Looking at Genre Conventions of a Psychological Thriller

We are planning on creating a Psychological Thriller, and in order to create a video that fits with this genre successfully, we need to look at the conventions of the genre...

We found an example of a psychological thriller opening sequence, which was created by AS Media students (below).

Camera Shots and Angles:

One element that makes this opening sequence so aesthetically pleasing is the variety of camera shots, as it keeps the audience interested in what is happening on screen. For example, they use many extreme close ups to increase drama and tension, as well as holding back some information from the viewer; this encourages them to want to know what will happen next. Gradually, mid and long shots are introduced to establish the surroundings. These are separated by close ups and POV (point of view) shots from the position of the main protagonist.

Camera Movement:

The filming is mainly done using the hand-held method to create an edgy and tense feeling. However, this can become overly rough at times and was a bit uncomfortable to watch. For example, at point 2:07 until the end. Also, the group's panning would have been more effective if it were steadier as it would create more suspense towards what we are about to see. I believe that the higher quality filming appears in the section where the protagonist is at home due to well thought out shots and obvious use of a tripod.

Editing/Sound:

There is good use of continuity editing throughout the opening sequence. For example, the group's match on action seems to be correct at all points other than point 1:07 until 1:12 where the jumps are intentional. The use of a dimming filter, blurring and a fade to white transition inform the reader that some sections are flash-forwards creating an alternative narrative to the main. The sound is synchronous with the fade to white transition to create added drama. The non-diegetic music begins with calm piano to build tension, very quickly becoming darker and more sinister when there is a low resonating sound, accompanied by frightening visuals of a wounded girl. This is followed by an overlaid heartbeat when the protagonist wakes up from her nightmare, which gradually fades as she calms down. The use of a heartbeat connects the audience with the emotions of the protagonist encouraging them to be concerned for her safety as the piece progresses. Finally the use of slow motion at the very end is extremely effective in creating a final sense of intense drama.

Mise-en-scene:

Although the shots of the clouds in the sky are good quality and very aesthetically pleasing, they seem irrelevant to the narrative. The use of white within the bedroom shots and the snowy outdoor shots is effective in suggesting that the protagonist is innocent due to the positive connotations of white. This is highlighted when the sinister looking girl behind her, at point 2:09, is seen wearing all black. 

Analysis of a Top Band Video

Mark scheme:
Level 4: 48-60 marks
There is evidence of excellence in the creative use of most of the following technical skills:

• using titles appropriately according to institutional conventions
• using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set
• shooting material appropriate to the task set; including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene
• using editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer and making selective and appropriate use of shot transitions and other effects.

Demonstration of skills needed:

• the font and colour of the opening credits fit well with the theme of the video. The simplicity of the font choice means that it does not take away from the serious tone of the video, and is not too distracting from the visuals.
• fast cuts between shots increase the tension and make the viewer feel on edge, whilst it switches between shots of blood smears in a bath tub.
• the twisting and turning movement of the camera encourages the viewer to feel uneasy and once again increases the build up of tension.
• we are shown extreme close ups of the bath, the main character and her blood stained hands. This means that our vision is restricted making the action more mysterious.
• there is a strange filter over the entire video which distorts and blurs our view. Along with the twisting camera shots, it also makes us empathise with what the main character is feeling; especially after she has turned to alcohol.
• mise-en-scene has been carefully considered for this video. For example, the simplicity of the surroundings is extremely contrasting with the deep red colour of the blood. Also, the main character's outfit is very plain so that she almost blends in with the background.
• the over the shoulder extreme close up is a very artistic shot choice which is extremely aesthetically pleasing.
•  transitions are occasionally used to blend one shot into another, adding to the distortion and confusion.
• there is low, resonating, dramatic music that fits brilliantly with the visuals.
• sounds of running water and the main character spitting out blood into the bath can be heard behind the music.

Analysis of a Level 2 Video

Mistakes:

• Messy, badly filmed introduction with rough background noise.
• Shaky hand-held filming throughout.
• Dialogue that cannot be heard.
• Lack of continuity in editing (e.g match on action is not used).
• Reflection of actor, who is filming, in the screen of the iPod.
• The song shown on the iPod screen ('Someone Like You' by Adele) is meant to be playing in the background, but it is a cover performed by Boyce Avenue (which has a male singer).
• Low quality acting
• Walking of the bullies is not continuous, they obviously start walking during a shot when they had already started walking in the previous shot.
• Very long lasting shots without cuts to alternate shots (e.g close ups, mid shots).
• Unnecessary cut whilst she is walking across the road which lacks continuity and jumps suddenly.
• Awful fake violence that is not in the slightest bit believable (when the bullies attack her on the street).

Demonstrates skills needed:

• Variety of shots (e.g mid shots, close ups, long shots) in some sections of the piece.
• Clear story line.
• The credits are appropriate with the tone of the video.
• They have thought about mise-en-scene and only have actors that they need in each shot (they don't have out of place extras etc.).
• Most of their editing is clear and well done, but they have struggled with continuity.

Film Credits Analysis

Genre A: Action/Fantasy
Film: The Dark Knight Rises



Sound/Music: The opening credits to The Dark Knight Rises are backed by tense orchestral music (non-diegetic) which builds up gradually to increase suspense. There is a sudden pause followed by faster, more modern music that comes back in. Whilst the music has more modern elements it still has an orchestral feel throughout.
Visuals: We see close-ups of an almost stalker-like investigation, with photos of the main characters being developed, with the actors names next to them. The titles and names are slightly obscured by water, smoke and ice, giving it an edgy and dangerous tone. The screen flickers occasionally and the writing changes position with jerky movements.
Font: All the credits are in white, with the same font, in capital letters; other than the title of the film which is in red with a different font. This is effective as red has negative connotations, such as danger, fear, violence, death, pain etc. The harshness of the capitals make it obvious to the viewer that the film is a serious one, as well as tense and dangerous.
How does it establish genre: The images behind the opening credits are mysterious and suggest danger, possibly for/caused by the characters pictured. This tells us the genre will be action, whilst the credit to 'DC Comics' at the very beginning suggest that it will most likely be a fantasy also.

Genre B: Romantic Comedy
Film: The Love Punch



The opening credits to this film are not available on YouTube, so the video above is the trailer.

Sound/Music: We are first shown the opening scene before the credits appear, therefore the sound in the scene is diegetic. However when the credits do appear, they are backed by non-diegetic music ('Whatever You Want' by Status Quo) which has a fun and almost playful feel, suggesting a funny, uplifting film.
Visuals: After the first scene, which introduces the main characters, we see the credits. They are part of a colourful animation with lots of geometric shapes in a 70s-like style. They are images that relate to different parts of the film (e.g cats, a diamond, a plane). The credits continue, after the title, overlaid onto the second scene, in the bottom corners of each shot.
Font: The font is bold and rounded, in white, suggesting fun and a light-hearted theme with elements of seriousness. The font, along with the animation, reminds me of pop art due to the bold colours of the background contrasting with the light text.
How does it establish genre: We know instantly that it is a comedy due to the comic first scene and the colourful animation. The images shown in the animation suggest travel and adventure, along with love.

Genre C: Musical/Horror/Comedy
Film: The Rocky Horror Picture Show



Sound/Music: The music behind the '20th Century Fox' production credit has been altered to fit with the music of the film, preparing us for the genre. The first song of the film is the fist thing we see after this, and it continues to play until the first scene begins, after all the credits have been listed. It is a fitting introduction to the extreme, musical, comic film. The song tells the viewer exactly what is going to happen in the story which is a very surreal approach to filmmaking as the element of surprise is removed straight away.
Visuals: The first thing we see is a mouth with red lipstick singing the opening song. This is followed by the actors' credits, then we return to the lips again. Next we see the creators' credits overlaying a frozen black and white image of the mouth. Finally we return to the coloured mouth as the shot zooms out and the image transitions into the first scene.
Font: The font used for the credits looks as if it is written in blood with drips. This tells us that the genre is horror combined with comedy, as it is a slightly comic twist on what is meant to be a gruesome font.
How does it establish genre: The blood like credits make the horror genre clear, whilst the use of the role of each character being listed in the credits (e.g hero) makes it more obvious that the film is almost mocking cliche horror films. The fact that the song describes what is to happen throughout is a strange and unique technique mirroring the strangeness of the film.

Genre D: Comedy/Drama/Romance
Film: Breakfast at Tiffany's



Sound/Music: Very quiet diegetic sound is heard behind non-diegetic music ('Moon River' by Johnny Merger and Henry Mancini). Is is a very calming song that suggests class and elegance. It doesn't suggest comedy, which is to come later, but is does imply drama and romance.
Visuals: We see a taxi pull up outside of a Tiffany's store followed by shots of Holly Golightly (played by Audrey Hepburn) walking around the city whilst eating her takeaway breakfast, in front of the Tiffany's window. This introduces the main character and the surroundings.
Font: The credits are placed in front of the visuals in a classy and elegant gold font. This suggests, along with her outfit, that this will be a film about a woman with lots of money and a glamorous life in the city. However we later see that this is not the case and that her life is much more complicated.
How does it establish genre: The iconic image of Holly eating her breakfast in a ballgown, gloves and large pearl necklace is so contrasting that we see this film will include elements of comedy, and tells us that her life may not be as perfect as it first appears.

Genre E: Comedy
Film: On The Beat



Sound/Music: Playful comedic music is heard over a childish cartoon, accompanied by classic comedy sound effects that are synchronised with the animation on screen (making it pleonastic).
Visuals: We see a cartoon of police running after a robber in a comic chase. The animation has a comedic style with very squat characters. It is all in black and white as the film was released in 1962 (colour was used at this time but was not really necessary for the film and would not have fitted with Norman Wisdom's style).
Font: Black and white text, in a playful font is used for the credits. This shows us that the film is a comedy.
How does it establish genre: The opening credits are like a short comedy film in itself. This introduces the viewer to the fact that the film is clearly a comedy about the police. The fun music and sound effects help us to see this also.

Preliminary Task: Analysis and Self-Reflection

Techniques:

• shot/reverse shot
• match on action
• the 180 degree rule
• zoom
• tilt
• panning shot

Shot/reverse shot
We used this technique many times during the first scene of our preliminary task, whilst Ella and Marco are having a conversation on the bench. This was used in order to show the viewer both of the characters' facial expressions as they are talking or reacting to what is being said. I think that we achieved a successful result with this technique as the film appears more carefully planned and looks more professional. Most of the shot/reverse shots are mid to close up shots so the viewer is close enough to the characters that they feel connected to them and really involved in the action and dialogue. This encourages the viewer to listen more to what is being said therefore connecting with the emotion of Ella in particular. We also used shot/reverse shot near the end of scene two, when Marco sees Ella on the floor of the hallway. This means that we see Ella from Marco's point of view (high angle, making her look vulnerable) and Marco from Ella's point of view (low angle, making him appear more in control of the situation and his own emotions). This is effective in encouraging the viewer to understand more about the characters' personalities, therefore sympathising with Ella whilst liking Marco more for being the strong, almost hero-like character.

Match on action:
We use the match on action technique throughout both scenes of our preliminary task. The first use of match on action is when Marco opens the door at the very beginning of the scene. We see him walking towards the door and then it cuts to a close-up of the door opening. This is followed by when Ella is walking towards Marco and we cut to a closer shot of her feet, before returning to a long shot of her walking again. Another example is when Ella is walking down the stairs and out of the door, near the start of the second scene, where her movement flows continuously from one shot to the next. I have given us a mark of 10/10 for this technique as I feel that we have fully understood how to use it effectively within a scene in order to ensure continuity. This is a technique that, when used well, makes a scene look more advanced; something I think we achieved.

The 180 degree rule:
This was something that I really wanted to ensure we stuck to during the making of our preliminary task as I had watched a few examples of shot/reverse shot online, where the 180 rule was not used and I found myself feeling extremely disorientated. You cannot feel involved in the scene when your position is constantly changing without any warning or explanation. I think that we were successful in using this rule, especially during the sections of dialogue. I have given us 9/10 as I think we may have not kept to it in some sections however it is not noticeable.

Zoom:
We decided that the use of zoom did not really fit in with any of the shots we wanted to use as it creates an atmosphere that was not necessary for our theme or storyline. I think that if we had used zoom it would have made the whole video appear less advanced and slightly childish. Therefore I have given this technique a n/a as we cannot grade it.

Tilt:
We use tilt twice in our preliminary task, the first time being at the end of scene one where we tilt upwards to the sky, with the second tracking Ella's movement as she walks down the stairs with a downward tilt, near the beginning of the second scene. The use of this technique was to show the audience that the scene is ending (e.g. first use) or to introduce a character back in (e.g second use). I think that we achieved what we aimed to with the final result, however we could have used it more within the scenes as it was so visually appealing, which is why I have given us 8/10.



Panning shot:
Panning shots have been used several times in our piece. For example, we use it to smoothly track Ella's movement as she walks from the bottom of the stairs to the door in the second scene. I think that this technique is extremely useful to follow what a character is doing and show the transition from one place to another without having to cut the shot too many times. It also makes the viewer feel as if they are looking around the surroundings, making them feel more involved in the scene. Like tilt, as this technique was so successful I think we could have used it a few more times in the scenes in order to make the visuals seem more advanced and carefully thought out.



Handheld filming:
We used handheld filming for the whole of the first scene in order to make the viewer feel like they are a friend of the characters, following them through their days at school. However I think that this was not made clear enough, and watching back the first scene after the development of adding a second scene I felt that it was our weakest technique. Because of this we decided to use a tripod to film the second scene for smoother shots, making the filming appear more advanced. We used handheld filming once again during the second scene when we see Marco walking down a sloped hallway and through an empty room towards Ella. This was to make the viewer feel as if they are watching him walking, whilst following him with a panning shot that is not as smooth as the others. I think this use of handheld filming had a much clearer intention behind it compared to the previous use, and has shown that we have developed in skill during the making of the second scene.

The thing I most regret doing during the filming of our preliminary task is using handheld filming for the first scene as I think the filming just looks messy and unprofessional. When filming our final task I will ensure to use a good quality tripod for smoother shots. Another thing I would like to do when creating the final piece is to focus more on the planning of the scenes. I want to plan a much better storyline with more interesting content as when I look back at our preliminary task I can see that the topic is cliche to the point of the first scene being almost boring. I can achieve this by writing a script and possibly using students who are studying Drama A level to act in the piece to achieve a more believable performance. Finally, another thing is that I was unable to do a final check over the editing before the video was uploaded by other members of the group, this meant that the video was uploaded without the final stages of editing that I was planning to do (for example, mute the talking in the background of some shots which were meant to be only accompanied by music). When creating the final piece I will make sure that every element of the video is checked over and finalised completely before it is uploaded to YouTube.

When editing the preliminary task I developed my skills by experimenting with iMovie more extensively than in the past. Before the editing workshop I had worked with iMovie a lot, creating home videos, vlogs and video projects to add to my productions in BTEC Drama.

A short filmed introduction to a drama performance that I filmed and edited.

During the editing process of the preliminary task I developed my continuity editing skills by ensuring that the match on action shots where as seamless as possible, something I had not needed to practise in so much detail in the past due to the genres of my previous projects. When working with iMovie before I had experimented with lowering the volume of music when there was dialogue and increasing it again when the visuals where simply long shots of surroundings etc. and I feel this was a skill I was good at. In the editing workshop I was lead to explore detaching audio and placing it over different visuals to the original (e.g during shot/reverse shots of dialogue), also using a recording of simply the background noise of the scene to hide the cuts between audio.