Credit Structure

TIMELINE

Idents: Columbia Pictures

Production Company: Hofflund Palone

Stars: 

Name of Film

Actors- Co-stars

Casting Directors

Sub-genre google slide

What are Thrillers?

Conventions of Thrillers

• Weapons/ Violence -guns, knives, cars
• Realistic storylines (so audience will think that it can happen to them)
• Crime/drama
• Hero and villian share similar charactersitcs (se7en-Mills/Somerset/Doe)
• Hide identity of antagonist (Shot of back/silhoulette/shadow)
• Mirrors (black swan)

• Non-diegetic sounds to create tension (Psycho shower scene)

• Quick/jump cuts
• Urban/ suburban areas
• Foreshadowing
• Quiet diagetic sounds (breathing/footsteps)
• Complex narrative
• Collateral 
• Vulnurable protagonist
• Moral hero
• Immoral character
• Unpredictability
• Cliffhangers
• Close ups (face/expressions/body parts)

• Dim lighting (suspense)
• Protagonist put in a threatening situation
• Mystery of crime.

Rear Window and Se7en

What do Rear Window and Se7en have in common?

• The antagonist ensnares the protagonist in an increasingly complex web, until the protagonist feels isolated and helpless.
• The narrative centres upon a crime e.g. theft, murder
• The protagonist is fallible and has an Achilles heel that is exploited.
• Themes of identity are common- mistaken identity, amnesia, doubles/dopplegangers.
• Themes of seeing reflection and mirroring- manipulation of perspective
• A series of enigmas are set up- only to be solved at the end.
• The audience is placed in the position of "voyeur".
• Protagonist will be in danger.
• The narrative presents extra-ordinary things in ordinary situations/settings.
• The micro-elements are used to build suspense

Rear Window

Rear Window 1954

• How tension is created
• Opening scene
• Dead dog

Cast:

Jimmy Stewart- Jeff
Grace Kelly- Lisa
Raymond Burr: Lars
Thelma Ritter- Stella

Creating tension:

Jeff (subjective camera/POV)

1) When the killer is returning Jeff knows, we know, Lisa doesn't.

2) We know, Jeff knows- helpless (guilt).

3) Call the police- we know the police are coming: do they get there on time?

4) We don't know what they are saying+ strictly concealed in the killer's flat.

5) The killer realise he is being watched- what is he going to do?

Opening Scene:

• Camera work: Pan & Tilt
• Location: Residence neighbourhood, apartments, city/urban, aberage district, compact\
• Man: 40's/50's mature man
• Thermometer: Hot

• Summer: Windows open, creates tention (rises) 
• Man shaving
• Radio, grand piano: class/status

• Morning: ''are you in your 40s, are ou tired and listless?''
• Dancer girl
• White pigeon 
• Male Gaze

• Broken his leg: ''Death'' (RIP), Helpless, name: L.B. Jefferies 

• Camera smashed

• Photographer: Sports- guts/ explosion/ bomb testing

• Risk taker
• Simple Photography, negative print
• Dead dog: Cynical
• "Did you kill him because he liked you..."
• Neighbourhood: people don't care
• Loyalty: Lost
• Non-judgemental relationships

Theory of Scary films

Why do we watch scary movies?

• To test ourselves 
• To get a think
• Everyone is a masochist 
• We know its not real
• Vent anger/frustration 
• Extreme emotions 
• To have a physical response--> heart rate, adrenaline, clammy hands

Zolf Zillman

Excitation Theory

• By experiencing negative and scary umagery we intensify the positive.
• We enjoy seeing the negative images being vanquished.

Aristotle

• Aristotle believed in CATHARTHIS
• We watch violence/negative images to purge supressed emotions.

Glen D Walters

1) Tension x suspense

• Created using narrative and filming techniques

2) Relevance

• The fears explored are relevant to the audience. They 'believe'.

3) Unrealism

• We know we are safe. We can experiment/explore.

Fears

What are the things we fear?