Research - Generic Conventions of a Thriller

Generic Conventions of a Thriller

• Some form of weapon is used either that be a gun or a knife etc
• Females are usually targeted to be weak and vulnerable
• Stairs, Shadows Mirrors are associated with Thrillers
• Music gives tension
• Strong light against dark
• Dark lighting for mysterious and tense scenes
• The story plays with your mind, makes it more Psychological
• Plot builds to a climax
• Characters are caught in a trap, mystery or dangerous situation
• Characters might not know if their lives are in danger or part of a trap/killing
• Usual locations for a Thriller are Urban/Cities or Forests/outskirts of a city
• Detectives or police are usually involved trying to solve a case
• Heroes have traditionally been portrayed as men, but women have been increasingly popular
• Crimes are committed on a much larger scale, some are to serial or mass murders, terrorism, Assassination or to overthrow the government
• The Thriller climax is where the Hero defeats the Villain. The hero saves his own and other people’s lives in the process. Sometimes the Hero dies in the end.
• Thrillers have now been influenced by horrors, through the gore, violence, terror and deaths/body counts.
• Music usually creates extra tensions/suspense on the audience and impact it has on the audience when the scene comes to a climax or disaster.

Change of Plan - Syndey has left the UK

Change of Plan

Sydney, who I was working with to film a Rom-Com, has left the UK to go back to New Zealand.  Before I worked with Sydney I was going to work with 3 other girls who were doing a Rom-Com also but then they changed it to a thriller which put me off the idea as I don't particular like Thriller which is why I started working with Sydney as she was going to film a genre that I liked. But in recent events, Sydney has left the UK to go back to New Zealand to live there again.

Discussing the Storyboard
After going back with Alex, Michaela and Shasta I looked at the storyboard they had so far and discussed any changes we could make. I suggested a few ideas for both shots, effects and for the editing process.

The Story - I looked at the storyboard and could get a idea of what the story was about. With further discussion Alex and Michaela went into detail on what the plot was. The title is called "Stage Girls" as we have 2 girls who perform on a stage. The production name is "M.A.S.C Productions each letter representing the first letter of our first names. 
They are 2 girl characters who are performers on stage. There is a male character who is a stalker/Pervert on these 2 girls. He watches them and takes photos of them and has room with a wall with the pictures of the girls. He creeps behind stage and spies on them through the door of their changing room. We are going to include heavy breathing and the male character is going to kiss the photos. We want to make a twisted sort of character.

The Editing and Storyboard sequence
Opening sequence: M.A.S.C Productions will appear on the screen with a picture of theatre masks, giving it that ironic touch for both picture and name. Then the film title will appear "Stage Girls" and this will appear on a mirror which will be written on in lipstick. This will be created by using an actual mirror and lipstick and then taking a photo of it and adding it to the editing process. A panning exterior shot of the theatre (Burnley Mechanics was used) to show the location of where the girls are. It will cut to the girls on the stage, on singing and one playing the piano. We will use Panning, Close ups, Mid and Long shots. After this the camera will zoom to the singers bright red lips and then use a jump cut to where the man is in his room sticking another picture of the girls on his wall. The room won’t be brightly lit and with have a eerie feel in which we well have the man breathing heavily. We will then have another zoom in on one of the picture and use a flash of a camera effect to show a flashback of the time he took the picture.

We looked at opening sequences of Thrillers by other students to look for a style we would like and suit the film best. This gave the group confidence giving us a foundation to work with and an idea we can use and help develop our film.

Further Planning
I really don't like Thrillers but I am going to watch 5 minutes of 3 Thrillers and write their narrative features down just like I did with the Rom-Com’s.

Sex and the City

Narrative Features

Sex and the City

Intro of Characters

Carrie – An upper class girl who lives in New York who is a writer along with her 3 other friends Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda each with their different stories. Carrie has a passion for writing and it seems to be a success.

Samantha -  Her idea of love was sex. But she found a man who can give her both sex and love.  So she moved to Hollywood with Television star Smith Jerry. She doesn’t seem committed to marriage but to her own pleasure such has gift and luxury. She seems to be enjoying her job but working away in Hollywood seems to take her away from her friends so the only person she sees is Smith.

Charlotte – Is a hopeless romantic who looks for her prince charming and having the perfect wedding. It hasn’t gone good for her and now she has found the one she loves, became a Jew and married him. They struggled in having a baby so they adopted. She is a committed person to both her marriage and her child.

Miranda – She believes in Tough Love. She became pregnant so she travelled to Brooklyn for both her son Brady and the sons father Steven who she got married to. She is also committed just like Charlotte to her Marriage and Child but her job is very demanding which may make things difficult during the film.

Locations – New York, Los Angeles, California

Theme- Love, Commitment, life, wealth, romance, different stories

Iconography – Sarah Jessica Parker (Famous American Actress) – Known for: Sex and the City movie 1 and 2 and the TV Series, Ed Wood. She is also seen in her own Perfume Ad.

Kim Cattrall (Well known American Actress)- Known for: Sex and the City movie 1 and 2 and the TV Series, Big Trouble in Little China and Police Academy.

Kristin Davis (Well known American Actress) – Known for: Sex and the City Movie 1 and 2 and the TV Series, General Hospital and Couples Retreat.

Cynthia Nixon (Well known American Actress) – Known for: Sex and the City Movie 1 and 2 and the TV Series, Amadeus and Warm Springs.

Record Placement and feature of Credits

Text presented in white and pink colours with sparkly effect in a curvy shaped background they are present for 3 seconds before the shape moves again away from the screen which covers it up and is gone. Each credit after a pattern of black shapes are danced across the screen with cut out spaces where the intro to the film is going through as well has different videos related to the voice over and intro to the film.

The title of the film “Sex and the City danced across the screen in black letters in different rotations and movements for a few seconds then the background goes black and the letters are capitals and are designed in pink sparkly effect. Which are shown for 3 seconds before zooming out and moving in different rotations and movements where the filling of the letters show the intro the rest of the introduction to the film.

Some of the credits are shown in the actual film, where there is no interruption of shapes or effects and are presented in plain white. Some other text is presented in Pink and white. These bits of the text fly into the screen from different rotations and movements.

After 2 minutes into the film the words from the title Sex and The City are scattered in random positions and in the spaces there is different bits of film footage. These parts of the intro have a red and pink tint background.

How Effective was this
I really like the way it was presented, very creative, unique and different. The video clips in different places of the screen where on for only a few seconds and you couldn't watch each in time to see what was going on. But I found the use of colours and added effects different from the other movies I have watched.

(Picture - Source: http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/famecrawler/archive/2009/02/03/sex-and-the-city-star-welcomes-baby.aspx)

27 Dresses

Narrative Features

27 Dresses

Intro of Characters – Jane is presented has a very busy character, has she is a bridesmaid for good friends of hers. She organises partly some of the weddings with the bride. In the intro we see her rushing from one wedding to another in a taxi who catches on and it becomes a routine. She is a hopeless romantic who loves weddings,  romantic gestures such has flowers. She also has a crush on her boss. Her sister who comes to stay for a few weeks takes Jane’s crush and he marries her. The Problem she has is that she can't say no which Kevin tries to get it out of her.

Kevin is also catching on what she is doing. He catches her looking at her watch constantly and running in and out of the first weddings venue and into the taxi. He tries to keep in touch with her and eventually she gives in. He seems to like Jane very much and intends to try and be with her.

Locations – USA – New York and Rhode Island

New York is another Iconic Place where romance is based around, mainly all American Rom-Com’s are located in New York such has Sex and the City.

Theme: Weddings, different stories, romance

Iconography: Katherine Heigl (Main Actress (American) - known for: Greys Anatomy, Knocked Up, The Ugly Truth and Roswell High)

James Marsden (Main Actor (American) - Known for: X-Men, Spiderman Returns and Enchanted)

Record Placement and Features of Credits

No credits of cast just the producer and distributor

Black Background, fancy pink coloured font fades into intro of Film

Text titled “27 Dresses” is faded in and faded out within 2 seconds , “1986” is faded in and out within 2 seconds just after.

How Effective was this
I found that the credits are simple and they where no credits of who was in the movie but only the distributor and producer at the beginning. I found it a little disappointing that they was no mention of who was in the movie.

(Picture - Source - http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=19739)

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Narrative Features

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Intro of Characters- Hugh Grant's Character, Charles, is a lazy person; he is shown staying in bed, ignoring his clock alarm. When he realises what time it is and that he is late for the wedding he swears and rushes about, out of bed, getting dresses and his car fails to work which results in taking his friends which she swears also, the car only goes 40 MPH. In his rush, when he arrives at the church they start to dress into their formal clothes. When he gets into the church and meets the groom who says “as long has you haven’t forgotten the rings” in which he smiles, chuckles and says “no” and pats his waist coat which then a pang of regret is shown on his face. He reaches into the pocket and the rings are not there. This shows that he is not trust worthy and that we expect to see more mess ups during the film.

Andie MacDowell’s character, Carrie, is shown has a mysterious character, her big black hat and white suit show her upper class status. Her smile, quiet presence and beauty show how she can be a distraction to Charles who can’t take his eyes off her.

The rest of the characters who are all friends with Charles seem to be ready for weddings and getting on very well. Scarlet who is close friends with Charles shares a house with him and is also late for the weddings with him which shows there is going to be mess ups from  her too during the film.

Locations – England; London, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Lambeth

London is another Iconic place where romance is based around as well has Paris and New York.

Theme: Weddings, funeral, comedy, Romance, Different stories

Iconography: Hugh Grant (famous British Actor) - Known for: About a Boy, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Music and Lyrics 

Andie MacDowell (Famous American Actress) - Known for: Groundhog day, Short Cuts, Sex Lies and Video Tape and Four Weddings and a Funeral

Record Placement and Features of Credits

Black background white Text features producers and Distributors e.g. Working Title as well has Main Characters – High Grant and Andie MacDowell.

“Four Weddings and a Funeral” title presented in a wedding invitation style with a bouquet of flowers

Rest of Cast and DOP and Editors etc are presented through the intro of the film fading in and out the text is placed at the bottom of the screen coloured white with black shadow

The timings of the text are paced in random order, they have no timing they are present on the screen in 4 seconds

How Effective was this

I found the Title "Four Weddings and a Funeral" being presented was very creative and different. The rest of the credits are simple and simply showed who was in the movie as well has the creators. It didn't interfere with the movie and it didn't distract me.


(Picture - Source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Weddings_and_a_Funeral)

Research - Generic Conventions of a Rom-Com

Generic Conventions for A Rom-Com:

·         A couple(s)

·         Leading Actor and Actress

·         Romantic Dates, scenes, locations

·         Difference between upper and lower classes

·         Stereotypes – people who are able to be with other people because they are popular, beautiful etc

·         Comedy – witty script, slang, sexual innuendo’s, Arguments and complicated relationships

·         Romance – Gifts, romantic script, locations, happy endings, tearful scenes

·         A wedding maybe?

·         Several Plots at once

More Research into Rom-Coms

 Rom-Coms

I looked at a few done by other Media AS Students as well has videos on the Internet and DVDs
Here is a list of videos I have watched:
Movies:
1.) Bridget Jones Edge of Reason

2.) Four Weddings and A Funeral

3.) Love Actually

4.) 27 Dresses

5.) The Break Up

6.) Sex and The City

7.)The Romantics

8.)Valentines Day

9.) Youth in Revolt

10.) The Proposal