. They talk jealously of him, claiming that it is “more fun” when he is around. This confirms the stereotype that homosexual men are more fun.
As the taxi scene flits back to the fight, the camera shows the two men joking about their appearance as the camera spins around them using the 180 degree rule and showing them from every angle as they point their guns at one another. These weapons would not usually be a stereotyped accessory for a modern day homosexual man and thus gives the impression that the two men are perhaps are struggling to out do each other for power within the relationship. As they engage in this eye to eye moment, tension appears between them as they live up to the gay stereotypes, bantering about each other’s appearance whilst the camera shows each character talking from behind the shoulder of the other.
This quickly ends, with comic effect as the two men sit down at the bar for a drink. The two characters begin to drink heavily which is a symbol that would not necessarily be a usual stereotype for gay men, however the stereotype of a party lifestyle may contradict this. As they sit close, the camera shots change to give close ups of each character’s face, displaying the emotion that is painted on them. This closeness combined with the calmness of the music slows the pace of the scene down and confirms their sexuality.
The introduction initially sees sexuality stereotypes being reversed as the feet of Captain Jack are shown walking into the bar as the doors fling open, this echoes the style of the typically heterosexual Western films. This is immediately supported by the camera which cuts between each character walking together, both looking confident as if about to duel. The shot types include many close ups, tracking and shot/reverse shots, which give the scenario a fast suspense built pace. The feet of both men are shown, eventually tracking up to show each character’s attire in full. Instantly stereotypes of homosexuality are confirmed as each character is well dressed and well groomed, with immaculate hair, teeth and cleanliness. As the characters stride towards each other they stop and stare at each other, causing suspense for the audience who question what will happen next. The two men passionately kiss, confirming their sexuality to the audience and translating the action into the sexuality it represents. This kiss takes place in front of a moving image of a burning red fire on a screen, which illustrates the passion that exists in their relationship.
Suddenly these common stereotypes are reversed as the two characters begin to fight. This violence goes against the homosexual stereotype. As homosexual intercourse is not allowed to be exhibited on television, the director has used the fight to represent sex. To symbolize this, the director has reinforced the fight with flamboyancy; the mise-en-scene showing the smashing bottles and furniture and the grimaces and passionate facial expressions to display the characters enjoyment. The fight itself is shown through skewed angles, quick shots and is edited to show the key action only and to maintain pace. This adds to the edgy violent tone, an atmosphere not usually related to gay stereotypes. The mise en scene of the red decor of the bar against the dark lighting highlights the violent feel but also supports the passion that exists between the two characters and the dark, sinister relationship they have. This reinforces the stereotype that gay men are very passionate. The music accompanying the fight begins on the first punch. Both the non-diegetic sounds of the exaggerated sound effects and music “Song Two” by Blur gives the fight the energy as well as a light hearted feel, reflecting the character’s facial expressions and the flamboyancy of the action. This violent scenario is not an action that you would associate with gay men and thus stereotypes of sexuality in Torchwood are ambiguous.
As the two men fight, the other characters in the scene are shown in a taxi, talking about their colleague Captain Jack. The music from the fight cuts as the two epochs interweave, creating a calm and slightly tedious surrounding that contrasts from the loud and violent feel of the fight. They talk jealously of him, claiming that it is “more fun” when he is around. This confirms the stereotype that homosexual men are more fun.
As the taxi scene flits back to the fight, the camera shows the two men joking about their appearance as the camera spins around them using the 180 degree rule and showing them from every angle as they point their guns at one another. These weapons would not usually be a stereotyped accessory for a modern day homosexual man and thus gives the impression that the two men are perhaps are struggling to out do each other for power within the relationship. As they engage in this eye to eye moment, tension appears between them as they live up to the gay stereotypes, bantering about each other’s appearance whilst the camera shows each character talking from behind the shoulder of the other.
This quickly ends, with comic effect as the two men sit down at the bar for a drink. The two characters begin to drink heavily which is a symbol that would not necessarily be a usual stereotype for gay men, however the stereotype of a party lifestyle may contradict this. As they sit close, the camera shots change to give close ups of each character’s face, displaying the emotion that is painted on them. This closeness combined with the calmness of the music slows the pace of the scene down and confirms their sexuality.
Teen Drama Character Creation
Popular/Slutty Girl Character
This character is usually recognizable from their “attractive” physique. They may indeed be the least funny, outgoing or interesting character of the teen drama, however they do serve a purpose; the sexual outlet. Usually easily persuaded into brief sexual escapades and all things boy related. The program will not regularly focus on their education or extra-curricular activities, but may include a relationship related problem.
Their clothing will range from wearing only the bear essentials to “high street fashion” which only just hides their shame. Their costume will not edge on exciting or interesting, but will be bland enough for teenagers to relate to (or even to be inspired by). They will of course, wear copious amounts of make up, and several scenes within the drama will include them in some aspect getting ready or “dolling up”.
A potential storyline that would fit well into the “Slutty” girl’s on screen life could entail her getting pregnant and as a consequence she would mature into a woman. Another potential storyline could occur from her popularity diminishing due to a childish act.
“Michelle” in successful Channel 4 program; ‘Skins’ is a good example of a “Slutty Girl” in a teen drama. She successfully has several sexual encounters throughout the series and on first introduction to the audience is scandalously clothed, wearing all but a towel and is talking about having sex with a boy for a “favour”.
The Nerdy Character
This token character exists in all teen dramas and real life social situations. They are usually found to be socially and sexually inept and usually rely on other characters to pull them up the social ladder. This however may not be possible, as many “nerds” have no friends and are often bullied within the program, thus creating an on going storyline that many viewers may be able to relate to. “Nerds” are regularly the most intelligent character within the drama, and are more concerned with their school work. This is another aspect of their character which can be picked on by the more popular characters in the program. They generally stay away from the party lifestyle and do not appear with drugs or alcohol within the drama.
Stereotypically, their costume will include “out of fashion” clothing, glasses and may well be renowned for their timeless expressions or sayings. This will help to bring comedy into the drama.
‘Skins’ ‘nerd’; Sid, goes against usual stereotypes. Although like many similar nerds, he is sexually inexperienced, however his best friend within the program is also the popular character, giving it an interesting spin. Sid embraces the party lifestyle and regularly takes drugs and drinks alcohol, also fails to achieve at school which both go against the traditional “nerd” stereotype.
This character is usually recognizable from their “attractive” physique. They may indeed be the least funny, outgoing or interesting character of the teen drama, however they do serve a purpose; the sexual outlet. Usually easily persuaded into brief sexual escapades and all things boy related. The program will not regularly focus on their education or extra-curricular activities, but may include a relationship related problem.
Their clothing will range from wearing only the bear essentials to “high street fashion” which only just hides their shame. Their costume will not edge on exciting or interesting, but will be bland enough for teenagers to relate to (or even to be inspired by). They will of course, wear copious amounts of make up, and several scenes within the drama will include them in some aspect getting ready or “dolling up”.
A potential storyline that would fit well into the “Slutty” girl’s on screen life could entail her getting pregnant and as a consequence she would mature into a woman. Another potential storyline could occur from her popularity diminishing due to a childish act.
“Michelle” in successful Channel 4 program; ‘Skins’ is a good example of a “Slutty Girl” in a teen drama. She successfully has several sexual encounters throughout the series and on first introduction to the audience is scandalously clothed, wearing all but a towel and is talking about having sex with a boy for a “favour”.
The Nerdy Character
This token character exists in all teen dramas and real life social situations. They are usually found to be socially and sexually inept and usually rely on other characters to pull them up the social ladder. This however may not be possible, as many “nerds” have no friends and are often bullied within the program, thus creating an on going storyline that many viewers may be able to relate to. “Nerds” are regularly the most intelligent character within the drama, and are more concerned with their school work. This is another aspect of their character which can be picked on by the more popular characters in the program. They generally stay away from the party lifestyle and do not appear with drugs or alcohol within the drama.
Stereotypically, their costume will include “out of fashion” clothing, glasses and may well be renowned for their timeless expressions or sayings. This will help to bring comedy into the drama.
‘Skins’ ‘nerd’; Sid, goes against usual stereotypes. Although like many similar nerds, he is sexually inexperienced, however his best friend within the program is also the popular character, giving it an interesting spin. Sid embraces the party lifestyle and regularly takes drugs and drinks alcohol, also fails to achieve at school which both go against the traditional “nerd” stereotype.
Comparing the ways in which ‘This is England’ and ‘Hot Fuzz’ were packaged, marketed, distributed and exhibited in the UK
Hot Fuzz and This Is England are independent British films that have both broken the money boundary and inspired a new wave of low budget, British motion pictures that intend to capture the audience’s attention without the use of over-priced CGI; instead relying on the bare talent of the actors.
The two films differ in terms of the ways that the producers packaged them. An ideal package will consist of; a motion picture that derived from a best selling novel, book or play, a successful production company with a substantial reputation behind it, a soundtrack that could progress to a separate release, directors and actors with experience and/or reputation (taking on unknown lead actors is a risk that some financers will not want to take) and a genre that could be utilised effectively in advertisement. If successful, the package will raise the finance needed to make the film.
Hot Fuzz and This Is England do not conform to all of these ideals and risks were taken on both of them, however these have paid off. Neither Hot Fuzz nor This Is England were based on text and instead were written by each respective director, this is not such a large risk as a large number of films produced every year have no textual backing or previous fan base.
In terms of directors and actors used in the films, Hot Fuzz would have looked an impressive package. With a cast that starred; Bill Bailey, Timothy Dalton, Bill Nighy, Steve Coogan and Simon Pegg to name a few, the highly successful British actors would not have failed to raise finance on their own. This coupled with director Edgar Wright (who had previously directed ‘Space’ and the award winning ‘Shaun of the Dead’). This Is England brought a completely contrasting score of actors to the table. The majority of actors starred had not lost their television acting virginity, let alone attempted to produce a good standard role in a motion picture. Amongst those that director and writer Shane Meadows handpicked include; Thomas Turgoose, Joe Gilgun and Vick McClure.
This Is England boasted a soundtrack that would no doubt lead to an independent release. Its 80’s ska, punk and reggae non-diegetic music complimented the 80’s setting and culture, and reinforced the realism the film attempted to project. In turn this music would appeal to the generation of people who experienced this era in their youth, and those of a younger generation in today’s society who are interested in the culture that their mothers or fathers experienced. This contrasts with the Hot Fuzz soundtrack, which relies on the expertise of a score by David Arnold, who has previously scored the James Bond films. This is coupled with modern chart music and popular songs from the last 50 years, displaying how the film could appeal to any age of audience. This shows the difference between goals of the respective films. On one hand, Shane Meadows has tried to create a film that wouldn’t be out of place if released in the mid 80’s, the realism of this kitchen sink drama being crucial to its success and charisma. Edgar Wright in comparison has used a variety of music that allows Hot Fuzz to combine the dated feel of the location it is set in with the modern aspects the main characters bring. Both film’s musical ideas would have warranted them finance.
Marketing occurs before and after production. The producers use the packaged product to attract a distributor. Marketing can be achieved in a number of ways, and depends completely on the package; what genre, actors, directors etc. The film can then be advertised, reviewed, publicised and entered for film festivals to spark attention and make it a success.
This Is England was not heavily advertised, with budget being low. It did however, appear on Film4 commercial breaks. Hot Fuzz was advertised on all major television channels, throughout the day. This allowed a wider audience of all ages to be attracted to it as they are not necessarily film connoisseurs, who are more likely to watch Film4.
Distribution of the motion picture lies in the hands of the company that has been entrusted to distribute it. These companies are responsible for how successful and accessible the films will be, making decisions such as; which cinemas it will be released in, which countries, dates of cinema and festival releases and how many prints will be available. They then have the choice of releasing the DVD themselves or selling the rights, and the decision of who to sell the television and online rights to.
This Is England, as an independent low-budget film, was not expected to succeed. An instant distributor was unlikely and one had to found; EM Media agreed a deal first. Soon after this, the film secured a larger distributor; Optimum Releasing for its UK distribution and ICF films for its US distribution. It appeared in film festivals all over the world including; Toronto Film festival, Rome Film festival, London Film festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, Midnight Sun Film Festival, Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Festival du film d'éducation, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival and Lilla Filmfestivalen. There is no question that these festivals helped to get This Is England recognized. This is England was released on DVD on the 3rd of September 2007, a while later than Hot Fuzz, although it appeared in festivals earlier. The film grossed $8 million worldwide
Hot Fuzz secured a large distributor; Working Titles (a branch of Universal), which would pave the way for its success. Soon after, the film gained distributors in varying countries including; Paramount in New Zealand and Australia, Rogue Pictures in USA and Alliance Films in Canada. It appeared at several film festivals including; ShoWest, Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Films and Cognac festival. Finally Hot Fuzz secured a DVD release on the 11th of June, selling over 1million copies in its first few weeks. Hot Fuzz grossed $80 million worldwide and is considered one of the most successful British films of the 21st Century.
The majority of films have theatrical releases, some are national events, and others are small parties. The exhibition of each Hot Fuzz was entirely different. This Is England was released in a small scale, reaching only independent cinemas that would only show the film to a limited amount of viewers. The buzz surrounding the film after it’s its release (not when released) was created due to the air of mystery that surrounded it. With the television advert appearing only on Channel 4 and on rare occasions, the wider population knew nothing about it. Positive reviews after the film was released caused a stir, and soon This Is England became a highly successful independent British film that traced the footsteps of Trainspotting ten years previously. Hot Fuzz was advertised nationally on a number of television channels. This warranted it the mainstream release that it deserved, though this usually would not constitute it as an independent British film. Its release in large institutions such as VUE, Odeon and UCI made it a British blockbuster. This mainstream success could be the result of previous Edgar Wright film ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and This Is England which was released earlier in the same year. There is no doubt that independent British films have benefited from these two accomplishments, with today’s low-budget films being more frequently granted further mainstream promotion, for example 2009’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. This British industry is becoming recognized at a fast pace, with one of its main financiers Flim4 recently dedicating a whole week to some of the best low-budget British films of the last 10 years, which were not necessarily the most successful.
The two films differ in terms of the ways that the producers packaged them. An ideal package will consist of; a motion picture that derived from a best selling novel, book or play, a successful production company with a substantial reputation behind it, a soundtrack that could progress to a separate release, directors and actors with experience and/or reputation (taking on unknown lead actors is a risk that some financers will not want to take) and a genre that could be utilised effectively in advertisement. If successful, the package will raise the finance needed to make the film.
Hot Fuzz and This Is England do not conform to all of these ideals and risks were taken on both of them, however these have paid off. Neither Hot Fuzz nor This Is England were based on text and instead were written by each respective director, this is not such a large risk as a large number of films produced every year have no textual backing or previous fan base.
In terms of directors and actors used in the films, Hot Fuzz would have looked an impressive package. With a cast that starred; Bill Bailey, Timothy Dalton, Bill Nighy, Steve Coogan and Simon Pegg to name a few, the highly successful British actors would not have failed to raise finance on their own. This coupled with director Edgar Wright (who had previously directed ‘Space’ and the award winning ‘Shaun of the Dead’). This Is England brought a completely contrasting score of actors to the table. The majority of actors starred had not lost their television acting virginity, let alone attempted to produce a good standard role in a motion picture. Amongst those that director and writer Shane Meadows handpicked include; Thomas Turgoose, Joe Gilgun and Vick McClure.
This Is England boasted a soundtrack that would no doubt lead to an independent release. Its 80’s ska, punk and reggae non-diegetic music complimented the 80’s setting and culture, and reinforced the realism the film attempted to project. In turn this music would appeal to the generation of people who experienced this era in their youth, and those of a younger generation in today’s society who are interested in the culture that their mothers or fathers experienced. This contrasts with the Hot Fuzz soundtrack, which relies on the expertise of a score by David Arnold, who has previously scored the James Bond films. This is coupled with modern chart music and popular songs from the last 50 years, displaying how the film could appeal to any age of audience. This shows the difference between goals of the respective films. On one hand, Shane Meadows has tried to create a film that wouldn’t be out of place if released in the mid 80’s, the realism of this kitchen sink drama being crucial to its success and charisma. Edgar Wright in comparison has used a variety of music that allows Hot Fuzz to combine the dated feel of the location it is set in with the modern aspects the main characters bring. Both film’s musical ideas would have warranted them finance.
Marketing occurs before and after production. The producers use the packaged product to attract a distributor. Marketing can be achieved in a number of ways, and depends completely on the package; what genre, actors, directors etc. The film can then be advertised, reviewed, publicised and entered for film festivals to spark attention and make it a success.
This Is England was not heavily advertised, with budget being low. It did however, appear on Film4 commercial breaks. Hot Fuzz was advertised on all major television channels, throughout the day. This allowed a wider audience of all ages to be attracted to it as they are not necessarily film connoisseurs, who are more likely to watch Film4.
Distribution of the motion picture lies in the hands of the company that has been entrusted to distribute it. These companies are responsible for how successful and accessible the films will be, making decisions such as; which cinemas it will be released in, which countries, dates of cinema and festival releases and how many prints will be available. They then have the choice of releasing the DVD themselves or selling the rights, and the decision of who to sell the television and online rights to.
This Is England, as an independent low-budget film, was not expected to succeed. An instant distributor was unlikely and one had to found; EM Media agreed a deal first. Soon after this, the film secured a larger distributor; Optimum Releasing for its UK distribution and ICF films for its US distribution. It appeared in film festivals all over the world including; Toronto Film festival, Rome Film festival, London Film festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, Midnight Sun Film Festival, Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Festival du film d'éducation, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival and Lilla Filmfestivalen. There is no question that these festivals helped to get This Is England recognized. This is England was released on DVD on the 3rd of September 2007, a while later than Hot Fuzz, although it appeared in festivals earlier. The film grossed $8 million worldwide
Hot Fuzz secured a large distributor; Working Titles (a branch of Universal), which would pave the way for its success. Soon after, the film gained distributors in varying countries including; Paramount in New Zealand and Australia, Rogue Pictures in USA and Alliance Films in Canada. It appeared at several film festivals including; ShoWest, Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Films and Cognac festival. Finally Hot Fuzz secured a DVD release on the 11th of June, selling over 1million copies in its first few weeks. Hot Fuzz grossed $80 million worldwide and is considered one of the most successful British films of the 21st Century.
The majority of films have theatrical releases, some are national events, and others are small parties. The exhibition of each Hot Fuzz was entirely different. This Is England was released in a small scale, reaching only independent cinemas that would only show the film to a limited amount of viewers. The buzz surrounding the film after it’s its release (not when released) was created due to the air of mystery that surrounded it. With the television advert appearing only on Channel 4 and on rare occasions, the wider population knew nothing about it. Positive reviews after the film was released caused a stir, and soon This Is England became a highly successful independent British film that traced the footsteps of Trainspotting ten years previously. Hot Fuzz was advertised nationally on a number of television channels. This warranted it the mainstream release that it deserved, though this usually would not constitute it as an independent British film. Its release in large institutions such as VUE, Odeon and UCI made it a British blockbuster. This mainstream success could be the result of previous Edgar Wright film ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and This Is England which was released earlier in the same year. There is no doubt that independent British films have benefited from these two accomplishments, with today’s low-budget films being more frequently granted further mainstream promotion, for example 2009’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. This British industry is becoming recognized at a fast pace, with one of its main financiers Flim4 recently dedicating a whole week to some of the best low-budget British films of the last 10 years, which were not necessarily the most successful.
Comparing the titles of Hollyoaks and Coronation Street.
The two opening title sequences of Coronation Street and Hollyoaks are vastly different in style, with both promoting the audience they aim to attract and the pace of life within the soap through Mise-en scene, music, camera techniques and editing techniques. These help the audience to place the soap within reality.
Coronation street uses slow swing-esque music that is reminiscent of Northern band music, which compliments the slow pace of the title sequence and soap, as well as highlighting the maturity of its characters. This style of music was founded where Coronation Street is based, and has been part of the kitchen sink drama since its first airing in 1960. This gives it a sense of continuity and reassures loyal viewers that although characters may have changed during the 49 years, it still holds the same values. This theme music contrasts to Hollyoaks which uses modern, guitar based music to reflect the fast pace of life and the youthfulness of the characters. The song was written by Steve Wright (who coincidentally also composed the music for Brookside and Grange Hill) and replaced the decade old theme tune that connoted drama instead of the sexual and youthful nature the soap now possesses.
The Mise-en Scene of Coronation Street displays a natural Northern mining town setting. It’s red brick terrace houses, iron bridges and dated pubs and shops give the it the appearance of an everyday town that has not conformed to modernity helping the audience to understand the social realism of the characters involved. This sequence was introduced in 2002 and features high angle shots of the settings and streets involved, as well as zooming out slowly on certain features. This displays the set, and creates a sense of realism for the audience, who know that it is filmed in a real place, rather than being filmed in three walled sets in a studio. The Mise-en Scene of Coronation Street however is the antithesis of Hollyoaks, which presents the youthful characters of the soap instead of the setting. The sequence begins with an eye opening, beckoning the the audience to look at events through a youthful view point: Hollyoaks. All characters are shown within the thirty second opening sequence, parading each personality for the audience to see straight away. The character’s actions seem to depend on their gender. The males that are shown are either straight faced, smiling or taking part in some activity of sorts, for example boxing with the camera or playing air guitar. The girls included in the sequence are predominantly scandalously clothed and often pouting. The harsh reality of the implications this brings is the passive sexual use of females within the soap and that their role is solely to attract the male audience. The camera movements are fast and include zooming in and out of characters as well as panning and tracking them. This adds speed to the sequence and again reflects the fast pace of life within the soap. This introduction has been adapted to characters over the last four years (since being introduced) and has been altered regularly to accommodate new characters and discard others.
The editing techniques of each introduction reflect the lifestyles of their respective soap. Coronation Street uses slow paced, cross-fading transitions between shots, which implies a lazy and slow lifestyle. Hollyoaks on the contrary, uses experimental and fast transitions that highlight the youthfulness of the cast. These transitions go through objects and even body parts as they zoom in and out of each character to the next. This allows a flowing and fast introduction to the soap.
The credits and the title is different in each soap, again underlining the dissimilarities between each. Coronation street straight away gives its title on one of the surfaces, using its archaic street sign font that has been present through the years. It continues to credit those involved in writing, producing and directing it in the same font. Hollyoaks is more experimental; first showing it’s name in the eye of one of the characters and again at the end of the introduction, however this time in blue and pink with masculine and feminine symbols that connote the sexuality of the soap. The sequence lacks the credits of those who make it, and instead presents them when the action begins.
Coronation street uses slow swing-esque music that is reminiscent of Northern band music, which compliments the slow pace of the title sequence and soap, as well as highlighting the maturity of its characters. This style of music was founded where Coronation Street is based, and has been part of the kitchen sink drama since its first airing in 1960. This gives it a sense of continuity and reassures loyal viewers that although characters may have changed during the 49 years, it still holds the same values. This theme music contrasts to Hollyoaks which uses modern, guitar based music to reflect the fast pace of life and the youthfulness of the characters. The song was written by Steve Wright (who coincidentally also composed the music for Brookside and Grange Hill) and replaced the decade old theme tune that connoted drama instead of the sexual and youthful nature the soap now possesses.
The Mise-en Scene of Coronation Street displays a natural Northern mining town setting. It’s red brick terrace houses, iron bridges and dated pubs and shops give the it the appearance of an everyday town that has not conformed to modernity helping the audience to understand the social realism of the characters involved. This sequence was introduced in 2002 and features high angle shots of the settings and streets involved, as well as zooming out slowly on certain features. This displays the set, and creates a sense of realism for the audience, who know that it is filmed in a real place, rather than being filmed in three walled sets in a studio. The Mise-en Scene of Coronation Street however is the antithesis of Hollyoaks, which presents the youthful characters of the soap instead of the setting. The sequence begins with an eye opening, beckoning the the audience to look at events through a youthful view point: Hollyoaks. All characters are shown within the thirty second opening sequence, parading each personality for the audience to see straight away. The character’s actions seem to depend on their gender. The males that are shown are either straight faced, smiling or taking part in some activity of sorts, for example boxing with the camera or playing air guitar. The girls included in the sequence are predominantly scandalously clothed and often pouting. The harsh reality of the implications this brings is the passive sexual use of females within the soap and that their role is solely to attract the male audience. The camera movements are fast and include zooming in and out of characters as well as panning and tracking them. This adds speed to the sequence and again reflects the fast pace of life within the soap. This introduction has been adapted to characters over the last four years (since being introduced) and has been altered regularly to accommodate new characters and discard others.
The editing techniques of each introduction reflect the lifestyles of their respective soap. Coronation Street uses slow paced, cross-fading transitions between shots, which implies a lazy and slow lifestyle. Hollyoaks on the contrary, uses experimental and fast transitions that highlight the youthfulness of the cast. These transitions go through objects and even body parts as they zoom in and out of each character to the next. This allows a flowing and fast introduction to the soap.
The credits and the title is different in each soap, again underlining the dissimilarities between each. Coronation street straight away gives its title on one of the surfaces, using its archaic street sign font that has been present through the years. It continues to credit those involved in writing, producing and directing it in the same font. Hollyoaks is more experimental; first showing it’s name in the eye of one of the characters and again at the end of the introduction, however this time in blue and pink with masculine and feminine symbols that connote the sexuality of the soap. The sequence lacks the credits of those who make it, and instead presents them when the action begins.
The Micro and Macro Analysis of Max's Death (Hollyoaks)
The scene of Max’s death uses many micro aspects to conjure macro implications. The scene includes varying; camera angles, shot types, editing techniques, lighting and sound to create an emotionally driven end to an episode.
The scene begins and the first aspect that is noticed is the non-diegetic music. The music comprises of fast paced changes of notes in succession, which is dramatic on its own yet when it is coupled with samples of heart rate monitors (which give it a medical feel and link it to other drama sub-genres) there is predetermination that something is going to go wrong. The action begins straight away, with the young boy Tom running onto the road to fetch his fallen action man. The lighting is rosy with lush greens of the grasses beside him and the red of his action man (though this could also also imply danger). This lighting is reminiscent to the innocence of his character. There are quick shot transitions to other main characters; Niall who looks sinister as he sits in his car laden in dark clothes as well as Max and O’Brien who quickly notice that the boy is vulnerable on the road; these facial close ups allowing the characters to unveil their expressions of anxiety. Max runs over to Tom with the level camera unsteady, indicating that he is rushing to him. The audience presume the next installment of action is about to unfold when Max screams Tom’s name and the diegetic sounds of a Niall’s car revving and it’s tyres screeching are heard as it speeds around the corner. With these sounds adding to the ever present bleeps of the repetitive heart monitor a wall of tension is built. After many medium length shot reverse shots of Max’s view of Tom and Tom’s view of Max that dart between each other, the older character reaches Tom and pushes him onto the grass to the side of the road for safety filmed with a long shot. The editing techniques and transitions between shots are fluent and help to keep the scene flowing and the variety of fast paced shots are used to emphasise the chaos and build tension.
With a blunt and unforgiving shot that displays the reality of real life accidents, Max stays too long on the road and is hit by Niall’s car. This is shown almost through O’Brien’s eyes which adds to the realistic feel. There is a momentary pause as the camera zooms into his expression as O’Brien calculates what has happened to his best friend and the scene is thrown into slow motion. The shot switches to one of Tom’s action man falling to the ground. The toy is personified, predetermining the fall of his real life hero, Max. The cliche slow motion aspects of the scene lengthen the time span of the accident and heighten the tragedy and emotions felt by other characters. It also slows down the pace the scene was previously progressing at and is the opposite of the speed the car was traveling. O’Brien runs over to his best friend whilst Niall is seen being metaphorically framed as the camera, from a birds eye view through the sunroof, displays Niall getting out of his car. This highlights that he is the villainous character and has done wrong, although nobody realises the incident was purposeful and instead those around rush to his side.
As the action subsides the implications take place, including the character’s reactions. Gender stereotypes are represented here through their reactions of Max’s death. O’Brien takes charge immediately and conforms to the dominant male stereotype of being strong by rushing over to Max first and holding him in his arms. His dialogue consists mainly of; “don’t worry, you’ll be ok”, “It’s not as bad as it looks” and “Call an ambulance, now!” supporting the fact that he is positive. The two men are likened as they are wearing practically the same suits and this supports the fact they are both strong male characters and the fact they are best friends. The two men share words whilst the camera uses the 180 degree rule to ensure the conversation flows. O’Brien helps to interject a slight aspect of humour into the proceedings by saying; “don’t be gay!” when Max declares his love for his friend. This helps to reinforce his manly stereotype and humorous personality. Tom’s reaction is what you would expect from a boy of his age. The close up of his face shows that he is confused and upset yet not hysterical, connoting that one day he could be a strong dominant male just like O’Brien or his brother was. His dialogue is simple yet heartfelt; “Wake up Max!”, and without him the scene may not have been so effective. Stephs entrance to the is delayed at first, implying that she too, like O’Brien, has to calculate what has happened. Her white dress gives her the appearance of an angel and when she quickly runs to the side of Max she conforms to the stereotype of the neurotic female character. Her loud grieving indicates that she needs support from one of the male characters. The composition and choreography of the characters when Tom and Steph join O’Brien and Max is interesting and can help the audience to establish characters roles within the drama. O’Brien’s head is always held higher than the other two characters’ and this displays his control on the situation once more. Steph and Tom are seen either with their heads resting on Max or looking up to O’Brien for support, showing that they need support from a strong male character. Steph’s wedding dress frames the characters Tom, O’Brien and Max. This may suggest that she is a motherly figure or that she is an important character.
All the action here is coupled with non-diegetic music, an aspect which is very important. The music merges from the chaotic tension building music when the accident takes place and is replaced by a heavenly choral piece which adds to implication of Max floating up to heaven and accompanies the slow pace. As the scene progresses the music eventually encompasses the exclamations of grief from the characters, which intensifies the emotion. It may also imply that Max can no longer hear the cries from his family and friends, affirming that he is dead. As the scene ends the camera zooms out and rotates away from Max’s body, this could indicate an outer-body experience, signifying Max floating upwards to heaven. It may also connote Max looking down upon the scene of the crime, as it is a birds eye shot. Before the camera hight reaches its peak and tilts upwards the four faultless characters; Max, O’Brien, Tom and Steph can be seen in their same positions as they surround Max’s body whilst Niall sits with his back turned to them a distance away. Niall’s dark coloured clothes contrasts with Steph’s white dress and highlights their dissimilarity; the devil and the angel. All of these elements signify a peaceful and calm death and the chaos that has previously occurred is completely forgotten about as the audience witness the camera tilting upwards towards the sunlight scattering through the lush green leaves and finally to total whiteness. This editing signifies that Max has successfully reached heaven and the audience are no longer ill at ease by where Max rests.
The white screen and fades to a camcorder shot with the heavenly music continuing still from the previous scene. The shot shows Max being asked “what is love?” to which he replies simply; “Right now, the best thing in the world”. Once he has made this claim the shot continues to show his happy face momentarily before fading to black and symbolizing his death. This personal ending concludes Max’s final feelings and shows the audience that he was truly in love and was finally happy thus adding more tragedy to the outcome of the episode.
The scene begins and the first aspect that is noticed is the non-diegetic music. The music comprises of fast paced changes of notes in succession, which is dramatic on its own yet when it is coupled with samples of heart rate monitors (which give it a medical feel and link it to other drama sub-genres) there is predetermination that something is going to go wrong. The action begins straight away, with the young boy Tom running onto the road to fetch his fallen action man. The lighting is rosy with lush greens of the grasses beside him and the red of his action man (though this could also also imply danger). This lighting is reminiscent to the innocence of his character. There are quick shot transitions to other main characters; Niall who looks sinister as he sits in his car laden in dark clothes as well as Max and O’Brien who quickly notice that the boy is vulnerable on the road; these facial close ups allowing the characters to unveil their expressions of anxiety. Max runs over to Tom with the level camera unsteady, indicating that he is rushing to him. The audience presume the next installment of action is about to unfold when Max screams Tom’s name and the diegetic sounds of a Niall’s car revving and it’s tyres screeching are heard as it speeds around the corner. With these sounds adding to the ever present bleeps of the repetitive heart monitor a wall of tension is built. After many medium length shot reverse shots of Max’s view of Tom and Tom’s view of Max that dart between each other, the older character reaches Tom and pushes him onto the grass to the side of the road for safety filmed with a long shot. The editing techniques and transitions between shots are fluent and help to keep the scene flowing and the variety of fast paced shots are used to emphasise the chaos and build tension.
With a blunt and unforgiving shot that displays the reality of real life accidents, Max stays too long on the road and is hit by Niall’s car. This is shown almost through O’Brien’s eyes which adds to the realistic feel. There is a momentary pause as the camera zooms into his expression as O’Brien calculates what has happened to his best friend and the scene is thrown into slow motion. The shot switches to one of Tom’s action man falling to the ground. The toy is personified, predetermining the fall of his real life hero, Max. The cliche slow motion aspects of the scene lengthen the time span of the accident and heighten the tragedy and emotions felt by other characters. It also slows down the pace the scene was previously progressing at and is the opposite of the speed the car was traveling. O’Brien runs over to his best friend whilst Niall is seen being metaphorically framed as the camera, from a birds eye view through the sunroof, displays Niall getting out of his car. This highlights that he is the villainous character and has done wrong, although nobody realises the incident was purposeful and instead those around rush to his side.
As the action subsides the implications take place, including the character’s reactions. Gender stereotypes are represented here through their reactions of Max’s death. O’Brien takes charge immediately and conforms to the dominant male stereotype of being strong by rushing over to Max first and holding him in his arms. His dialogue consists mainly of; “don’t worry, you’ll be ok”, “It’s not as bad as it looks” and “Call an ambulance, now!” supporting the fact that he is positive. The two men are likened as they are wearing practically the same suits and this supports the fact they are both strong male characters and the fact they are best friends. The two men share words whilst the camera uses the 180 degree rule to ensure the conversation flows. O’Brien helps to interject a slight aspect of humour into the proceedings by saying; “don’t be gay!” when Max declares his love for his friend. This helps to reinforce his manly stereotype and humorous personality. Tom’s reaction is what you would expect from a boy of his age. The close up of his face shows that he is confused and upset yet not hysterical, connoting that one day he could be a strong dominant male just like O’Brien or his brother was. His dialogue is simple yet heartfelt; “Wake up Max!”, and without him the scene may not have been so effective. Stephs entrance to the is delayed at first, implying that she too, like O’Brien, has to calculate what has happened. Her white dress gives her the appearance of an angel and when she quickly runs to the side of Max she conforms to the stereotype of the neurotic female character. Her loud grieving indicates that she needs support from one of the male characters. The composition and choreography of the characters when Tom and Steph join O’Brien and Max is interesting and can help the audience to establish characters roles within the drama. O’Brien’s head is always held higher than the other two characters’ and this displays his control on the situation once more. Steph and Tom are seen either with their heads resting on Max or looking up to O’Brien for support, showing that they need support from a strong male character. Steph’s wedding dress frames the characters Tom, O’Brien and Max. This may suggest that she is a motherly figure or that she is an important character.
All the action here is coupled with non-diegetic music, an aspect which is very important. The music merges from the chaotic tension building music when the accident takes place and is replaced by a heavenly choral piece which adds to implication of Max floating up to heaven and accompanies the slow pace. As the scene progresses the music eventually encompasses the exclamations of grief from the characters, which intensifies the emotion. It may also imply that Max can no longer hear the cries from his family and friends, affirming that he is dead. As the scene ends the camera zooms out and rotates away from Max’s body, this could indicate an outer-body experience, signifying Max floating upwards to heaven. It may also connote Max looking down upon the scene of the crime, as it is a birds eye shot. Before the camera hight reaches its peak and tilts upwards the four faultless characters; Max, O’Brien, Tom and Steph can be seen in their same positions as they surround Max’s body whilst Niall sits with his back turned to them a distance away. Niall’s dark coloured clothes contrasts with Steph’s white dress and highlights their dissimilarity; the devil and the angel. All of these elements signify a peaceful and calm death and the chaos that has previously occurred is completely forgotten about as the audience witness the camera tilting upwards towards the sunlight scattering through the lush green leaves and finally to total whiteness. This editing signifies that Max has successfully reached heaven and the audience are no longer ill at ease by where Max rests.
The white screen and fades to a camcorder shot with the heavenly music continuing still from the previous scene. The shot shows Max being asked “what is love?” to which he replies simply; “Right now, the best thing in the world”. Once he has made this claim the shot continues to show his happy face momentarily before fading to black and symbolizing his death. This personal ending concludes Max’s final feelings and shows the audience that he was truly in love and was finally happy thus adding more tragedy to the outcome of the episode.
'This Is England' - Who Made It and How?
Warp Films was created in 1999 and has since established it’s role as a boundary pushing moving-picture company. Their aim was to create low-budget films that were presented in a director-led-fashion. It’s connections with Film4 have allowed them to create films and distribute them globally, and ties within its successful mother company Warp Records have allowed them to combine their directors with their bands to create visually as well as sonically pleasing works of art.
Directors who have worked with Warp Films include; Shane Meadows, Chris Cunningham, Chris Morris, Richard Ayoade, David Slade and Lynne Ramsay. Each of these directors have contributed with projects, with some gaining large amounts of success. Of the successful productions, those that stand out include; Chris Cunningham’s ‘Rubber Johnny’ which depicts a shape shifting mutant child kept in a basement and Shane Meadow’s ‘This is England’, a dramatic social representation of 1980’s Northern Britain which portrays the life of a young boy and a local skin-head gang.
Warp X is a new digital film studio based in Sheffield which is producing low-budget yet high value motion pictures that can reach wider audiences. It’s cutting edge digital technology conjoined with it’s modern approach to the morales of the industry have cemented its place in being a keen promoter for the future of low-budget, independent British films. It is driven by the creative talents of those involved and awards them with a share in the gross revenue of the production in which they are involved. Warp X’s aims are to; encourage filmmakers to explore social issues such as racism and social exclusion and to provide those involved within the British Film industry; including directors, writers, producers and actors previously disadvantaged due to their social backgrounds or disability with more opportunities. The films produced are for the Low-Budget Feature Film Scheme that has been created by the UK Film Council and Film4 to revitalise this sector of the British Film Industry. With additional financial support from EM Media and Screen Yorkshire along with development and distribution support from Optimum Releasing Warp X has successfully released two films in 2008, including the critically acclaimed ‘Donkey Punch’ and ‘A Complete History of my Sexual Failures’ as well as the award winning ‘This is England’ in 2006.
Successful Warp Films motion picture ‘This Is England’ by Shane Meadows was financed by Screen Yorkshire, Film4, UK Film Council and EM Media. It was produced by Big Arty Productions and distributed by Optimum Releasing(UK) and IFC Films(US).
Directors who have worked with Warp Films include; Shane Meadows, Chris Cunningham, Chris Morris, Richard Ayoade, David Slade and Lynne Ramsay. Each of these directors have contributed with projects, with some gaining large amounts of success. Of the successful productions, those that stand out include; Chris Cunningham’s ‘Rubber Johnny’ which depicts a shape shifting mutant child kept in a basement and Shane Meadow’s ‘This is England’, a dramatic social representation of 1980’s Northern Britain which portrays the life of a young boy and a local skin-head gang.
Warp X is a new digital film studio based in Sheffield which is producing low-budget yet high value motion pictures that can reach wider audiences. It’s cutting edge digital technology conjoined with it’s modern approach to the morales of the industry have cemented its place in being a keen promoter for the future of low-budget, independent British films. It is driven by the creative talents of those involved and awards them with a share in the gross revenue of the production in which they are involved. Warp X’s aims are to; encourage filmmakers to explore social issues such as racism and social exclusion and to provide those involved within the British Film industry; including directors, writers, producers and actors previously disadvantaged due to their social backgrounds or disability with more opportunities. The films produced are for the Low-Budget Feature Film Scheme that has been created by the UK Film Council and Film4 to revitalise this sector of the British Film Industry. With additional financial support from EM Media and Screen Yorkshire along with development and distribution support from Optimum Releasing Warp X has successfully released two films in 2008, including the critically acclaimed ‘Donkey Punch’ and ‘A Complete History of my Sexual Failures’ as well as the award winning ‘This is England’ in 2006.
Successful Warp Films motion picture ‘This Is England’ by Shane Meadows was financed by Screen Yorkshire, Film4, UK Film Council and EM Media. It was produced by Big Arty Productions and distributed by Optimum Releasing(UK) and IFC Films(US).
Thriller Plan
Initial Thriller Plan
Plot
Two sisters in the 1930’s (Sylvia and Ellie), who look very alike are shown at the same time in different locations, Ellie is dead and blood soaked, the other Sylvia is alive and walking down a cobbled street in the night time.
As the sequence progresses the shots pan up each girl individually until their faces are shown, a dark figure of a man is also included and it becomes obvious to the viewer that Sylvia may suffer the same fate as Ellie.
Once the girl who is walking down the street sees the predatory male, she runs and he follows after, walking at a steady pace.
Location
- Where the girl is walking is a sophisticated and obviously affluent area.
- The streets are cobbled and the buildings are elegant.
- I am using Elm Hill in Norwich for this part of my sequence.
- Where the girl is hanging and dead is a dirty, un-glamorous room.
- The streets are not cobbled, and there is evidence of litter etc
- I am using an empty room for these shots of the sequence.
- For the lift sequences I will use the old lift in the school.
Lighting
- Dark Chiaroscuro.
- Ambient Street Lamps.
- Reflection on wet cobbled streets.
- Car Lights.
- Low-Key and from below to cause shadows.
Sound
- Diegetic footsteps, passing cars.
- Non-diegetic music
Titles
- On varying surfaces throughout sequence.
Brief synopsis of narrative
- Shot of window, shadow is seen through curtain of a female figure.
- Shot of hands and antique mirror and accessories, the female figure is painting her nails, but then accidentally spills the nail varnish which drips over the dresser ledge.
- Blood dripping with a dark background.
- Shot of a drain cover and wet, reflective cobbles on a street. A door being closed and footsteps walking closer to the drain can be heard.
- Shot of identical drain cover with blood dripped over it.
- Same shot of first drain cover, close up of woman’s legs as they walk over it.
- Cuts to another shot of legs and feet, though these are suspended off the ground and blood is running down them.
- Camera pans up walking girl till it reaches painted red nails.
- Camera pans up hanging girl until it reaches painted red nails.
- Camera pans up walking girl till it reaches shoulders, more of attire shown.
- Camera pans up hanging girl until it reaches shoulders, her clothes are blood soaked and more of her clothing is shown.
- Shot of male figure in lurking in the shadows of a doorway, no features can be seen though ember of cigarette and smoke are visible.
- Close up of man’s face (Harold) as car lights pan over it. Features are seen and he is grinning and looks mischievous and villainous.
- Close up of hanging girl’s face, which is pale and obviously dead, on a tilt with a noose around her neck.
- Close up of Sylvia’s face, the relation to the other girl is severed as they look different and are not the same person as the audience may have predicted. A look of horror is placed upon her face as she sees the man.
- Final tilt shot of the girl running down the remainder of the street and the man walks behind, following her.
- Girl turns into a building and gets into a lift, thinking she is safe.
- Final shot of lift doors opening on second floor and Harold standing there.
Basic Thriller Plot and Impact on Audience
Shot of a window at night time, and within a shadow of a female figure is shown on the blind.
The shot cuts to the female figure (Sylvia) putting red nail varnish onto her nails and accidentally spilling the pot so the varnish drips over the edge of the dresser she is sitting at. This cuts to blood dripping from a height.
The shot changes once again and focuses on a drain cover on a cobbled street, the sound of a door shutting and footsteps can be heard in the distance, getting louder and closer. This cuts to the blood that was dripping earlier onto an identical drain cover.
The shot changes back to the first drain cover and a pair of female legs (Sylvia’s) walk over it. This cuts to a pair of legs (Ellie’s) that are suspended from the ground and are dripping with blood.
The shot then pans up each girl separately and with synchronisation till it reaches each respective girl’s shoulders. Their attire is very similar and this could lead to interpretation that the two girls are the same person. It also defines the era the Thriller is based in with the costumes.
Then a shot of a man (Harold) lurking in the shadows of a doorway brings an unsafe element to the plot and relates all three characters, especially the fate Sylvia could face.
Close ups of each of the three characters rubbishes the link that the two girls could in fact be the same person and shows Harold as villainous creature. It also creates a possibility that Sylvia could suffer the same fate as Ellie as they are very similar and are sisters.
Sylvia quickens her pace away from the Harold as he walks slowly behind her. She enters the building that she was heading for and gets into a lift. The lift arrives at a floor, stops and opens to a view of Harold in the archway.
Storyboards
Characters of Thriller
Sylvia Rose
20 years old
Sylvia appears attractive, intelligent and strong willed; a classic 1930’s beauty.
Her dark hair - which flicks out intentionally at the bottom - connotes strength and along with her painted nails and lips implies she is well maintained and takes pride in her appearance. She is well dressed, wearing furs and copious amounts of jewellery; showing her awareness of fashion in era as well. We see this throughout the whole sequence.
She is a role model to her sister and is unaware of her abduction throughout the scene. When she sees Harold her confidence is blown and a vulnerable side shines through, which Harold brings out with his uneasy grin that serves to cause Sylvia discomfort for the rest of the sequence.
(SKETCH TO BE SCANNED IN)
Ellie Rose
18 years old
Before Ellie was killed she was very similar to her sister in personality and style. She is similar too in appearance, enough so that a connection can be made between them. Her hair colour is a lot lighter than her sisters and this implies classic vulnerability in blonde characters in the thriller genre. She is abducted by Harold, stabbed and hung till death after being raped, a brutal murder.
(SKETCH TO BE SCANNED)
Harold Mardel
25 years old
Harold is a young deranged character who is taking his revenge out on the Rose family. He blames them for being too rich, and for belonging to an upper class society that he believes he should belong in. His jealousy leads to the murder of Ellie Rose and the threatening of Sylvia. He will appear tall and menacing.
(SKETCH TO BE SCANNED)
Casting
My thriller needed three characters that would be able to pull off the sophisticated 1930’s look, and create an air of mystery that would surround them, and in doing so capture the audiences’ attention. After a couple of mishaps and re-casting, the committed few were cast.
Isabelle Davies as Sylvia Rose
I chose Issy to play Sylvia as she has the appearance of an elegant woman already. Her face connotes classic beauty and with the help of my costume and props she looks as if she has just walked out of the 30’s.
Corrin Johnson as Harold Mardel
I chose Corrin to play Harold in my thriller. Corrin is tall, slim and handsome; exactly what I needed. He has the ability to look menacing and his height helps to add to his threatening appearance.
Costumes of Thriller
All three of the costumes relate to the 1930’s. I will use furs and dresses for the females as well as plenty of accessories and make up. This will connote wealth, femininity and awareness of fashion within the era. The two ladies’ attire should make them appear as if they are in the upper class society of 1930’s Britain. The male figure will be dressed smartly, with a long black over coat and hat. This relates to the fashion of the era too.
Sylvia and Ellie – The two girls in the sequence will be dressed head to toe in 1930’s styles. They will be dressed similarly to imply that they are both members of high class society in the era and to make the audience question whether or not they are the same characters. Styles in the era included; fur coats, hats, lots of jewellery, pale coloured dresses and high heels.
Fur coats/hats – These are a symbol of Hollywood film star qualities. They imply not only femininity but glamour and wealth too.
Jewellery- This connotes wealth, femininity, glamour and awareness of fashion in the era. Many necklaces on top of each other was considered fashionable in the 1930’s. Especially using pearls necklaces and lockets.
High Heels – Implications of femininity and social standing within society at the time. These also help to make a substantial and recognizable sound when walking which will help build the tension when Sylvia is walking.
Harold – Dark coloured fabrics, all over. This corresponds with the fashionable colours at the time (which, my research suggests were blacks, browns and greys) and also the mysterious feel the character gives off. In the era, men’s suits and overcoats were shaped to create the image of a large torso, to do this the shoulders were squared (using shoulder pads) and there were peaked lapels that framed the V-shape, these adding yet more width to the shoulders.
His persona and appearance is an Intertextual reference to Harry Lime from the classic 1949 thriller The Third Man by Carole Reed who appears in a dark overcoat and top hat.
Black overcoat – A signifier of mystery and sleek sophistication. The coat gives who ever wears it; a certain toughness preventing not only bad weather from reaching the body but also helps to cover identity. The high backed collar also helps protect the character’s identity from being uncovered and is a symbol of mystery and a prime aspect of a villain’s costume.
Bowler Hat – This once again helps to cover some of the face if tilted downwards. It was essential wear for smart men of the 30’s and so Idecided that I would include it in my villain’s costume. It gives Harold a mysterious edge and also a Intertextual reference to The Third Man once again.
Antique Furnishings – In the sequence these props will help to establish the era that it is set in. The character Sylvia Rose sits at an antique dresser and in front of her is a hairbrush, mirror, nail varnish and varying other 1930’s accessories and jewellery. These items also connote wealth, femininity and awareness of fashion in the era. Sylvia obviously possesses a relatively high social status and could be labelled as ‘upper class’.
Noose- This is a signifier of death which is made of rope. It is supposedly used by Harold to kill Ellie. The noose is an uncommon thriller prop, as most thrillers use guns, knifes and other such weaponry to kill, therefore I believed that it would be a more original method. Killing with hanging also makes no noise, unlike a gun and so could be thought of as a silent sly weapon.
. Its colour and texture relates it to blood. It connotes femininity and wealth.
Cigarette – This prop is used with Harold when he is lurking in the doorway. The cigarette gives Harold an air of mystery and sophistication as well as a sign of danger.
Plot
Two sisters in the 1930’s (Sylvia and Ellie), who look very alike are shown at the same time in different locations, Ellie is dead and blood soaked, the other Sylvia is alive and walking down a cobbled street in the night time.
As the sequence progresses the shots pan up each girl individually until their faces are shown, a dark figure of a man is also included and it becomes obvious to the viewer that Sylvia may suffer the same fate as Ellie.
Once the girl who is walking down the street sees the predatory male, she runs and he follows after, walking at a steady pace.
Location
- Where the girl is walking is a sophisticated and obviously affluent area.
- The streets are cobbled and the buildings are elegant.
- I am using Elm Hill in Norwich for this part of my sequence.
- Where the girl is hanging and dead is a dirty, un-glamorous room.
- The streets are not cobbled, and there is evidence of litter etc
- I am using an empty room for these shots of the sequence.
- For the lift sequences I will use the old lift in the school.
Lighting
- Dark Chiaroscuro.
- Ambient Street Lamps.
- Reflection on wet cobbled streets.
- Car Lights.
- Low-Key and from below to cause shadows.
Sound
- Diegetic footsteps, passing cars.
- Non-diegetic music
Titles
- On varying surfaces throughout sequence.
Brief synopsis of narrative
- Shot of window, shadow is seen through curtain of a female figure.
- Shot of hands and antique mirror and accessories, the female figure is painting her nails, but then accidentally spills the nail varnish which drips over the dresser ledge.
- Blood dripping with a dark background.
- Shot of a drain cover and wet, reflective cobbles on a street. A door being closed and footsteps walking closer to the drain can be heard.
- Shot of identical drain cover with blood dripped over it.
- Same shot of first drain cover, close up of woman’s legs as they walk over it.
- Cuts to another shot of legs and feet, though these are suspended off the ground and blood is running down them.
- Camera pans up walking girl till it reaches painted red nails.
- Camera pans up hanging girl until it reaches painted red nails.
- Camera pans up walking girl till it reaches shoulders, more of attire shown.
- Camera pans up hanging girl until it reaches shoulders, her clothes are blood soaked and more of her clothing is shown.
- Shot of male figure in lurking in the shadows of a doorway, no features can be seen though ember of cigarette and smoke are visible.
- Close up of man’s face (Harold) as car lights pan over it. Features are seen and he is grinning and looks mischievous and villainous.
- Close up of hanging girl’s face, which is pale and obviously dead, on a tilt with a noose around her neck.
- Close up of Sylvia’s face, the relation to the other girl is severed as they look different and are not the same person as the audience may have predicted. A look of horror is placed upon her face as she sees the man.
- Final tilt shot of the girl running down the remainder of the street and the man walks behind, following her.
- Girl turns into a building and gets into a lift, thinking she is safe.
- Final shot of lift doors opening on second floor and Harold standing there.
Basic Thriller Plot and Impact on Audience
Shot of a window at night time, and within a shadow of a female figure is shown on the blind.
The shot cuts to the female figure (Sylvia) putting red nail varnish onto her nails and accidentally spilling the pot so the varnish drips over the edge of the dresser she is sitting at. This cuts to blood dripping from a height.
The shot changes once again and focuses on a drain cover on a cobbled street, the sound of a door shutting and footsteps can be heard in the distance, getting louder and closer. This cuts to the blood that was dripping earlier onto an identical drain cover.
The shot changes back to the first drain cover and a pair of female legs (Sylvia’s) walk over it. This cuts to a pair of legs (Ellie’s) that are suspended from the ground and are dripping with blood.
The shot then pans up each girl separately and with synchronisation till it reaches each respective girl’s shoulders. Their attire is very similar and this could lead to interpretation that the two girls are the same person. It also defines the era the Thriller is based in with the costumes.
Then a shot of a man (Harold) lurking in the shadows of a doorway brings an unsafe element to the plot and relates all three characters, especially the fate Sylvia could face.
Close ups of each of the three characters rubbishes the link that the two girls could in fact be the same person and shows Harold as villainous creature. It also creates a possibility that Sylvia could suffer the same fate as Ellie as they are very similar and are sisters.
Sylvia quickens her pace away from the Harold as he walks slowly behind her. She enters the building that she was heading for and gets into a lift. The lift arrives at a floor, stops and opens to a view of Harold in the archway.
Storyboards
Characters of Thriller
Sylvia Rose
20 years old
Sylvia appears attractive, intelligent and strong willed; a classic 1930’s beauty.
Her dark hair - which flicks out intentionally at the bottom - connotes strength and along with her painted nails and lips implies she is well maintained and takes pride in her appearance. She is well dressed, wearing furs and copious amounts of jewellery; showing her awareness of fashion in era as well. We see this throughout the whole sequence.
She is a role model to her sister and is unaware of her abduction throughout the scene. When she sees Harold her confidence is blown and a vulnerable side shines through, which Harold brings out with his uneasy grin that serves to cause Sylvia discomfort for the rest of the sequence.
(SKETCH TO BE SCANNED IN)
Ellie Rose
18 years old
Before Ellie was killed she was very similar to her sister in personality and style. She is similar too in appearance, enough so that a connection can be made between them. Her hair colour is a lot lighter than her sisters and this implies classic vulnerability in blonde characters in the thriller genre. She is abducted by Harold, stabbed and hung till death after being raped, a brutal murder.
(SKETCH TO BE SCANNED)
Harold Mardel
25 years old
Harold is a young deranged character who is taking his revenge out on the Rose family. He blames them for being too rich, and for belonging to an upper class society that he believes he should belong in. His jealousy leads to the murder of Ellie Rose and the threatening of Sylvia. He will appear tall and menacing.
(SKETCH TO BE SCANNED)
Casting
My thriller needed three characters that would be able to pull off the sophisticated 1930’s look, and create an air of mystery that would surround them, and in doing so capture the audiences’ attention. After a couple of mishaps and re-casting, the committed few were cast.
Isabelle Davies as Sylvia Rose
I chose Issy to play Sylvia as she has the appearance of an elegant woman already. Her face connotes classic beauty and with the help of my costume and props she looks as if she has just walked out of the 30’s.
Corrin Johnson as Harold Mardel
I chose Corrin to play Harold in my thriller. Corrin is tall, slim and handsome; exactly what I needed. He has the ability to look menacing and his height helps to add to his threatening appearance.
Costumes of Thriller
All three of the costumes relate to the 1930’s. I will use furs and dresses for the females as well as plenty of accessories and make up. This will connote wealth, femininity and awareness of fashion within the era. The two ladies’ attire should make them appear as if they are in the upper class society of 1930’s Britain. The male figure will be dressed smartly, with a long black over coat and hat. This relates to the fashion of the era too.
Sylvia and Ellie – The two girls in the sequence will be dressed head to toe in 1930’s styles. They will be dressed similarly to imply that they are both members of high class society in the era and to make the audience question whether or not they are the same characters. Styles in the era included; fur coats, hats, lots of jewellery, pale coloured dresses and high heels.
Fur coats/hats – These are a symbol of Hollywood film star qualities. They imply not only femininity but glamour and wealth too.
Jewellery- This connotes wealth, femininity, glamour and awareness of fashion in the era. Many necklaces on top of each other was considered fashionable in the 1930’s. Especially using pearls necklaces and lockets.
High Heels – Implications of femininity and social standing within society at the time. These also help to make a substantial and recognizable sound when walking which will help build the tension when Sylvia is walking.
Harold – Dark coloured fabrics, all over. This corresponds with the fashionable colours at the time (which, my research suggests were blacks, browns and greys) and also the mysterious feel the character gives off. In the era, men’s suits and overcoats were shaped to create the image of a large torso, to do this the shoulders were squared (using shoulder pads) and there were peaked lapels that framed the V-shape, these adding yet more width to the shoulders.His persona and appearance is an Intertextual reference to Harry Lime from the classic 1949 thriller The Third Man by Carole Reed who appears in a dark overcoat and top hat.
Black overcoat – A signifier of mystery and sleek sophistication. The coat gives who ever wears it; a certain toughness preventing not only bad weather from reaching the body but also helps to cover identity. The high backed collar also helps protect the character’s identity from being uncovered and is a symbol of mystery and a prime aspect of a villain’s costume.
Bowler Hat – This once again helps to cover some of the face if tilted downwards. It was essential wear for smart men of the 30’s and so Idecided that I would include it in my villain’s costume. It gives Harold a mysterious edge and also a Intertextual reference to The Third Man once again.
Brogues – Essential and proper footwear of men in the 1930’s. These shoes are able to sustain winter conditions and endless miles of walking as well as keeping up an aspect of smartness. These aspects are much like the character wearing them, who is a hard, un-forgiving man.
Antique Furnishings – In the sequence these props will help to establish the era that it is set in. The character Sylvia Rose sits at an antique dresser and in front of her is a hairbrush, mirror, nail varnish and varying other 1930’s accessories and jewellery. These items also connote wealth, femininity and awareness of fashion in the era. Sylvia obviously possesses a relatively high social status and could be labelled as ‘upper class’.
Noose- This is a signifier of death which is made of rope. It is supposedly used by Harold to kill Ellie. The noose is an uncommon thriller prop, as most thrillers use guns, knifes and other such weaponry to kill, therefore I believed that it would be a more original method. Killing with hanging also makes no noise, unlike a gun and so could be thought of as a silent sly weapon.
. Its colour and texture relates it to blood. It connotes femininity and wealth.
Cigarette – This prop is used with Harold when he is lurking in the doorway. The cigarette gives Harold an air of mystery and sophistication as well as a sign of danger.Location of Thriller
I have chosen to film the majority of my Thriller in Elm Hill, Norwich. This area is the oldest remaining street in Norwich and it still retains its original cobbles and many of the Tudor buildings (which it in fact has more of than in the entire city of London today). It has recently been used in the 2007 film Stardust as a location for a bustling street. The narrow and uneven cobbled streets are still lit by early 20th century street lamps that give it a yellow glow in the night. These elements have made it a perfect location for filming my sequence as it connotes a wealthy and glamorous setting, and the wet cobbles will give it a sophisticated feel. The area will be ideal for shooting as, although a tourist attraction in the daylight, it is relatively empty in the evening with people usually taking the modern routes to their destinations main road.
Here I have located Elm Hill on Google Maps, the red line indicating the actual street I will be filming on. As you can see the street is relatively long and on either side joins onto a modern street. When filming I will have to take precautions in order to not catch any modern attributes on film as it will ruin the 1930’s feel.
Here are some of the pictures I took of the location;
Other locations I have chosen to include are; the CNS school corridors and elevator and a corner of a room and window of a house. These locations give my thriller naturalistic settings and allow my thriller to be related to by the audience. During shooting I will have to take precautions, as any modern attributes of the buildings or interiors will lead to my thriller to be inaccurate and less believable that it is based in the first third of the 20th century, opposed to modern day.
Sound
As the thriller is to have no dialogue or diegetic sounds through out, the non-diegetic music has to heighten tension, and create an underlying drama to the mise en scene. It also must compliment the sub-genre of thriller and era it is based in.
After endless searching I have chosen Jerome Moross’ “Bawdy House Stomp” to accompany my thriller. The New York University of Music graduate Moross was born in 1913 and worked as a composer during the 1940’s in which he orchestrated the piece. I stumbled across the composer after listening to similar music such as Anton Karas which relied heavily on classical string based instruments, on the internet website “Last.Fm”. After listening to several of his songs, I decided “Bawdy House Stomp” would compliment my thriller production perfectly. I believe it gives my thriller film the pace it needs, as well as heightening tension in certain areas.
Title of film
I have decided to title my film “Obliquity”. This word has several meanings which I thought could be associated or have intertextual references within my thriller sequence;
1. the state of being oblique.
2. divergence from moral conduct, rectitude, etc.; immorality, dishonesty, or the like.
3. mental perversity.
an instance of mental perversity.
Number 1 can be related to the many canted angles used within the filming of my thriller.
Number 2,3 and 4 can all be related to the perverse, sinister character of Harold Mardel.
The way my film production reflects the conventions of the Thriller genre
- Crime at the core of the narrative;
Harold Mardel has killed Ellie and Sylvia’s life is in danger due to the fact that they are siblings.
- False paths, clues, red herrings, enigmas;
Girls appear similar when camera pans up them – implying a similar end for both and adding dramatic irony.
- Resolutions to the crime often ambiguous;
Ambiguity in the fact the two girls almost mirror each other. Sylvia’s life is in jeopardy.
- Protagonist/main character is disempowered and drawn into a web of intrigue by antagonist;
Sylvia is stalked by Harold – stalking makes her vulnerable. Harold is vulnerable due to his jealousy that rules him. This could be linked to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho in which the antagonist Norman Bates becomes intrigued by Marion Crane and eventually killing her.
- Antagonist/villain often attractive but arrogant – hinders and leads to downfall;
Although Harold’s downfall is not included in my 2minute entrance to the thriller, the audience may foresee his downfall eventually. In my thriller this can be related to the character of Harry Lime in the Third Man who eventually looses out.
- Extraordinary events occur in ordinary situations;
The surroundings of my thriller are glamorous and upper class. The events that take place here would not usually be predicted to do so. This again relates my thriller to Carol Reed’s The Third Man which is set in the beautiful aesthetics of Vienna.
- Themes of voyeurism;
Through the window of Sylvia’s bedroom, in which she is painting her nails. The red nail-varnish dripping from the dresser and the blood dripping from Ellie.
- Elements of mise-en-scene frequently reflect the protagonist’s emotional state;
The shadows created by the dimly lit streets. Tilt shots. The lift represents the entrapment of Sylvia which could be linked to the entrapment the shower curtain creates when Marion Crane is showering in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.
Thriller Changes
The the planning of my thriller through to the finished product has been a lengthy ordeal and several aspects I once wanted to include have unfortunately fallen to the floor as it were, and have been scraped due to the allocated 2minute time allowance. I have had to rid my thriller of the victim 'Ellie Rose' as time does not permit me to introduce her character and weave her into the story line without creating a piece of work that is cluttered. The exclusion of Ellie also exludes the need for a noose and the confusion that may have existed between Slyvia and her as the same character. In doing this however, certain shots do not have as much significance now, such as; the painting of Slyvia's nails and her walking a grate. These however could indicate her impending troubles and potential bloodshed that lurk behind the corner.
Black & White V.s Colour
Last minute editing of my thriller provoked me into seeing what my thriller would look like in Black and White, as a true Noir thriller like those that have influenced it, i.e The Third Man and Murder my Sweet. Since I have been debating which one to send off as my final piece. Ideally I would have used the Sepia setting on my film, giving it a monochrome finish that will highten the sophistication and glamour of certain areas. This however was unachievable as the editing program used did not include this modification setting.
Colour sees my thriller glow in several areas. The wet cobbles are given a pink glow by the street lamps and Sylvia's red nails are highlighted well. However, areas of my Thriller do not appear truely believable in colour, for example; the blue Christmas lights that are situated on the left hand side of Harold as he walks out to follow Sylvia down the street, the dark lighting in certain areas of the street and the modern colours that are used in the interior where Sylvia gets in the lift.
I believe that Black and White irradicates these imperfections as they become far more acceptable under Noir conditions. The Black and White gives the cobbles a shiny, elegant feel and although the red of Sylvia's nails and lips is gone, other areas affected are more prominent features.
Discontinued Thriller Plan
This is our first and discontinued Thriller plan. We did not carry on with planning it as we thought the concept was slightly too cliched and so we decided to take aspects from this plan and put it into our new Thriller which we believed would be slightly easier to do and appear more effective. I have decided to post the planning I had been doing for this thriller on to my blog anyway, otherwise it was a complete waste of time!
Initial Thriller Plan
Plot
Two sisters – one unstable, unsuccessful and jealous of the other who is grounded, successful and attractive.
Jealousy leads to a heated argument where the unstable sister’s insecurities are highlighted. The other sister walks out of the house and through an un-glamorous location.
As the girl is walking, she pieces together previous events through flashbacks that together conclude that her sister is inevitably jealous of her and wants to be family favourite.
Sequence ends with successful sister being kidnapped by jealous sister
Location
- Grimey
- Un-Glamorous
- Empty, Secluded Street (generic thriller location)
- Bridge by Water
Lighting
- Dark Chiaroscuro
- Ambient Street Lamp
- Reflection in Water
Sound
- Non-Diegetic dialogue at beginning (previously recorded)
- Diegetic Footsteps and Cars passing by
- No music – adds to suspense
- Crescendo when girl looks into water and sees a second figure appear beside her
Titles
- Titles on different surfaces of area during sequence
Basic Thriller Plot
Shot of window, two female voices can be heard arguing, one accusing the other of being a psycho.
Door slams, victim sister walks out. Girl enters Kings Street. Flash back of girl finding defaced photos of herself with in sister’s journal etc by using depth of field a close up of a ring and then focuses on girl flicking through journal.
Girl walking down same street – horrible locations – dirt litter etc. Girl looks scared, due to bad area. Second flashback of nasty sister staring at her without talking, this scares the victim and highlights nasty girl’s insanity.
Noise brings the girl back into reality from her flashback. She stops and appears surprised and startled, but calms down and carries on walking down by river to sit.
Whilst by the river girl looks into water and thinks she sees another figure in the reflection beside her. When she looks around (with a gasp) she sees no one only for a hand (with ring on) to clasp over her face, concluding the scene in darkness.
Darkness merges into another scene with flickering light bulb, sees the girl hanging or in a similar state.
Characters of Thriller
Victim: Marion Rose
Age: 17
Marion is a successful and confident young adult, who appears intelligent, bright eyed and unflawed. Due to her success in academia and life so far, she is obviously favoured over her sister by her parents. Her character is calm, collective and intuitive. We can see these qualities shine through in the opening of the short sequence where we hear her voice trying to calm her sister down, although the audience cannot link her voice to her appearance for definite, It is obvious that viewing her matches her to her calm dialogue. As she walks down the deserted street after leaving her house, her flashbacks of previous events highlight her sister’s evils and she realises that her sibling is unstable. When she believes there is something behind her at the end of the sequence, she believes herself to be the unstable one, though in fact there is someone behind her. This exposes a slightly vulnerable side to her, and allows the audience to perhaps see that her confident and perfect exterior is some what fragile.
Marion’s appearance is unflawed. She is attractive, of good proportions and possesses blonde hair, which connotes her purity. Her dress sense shows the audience that she is reserved, stylish and sophisticated at a young age. Her suit like outfit shows confidence and success. Although Marion appears the perfect girl, her hair is ruffled and she walks out onto the street with her shoes in her hands, she is ruffled from the misunderstanding she has just had with her sister.
Unstable Murderer: Ellie Rose
Age: 20
Although the audience does not find out so much from Ellie her character still occupies depth. The first encounter with Ellie is not necessarily with her form, but with her voice. Her choice of wording and anger indicates an unstable, perhaps violent character. Although she is older than her younger, better looking sister, she is certainly not first choice. Her sister got the intelligence, success and looks that she so desires, not to mention the attention from her parents.
In one of the scenes, the audience sees Ellie defacing pictures of her sister and writing remarks about her in her diary. This indicates she has an unstable personality and detests her sister. In another scene we see her staring at her sister with a look of sincere hatred in her eyes. Once again the audience see that she wants to reap revenge on her sister for becoming the household favourite.
Ellie’s appearance leaves something to be desired. She is untidy and her jeans are ripped, connoting imperfection and violence. The T-shirt she wears implies she is second best or insignificant in comparison to her well dressed sister. Her hair is dark, down and un styled, this connotes that she does not care about her appearance to the extent her younger sibling does, and perhaps gives the indication that she has given up trying to succeed her.
Location of Thriller
We have chosen to film our sequence in and around King Street in Norwich. This is the street where our main character Marion Rose will walk down, and where she will get kidnapped by her unstable sister.
The street is infamous in Norwich for being a rough area (it backing on to the red light district anyway) and so we thought that it would add an extra aspect of a real dangerous area to our Thriller. The housing in King Street is run down and badly maintained; it is comprised of many derelict buildings, shut down pubs and council flats. These all connote a dangerous, unsafe environment. As it is un-glamorous, it is a generic convention of the thriller genre. At night time the street becomes further more unsafe and the yellow glow of the street lights give it an uncomfortable feel.
We believed that we could use the river that is near the street to our advantage. The water is murky and the bridge is rusty, these once again connote an un-glamorous location and make the viewer feel uneasy when viewing.
Another reason for choosing this location is because of its low activity. The quiet street makes it perfect for a secluded setting.
Props
Ring – In our thriller, this is used to distinguish the unstable character Ellie Rose. The ring is not on the ring finger, indicating that she is not married. It is used in the following shots; when Marion is trying to find something in Ellie’s room, when Ellie is looking intently at Marion in a flashback and when Ellie’s hand goes over Marion’s face by the water.
Journal – This is used in the first flashback. Marion finds it whilst she is in Ellie’s room. Inside the journal shows defaced pictures of her sister, along with violent remarks and her feelings towards her better sister. The journal supports Ellie’s deranged mentalities and insecurities as well as showing her obsession and jealousy of Marion’s favoured position in the family.
Noose- This is a signifier of death which is made of rope. It is used by Ellie to kill Marion. The noose is an uncommon thriller prop, as most thrillers use guns, knifes and other such modern technology to kill, therefore we believed that it would be a more original method.
Intertextual references in my Thriller
Character Names –
We decided to give the characters in our thriller names that relate to famous thrillers of the past.
Our victim, Marion Rose, is named after Marion Crane from Psycho. Although Marion Crane is a villain in Psycho, she is also a victim. Her ignorance shines through as she steals the money without acknowledging the consequences, this ignorance relates to our victim, who does not see how jealous and unstable her sister is until the last minute. Marion Crane’s flashbacks and voices in her head also associate her with Marion Rose who recalls previous events that have occurred with her sister that highlight how unstable and jealous she really is.
Our unstable psychopathic sister, Ellie Rose is named after Ellie Driver from Kill Bill.
Initial Thriller Plan
Plot
Two sisters – one unstable, unsuccessful and jealous of the other who is grounded, successful and attractive.
Jealousy leads to a heated argument where the unstable sister’s insecurities are highlighted. The other sister walks out of the house and through an un-glamorous location.
As the girl is walking, she pieces together previous events through flashbacks that together conclude that her sister is inevitably jealous of her and wants to be family favourite.
Sequence ends with successful sister being kidnapped by jealous sister
Location
- Grimey
- Un-Glamorous
- Empty, Secluded Street (generic thriller location)
- Bridge by Water
Lighting
- Dark Chiaroscuro
- Ambient Street Lamp
- Reflection in Water
Sound
- Non-Diegetic dialogue at beginning (previously recorded)
- Diegetic Footsteps and Cars passing by
- No music – adds to suspense
- Crescendo when girl looks into water and sees a second figure appear beside her
Titles
- Titles on different surfaces of area during sequence
Basic Thriller Plot
Shot of window, two female voices can be heard arguing, one accusing the other of being a psycho.
Door slams, victim sister walks out. Girl enters Kings Street. Flash back of girl finding defaced photos of herself with in sister’s journal etc by using depth of field a close up of a ring and then focuses on girl flicking through journal.
Girl walking down same street – horrible locations – dirt litter etc. Girl looks scared, due to bad area. Second flashback of nasty sister staring at her without talking, this scares the victim and highlights nasty girl’s insanity.
Noise brings the girl back into reality from her flashback. She stops and appears surprised and startled, but calms down and carries on walking down by river to sit.
Whilst by the river girl looks into water and thinks she sees another figure in the reflection beside her. When she looks around (with a gasp) she sees no one only for a hand (with ring on) to clasp over her face, concluding the scene in darkness.
Darkness merges into another scene with flickering light bulb, sees the girl hanging or in a similar state.
Characters of Thriller
Victim: Marion Rose
Age: 17
Marion is a successful and confident young adult, who appears intelligent, bright eyed and unflawed. Due to her success in academia and life so far, she is obviously favoured over her sister by her parents. Her character is calm, collective and intuitive. We can see these qualities shine through in the opening of the short sequence where we hear her voice trying to calm her sister down, although the audience cannot link her voice to her appearance for definite, It is obvious that viewing her matches her to her calm dialogue. As she walks down the deserted street after leaving her house, her flashbacks of previous events highlight her sister’s evils and she realises that her sibling is unstable. When she believes there is something behind her at the end of the sequence, she believes herself to be the unstable one, though in fact there is someone behind her. This exposes a slightly vulnerable side to her, and allows the audience to perhaps see that her confident and perfect exterior is some what fragile.
Marion’s appearance is unflawed. She is attractive, of good proportions and possesses blonde hair, which connotes her purity. Her dress sense shows the audience that she is reserved, stylish and sophisticated at a young age. Her suit like outfit shows confidence and success. Although Marion appears the perfect girl, her hair is ruffled and she walks out onto the street with her shoes in her hands, she is ruffled from the misunderstanding she has just had with her sister.
Unstable Murderer: Ellie Rose
Age: 20
Although the audience does not find out so much from Ellie her character still occupies depth. The first encounter with Ellie is not necessarily with her form, but with her voice. Her choice of wording and anger indicates an unstable, perhaps violent character. Although she is older than her younger, better looking sister, she is certainly not first choice. Her sister got the intelligence, success and looks that she so desires, not to mention the attention from her parents.
In one of the scenes, the audience sees Ellie defacing pictures of her sister and writing remarks about her in her diary. This indicates she has an unstable personality and detests her sister. In another scene we see her staring at her sister with a look of sincere hatred in her eyes. Once again the audience see that she wants to reap revenge on her sister for becoming the household favourite.
Ellie’s appearance leaves something to be desired. She is untidy and her jeans are ripped, connoting imperfection and violence. The T-shirt she wears implies she is second best or insignificant in comparison to her well dressed sister. Her hair is dark, down and un styled, this connotes that she does not care about her appearance to the extent her younger sibling does, and perhaps gives the indication that she has given up trying to succeed her.
Location of Thriller
We have chosen to film our sequence in and around King Street in Norwich. This is the street where our main character Marion Rose will walk down, and where she will get kidnapped by her unstable sister.
The street is infamous in Norwich for being a rough area (it backing on to the red light district anyway) and so we thought that it would add an extra aspect of a real dangerous area to our Thriller. The housing in King Street is run down and badly maintained; it is comprised of many derelict buildings, shut down pubs and council flats. These all connote a dangerous, unsafe environment. As it is un-glamorous, it is a generic convention of the thriller genre. At night time the street becomes further more unsafe and the yellow glow of the street lights give it an uncomfortable feel.
We believed that we could use the river that is near the street to our advantage. The water is murky and the bridge is rusty, these once again connote an un-glamorous location and make the viewer feel uneasy when viewing.
Another reason for choosing this location is because of its low activity. The quiet street makes it perfect for a secluded setting.
Props
Ring – In our thriller, this is used to distinguish the unstable character Ellie Rose. The ring is not on the ring finger, indicating that she is not married. It is used in the following shots; when Marion is trying to find something in Ellie’s room, when Ellie is looking intently at Marion in a flashback and when Ellie’s hand goes over Marion’s face by the water.
Journal – This is used in the first flashback. Marion finds it whilst she is in Ellie’s room. Inside the journal shows defaced pictures of her sister, along with violent remarks and her feelings towards her better sister. The journal supports Ellie’s deranged mentalities and insecurities as well as showing her obsession and jealousy of Marion’s favoured position in the family.
Noose- This is a signifier of death which is made of rope. It is used by Ellie to kill Marion. The noose is an uncommon thriller prop, as most thrillers use guns, knifes and other such modern technology to kill, therefore we believed that it would be a more original method.
Intertextual references in my Thriller
Character Names –
We decided to give the characters in our thriller names that relate to famous thrillers of the past.
Our victim, Marion Rose, is named after Marion Crane from Psycho. Although Marion Crane is a villain in Psycho, she is also a victim. Her ignorance shines through as she steals the money without acknowledging the consequences, this ignorance relates to our victim, who does not see how jealous and unstable her sister is until the last minute. Marion Crane’s flashbacks and voices in her head also associate her with Marion Rose who recalls previous events that have occurred with her sister that highlight how unstable and jealous she really is.
Our unstable psychopathic sister, Ellie Rose is named after Ellie Driver from Kill Bill.
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