Research into Mise - en - scene - Miss Georgiou

Mise-en-scene:

Mise-en-scene is a french word with the meaning of, what is in the scene. 
For example. Setting, Costume, Actors(characters), Lighting and Props.(iconography)

I am analysing mise-en-scene in the film Taken. Taken is a thriller film written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. Directed by Pierre Morel and staring Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen.

Taken (Kidnapping Scene)

Firstly in the scene the audience are aware that the film is set in an unfamiliar house. This kind of setting is conventional to the thriller genre as its an unknown place, which can make the setting an easy target. Also because it is unknown can mean that anything can happen and whenever. This setting that is unfamiliar to the character is perfect for a thriller as it creates a great tension which will make the audience want to keep on watching and anything that happens in this setting will or could be a surprise, which is a convention in the thriller genre.

Secondly, the costumes of the characters in the scene are very stereotypical of who they are. First of all you see the girl on the phone, she is wearing bright colourful  and fashionable clothing. this is a stereo type of a typical teenager as they are normally; happy, fun people and usually up to date with fashion. Using this type of costume for the teenage girl will show the audience that she is vulnerable and an easy target for the villains. When the kidnappers come into the scene they are wearing dark, black colours, this is a stereotype for a villain as dark and black as a colour usually indicate danger. These types of clothing are conventional to the thriller film as it indicates who is who and gives the audience an idea of what is going to happen, this will make the audience want to watch more and also put them on the edge of there seat. (create a high tension).

This can also make the audience aware of the situation.

Actors in the scene are very conventional to the thriller genre. In the scene there were, villains a hero and two victims. At the beginning of the scene the audience get to see the victim and the hero talking over the phone. This is so that the audience get to see/notice the relationship between them. Further on the audience parts of the villain. Only seeing part of the villain is conventional to the thriller genre so it keeps the mystery in the film. Doing this will create a high tension for the audience as they will be wanting to know what is going to happen with them and who they are throughout the film. The victim in this scene look very scared and surprised with what is going on. Kim (Maggie Grace) listens to her dad over the phone which shows when in danger she will do what she is told. When she is told she is going to be taken she will freeze in surprise and cry, this is conventional to thriller because it shows the audience that she is scared and worried and will make the audience feel sorry for her and want her to be safe, which again will create a high tension in the scene. As the victims in the scene are two young female adults will make them most vulnerable to the crime that is in the film. This is conventional to the thriller film because they are shown as easy targets. The victims look like they are wanting to go on this holiday to have a good time together, this is set so that what happens in the scene is a surprise to the audience. The purpose of them in the scene being kidnapped is to set the story of them trying to be saved throughout the film. This may not be a thriller convention but with the mystery of what is happening throughout the film sets the thriller conventions. 

The hero of the scene will be Kim's farther Bryan Mills, who is one of the victims in the film. This is a great thriller convention in the scene because it shows they victim and the hero have a strong bond and will show the audience that he will not give up on his child. This will create a high suspense as the audience will want to see what he can do to save his child.

Low key lighting was mainly used in the kidnapping scene of the film, when she was taken from under the bed and when her farther is on the other side of the phone. This is conventional to a thriller film as it shows a dark area of which makes it easier for more surprising acts to happen.The audience would expect to see this sort of lighting in this thriller film as the dark hides and prevents the mystery from showing, this will create a great tension for the audience as in the dark you are more aware of your surroundings but in this case as it is a small enclosed area it is hard to escape so it is easier for the surprises to happen.

High key lighting in the kidnapping scene was shown at the beginning when the female character was on the phone to her farther in the bathroom. The high key lighting was in this scene as she was by a window in daylight, this can also be a conventional type of key lighting in the thriller genre as it shows a more natural feel. This was also used to show that the female character can see what is going on in the house and can describe clearly what is going on to the audience and her farther on the phone. Using this sort of lighting in a thriller film will give the audience an idea of what is going to happen. For example if the lighting is high key you can see more which opens your mind out to greater possibilities. This will create a high tension in the scene because the audience will be bringing there own ideas into the film, therefore they will be wanting there ideas to happen which will put the audience on the edge of there seat.

Iconography items in the scene was use very effectively. The iconography was mainly use by the hero and the victim. The mobile phones in the scene is the main iconography. The phones are used in the scene to show a relationship between the victim and the hero also to create a start of point to save the victim.

The hero is shown with a briefcase, this represents business, elite and a understanding. This iconography item is a key convention to this type of thriller as it show that the hero knows what he needs to do and that he could of done it before so it shows experience. This also shows he is confident in what he is doing and that he will stand out. The phone in the scene is a key convention to a thriller film because it is normally a start of point to any type of crime. In the scene the phone is used like a pathway for the hero to meet the villain and save the victim. The villain was no using any weapon which is not a thriller convention but in another view it can be for example the villain showed of his strength in the scene by taking not only one woman but another by dragging her out from under the bed. This is conventional because it could give the hero a challenge which will create tension for the audience because they don't want the hero or victim in danger.

Preliminary Task - Miss Georgiou

For my Thriller, I am in a group with Noah Lown and Alexander Flanngan. Together we work well, but there could be room for improvement as sometimes we do not agree, finding ourselves in an argument. Especially, the Preliminary task tested how we work as a group and how our styles of editing are similar or different. 

The main purpose of our task, was to create a short clip, showing how well we can use the camera and its accessories. After we shot various camera angles, we uploaded them and as a group edited them.  Within our short clip, it features both me and  Noah while Alex filmed us. Alex took a leaders role and decided what angles to use, as well as what ones suited the scene being shot. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTOZ9KUbN0g&feature=c4-overview&list=UUCl1ByhPoGfSuUS8iZnBxoA

By doing this task, we learnt how to use the camera to our advantage. We used the tripod to be able to keep the camera steady and at eye level. 

(DISCUSS CLIP)

The Preliminary task has helped me and my group, be aware about the camera angles and our surrounding, when it comes to filming our Thriller. It made us as a group look at our weakness's and our strengths, and hopefully has made us stronger as a group. 

Group Narrative - Miss Georgiou

Group Narrative

The point of a narrative is to know 

In Media Studies, it is important to tell the difference between narrative and story. A story is a sequence of events, known correctly as the plot. While a narrative is the way those events are put together to be presented to an audience.Therefore, when analysing a narrative we analyse the construction of the story eg. the way it has been put together, not the story itself. You also need to consider what the story is about in its most basic terms, eg. the theme, for our group the theme is Thrillers.

Alex's Idea

Their are a group of people who are dared to spend the night in and old abandoned house, however there is actually a maniac who lives in the house who lock the group in and slowly hunts them down one by one. Using all the techniques that I have mentioned, about the group of people who are trapped in an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere at night. This all creates the conventions typical in a thriller genre, in my film I would also like to attempt to break the 180 rule which has been done in "Psycho" which I would like to replicate, this would give a 360 view of the setting which will draw the audience in and help them empathise with the characters.

The advantages are that it is conventional to the thriller genre, as well as being simple but effective. Also He has related his own idea's to other movies which has helped him find a well planned narrative. However there are a few negatives, such as, the abandoned location and how we would find such a location to film on. Plus parts of the plot are repeative and might not leave the audience wanting to see more, as well as needing a big group of people  to play the parts and people filming.

Noah's Idea

I have created a small plot. A couple go to a closed hotel. They didn't know this and they start to argue. The woman leaves the man stranded there over the winter and begins to lose his mind in the cold attic of the hotel. He then murders new guests in the summer with blunt objects while wearing a phantom of the opera mask that he had found. I got the location from the shining, the suspense of him killing from pet semetary, the mysteriousness from v for vendetta, the isolation plot from misery and the iconography from Texas chainsaw. Hopefully these ideas create an element of shock, suspense and surprise amongst the audience.

With Noah's idea, it would be very easy to acquire iconography which are part of the scene. Also, the amount of people needed to be able to make the opening sequence come alive and realistic is minimal. Another positive would be that the story line is long therefore, we wouldn't be showing the whole film in just the opening sequence. However, on the other hand, it will be hard to find a location once again to film such a piece, as well as timing of the weather will be hard, unless we were to create artificial weather, which might become unrealistic.  Also the narrative includes too much to fit into an opening scene and might ruin the rest of the film leaving the film with nowhere to go. 

My Idea

A group of girls go camping on Halloween night. They start to hear strange sounds from outside, coming out of their tent the sounds start getting louder. The girls are scared and have no idea what to do. A group of boys jump out on them. Once the boys go home, the girls plan to go to bed, however the sounds start again, they think its the boys, although this time it isn't...

As a group we decided that, the location I have chosen is easy to located with no permission needed, as well as no specific time zone being needed, so it could be filmed at anytime of day or night. The narrative it very simple but effective. Although to be able to film the properly we would need a big enough group, also it might have too much dialogue which could ruin the eerie feeling. 

Choosing a theory...

As a group we looked at several different theory's. The first being Vladimir Propp, who's theory is mostly seen in children's fairy tales, such as Shrek. Propp believed that above all, characters were the most important when it came to planning out a narrative. His ideal characters consisted of a hero, seeking something he has been sent to find, a villain to get in the way of the hero's task. As well as these two characters, Propp found it important to include a donor, dispatcher, a false hero, a helper, a princess and the princess' father.

When looking at this theory, we decided that it didn't really fit into a thriller narrative, although parts of the theory, such as a villain could be given a different name as a killer. We also said that Propp's theory relates more to children's folk or fairy tale films and not horror or thriller films. 

Final Idea...

It took our group quite a while to choose an idea. We came up with several upon our own induvidual narratives, which either didn't seem possible or were very unrealistic. Finally after several ideas, we thought of one which wasn't only possible but would be effective and simple. 

The scene is set in the woods, late in the day. Two young teenagers sneak into an abandoned building to do ... While the teens are in the building, they start to hear strange sounds from outside. One of the teens acting all 'Big' goes out to see what the sound was, leaving the other in the building. After about 5 minutes of silence, the other teen goes out to see where their friend has been. As they open the door to walk into the woods, they see their friend hanging from a tree dead. The camera swings round, to show the teen screaming and also showing a tall figure behind the character, could it be the killer?

Opening scene analysis - Miss Georgiou

The purpose of an opening sequence is for it to establish the mood and visual character of a film so it engages the audience. It is also used to introduce the audience to all or some of the following elements, which are; Characters, locations, Narrative, Plot, Themes and Visual style. I analysed the film 'Halloween' (1973), I decided to look at the editing styles, camera angles, sound, conventions and the representation of characters within the scene.

Halloween didn't have many editing styles, as most of the scene was film on a had handheld camera which creates continuity . The main point of using an handheld is to create jerky and unsteady images to produce a sense of urgency or chaos. However in this scene its the unknown murderer who has the handheld, this creates a mystery for the audience. This immediately draws the viewer in as they have no idea what is happening. At the end of the opening scene they use of a jump cut, when the parents rip of the mask. This shocks the audience as they realise that the murderer was a child.

As well as editing styles, Halloween's opening scene also included's camera angles. There is a point of view angle, when the killer picks up the knife, this allows the audience to know that they are seeing the scene through the killers eyes. It also makes the audience believe something bad might happen, therefore the camera angle is creating an enigma. Additionally, at the beginning of the scene, before the viewers are introduced to the characters, the camera zooms into the pumpkin, putting an emphasis on the title 'Halloween'.

Of course, a thriller wouldn't have the effect on an audience as it does without the use of music and sound. In Halloween, the scene starts of with dialogue which begins off screen but gradually becomes on screen. This introduces the audience to two of the characters. Also the scene has a continuous non - diegetic sound, made by a electronic keyboard which uses high pitched sounds, this starts to build suspense in the scene.  Further along in the scene, a proper piano is introduced when the killer enters the house. The piano almost resembles his movements, it starts and stops with the killer, the electronic keyboard is contentious throughout. Just over two minutes into the scene, a clock starts to chime, it represents the victims time running out as the killer climbs the stairs. Meanwhile, behind the sound of the clocks and electronic piano, the audience can hear a childlike voice singing which is off screen. This shows the vulnerability of the victim. As the killer enters the victims room and goes to kill her, the non - diegetic sound becomes louder, showing the panic of the victim when she realises her fate. The electronic sound continues all the way through this scene. 

Convections of a thriller include, low key lighting, eerie sound or music and much more. In 'Halloween', the director and writer have made sure that the film covers all aspects of a thriller genre. As the camera is from the killers point of view the audience never see who they are, therefore leaving an hidden identity and a mystery. Also the victim is a woman, this is conventional to a thrillers as woman are seen like the most vulnerable sex. Shock, Suspense and surprise are usually added to a thriller to make the audience enjoy the film. The shock, comes when the killer pulls open the draw and picks up the large knife. Suspense is introduced when the music and sound begins, and finally the surprise comes at the end, when the killer is revealed as a child.

Research into sound - Miss Miller

Sound is used in thriller films to notify the audience of the different situations that the characters are going through and it is also used to help the audience understand the narrative of the thriller film.

One of the sounds used in the Strangers trailer are diegetic sound. It is an off screen sound because the audiences do not know where it is coming from. The evidence for this sound is when the couple are hugging and they hear a ‘bang’ sound. This sound obviously frightens the couple because they both pause in the moment and look around at the door. The sound shows that someone or something has been around and something bad is probably going to happen. The audience would expect this to be found in a thriller because it makes the movie more interesting for the audience. Because the sound is diegetic and off screen, the sudden 'bang' shocks the audience and the sound relates to the film because it builds suspense in the film as it is makes the audience on edge and jumpy, which draws the audience in.

The second sound that was used in the Strangers trailer was a on screen sound, this was when the swing was making a noise like someone had been playing around with it. It could also be seen as a parallel sound because the swing is making a noise, which suggests that there is a unknown presence around the house.  It shows that the audience know that something is there are they are ready for something bad to happen to the couple. This is a conventional sound in the thriller because it would be a jumpy sound that would be used in a thriller. This makes the audience feel tense, scared, jumpy and on edge because they know something is going to happen.

The third and final sound that I will be analysing is the non-diegetic sound, the evidence for this is when they are in the car trying to get away from the strangers and there is creepy music in the background which shows that something unnatural is going to happen (which is normal in a thriller film). It shows that the couple and the characters that are being attacked by the stranger are in some kind of danger because they are going to be trapped in between their car, the strangers car and the house. It relates because it shows the audience that the main characters are in trouble and are very scared with what the strangers are going to do with them. This also then makes the audience scared about what the strangers will do to the victims, so the audience is drawn into the film. This is a typical narrative because it shows that something bad is going to happen and the main characters that are being attacked are in danger, so this would be typically found in a thriller film.

This analysis has taught me where sounds can be introduced in the thriller film and where would use them in different situations. For example I know when a diegetic sound is used, when you want to use a sound that is off screen, this may be used to create suspense in the thriller film.

Research into Conventions of the Thriller Genre - Miss Miller

For a thriller to be successful it should have an exciting and entreeging plot, which makes the audience sit on the edge of their seats due to the amount of suspense, shock and surprise used within the film.

In thriller films the most used conventions are low - key lighting, shadow, eerie music and the three s's, Shock, surprise and suspense. In the clip below, we view just a few of the conventions from above. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orNQoBgr3BM

The scene starts by looking down a dark corridor, suddenly a girl in white passes across and triggers cameras. This then begins the suspense, which is shortly followed by eerie sound creating the mood of the scene. The sound is non - diegetic, which means that the sound has been added in after, it is creating suspense. Once suspense has been created, it then leave the audience to imagine what could possibly happen next, leaving them hanging off their chairs waiting. In the clip the suspense immediately created as the little girl walks up the stairs. The family are watching her, not saying a word. Next, is surprise, as she walks into one of the rooms, the door slaps shut behind her, which leaves the audience in shock not knowing what is happening, the other side of the door.

In most thrillers, there normally is a female victim, these females are normally innocent and made to feel vulnerable and usually end up finding themselves in danger or worst being murdered. Most directors like to make their scenes that have murders within, terrifying and shocking for the audience. Within the Conjuring the first person to encounter danger is a little girl who sleep walks and has an imaginary best friend. From that point the rest of the family one man and four woman become terrified and teased by the supernatural. The family are so realistic the audience can relate to them and feel part of the scene.   

Also a major part of conventions of thrillers is low - key lighting. The low - key lighting creates shadows which builds tension and mystery, leaving the audience unknown of what is happening. It also the darkness of the lighting represents the darkness of the scene. The whole low - key lighting creates suspense which makes the audience wonder what happens in the darkness of the scenes.

Research into the History of Thriller Films - Miss Georgiou

A thriller is a novel, play, or movie with an exciting plot, typically involving crime or espionage. 

(https://www.google.co.uk/search?safe=vss&hl=en&q=what+is+a+thriller&btnG=Search)

In this post i will be explaining the history of thrillers, what has changed and what is still the same. It will include a timeline into the history of thrillers and also about the directors and actors who have found fame through these films.

1940's

The 40's witnessed Hitchcocks oscar winning film 'Rebecca'. Rebecca was filmed in black and white with the use of sound to help create suspense. A shy ladies' companion, staying in Monte Carlo with her stuffy employer, meets the wealthy Maxim de Winter. She and Max fall in love, marry and return to Manderley, his large country estate in Cornwall. Max is still troubled by the death of his first wife, Rebecca, in a boating accident the year before. The second Mrs. de Winter clashes with the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, and discovers that Rebecca still has a strange hold on everyone at Manderley.  (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032976/) 
The film was filmed in black and white with minimal effects. Rebecca was adapted as a radio play.

1970 - 1980's

In the film Friday the 13th, Camp counselors are stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant while trying to reopen a summer camp that was the site of a child's drowning. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080761/)

1990 - present

The sixth sense is about a boy who communicates with spirits that don't know they're dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist. The film was nominated for 6 oscars and won 32 awards.  (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167404/)
The Sixth Sense is highly effective with a bare minimum of special effects. There is not a shot of the film that couldn't have been done 25 years earlier.

There are several actors and directors who have become famous through staring or directing thriller films. These included Alfred Hitchcock, director of Oscar winning film 'Rebecca' and thriller 'Psycho'. Psycho is Hitchcock's best-known film. It was produced on a budget of $800,00. 

A present time actress, who has recently become well known through staring in 'Black Swan' is Natalie Portman. Since she starred in the film she has been in adverts, films and tv productions.

Looking at different thrillers, their plots and how they have used the conventions of a thriller have made me realise what I do and do not want to use in my own thriller. The main thing that every thriller through out time has used is sound effects and music. Even the most simple sound effects make the film have mountians of suspense. This is what I have taken to put into my own thriller.