Intertextuality In Our Thriller Opening

Intertexuality

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Final Idea For Our Thriller Opening

Final idea for our thriller opening

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Idea Of Thriller Opening Name

The Structure Of Thriller Openings

In class we analysed four different film openings which showed up the four main openings usually used. 


These four were: 
- Discrete
- Blank Screen
- Stylised 
- Traditional 


In the discrete film opening we watched, ('Arlington drive') we saw different random shots, with establishing shots and credits. 


In the blank screen film opening we watched, ('Dead calm') we saw many different things, including: fade in shots, title and credits on a black canvas, and large emphasis on the title. 

In the stylised film opening we watched, ('Mezrine') we saw a clever opening, we was mainly done by having two screens on a black background, and having them both play the same scene, but at two different angles. 


In the traditional film opening we watched, ('Panic room') we saw many establishing shots, with a birds eye view, and also a brief introduction to all characters in the film. 

Final Prelim

Above, is the prelim that we created as a group. We used the genre: comedy. This is highlighted at the end when an orange drops out of the mans bag, instead of his CV which is needed for the job interview. As a group we all worked together in order to film and edit it all in one day. 

We believe we have successfully made these scenes encapsulate the audience, as there are no static scenes, and each one has a meaning. 

We admit that we may have run out of time to add a title sequence, as this is because we worked non-stop to edit the scenes, and add effects such as slow motion, and cross dissolve. Along with many camera shots, which include an over the shoulder shot. We can use this mistake for future reference, when making our thriller opening we will make sure we manage our time well by creating a production schedule that we will stick to.

Initial ideas for our thriller

Mood board of potential ideas on Prezi

Animated Storyboard

Animated storyboard

Animated storyboard

Animated storyboard

180 degree rule

When making a film, this is a basic guideline that shows when filming two characters (or more) in the same scene, they should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects you have basically crossed the line. Crossing the line makes it confusing for the audience and distorts the visual effect of the conversation. The new shot, from the opposite side is known as a reverse angle. 

Editing prelim

Our preffered Film Opening

Stylized opening/Traditional

After looking at all four of the different title sequences our group had a pretty clear idea of what structure would look the best with the idea we thought of in the earlier stages. Originally when watching all four sequences we thought that the stylized opening had the best visuals and looked the most creative. When talking about the techniques used in the stylized openings we believed that we could do something similar. For example in a stylized opening there are many time laps, slow motions and edits which make the opening look very effective and in our first Editing session we managed to use the slow motion tool very effectively. After running through the ideas of our original plans of the Film we deliberated that our sequence would follow a traditional theme so our plan was too try and do both

The Taking of Pelham is a Brilliant Example     

                      

Different film openings

The structure of thriller openings

after analysing many different openings to thrillers we were told that there are 4 different ways we can make our film or sequence. These consist of a Traditional, discrete, stylized sequences or another type which is credits over a blank screen.

Arlington Drive 

This is a perfect example of a discrete title sequence as nothing is given away, you get a vague idea of the plot however nothing is clear and this is particularly effective in psychological thrillers as you want to see what happens next or want to find out the plot.

There are similar conventions in a discrete title to the others such as an establishing shot with credits however there are many random jump cuts.

Dead Calm

is an example of credits over a blank screen.

You can say that this adds to the theme of the film as the film is called dead calm and this sequence creates a similar feel. however after talking with Dan our teacher he advised us that this type of sequence would not be the ideal one to recreate. This is because there is not much technique and it would not show off our camera skills, shot types etc. to the best of our ability.

Conventions such as non diegetic sounds are used in the opening sequence. The emphasis on the title and fade in shots are also used.

Panic room

This film runs by the most popular amongst the four and this is a traditional title sequence

This gives you a brief outline of the characters and allows us to ease into the thriller

Conventions are used such as close ups of the characters, actions and the title in big and bold letters.

Mezrine

is an example of a stylised editing sequence for a thriller

stylized editing proves costly but if it is done works very effectively.

conventions such as time laps etc. are used

Preferred Thriller Opening

In lesson time, we went through the four main thriller openings, and had a look at each one of them closely. 
These were: 
-Discrete opening
-Traditional opening
-Blank screen opening
-Stylized opening


Each had their strong and weak points, but in the end my group chose our favourite to be the 'stylized opening' for many reasons. Some of these reasons were: starting with an establishing shot, which gives the audience a sense of setting, and also the time lapse, which enabled the viewers to realise where the film was located, and that it was in an extremely busy part of America. The time lapse was extremely clever to use, as in some ways, it symbolized the train, which starts off fast, and gets slower and slower.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4awJwmYVas

Above, is the link for the introduction of 'Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3' which our group studied for a brief time in order to understand a stylized opening, and how it operates. 

Title Practice

Above, is the opening of the film titled 'Arlington Drive'. In our group we added in around five titles on final cut pro, in order to generate the skills needed to incorporate it into our thriller task. As you can see, it isn't done extremely well, but this is all part of the learning process. We can build on our strengths from here, and carry on practising adding in titles. 

It was a good experience, and is valuable knowledge for us to try and get the highest grade possible when it gets to our own thriller opening.  

The structure of thriller openings

We analysed some examples of thriller openings that make up four different structures that tend to be used. The four different structures are:

1) Film opening analysed: Arlington Drive
Structure type: Discrete title sequence
Conventions followed: 

• Different random shots including establishing shots with credits

2) Film opening analysed: Panic Room
Structure type: Tradition film opening with titles running throughout the sequence
Conventions followed:

• Traditional title sequence running throughout with birds eye view of establishing shots. 
• Brief introduction to the main characters.

3) Film opening analysed: Dead Calm

Structure type: Credits over a blank screen followed by the film's opening

Conventions followed:

• Title and credits on a black canvas
• Score of sound before any images to set the tone
• Emphasis on title
• Fade in shots

4) Film opening analysed: Mezrine

Structure type:  Stylised editing

Conventions followed:

• Loads of editing on the title with black canvas
• Shows editing skills by displaying black canvas with two small split screens picturing the same scene from different angles at different times.

Preferred Opening

Preferred Opening

In class we studied and went through each of the 4 different types of movie openings. These were:

• Discrete Opening
• Stylized Opening
• Blank Screen Opening
• Traditional Opening

After going through each of the different types of openings we focused on the one we would like to use in our film opening. We decided to use a stylized opening. We watched the clip from Pelham 1, 2, 3. We really liked how lots of effects were used and was made to almost make us feel that we are part of the film from the begining. We also liked how it started with an establishing shot which gave the audience the image of where it would be taking place. We chose this type of opening because if we are able to pull it off, we would be able to show our fellow student our skills in post production.  Other effects we really liked from the Taking Of Pelham 1, 2, 3 was how they used time lapse. This was almost contrasting with the slow motion that was also used. The time lapse helps the audience also understand that the film is based in a very busy part of America. The stucture this film uses works because the film is all about the robbery of a train. The time lapse effect almost relates to a train as it it making almost time go faster. 

 
Above is the opening scene of The Taking Of Pelham 123 which we looked at in our group. ^^^

Intertexuality

Intertexuality is a term used to describe the referencing between films. Films 'borrow' from each other and the audience may recognise certain camera angles, mise en scene, editing or clips of sound in a film that they have seen or heard in another.

In the clip of 'Fatal attraction' there are several aspects taken from the film 'Psycho'. During the attack on the woman in the film 'Psycho' there are shots of the shower head from worm's eyed view, shots of the blood going down the pug-hole and the victims feet getting into the shower. Tense music is used as a non-diagetic sound to build up suspense. There is also a shocking shot of the victim screaming and her terrified facial expression. At the end of the scene it shows the victims eye and the anonymous killer walking off.



In 'Fatal attraction' there is a scene of 2 women fighting and arguing in the bathroom. There are jump shots used here to show the contrast between the fighting and the man downstairs in the kitchen calmly boiling the kettle. Once the man hears screaming he runs upstairs to the rescue and after struggling violently with the vicious woman, manages to strangle and drown the woman in bath water. Soon after she comes to life and is then shot by the other woman. Elements such as male and female conflict and struggling over a knife from 'Psycho' are used in this film to build suspense. In both films a white bathroom is used as the murdering location this is probably used in contrast of the event because white is associated with pureness and peace. In both films there is a part where the shower curtain is dragged down as an attempt for stability or an escape. There are also shots of the feet in 'Fatal attraction' that could have been influenced by 'Psycho'. Similar aspects also include tense music and close-ups of the faces of the women.

Intertextuality

Intertextuality
Similarities with 'psycho'

Intertextuality is a term to describe the visual referencing between films. films use other aspects of media texts and interpret it in there own way. For example the film may use elements of camera angles, Mise-en scene, sound and editing which is similar to other films. The good thing about intertextuality is that it helps us to relate and helps attract audiences to the film. 

The Step Father

For our task we had to analyse a few clips of movies which all had some simliar aspects of the 1960's film 'Psycho' by Hitchcock. The film i have chosen to look at is the 'Step Father' in 2009. This film is very similar in ways however has its own twist throughout. The clip we were given to watch was set in a house. A woman is getting chased by a man into a bathroom. She stabs they then have a stand off and while the man comes at her with a kitchen nife she gets a shard of glass and manages to stab him in the neck. he then falls back into the bath tub and rips down the shower curtain as blood drips down from his neck


Similarities to the 'psycho' are

• The woman getting attacked in the bathroom
• a kitchen knife as the main means off attack
• shower curtains getting pulled down
• white tiles in the bathroom
• the man being the attacker

Intertextuality & Planning

Intertextuality

What Is It?


Intertextuality is the term to describe a reference between different films. You can also call it 'borrowing' as one film uses the almost the same aspect as an other. We as the audience whilst watching may recognise some aspects of mise en scene, certain camera angels and even sound used in other popular films. A good thing about intertextuality is that it helps up understand and relate to the film even more.


Analysis Of Intertextuality of Chosen Clip


The clip I have chosen to analyse was The Stepfather.


What Happens In the Clip?


The clip starts with the killer chasing the women up the stairs of the house. The woman then runs and hides inside of the bathroom. The killer starts banging on the door and manages to break through it. He has a knife in his hand and stands opposite the woman. However she grabs a piece of the broken mirror on the floor and stabs the killer on his neck. He then falls back , ripping the shower curtain and falls into the bath tub. 


Intertextuality in The Clip


The first thing you notice is that the woman runs up the stairs. This is very popular in thriller films as stairs are always used. She runs into the bathroom which relates to the clip from Psycho as in Psycho the killing happens in the bathroom. Also The killer in The Stepfather is holding a 'Kitchen Knife'. This again is the same type of knife used in Psycho. As the killer falls into the bath tub he pulls of the shower curtain along with him. This also again relates to Psycho as after the killer kills the woman she falls into the bath tub ripping of the shower curtain.  

''Psycho'' - Kitchen Knife

''The Stepfather'' - Kitchen Knife

Intertextuality

Intertextuality is a term used to describe the visual reference between films. Quite literally, films 'borrow' from each other, meaning the audience may recognise certain camera angles, aspects of mise en scene, snippets of sound or methods of editing in some film that have been seen in others. 


Intertextuality can attract a certain audience type, and can help the viewer relate to each aspect of a film. The film 'Psycho' is a well known film from the 1950's, which many films try to emulate in one way or another nowadays. 


I watched a clip from the film 'The Stepfather' which used intertextuality from the film 'Psycho'. It did this in many ways, by doing the following: woman being chased up the staircase, to a bathroom with glitterring white tiles. They use the same weapon, which is a kitchen knife, and the curtains of the bath tub are ripped out when the killing takes place. Finally, the dead body is placed in the bath tub, which is identical to 'Psycho'. 


This made it very interesting, as the older generation may be able to relate to it, as they may have seen the film 'Psycho' in their earlier days. Also, it enabled the younger generation to see how each film was set out out, and realise that many films relate to great, older films. 

PSYCHO:

Below is a screen grab during the scene in 'The Stepfather' where the man who has died has pulled down the shower curtains. If you look closely, they are underneath him at this point. It is intertextuality from the famous film I was talking about named 'Psycho'. 

Most inspiring thriller sub-genre

There are a range of sub genre's that fall into the genre of thriller, these include:

• Political
• Horror
• Crime
• Supernatural
• Psychological

The most inspiring sub-genre for me would be psychological-thriller. A psychological thriller is perfect in creating a successful film that will keep its audience on the edge of their seat as well as drawing them in with mind-boggling secrets. Psychological thrillers tend to have a huge focus on protagonists whereby the audience learn more and more about a characters mind state and constant mental battle.

This sub genre is in inspiring because its the sub-genre of some of the most popular films like Orphan. Orphan is a psychological thriller that was released in 2009. It follows a story of a couple that after the death of their unborn child, adopt a mysterious nine-year old girl who wasn't as innocent as she claimed to be. After two months the growth of the films Gross increased to $41,573,740 in the USA alone. This film was proven very successful and hopefully,we can interpret some elements into our thriller opening.

Which Thriller Sub Genre Inspires Me The Most

The sub genre that inspires me the most, is most definitely:

HORROR

This is because it involves lots of different techniques in order to create a successful film or scene. Some of these techniques may involve the use of non-diegetic sounds, and the clever use of lighting. I feel it is important that horror inspires me, because the thriller opening that my group will make, may involve the use of horror. 

The above trailer for the film: 'The Ring' shows how good use of sound and lighting help the storyline to a large extent. I believe horror can involve a lot of different things, which is why it inspires me. It creates lots of thoughts in the viewers mind. 

Which Sub Genre of thrillers inspires you the most

Sub-Genres

There are a few Sub-Genres in the Category 'Thriller'. These may consist of things such as...

• Political
• Horror
• Crime
• Supernatural
• psychological

And many more,


I personally enjoyed the film the fourth kind which was a thriller/supernatural Movie. Most thrillers keep you on the edge of your seat throughout however the Fourth Kind eases you in slowly and once you are in you become captivated. Supernatural goes well with Thrillers as Aliens and other creatures from out of space are already seen as 'scary' or 'creepy'. With 'real' eye witness accounts and references this film just adds that extra element of fear to your eyes.

Which Sub Genre Inspires Me Most

 Sub Genres

There are a few Sub-Genres in the Category 'Thriller'. These may consist of things such as...

• Political
• Horror
• Supernatural
• Psychological
• Mystery 

My favourite sub genre of thriller has to be mystery thrillers. This is because they always leave you at the edge of your seat and make you want to watch further. They always use suspenceful non-diegetic sound which almost brings you into thier world. Another thing i like about it is that they almost leave your brain confused and most of the time finishes at a cliff hanger. This leaves the audience wanting more.

The trailer above is from the thriller film 'Exam'. I chose to quickly write about this as it is one of my most favourite mystery thriller films. This film acctually left me really confused as different members of audience will think something alike but not the same. This inspires me to make our thriller opening really mysterious. Mainly because i want our audeince to want to watch ahead ad to leave them almost confused.