I started to look at the potential sub-genre/s i could combine with my thriller. Research from Wikipedia.org has shown me many; including;
Action thriller - In which the work often features a race against the clock, contains lots of violence, and an obvious antagonist. These films usually contain large amounts of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place.
Films that include action thriller are;
-James Bond films
-The Transporter
Crime thriller- Offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, and double-crosses are central ingredients.
Films that include Crime thriller are;
-The Killing
-Seven
-The Godfather
-Inside man
Disaster thriller- In which the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc., or nuclear disasters as an artificial disaster.
Films that include Disaster thriller;
-Stormy Weather
-Earthquake
Horror Thriller- In which conflict between the main characters are mental, emotional, and physical. The main character(s) is not only up against a superior force, but they are or will soon become the victims themselves and directly feel the fear that comes by attracting the monster's attention.
Films that include Horror Thriller;
-Saw
-28 Days later
-Psycho
-The Silence of the Lambs
Psychological Thriller- In which the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical.
Films that include psychological Thiller:
-The Alfred Hitchcock films such as Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt and Strangers of a Train
-Blue Velvet
-The Sixth Sense
-The Talented Mr.Ripley
Supernatural thriller - In which the conflict is between main characters, usually one of which has supernatural powers.
Films that include Supernatural Thriller:
-Carrie
-Unbreakable
-Torchwood
In yesterday's Media lesson, the class and i analysed selective opening sequences from Alfred Hitchcock's films.
Background info: Was a british film maker and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genre's. Hitchcock had a successful career in the United Kingdom with his silent films. He directed more than fifty feature films and remains one of the best-known and most popular film-makers of all times.
Films (highlights):
Hitchcock rebounded in 1926 and made his debut in the thriller genre with the film, The Lodger: A Story of the london Fog. The film was a major commercial and critical success when it was released in January 1927 throughout the United Kingdom.(this film was influenced by Expressionist techniques that Hitchcock had witnessed first-hand in Germany)
Blackmail(1929) began the Hitchcock tradition of using famous landmarks as a backdrop for suspense sequences.
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), was a success and his second, The 39 Steps (1935), is often considered one of the best films from his early period. This film was also one of the first to introduce the concept of the "Macguffin", a plot device around which a whole story seems to revolve, but ultimately has nothing to do with the true meaning or ending of the story.
Hitchcock's next major success was in 1938 with his film The Lady Vanishes.
Hollywood(1939)
Hitchcock made his first American movie, Rebecca (1940), won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Hitchcock's second American film, the European-set thriller Foreign Correspondent,was also nominated for Best Picture during that year The movie was filmed in the first year of World War II and was inspired by the rapidly-changing events in Europe.
Other films from 1940's,50's,60's;
-Shadow of a Doubt (1943)...(Hitchcock's personal favourite)
-Suspicion (1941)...(marked first film with Hitchcock as a producer and director)
-Lifeboat (1944)...(Hitchcock adapted John Steinbeck's script)
-Notorious (1946)
-Rope (1948)...(first coloured film)
-Stage Fright (1950)
-Strangers on a Train (1951)
-The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
-The Wrong Man (1957)..(final film for Warner Brothers)
-Vertigo (1958)
-North by North West (1959)
-Psycho (1960)
-The Birds(1963)
The 3 opening sequences of Hitchcock's films
Shadow of a Doubt: Antagonist "Uncle Charlie"
This highlights the urban poverty where the camera shoots homeless men and burnt out scraps from cars near a polluted river.
The music changes into a more dramatic tone which goes into a long shot of a rundown street. There are dissolves from the street,to house, to window as music rapidly changes. Audience are told the story visually without any dialogue.
The character is weathly by the suit he wears to his immaculate hair and the cigar he smokes. The room is in a low key lighting to show the contrast from the darkness where he lays to the lightness from the blinds. The camera shoots a variety a shots around the room to focus on the props around the character. In particular the camera focuses on money which represents his wealth. However it also shoots some money lying on the floor indicating his carelessness about his wealth.
The misé en scene shows his body language which is calm and seemingly unconsicous. It shows a comparison of life and death. The colour is black and white; in connotation terms the character is wearing a black suit which hints that he has a dark side.
The music changes when the blind goes down and the character rises from the bed (this shows an aspect of a vampire). The music becomes sinister which highlights that he is the antagonist. The prop he uses is a glass which he smashes into pieces which shows he is very violent and bad tempered. The music builds up and becomes dramatic.
There is a close up of his face when he walks outside so the audience can examine his expressions. The piano music builds tension and high shots are used to establish the run down destinations and make other character seem small and powerless compared the the antagonist.
This is all been done visually and transmitted to the audience.
Introduction of the niece: "Charlie", mirroring her Uncle "Charlie"
The setting, Santa Roso, is more modern with nicely built buildings with wealthly and happier characters. This highlights the perfect suburban lifestyle.
The music is lighter and cheerful.
There are,again, another set of shots from house, to window to Charlie on her bed in the same position as her Uncle. These are mirro images from the lightness of the niece in comparison to the darker side of the uncle.
Vertigo-1956; "Fear of heights"
This film depends upon the central charcter fear of heights. This is all done visually apart from the non-diagetic background music.
Significance of the opening titles:
-extreme close up of a woman in which the colour changes to red. The connotation shows danger and passion.
-Swirling effects to represent dizziness the protagonist suffers from his fear. They go from long shots to close ups.
The close up of the woman's eye to the circular effects are a graphic match.
The music becomes faster and more dramatic as the character are running/ the protagonist realises he has Vertigo (still no dialogue) which is shown visually by a reverse zoom shot.The music switches from harps as the protagonist looks down in point of view shots and close ups of his expressions.
North by North West- 1959
This thriller is an example of ordinary characters thrown into extraordinary situations. The protagonist career is working in advertising.
There is a graphic match from the green background and blue horizontal and vertical lines where the titles come up into the same shape of a building. The building reflects the objects of cars highlighting the ordinary lives.
The Crowds of people walkin in different area's suchas as up and down stairs , buses and on pavements indicates the hectic lifestyles. The protagonist is always in the centre of the frame amongst the crowd. There is alot of dialogue and the protagonist talks very fast showing his is a very busy man.
His character is confident, cocky and shows he enjoys seducing women with his charm and money. He is shown as wealthy by he closes and business like by his body language and seems to have a very stong relationship with his mother.
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