Task 2 (continued)

CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF A THRILLER:

Over the past few weeks we have been focusing on thrillers, we have looked at the openings of several different films and also analysed them. A Thriller is the type of genre that is based on suspense,Tension and excitement. Most thrillers have a murder crime and then the solving of it. It is used to get the viewers to think about the storyline. Its not as scary as a horror but it does have it's moments that make you jump! most thrillers include a killer but we dont actually see the killings happening, wheras in a horror we would see all the blood and feel as though us as the viewers are there. We Looked into thrillers such as Halloween, Texas chain massacare, The Orphange and I-Robot.

'The Orphange' is about a woman who lived in an orphange as a young girl, when she grew up she then bought the 'Haunted' home and adopted a boy of her own and planned to adopt more until her son went missing. she sent out a search party but 6months down the line she still hadn't found him. I particualry found this film very uncomfortable and disturbing to watch as it had very mysterious music and a dark setting, the filmed ticked all the boxes to the codes and conventions of a thriller.


We also looked into I-Robot, I find this film very entertaining but i dont think I would put it into the 'thriller' catergory as feel that it's more of a action/sci-fi because it involves alot of science and fighting. This film is about the future, and how it effects people in their everyday life. The robots were made to take care of people but Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) thinks differently... In the film we see a flashback of Del and a young girl trapped in a car under water, the robot designed to cater to Del's needs saves him insted of the young girl which makes Del hate the robots with a passion. A good robot turned bad soon lets Detective Del let out his years of anger. The film begins with the titles's which are white but look very sciencey and medical, the background is water, which made me think more about what was to happen next. There is flash backs of Dell and a young girl trapped under water and a Robot trying to save them, this is when there is a Extreme close up of
Dell's eyes and the non-diagetic sound of an alarm clock, this shows that it was a recurring dream that he has. A long shot is used to set the scene of where he is, which is his appartment. No sound is used within the 1st 2mins of the film apart from the diagetic sound of water, until he turns on his CD player and a up beat/Soul song plays. An birds eye view shot then turns into a pan shot which goes to a high angle shot which shows his status as a top person. We dont really no why the Robots are there untill the close up of a Robot's face when Dell leave his home.


HORRORS:

When watching the openings of different Horrors films, I saw what was expected, the slow, sly creepy music which builds alot of tension but also draws you into the film. Typically the opening title sequence is usually red writing which symbolises blood and gore. In the opening it usually gives the audience hints that there has or will be a brutal killing introducing the main characters in wierd ways. From the brutal death it opens many doors for other characters to come into, which builds up a situation in finding the killer and getting revenge. Horrors are unsettled films designed to frighten and invoke hidden worst fears and by including blood and gore it definately does this.


One of the films that I looked into is 'Orphan', a horror about a family who have suffered a loss of their unborn child and agree to adopt a child from their local orphanage. They were drawn to a particular young girl and imediately took her home, not knowing the dangers that are upon them. She posed as a very young girl when she really is a middle aged woman. she gets taken in by different families then kill's everyone apart from the husband as she wants him for herself.
This film ticks all the boxes of being a horror, it has that extreme suspense and also the blood and murders that are needed. The opening has an establishing shot and several close up's of the main characters faces which sets the scene and gives the audience an insight of who these people are. The music is very mysterious and creepy, which automatically gives you the impression that somthing isn't right which made me want to continue watching.

Task 2 (continued)

We Also looked at 500 days of summer, Bridget Jone's Diary, Sliding Doors and Love Actually.


500 Days of summer shows the journey of a couple who's relationship last 500's day's, the characters name is Summer. The film doesnt go in chronological order, it jumps from day to day. In the opening sequence the numbers (488) are shown next to a drawning of a bench and a tree, this then fades into the two characters being in a park. The numbers represent the amount of days they've known each other. The scene then jumps to day (2) so this isnt our typical Rom Com. The opening is shown like a picture timeline, having the screen split into two, pictures come up showng the two made characters as their growing up and a monotoneal voice over is used to tell the story of them both. A shot reverse shot is used to introduce the characters when their older and a close up of their hands and a ring on her finger which gives the audience the impression that she's either enganged or married.
In the picture on the right it shows the effect of 500 pictures with a sun in the middle which relates back to the charater 'Summer', the male character is also sittin alone in his own little world right in the corner which shows us that he's on love with her, it also gives us the idea that its her he always thinks about because all the pictures are above his head.


The film Sliding Doors has a very different attempt to a 'normal' Rom Com, it shows the life of a woman but in two different ways, like she has an alter ego. One side of her has a really bad day and evrything turns out for the worst, but the other side has a better day and evrything works out fine. In the opening scene we see her as a regualr person going to work, she gets fired from her job so she heads home, as she's about to miss her train she runs down the stairs and its almost like a stary, magical jingle is played and the one character becomes two, this all has to do with the sliding doors on the train. An establishing shot opens the films setting the scene that their in london, Music is used in a non-diagetic way, and upbeat, jazz/pop song is played which makes the film seem more light. A close up is used showing the main character (Gwyneth Paltrow) knocking her cup of coffee over her book which shows she's quite clumsy, she kisses a man who's asleep in the bed and leaves but her face isnt shown just yet until she leave's her house and comes off the train. I've included an picture of the poster to the film, this clearly shows the two different sides to the character, the top one looks more professional and serious whereas the bottom side looks more happy and full of life, the colours also show the contrast as yellow is more happy and bright and white is peaceful, Also the two O's are connected as if there going to cross each other.