Shower scene: Psycho

Psycho: Shower:LINK:

How is editing used to enhance the thriller conventions?

Editing in this scene is used mainly fast and smooth. The shot used to make this type of editing effective was the cut. The cut shot is conventional to the thriller genre and in this scene as its fast a quickly shows you the surrounding of the bathroom. The cut shot was used many time leading up to the murder this was to show the audience the familiar place/setting of where she is. This will make the audience aware. Also the audience could lose concentration of what is happening in the bathroom from the constant cust being used which could also be a thriller convention as it will be easier to build up suspense and to scare the viewer.

Throughout the murder in the shower the cut shots are fast and every time the cut is used the beat from the music overlay is heard. The cuts was used in this way to quickly show you what is happening and the music beat is to show a stab. The sound and the cuts used are to build up instant suspense to the audience and shock them. 

When the women in the shower dies the editing pace becomes a lot slower. Slowing the shots down to show that someone has died will bring emotion to the audience and will show an identity of the person and that they are really dead. This will make the audience feel sorry for the character who will be the protagonist as he/she has died. 

Later there is a long paced shot which is led into a fayde, this fayde shot is a key convention to the thriller in this scene as it shows the drain of where the woman's blood is flowing into then the fayde leads into the woman's eye. This edit piece is conventional as it shows the identity of the protagonist and her death which will create sad emotions for the audience. 

Mostly throughout the scene there are quick cuts which allows the audience to see around the setting and identify the protagonist. There was also quick cuts to the antagonist who is in low key lighting which will hide the identity, this will also bring suspense as each shot on the antagonist as you can't see who he/she is which will keep the audience thinking and on the edge.

Scream Opening: Thriller Conventions

Scream Opening Scene

First of all in the scene you see the close up shot of the phone. This shot is a key convention to the thriller genre and the film as it instantly tells the audience how specific scenes in the film will be set.

The phone ringing symbolises the way the characters will interact with each other. The characters interacting through the phone creates the mystery of the character you can't see but can here in the scene, this will bring up a high suspense from the beginning, which is conventional to the thriller genre as it makes the audience think about who is this mysterious person on the phone calling the girl over and over. Making the audience think about the person on the phone wondering who he/she is keeps them interacted with the film.

Straight away you see a vulnerable woman who is the protagonist in the scene. You see that she is the protagonist as she is the only person in the scene whose identity is shown  which will create no mystery to her. Also as she is a woman it shows that she is vulnerable to the antagonist which will create suspension in the scene and make the audience feel sorry for her, which is a convention to the thriller genre.

Throughout the scene you get to see the antagonist, as the antagonist is wearing an outfit it hides the identity of him which creates mystery to the scene. The antagonist is wearing black robes and a mask, the mask again is hiding his face which will create mystery but he is also wearing black which represents danger and death. This type of clothing is conventional to an antagonist in the thriller genre as it shows the audience they should be aware that if they see this they should watch out which creates a high amount of suspense in the scene.

Individual Narrative. Miss G

Scenery

First of all my ideal thriller film that i would like to create would be set in an abandoned area, for example blank fields and in the distance one building.  Young boy will be finding his friends in this location (playing hide and seek) when all of a sudden a woman takes him. This woman will meet up with a man who could be her husband. This being a husband and wife but the wife being the main antagonist is conventional to the thriller genre as it is unusual to see the women do this in this genre which will build up tension fast and strong and get the audience interested straight away. As this kidnapping scene will be happening so fast it will discreetly hide the identity of the woman which again is a strong thriller convention as creating a mystery straight away gets the audience thinking all the way through.

The young boy who will be taken is going to be 12 years of age with a speech disability.

The woman and man (antagonists) will be in there 40's. This couple will be average normal people but have a little something wrong with them.

What is a thriller film?

What is a thriller film?

"Thriller is a genre of literature, film and television that uses suspense, tension and excitement as the main elements." Therefore the thriller genre is a type of film which relates to an audience that likes to be scared, excited or to be put on the edge of their seat. Nightmare on elm.ST (2010) Opening. Mise en Scene. First of all the setting, the opening scene is set in a American diner. This will show the audience that the place is local and he is familiar with his surroundings. This as a thriller is not conventional as being in a known place is where you would feel secure and comfortable. From the film doing this is a thriller convention as the setting being a place that you know something new can happen, this is building up the tension and putting the audience on the edge of the seat as they are wanting to know what is going to happen to the person or to this familiar place. Secondly in the scene the audience get to see what the characters are wearing. You see the woman walking past the man sitting down, she is wearing a red work outfit. The colour red shows different types of things in a thriller genre, mostly danger, blood and death. This is red costume on the woman is conventional to the thriller genre as it shows that she is walking into danger and this is what the audience want to see. The man sitting down wanting to get another drink is wearing a dark casual clothing, this is also conventional to the thriller genre as usually the protagonist of the scene therefore he could be the one in danger. As the clothing is dark suggests that he doesn't want people to know much about him therefore he has a hidden identity, which again is conventional to the thriller genre as not knowing someone is creates a mystery. The characters in the scene are very stereotypical to the thriller genre. At first in the scene you see a woman who is walking through the diner, the way she is dressed shows that she is working. The man who is sitting down is the first to speak which shows he is the main attraction of the scene. The man being the main part of the scene shows that he has all power of what goes on and what can happen. This builds suspense to the film as it shows that everything is down to him and the audience will be thinking about what he is going to do in the scene. Further on in the scene you get to see part of another person. Only able to see part of this person is highly conventional to the thriller genre as it creates mystery to the scene and hides the identity of the person. Hiding the identity of someone in the scene creates a excitement for the audience as they have a guessing game of who this person may be. This is also a thriller convention as excitement is something that draws their attention to the thriller. Again going further on in the scene you get to see the other man, this mans face looks like it is ripped apart which also hides the man's identity but this time it shows that something has happened to him. Hiding the man's identity by showing that something has happened to him creates another mystery in the scene and gets the audience thinking on why he is there and what he is doing.

The whole scene is based on low key lighting, this has a natural effect on the scene as it is dark outside. The diner being shown in the low key light shows danger as it is dark a gloomy. This type of lighting is an effective thriller convention as it doesn't give out any  identity and this keeps the mystery on going and keeping the audience attached to the film. The low key lighting used in the diner gave other light sources a great effect on the scene, for example the light from the flames in the kitchen. This type of light coming of the flames is conventional to thriller as it shows some shadow but still keeps the mystery going as the smoke from the flames blocks some of the shadow. Keeping the light the same in this opening scene is conventional to a thriller as it contrasts with the mystery and the suspense of the film and genre. Also keeping the audience thinking and on the edge of their seat.

The only iconography that is noticeable in the scene is the knifes on the mysterious mans hand and the knife that is in the mans hand at the end of the scene. Using these main resources are conventional to a thriller film as straight away it shows danger and death. The knifes on the mans hand are very effective in the scene as it shows that the knifes are apart of the man, doing this allows the audience to get an idea of who the man is and what he is doing there. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it gets the audience thinking and builds suspense. Building suspense by the iconography is a key feature of the thriller genre as the iconography will be the main part of every scene. In this case the knifes.

Sound and Editing.


Non-Diegetic:

Right at the beginning of the scene the non-diegetic sounds the music overlay is heard, the music was shown and effectively used when slowly zooming into the diner. The music was quiet and slow which relates well to how a thriller genre is presented, for example the slow music instantly starts to build up tension but at a slow pace, this happening at the beginning of a thriller straight away puts the audience on the edge. The quietness of the music is used so that you as an audience aren't fully taking notice of it, this is so that you know it is there and it is able to make you feel the scene and enables you to understand the scene.

Further on in the scene the music overlay starts to become faster and louder, you hear this when things in the scene start to become more suspense. When you hear the beat of the music getting louder and faster shows that it is building up to something that is going to thrill you. When this is happening the audience instantly without meaning to become more aware and frightened, this is because they are thinking ahead of what they are seeing. 

The non diegetic is very conventional to the thriller genre as it builds up tension fast and discreetly also as it shows the audience to be aware of what is happening which puts them on the edge and is thrilling. 


Diegetic:

At the beginning of the scene you instantly take notice of the diegetic sound from the rain, hearing this at the beginning informs the audience that it is a dull day/night. The diegetic sound of rain being the first thing you hear is conventional to the thriller genre as it gives the audience an idea of what type of scenery the film will be set in. Doing this to the audience again makes them think ahead and understand the plot more. Enabling the audience to do this makes them build up there own suspense which puts them in the shoes of character.

Secondly you hear the first voice of the character which shows you the main character of the scene and who all the action will be based on. Hearing his voice shows the audience who he is shows his identity which in a thriller will make the character vulnerable and he will instantly become the protagonist in the scene. Further on the mans voice seems to be louder and his tone becomes harder, this shows that he is worried and him being worried brings fast tension to the scene. This is all conventional to the thriller genre. Not all being high tension but it all gets the audience on the edge of their seats and thinking about what he is going to do in the scene and what is going to happen to him. Making the audience do this and thinking deeply about the scene and the characters will make it easier to shock them.

Again in the scene the diegetic sound of the bell above the door is a strong convention to the thriller genre as it is out of the blue which will shock the audience and they will instantly be thinking about who has entered and who is in the diner. As you don't see this person it shows there is a hidden identity which again is a thriller convention as it builds up suspense and creates the first mystery in the film.

Sound.Diegetic/Non-Diegetic

Obsessed: Final Sequence. (2009)

Sound:

Non-Diegetic sound:

Non-Diegetic sound is what is not visible on the screen or in the scene.
For example; the soundtracks other a scene, voice overs and sound effects that are added for the dramatic effect.

Diegetic sound:

Diegetic sound is what is meant to be in the scene and what you can see.
For example; the voices of characters, sounds that are made by objects in the story and music that is seen in the scene. e.g. music from an instrument or seeing someone put on a song on a jukebox.


Obsessed (Link)

Right at the beginning of the scene you hear non-diegetic sounds from the sound over-track, the sound is used at the beginning of the scene to create that instant high suspense for the audience. The audience will be thinking about what is going to happen in the ending scene. for example will the be a fight or will be wondering what the music is leading up to.

In the first few seconds of the scene whilst the over-track is okaying you see and hear the diegetic sound the braking window. This quick diegetic sound is conventional to the this thriller scene because it sets what is going to happen throughout the final sequence. Doing this quick and out of the blue can make the audience jump which is what the thriller genre wants out of the audience. (to thrill them)

The voices of the men in the scene sets a realistic view of the scene and who the scene could be based on. the voices you hear will be of the man in the office hearing there voices before hearing the people who was first seen in the scene creates a mystery and a hidden identity which is conventional to the thriller genre.

The diegetic sound from the bottle in the scene is the only diegetic sound that is off screen. This happening in the scene starts of the diegetic sounds for example Beyonce walking up the stairs to start of the fighting. the diegetic sound of the bottle again creates a mystery to Beyonce in the scene as she doesn't know who is upstairs or what is upstairs. Creating this tension from the bottle popping is conventional to the thriller genre as it will make the audience look forward and think about what the character is going to do to the intruder in the house and how she is going to go about it.

Non-Diegetic sound track again is brought in to the scene when the fight starts up in the bedroom, the sound overlay is conventional to the thriller genre as the tension from the down beat song is high as it relates to the fight they are having, further on in the fight the sound overlay becomes more upbeat which puts the audience on the edge of there seat and puts the high tension a lot higher as the audience wants to know how the fight ends but not wanting it to be other that fast.

Diegetic sounds throughout the fight scene are the punches, pushes, running away and the sound of them talking. All these sounds are conventional to the thriller scene as it represents what is happening to the people in the scene and can give the audience an idea of what is going on.

The Strangers

How does editing inform the audience of the generics conventions of the film and enhance the tension within the scene with the use of sound?

Sound:

The non-diegetic sound is heard when the stranger is about to knock on the door for the second time. The slow speed of the music fits in well to create suspense in the scene and mystery to the film. Creating this slow track to overlay the scene will make the audience feel uncomfortable and on edge. Making the audience feel like this is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates a scene that will put the audience on edge. Doing this to the audience is what the thriller genre wants this is so that the audience feel the way the characters are feeling and will want to watch more and find out the mystery of the film.

The diegetic sound from the smoke alarm and the fire is used to create other dangers to the film, this will bring a high suspense to the scene as the fire starts roaring in the middle of the knocks on the door. This creates a high suspense as it sets two tasks for the audience to take note of and acknowledge.

The fast editing pace in scene three of "The Strangers" informs the audience that something very soon will be the to scare them. Fast editing is a great thriller convention as it quickly builds up the tension of the film/scene. This puts the audience on the edge, creating this tension is conventional to the thriller genre as you want to keep the audience emotionally connected with the film and the characters.