Questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 7

1) What elements of a thriller do you think builds the most suspense?

Music: 27
Camera Angles: 8
Dialogue: 3
Other: 2

C-This shows that people think music is the best way to build suspense in a thriller.

2) Does the music in your opinion, make a thriller more intense?

Yes: 33
No: 7

C-This shows that music makes a thriller more intense.

3) What type of characteristics would you associate with a good thriller?

Male: 14
Female: 14
Non-human: 9
Other: 3

C-This shows that Males and and Females are what people would most associate with thriller films.

4) Do you prefer supernatural aspects to a thriller or more real situations? And why?

Supernatural: 9
Real Situations: 31

C-This shows that people prefer to see real life situations in thriller films, the feedback shown that this is because there is more to relate to.

7) What camera angles are most effective in thriller films?
Low angled: 8
High angled: 7
Tracking shot: 18
Pans: 7

C-This shows that people think that a tracking shot is the most effective camera angle to use in thrillers.

Thriller Questionaire

Please circle your answers

1)      What elements of a thriller do yout think builds the most suspense?

Music                    Camera Angles                  Dialogue              Other

2)      Does the music used in your option, make a thriller more intense?

Yes                         No

3)      What type of characters would you associate with a good thriller?

Male                      Female                 Non-human                       Other

4)      Do you prefer supernatural aspects to a thriller or more real situations? And why?

Supernatural                      Real situations

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

5)      What hero do you like to see? Ordinary person turned into the hero (heroic romance) or sterotypical strong male? And why?

Ordinary person               Sterotypical

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

6)      Do you like an opening to give brief but clear clues into what the thriller is about? Or do you like puzzles? Why?

Clues                                     Puzzles

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

7)      What camera angles are most effective in thriller films?

Low angled                  High angled                Tracking shot              Pans

8)    In a thriller, do you prefer the narrative to be fast or slow paced?

Fast                      Slow

9)    Do you prefer the editing to be fast or slow paced?

Fast                        Slow

10)  What scares you the most?

Clowns                 Blood           Not knowing information             

11)  What plots do you think are most effective in thriller films?

Murder                 Paedophilia                        Mental illness                         Stalker

12)  What type of lighting works best? Why?

Bright                            Dim

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

13)  What sounds associate with a thriller?

Heartbeat        Ticking           Gunshots         Footsteps         Breathing        Other

14)   Where’s the best place to set a thriller?

Alleyway         House             Local area       Park                Woods             Other

15)  Do you want vocals in the non-diegectic music?

 Yes                 No

16)  Do you like it when the murder is the person you least expect?

 Yes                  No

17)  What your favourite colour?

………………………………………………………………………………..

18)  What your favourite thriller?

Disturbia           Seven              De ja vu           Jaws                Other

19)  What’s your least favourite thriller?

Disturbia           Seven              De ja vu           Jaws                Other

20)   Do you prefer simple typography or fancy font?

Simple              Fancy

21)   Age:                        16-19                     20-25                     30-40                     40 and over

22)   Gender:                 Male                      Female

I Am Legend - opening sequence analysis

Narrative:
The narrative is linear and chronological, as all the events happen order, this makes this opening flowing and easy to follow. The interview at the beginning is quite positive and so there is equilibrium, however as the film then cuts to the 2012 the audience realize that Robert Neville (Will Smith) is left as the last heathy human in New York city, which results in a disequilibrium.

Codes & Conventions:

I Am Legend includes several codes and conventions of the thriller genre, it immediately introduces several questions to the audience, like 'How did she cure cancer?',  this is known as the question and answer model. I am Legend similarly uses mazes and labyrinths, as the main character is faced with many mazes full of twists and dead ends in order to come to a final outcome. Additionally 'Heroic Romance' is included as the main character likely to be an ordinary person is to be turned into a hero, this allows the audience to relate more to the film. 'The Exotic' as a normal/modern city like New York is has been transformed into something 'enchanted' full of mystery.

Camerawork:

The film begins with many establishing shots of New York city, emphasizing how stranded and abandoned it is, these shots express the vulnerability that the main character may have. Each shot includes something that suggests that this city has been stranded for at least a  few months as there are plants and weeds that are overgrown. There are many long shots, these additionally show the emptiness of this city. During the opening there is a birds eye view of the city which tracks the vehicle on the road, in this shot the only thing that is moving is Robert Neville's car, this more so portrays his isolationism to the world. When he is chasing the wild deer through the city, there is a tracking shot of the animals and the car, this shows the speed that he is going at and may also suggest how accustomed he is to these streets.

Mise-en-scene:

The lighting in the opening sequence is mostly bright, and begins very calm, however during the chase scene this changes and everything becomes a lot more frantic and unsettling. The majority of the opening sequence is very tense, this maybe to portray events that are to happen later in the film.

Sound:
The sound in the opening is all diegetic, during the first few shots all that can be heard are the singing of birds this is quite positive, other shots feature no sounds at all which may be seen to be calm, yet this may also be to represent death and the vast emptiness of this city. During the car scene, there is a constant roar of the cars exhaust, this may be used to portray the characters anger that he has with the world and the isolation that he has. Other diegetic sounds are the scream like groans from the escaping animals, this may further represent events that are come and the shocks that the audience are to see.

At the very beginning, there are many long takes, these represent the emptiness of the city. However during the chase scene the editing is fast paced and continuity editing is used to help with the flowing of each shot.

Graphics:

The graphics are white on black and the typography is quite animal like, maybe to represent the creatures that are living amongst the city.

Codes And Conventions

• Question and answer model
• Concealment
• Protraction
• Transform City
• Close ups/ECU
• Establishing shot
• Non diegetic sounds
• Partial Vision
• Big bold capitals, super imposed capitals
• Tracking Shot
• Suspense building music
• White graphics/text
• Limited dialogue
• Mazes and Labyrinths
• Dis-Equilibrium
• Romantic Era
• POV Shots
• Fades
• Fast paced
• Shot Reverse Shot
• Linear Narratives
• Slow Zoom
• High angled shot
• Match on item
• Mise En Scene
• Disolves
• Long Takes
• Unknown Locations
• Limited Characters
• Graphics do not detract from on screen action
• Non diegetic sounds rarely use lyrics
• Cross Cutting
• Character may be vunerable

Jaws Opening sequence Analysis

Narrative Structure:
The narrative structure of the opening sequence of Jaws has a linear narrative, this is because it is all in the present and in order of time.

Thriller Codes and conventions:
The opening also contains several codes and conventions of the thriller genre, like concealment because the audience does not know what creature or thing is in the water. Protraction is also used as there is a delaying of a suspected event, like the death of the girl in the water. The very opening of the film begins with a point of view shot, this is partial vision as it can not see who or what is in the water, this creates suspense and tension. Another convention of the thriller genre is Transform City, where a safe place is transformed into an unsafe environment. In Jaws, the beach which begins seeming quite safe and friendly turns into a very dangerous place.

Camerawork:
The point of view shot that the opening sequence begins with creates suspense as it is unknown who or what is in the water. The shot following this is a tracking shot of the teen gathering on the beach, it shows a friendly environment, then there is an establishing shot of the party. After the shot reverse shot which portrays the growing relationship of the male and female several camera angles track them running to the beach. After the girl begins to swim there is another establishing shot, it is a wide angled long take of the ocean, this shows how alone she is, emphasizing her vulnerability.

Mise-En-Scene:
The lighting in this opening sequence shows the level of danger, at the party the lighting is bright and the colours are warm, however underwater the lighting is dark and the colours are cold and daunting.
The theme tune gets faster and faster, this gains tension from the very start.

Editing:
The editing is fairly slow, this emphasises the speed that the shark is going.

Graphics:
The graphics are white on black and are super imposed.

The Silence of the Lambs Opening Sequence Analysis

Narrative:
Silence of the Lambs' narrative of it's opening sequence is linear, as all the events run in cronalogical order, this helps the audiences understanding and ease of viewing.

Codes & Conventions:
The opening also consists of several codes and conventions of the thriller genre, such as the question and answer model as the audience are suddenly faced with several questions (why is she running? where is she running to?). Alike this, Mazes and Labyrinths are included in this, as we do not know why she looks left and right. Concealment is also used at the end of the sequence when her facial expression shows her to be shocked, we do not know why or what she is looking at. There is also a shot that shows words on a tree, hurt, agony, pain, these are all symbolic of thrillers and this may portray what we should expect for the remainder of the film.

Camerawork:
Camerawork is used in this opening to give understanding of her surroundings and to apply further conventions of the thriller genre. During the begining there is an establishing shot which also pans to show her surroundings. A tracking shot is also used to portray the speed she is running at. A shot during this sequence is quite symbolic of the genre, which is a point of view. When she is running through the woods a high angled shot follows her from behind, this may suggest that there is someone or something in the woods yet to be revealed, this gains the audiences interest and focus.

Mise-En-Scene
The lighting in this is bright, and the several establishing shots emphasise how alone she is, this may also portray her vulnerability, however this is lessened as she approaches the FBI building and begins to communicate with others.

Sound:
The non diegetic sound that is used is slow calming music which is relaxing, yet the music picks up speed and tension as she begins to run faster. There are also diegetic sounds that are heard, such as footsteps on the leaves and dialogue, breathing is also heard which carries codes and conventions of the thriller genre

Editing:
The editing is slow and contains lots of long takes, this is also relaxing, which suggests that there is nothing to be afraid of, however her body language and emotions seem quite anxious and nervous.

Graphics:
The graphics are big, bold and are in capitals, this makes them stand out, along with how they are highlighted.

Seven Opening sequence analysis

 Narrative:

The beginning of the sequence shows somebody to be planning or investigating something, it shows a book that someone is reading and then to be filing. The middle part of the sequence presents writing that the hidden character is underlining and crossing out, it also displays disturbing photographs which are also being crossed out. These disturbing images suggest to the audience that this person is nasty or has a violent personality. The ending to the sequence shows something being completed as it is being filed. This suggests that this person is very methodical and organized. The narrative of the opening sequence is non-linear.

Codes & Conventions:

The opening sequence of Seven consists of several thriller genre codes and conventions, such as the question and answer model, partial vision, mazes and labyrinths, and concealment and protraction.

Camerawork:

Camerawork is also used in the opening sequence to portray thriller conventions, like how the extreme close ups are used to portray partial vision, by how the close ups hide things out of shot. In the begining of the sequence, there is shot of someone shaving his fingertips, these are disturbing images which convey pain and self harm. This use of camerawork creates suspense and scares the audience. The camera angles also control the mise-en-scene, as the extreme close ups hide a lot of the location. There are also many shots of a book with its pages turning, this conveys the time that goes by, and suggests that it is taking them a long time.

Mise-en-scene:
The only element that suggests the location is the lighting, which is quite dim, this suggests the book filing and stitching was done in a seller or private room.

Sound:
All of the sound in the opening sequence is non diegetic, the sound contains the a heart beat, screeching and unpleasant music that gets faster and gains more tension throughout. The opening sequence also contians non diegetic sounds of creeking and screeching, these are sounds that would be associated with the thriller genre and so gives the audience a greater insight to what this film is about and what it may contain.

Editing:
The editing is fast paced, this is used to create excitement and tension. The editing in the opening sequence also uses strobing, this is to disentoriate the audience and to show that the character who is filing and organising these these documents that he/she has been doing this for a long time. Additionally, jump cuts are used to quickly know what he has been doing and they also may scare the audience.

Graphics:
The graphics in this are very basic, they are white on a black background. The type face of the credits have a typewriter like style to them, this has conotations of organisation and documentation. Each credit is randomly placed, this adds confusion to the audience.

Thriller Genre

Thriller is a genre of television, literature or film that captivates suspense, excitement, tension and elements that appeal to the audience and the narrative.

The ingredients of thrillers:

Martin Rubin published the book 'Thrillers 1999' that expresses how modern thrillers use the technique of the 'Transformed City'. This is where a thriller mainly set in urban and quite safe environments transform into
unsafe places, (transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary).

Northrop Frye describes how thrillers use 'Heroic Romance', this is to use an ordinary person like 'us' and to turn them into a hero. An ordinary person is used as it allows the audience to relate (to the programme, novel or film) and understand why the character is forced to behave in extroardinary ways because of his/her circumstances.
-'Moves the world in which ordinary laws of nature are slightly suspended'
-Enchanted Forest. Normal modern city.

John Cawelti portrayed 'The Exotic', where the modern/normal city is enchanted and contains great mystery.

W H Matthews explains how thrillers use 'Mazes and labyrinths' this originates from Greek mythology, it shows how a hero in a thriller often finds themselves in a predicament, faced with mazes full of twists and dead ends in order to find the villain or a final outcome. This is a metaphor of the narrative, to represent how the audience is faced with puzzles and problem solving.

Pascal Bonitzer presents how thrillers use 'Partial Vision' and how the audience can only see so much, as vital elements are hidden. These blind spots are introduced to create suspense and present unanswered questions for the audience. This stresses how what we do not see is just as important of what we do see.

Lars Ole Saurberg portrays concealment and protraction, how suspense can be used in two different ways, as it can direct the audience in different ways. Concealment deliberately keeps something hidden and Protraction deliberately delays a suspected outcome, for example a planned killing, or a bomb explosion.

Noel Carroll presents 'The question and answer model', this describes how the audience are presented with questions that they are to wait in suspense for the answers, such as 'Who is the killer?', 'Will the hero die?' and 'What is the persons identity?' This presents probability factors of outcomes; something that seems to have a high possibility of happening is less exciting than the battle against the odds in which the audience have without having knowledge of the final outcome. Also the moral factor is the morally right outcome that in captivates and increases the audience's involvement, focus and interest.