Conventions

Four conventions i would like to use in our opening Thriller scene are, sound, titling, framing and Mise En Scene.

The reason I want to focus on sound is mainly because sound plays a huge role in Thriller films and any other gene of films. I want to focus on not only what the audience will see but also what they will hear. The main point in our opening Thriller scene i want to be especially focused on sound in when our main character begins to get wary of being followed and begins to hear noises and runs. At this point, as he begins to run through the woods, there will be a lot of very fast paced jump cuts on him. Coupled with this I think it is important to have very fast paced sounds he is making. For example the character yelling for help, the sound of the character losing his breathe, the sounds of his shoes as the incredibly quickly run along the track of the woods. All this coupled with his look of being frightened and the fast cutting between him running will really help make a quick tension building introduction to the Thriller film. It will get the audience involved, get them wanting to know what he's running from and what will happen to the main character almost instantly. It was hard to find a picture of a man dressed in a suit running through a forest, but this photo displays what you would see the character on screen doing, and when coupled with fast paced different cut and angles will help bring the scene to life, appear so much more believable.

The second convention I wanted to include was titling. This is important because titles are the first things the audience see so I want to be sure that the titles not only are pleasing to the audience but also fit the scene, the font is fitting, the animation is good. Our opening Thriller scene is named 313, therefor I believe the opening titles should appear somewhat like numbers scrolling down the screen. This will help link the titles to the opening scene and begin to let the audience know some of the elements that make up the film. Both images show ways in which this could be done, on the right it shows numbers and letters falling from the top and stopping the letters next to each other to spell out a name. On the left it shows numbers and letters wiping across from the right to left and again stopping to spell a name.

Framing is another convention I want to really focus on and get absolutely perfect. The reason I want to get it so good is because it can be very easy in filming to miss bits and include a lot that is unneeded. I want to try and get each of our frames in all of our shots as close to perfect as possible and to only film what is needed and create a good focus around that. In this screenshot it shows bad framing as almost two, thirds of the shot the man being interviewed is not in. It is framing like this I want to avoid because its just filming unnecessary things that will make the shot not as accurate and loses focus on what the camera is trying to keep full focus on. Therefor the audience can be distracted and not be fully involved with each exact action. Whereas if we did get the framing correct each and every time, it would keep all the shots looking perfect.

The final convention I wanted to pay attention to is Mise En Scene. This is so important as it really helps create not only the characters but also the surroundings and can bring them together to create the scene to be more believable and give it a sense of reality, but only if done correctly. In our opening scene there is a contrast in Mise En Scene, which may lead some to believe it was not done accurately. However we are making a contrast and using Mise En Scene to its best ability, we are contrasting a formally dressed man, with walking on a dusty track in the woods. It is times like this we need to not only keep the Mise En Scene elements together and keep it believable and real, but also use this convention to the best we can to create an effective yet maybe mysterious opening scene. On the image below it shows a screenshot from The Pursuit Of Happiness. It is a birds eye view shot looking down on a man dressed formally laying with his son. This is done well as it with Mise En Scene shows he is dressed in a suit therefor trying very hard but sleeping in a public bathroom, showing a sad scene of him trying to make it but struggling to succeed. It is elements like these used, I want to incorporate into opening scene to make it clear and accurate.

Location

Location is obviously incredibly important to help set the scene, as it makes it. Therefor we have to choose the absolute best settings for to open the location for our opening Thriller scene.

We have chosen three main areas the opening scene will take place. Location one is in a forest and the character will eventually come out of the forest onto a road. In this scene, the main character begins to hear noises and runs out of the woods to a road, where he is jumped by a group of masked men. This will be filmed in a woods opposite the Carver Barracks. The reason we chose a forest is because they are so renowned for being alarming, in Thriller films, the audience are aware that the woods are never a good place. In Thriller films a forest represent an idea of danger. The two pictures show firstly a birds eye view of the woods we are going to use, that does actually have some kind of track leading through and out of it, which our character will be walking along. Secondly is if you follow the track all the way up that is shown in the picture, you come out here to the road, where our character gets jumped, also what is apparent in this photo is that on the left of the photo, in the distance, you can see the forest our character has just ran out from.

The second location where our opening scene will take place is inside a warehouse. The is where the main character begins to regain consciousness only to find out he is tied to a chair in a darkened warehouse. The location we are using for this, is a barn also right outside the forest we are filming in. We chose this because a warehouse gives the impression of not only, in the middle of nowhere therefor no escape, but also simply because a dark and mysterious warehouse is represented and very spooky and never a good sign in Thriller films. In this photo, it is a birds eye view of the barn we will be using to film this scene.

Our final scene will take place in the location of a bedroom. It is the scene where the main character wakes up in relief to find out he was dreaming. However then looks across at his clock to see the time, and it 3:13, which where the three numbers he saw earlier in his 'dream', finally with a look of shock and horror on his face when he hears a knock on the door. The reason we chose to use a bedroom for this scene are obvious, to make it seem real and believe, you have just woken up from a nightmare, your laying in your bed very shaken up and you proceed to look at the time. This is a very believable scene. I have provided no image to go with this description as we are unsure yet which exact bedroom we will be using to film this scene.

Costumes

We have thought about the costumes very carefully, as it will make some characters different to the other characters. The clothes they wear will also show specific characteristics of the character.

The main character will be wearing formal clothes, perhaps a suit. We want the character to look quite intelligent but have a mysterious side to him. This will be a large contrast because he will be walking through woods and it will make the audience confused and ask questions. 

The other characters in the opening scene will be the people kidnapping the main character. They will be wearing  dark clothing to stop them being scene and perhaps something to stop being seeing their face such as a balaclava. They may also being carrying some sort of weapon which shows they have authority over the other character. 

Lighting& Location

Lighting will be very important in our opening of the thriller film because it will set the scene, it gives the audience an idea of how dark the film is going to be and what type of thriller it will be. In one of the scenes we will have to use natural lighting because it will be filmed outside. The other two scenes we will have the chance to use lights.

The first scene will be filmed in a gloomy forest and we aim to film it later in the afternoon when its getting dark, but we still we need to have some natural lighting so the audience can see what the character is doing. The lighting we use for this scene will set a mysterious scene and the audience will not know what is happening.

The second scene is going to be set in a empty cheerless warehouse. The corners of the room will be dark but the character that has been tied up is going to be centred in the middle of the room . With one of the lights from the warehouse shining onto him. The warehouse is going to be very dark and gloomy.

The third and final scene will be set in bedroom where the character will be waking up in the middle in the of the night. We will have to make it dark as its the middle of the night but we will need to have some light to film in. We could perhaps have lighting flashing through the curtains lighting up the room to give some light this will  make the opening sequence more thrilling. Also the character will use his phone and his alarm clock which will both provide light.

Props

Props are very important for our opening Thriller scene as they help make up the screenplay. We have to make our props very accurate to help create a character and inform the audience of their nature and more importantly for Thrillers, props help show who the character is, 'vulnerable' 'villain' 'hero' 'wrong place, wrong time'.

I think one prop that should be used for our 'business man character' is a very smart well-known expensive phone, perhaps a iPhone or Blackberry. This coupled with the smart clothes the character will be wearing will give him the higher class, business man stereotypical look.







Another few props that will be used in the scene in the warehouse include a chair and bright light shining down on the character sitting the chair. This will create the classic torture scene, a vulnerable individual that is being tormented by a mysterious group of 'villains'.










A final set of props that is important to use in our opening Thriller scene is the weapons the villain characters are equipped with in the warehouse scene. We think that instead of the usual weapons, guns. Instead we will use more torture associated weapons. Its important to not go as far as the psychotic weapons such as chain saw, nail gun etc, but maybe a baseball bat to represent pure brutality and instead of a small knife perhaps a bread knife. This will help really create realism for our characters and begin to bring them to life inside the heads of our audience.

Lighting

Lighting is obviously a key feature for our opening Thriller scene as a lot of people don't realise the importance level lighting holds in setting the scene. For example coupled with a forest setting, if it is dark, it ensures the audience this is mysterious scene being set.

I think the lighting we will use, firstly for the all round day or night time light. I think it would be best if we filmed in the evening just as it is beginning to get dark, which implies, the end of the day and where night begins so does a level of insecurity and mystery. So I think for the part the character is walking through the woods, i believe we should film, just as it begins to get dark.

In the scene in the warehouse, i think the lights should be very dark around the corners of the room, this well help the audience feel wary of the place and whats about to happen within it. However in the centre of the room, where the character tied up is, there will one distinctive bright light shining down on him. This will lead to the audience feeling for the character tied up as he is the light one, and lets the audience know who the villains are because they are represented by dark and shadowed lighting.

Costumes

Costumes are very important to our opening Thriller scene as they help create the characters. The way a character is dressed instantly gives the audience a view on what they think that particular character will act like.

The main character will be dressed in a very formal outfit, perhaps a suit. He also will check his phone at some point, the phone will be a very expensive phone like an iPhone or Blackberry which will help add to the character seeming intelligent and intellectual. This will make him seem very smart and will give the impression he is from a very business orientated background. This will be a huge contrast as in the scene he will be walking through the woods. This works so well as the woods are renowned in Thriller films for being a more dark mysterious place, which will then lead to almost confusing the audience instantly because of the contrast between a very smart man walking in a typical dark and mysterious woods.

The other characters that will appear in our opening scene are our kidnappers. They will be dressed in much more dark and alarming costumes. They will also perhaps be wearing some sort to clothing to cover their face, this will keep them seeming very dark and mysterious. The characters will be equipped with some sort of weapon simply to add to the level of violence they represent and how cautious the audience feel towards them.

Costume and Props ideas

Seeing as we are making a psychological thriller it is important  not to reveal too much in the opening minutes. Having watched a few thrillers such a s Alfred Hitchcock's psycho we have decided to think carefully about the costumes we use. For example the main character is going to be wearing a suit. This will immediately bring the audience to question why he is wearing a suit. The idea of wearing a suit will make the audience think that he is upper class. the fact that he is going to be walking through a pathway through a woods in a suit is quite odd. what we want is for the audience to question the film. Another way we are going to do this is by  using  the numbers 3:13. We will use these numbers effectively by making them briefly appear through the dream sequence and then as josh wakes up during the middle of the night to see what the time is it's 3:13. The use of a baseball bat will be something to attract the audience as they will want to know what its going to be used for. They will relate it to being  a weapon due to the circumstances. However we can play on this in many ways.

I have though of an effective opening scene. we should begin with a simple zoom on a persons feet while they are walking. then the screen is blacked out and credits are shown including production companies (Ling companies). The shot that follows is again a persons feet while walking. this will all add to a build up in suspense as the character is kept hidden. the audience will begin to draw conclusions and judge what they see based solely on what shoes the person is wearing. this is good as we can then use this to create a very good First 2 minutes of a thriller film.

3:13 is a only a number however after you have seen the opening of our film it will not just be a number. you will associate it with things. we have chosen to play on numbers as it will work great for our psychological thriller, that thrives on superstitious things such as the number 13 and crows or black cats.

One prop that e are going to be using is a van. this van is what the main character will be transported in from the forest where he was attacked to the warehouse where he is kept. the van will b great as it is often seen as a vehicle used for smuggling drugs as well as being ideal for kidnappings. The van will play a huge role in making the thriller opening believable. Vans are often seen to be harmless however people can relate to them being great for transporting things whilst keeping it hidden. Having a van will work well as they have seen van being used for this kind of things before.

Preliminary task (Mysterious Man) Evaluation

This is our preliminary task with annotations from each of us.

Progress

I have learnt many things throughout this process mainly from our preliminary task. From our preliminary task i have understood how important it is to use a tripod, it is significantly supreme to hand-held. I have also learnt the importance of the use of the 180 degree rule, stating only the use of 180 degrees when filming two characters in dialogue. I also learnt a lot of the basic editing whilst using Final Cut, this is the best piece of progress I could have as it should really help out when it comes to editing the real opening 2m to a Thriller.

Besides the preliminary task i have learnt a lot through analysing the opening credits and scene to well-known Thrillers. I have learnt the ways in which they use correct font and great settings in an attempt to set the normal Thriller scene. I have also done research into fonts we could use and names/locations/techniques that we could include in our opening Thriller scene.

In conclusion I believe I have picked up great techniques and incredibly helpful knowledge that is needed to help create a effective and interesting Thriller opening scene.

Terminator 2 opening analysis

I decided to watch a different kind of thriller so i decided to watch Terminator 2 Judgement day. Overall i was very impressed with this film i thought the use of special effects was great and it matched most of the convections of a thriller film.

Here is the opening scene i analysed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9YU0hQEZ5M . The camera starts with a long establishing shot of a busy motorway scene. Non dietetic slow paced music is played straight away. It then cuts to some children playing on swings with sounds of laughter. They use special effects to change it from happy to sad. A blank white screen appears to show a change in time. The next shot shows a scene of destruction, as you have a close up of a burnt out car, with a human skeleton inside. This shows an element of the thriller genre. The camera pans out to show even more destruction with many other cars like it and also shows the motorway bridge we see at the beginning of the extract has been demolished. We can see that it is night time this and dead skulls show an element of danger. It also shows the playground that we saw kids happily playing in  has been ruined and deserted.  A non diegetic narrator is introduced and we find out what has happened.

We see a close up of a robots foot crush a humans skull which shows conflict between eachother. The camera zooms out and looks up at the robot showing that the robot has power and authority and weakness of the humans. We see it holding a futuristic weapon and laser bolts in the background this shows that it a Sci- Fi thriller.

 We see a human and his costume suggests there is a war. An extreme long shot shows the fight between the human soldiers and the machines. The machines look a lot bigger and more powerful.

There is another cut to a underground bunker, all the dietetic sound of the battle is stopped and the narrator starts to speak again about the importance of one character. We see this and the camera shows this because all the other soldiers are saluting him. We have a close up about the character she is speaking about. We see him in a high ranked uniform which again shows his importance. An extreme close up of his eyes are followed by an explosion and the credits begin to commence on a fiery background.

Thriller Sub-Genres

There are many different Thriller sub genres and I thought it would be good to take time to research these, as they can make up the foundations of a classic Thriller film.

Action-Adventure Thriller:
This is one of the most common sub genres and also one of the hardest to write, because of the need for hard-hitting action scenes. The genre focuses on face-paced, out of control themes, it also includes the more adventure side of things, the mystery, the quests, etc. This works so well as it can almost help bring back the childhood 'adventure' memories which helps make the film more effective.

Psychological Thriller:
This more so focuses on the characters of the film, whilst implementing elements of drama and mystery, Psychological Thriller's are one of the most loved Thriller sub genres. They also have some overlaps with psychological horrors and drama. They are so effective as they aimed to make the audience become very involved and get very sucked into the story and almost get a bit worried or scared of the events happening, they are aimed to almost just 'mess with you head'.

Historical Thriller:
These films are based in the past. They tend to focus on a well-known historical event or create a fiction one themselves. It is a rather uncommon Thriller sub genre and when used it often coupled with another genre, like action-adventure.

Disaster Thriller:
These films are just simply fully based around some sort of disaster. Usually natural disasters like earthquakes or volcano eruption, something very severe and hugely dangerous. They work around the danger to help bring in the elements of a normal Thriller to make these films effective and Thriller based


Medical Thriller:
Robin Cook introduced this sub genre that has all the usual ideas of a Thriller, but incorporates them around a specific theme of medicine. Usually modern medicine that turns into a very deadly substance. This is effective as everyone can relate to the extremeness of the events if something like this were ever to happen.

Romantic Thriller:
This is usually based around focusing on two people, with the normal Romance storyline. However the difference is that is contains a lot more suspense and a lot more tension to help give it the elements to make up a Thriller.

Crime Thriller:
This is also sometimes referred to as Serial-Killer Thriller. It is a hugely popular sub genre as it is based around some sort of crime, wether it be a detective hunting down a serial killer, or a gang who have robbed a bank. This is so popular because we can relate to it, in that sometimes, events like these do happen.

Research on sound for our main task

After plotting the storyline for our main task i decided to research what kind of sound i should use for the opening of our thriller. I looked on YouTube to see what music i could use to go over it but then later realised i would need to get permission from the artist which would be very timely and not effective. I further looked and found a website http://www.freesound.org/ this was a good website because it was easy to download and had many choices. I think that for our main task it would be more effective if we used non dietetic sound. We could use ambient sounds,  and sounds that would make it more dramatic and thrilling such as thunderstorms. With non diegtic sounds we can also layer the music for instance we could put a knock on the door over a phone ringing and it would sound very effective. 

http://www.freesound.org/search/?q=&f=&s=num_downloads+desc&advanced=0

Idea 2 Opening Scene (In-Depth)

I wanted to do a short amount of work just understanding how to go more in depth to the opening of a Thriller film. The beginning of the opening scene would include very slow paced elements, slow, calming music. Credits would begin to fade in and out and the camera would have a great attention to establish the scene and whats going on, no other real focus beside the surroundings. The middle of the opening scene would be more sharp sounds would begin and the music tempo would increase as the camera begins to focus on a specific character running, She will be out of breathe in a panic, the audience will be confused with the mystery of this opening scene, want to continue watching. A blacked out shadowed man is chasing her. She then runs into a dead end, close-up on he facial expressions, worried. All sounds stop, she turns around and begins to look for the villain in silence, this helps build tension and suspense. At the end she begins to hear noises, looks around for where there coming from. Tension building music begins and as suspense is built up to a peak, the villain runs from begins and grabs her. A loud and very alarming sound, cuts to black screen and title slowly fades in.

Jaws Opening Credits

Jaws Opening Scene (embedding disabled by request)

Having watched the opening credits of jaws i was shocked to see a very simple credit and title design for such a big budget film. the credits were all very simple looking yet so effective as it had a sense of mystery about it. The title 'JAWS' is done is capitals and has a unique look about it, however it has all been done for a good reason. In this case to mislead the audience in making them think its a simple film that's been done before. the credits are written in blue which is used to show that the film is based on some sort of marine animal in this case a great white shark.the credits finish shorty after the underwater clip. which is significant as it shows it is not very important to the rest of the film because then they wouldn't put the credits over it. However its an effective scene to put the credits on as nothing is happening.

Thriller Plots

Idea 1

Beginning
A man being murdered. By a villain/psycho.

Middle
Focus on the family of the victim. they are mourning the loss of there son. Psycho is planning the murder of the rest of the family, has been stalking the family.

End
Find out the killers background motive, the scene where he tries to kill the rest of the family.

Idea 2

Beginning
A CIA agent comes into a school to tell a young lad that his brother has been brutally murdered.

Middle
The man seen in the school being told his brother had been killed is now planning to avenge his brother. he is working for the police doing volunteer work, in an attempt to get closer to the killer.

End
The man has now been trying to catch and kill the murderer for 50years. However one day he comes home to find the man he has been chasing shot in his apartment.

Idea 3

Beginning
Man being stalked through window opposite his house.

Middle
starts walking down the street and drops off some gear. He gets kidnapped and hooded by a white van and taken to a warehouse.

End
The police working on the case find him hanging in a room but manage to bring him back to life but do not manage to find the killer.

Alfred Hitchcock Research

I wanted to do some of my own personal research about Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock was born on the 13th of August 1899 in London, England, the second son of three children. He became an American citizen in 1956 when he moved to Hollywood and eventually passed away April 29th 1980. He was involved in many techniques in the suspense and the psychological thriller genres and had a very successful career in British cinema before moving to America. In 1920 Hitchcock managed to gain a job in a opening London studio as title designer and designed every title for that studio for the next two years. It was in 1923 he got his first chance to direct a film, and took it. When the original director Hugh Croise fell ill, Hitchcock continued to finish directing the film 'Always Tell Your Wife'. The studio chiefs were very impressed by the work Hitchcock had done and gifted him with the chance to direct the film 'Number 13'. Unfortunately before Hitchcock got time to finish the film, the studio in London was closed down, however he was then hired by a man called Michael Balcon as assistant director for a company to later be named Gainsborough Pictures. Hitchcock continued to be appreciated for his work and quickly grew to be one of the most well known directors of his time.

Some of the most well known films Hitchcock was involved in:

Psycho
Rear Window
North By Northwest

He continued to be involved in some great Thriller films and was later named 'The Master Of Suspense'.

Font Research

I wanted to not only research opening titles from well known Thriller films, but also many variations of fonts that we could use for our Thriller opening scene. So I used the website http://www.dafont.com/ to attempt to learn more about how fonts stand out are look effective whilst being linked in with setting the scene.

I found three fonts from different categories on the website, the first one was from the Horror category. It is named 'Face Your Fears'. It is a very common horror-type font, aimed to give the audience a feel of blood and gore and also to build the tension in that the film will may include some disturbing or alarming actions. I think it is very effective because of this because as soon as you see it, you are instantly aware, it in itself begins to set the scene which is exactly what a very good font should do. A example of this is if you look at this exact font and you have never seen it before, ask yourself what film genre you think of, its based for horror/thriller. This is so important to us because if we can find a font that could do this for our Thriller scene it would help us set the scene which is crucial as it is after all the opening scene we are creating, and it must be effective.

The second font was from the category Comic, it is labelled 'Badaboom'. The reason i wanted to include this font and others from not such a horror/thriller type category is try and find out other features, such as which stand out more, which are more eye-catching. There is no doubt that this font is more bold, more loud and more sort of in your face. It does definitely stand out, but does it stand out more than the 'Face Your Fears' font? The reason I want to argue this is because although the 'Badaboom' font is much more bold and loud, is it more eye catching than the other. It is a very used font, or at least a very common looking font this means yes it is bold it does stand out but maybe it is better for us to go with a more under used font that will easily fit in with the screenplay and set the scene.

The final font I looked at is titled 'Birth Of A Hero'. This font is very interesting as could be used in many film genres, it is a very versatile font which may not be a bad thing. I think that there is no doubt it does not stand out as much as the other to fonts, however it is a very intriguing font as it has a lot going on within it. The wording in the font seems to be almost shattering away or breaking off, this is interesting as it could be used to relate to a specific feature within the opening scene. For example if the opening scene was of a abandoned rough neighbourhood, this font could go perfectly and fit it just like the 'Face Your Fears' font in setting the scene. I think that if we chose a font like this one it would be important to try and fit it in some how with what the opening scene is about to make the scene more effective and to create a unique Thriller opening.

From researching these fonts I have realised the importance they have, that to create an effective opening Thriller scene, we must firstly find a font that is eye-catching and stands out, and secondly incorporate it into the opening scene to not only be very eye-pleasing but also help set the scene itself.

Opening Titles Analysis (Panic Room)

I wanted to do as much research as I could for opening titles, simply because i want to learn and understand how to create such unique and effective looking opening credits. The reason being that i feel they are a very key element in the opening scene of a film as they are the opening to a film, the first part judged, and if they are not pleasing then they are not good enough.

To research the opening titles for this Thriller film i used the website http://www.artofthetitle.com/ it helped me view the opening credits and really get a grip on how they were intended to be portrayed to the audience.

Panic Room opening with the trademark Columbia opening sequence, however one thing that was changed was the music that goes with this sequence. It is replaced with much more alarming sounds, like thunder and lightning. Then it fades to black and the very first thing heard is police sirens, straight away give the audience a sense of suspense and tension. As the colour fades back in, it reveals a establishing shot, displaying the city with the first line of text over it. The font is a fairly bold silver font, it also includes a sense of 3D to it to help it clearly stand out from all the other colours in the city scene background. Many jump cuts are used to switch to a different set of buildings with a different title over it, whether it be main actors of big companies involved. Throughout all this time the sounds being emitted consist of traffic and the normal sounds heard in a city, also very high string music that is commonly associated with Thriller films. Eventually a pan shot is used to reveal the title as it pans, this changes from the normal more still image like shots. Another feature I think is important to point out is the angles of the shots. This is done very effectively, if it is a high angle shot of the buildings, the text over the top will also be in the same position, this helps really link the titles in with the surroundings making it not only more creative but eye-pleasing. The sounds do change as the opening credits continue, when the title of the film 'Panic Room' is displayed in a more bolder and larger font the high string music increases in tempo and adds in new 'on edge' sounds, this is an attempt to help begin the suspense that is so renowned for Thrillers.

I think what we can learn from the opening titles from the film Panic Room is that we can try to incorporate them into the surroundings but at the same time make them sufficiently stand out. This would be good as it brings the titles and the scene together to help set the scene instead of both, titles and scene being nothing alike and in no real way linked and therefore not creating a simple yet effective opening title sequence.

Analysing first 5 minutes of Die Hard 4.0

This film came on while i was watching TV.  At first i had thought that die hard was merely an action film but after watching the first 5 minutes of this film it had me wanting to watch all of it. This is a thriller due to the fact that there are multiple jump cuts. This was used to show different people in different places whilst not revealing much about them. This is something that we could do for our thriller opening. This technique is very effective as it tells the audience that they are doing something which they shouldn't be. Probably something to do with government papers as they are getting through firewalls and  passwords. It lest the audience have make conclusions from a very short bit of the film.

After a conversation between the head of FBI and a lower ranking female in the middle of the pentagon an establishing shot is used to focus on a car. When soon the main character, who is Bruce Willis, pulls someone out of the car and an argument begins. During the credits something of importance is happening but the audience do not find out a lot about it. when the credits are over a new scene begins but its different. these are all things that we could use in out thriller opening.

Character types research

Some common character types in a thriller are superheroes,detectives, supernatural children and animals, attractive females and  insane villains.

Supernatural children and animals these are people/ animals with unexplained powers. The supernatural force is normally threatening, and sometimes mystery to be solved such as Sixth sense, Jaws and The orphan.

Detectives are normally the protagonist in thrillers they are typically someone connected to the law. They rely on the their knowledge to capture the villain. For example Holmes and Bond.

Attractive females are characters which are irresistible and lead the hero's into danger.

Superheroes are fictional characters with superhuman powers. They show alter egos, special powers and secret lairs. They normally have people who despise them and try to humiliate them. For example Superman, Batman and Watchman.


Insane villains are marked by insanity but also pure brilliance they are connected to insane asylums and hospitals for example the Joker from batman and The shining.

Opening Titles Analysis (North By Northwest)

The film North By Northwest has a very intriguing and eye-catching opening title sequence, I want to analyse the opening titles and see how they use backdrops and fonts to create such a unique opening title scene.

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

The titles open as a bright green backdrop with multiple black lines feeding in from different angles, these black lines then cross each other and make a patterned background that is later very effectively used to fade in the scene. The text is white to stand out over the green background and the font is fairly bold, not italic or unordinary, just white and clear. This looks quite pleasing to the eye as it is easy to read, and is bought in with a simple swipe in animation. The titles consist of firstly companies involved then main actors, then says 'in Alfred Hitchcock's, North By Northwest'. There is arrows on the text of the title, 'North By Northwest', this could be to give it some kind of uniqueness from the other text and to show it is important and needs to stand out from the rest. What happens next is very effective, the white text disappears and the green backdrop dissolves revealing the side of a corporate looking building of a big business. This is done so effectively because although the green backdrop dissolves out of the shot, the original black crossing lines stay and are lines in the building.

This is a very effective change to cut into a city scene, you can see the moving cars on the busy road in the reflection of the building. Then eventually the shot dissolves again into a set of various different scenes that are displaying a busy road/street/building. This helps set the scene whilst showing the opening credits which is something that is very important in a film. The sounds used in the opening titles are very high string sounds which contribute to the Thriller scene, as they are very renowned sounds for Thriller films, to build tension, suspense or even in this case to set the scene.

I think we should involve elements like the ones used in this films opening titles to help create effective and eye-pleasing opening titles for our Thriller scene. We could take the idea of attempting to set the scene whilst displaying our opening credits, this will help our opening scene flow well and have a good Thriller scene set before any real video screenplay begins.