8 shot analysis on sequence

My intention was to create a short sequence, consisting of 8 shots. I Chose a thriller genre, as I know many conventions from that particular genre. I hoped that the film sequence would create tension, in order for the audience to be on the edge of their seat. I did this, by having the setting in claustrophobic spaces, such as corridors, which helped to show the idea of no escape. The conventions used, included tracking forward, whilst the character was running down the corridor. This was to give the idea of a stalker following the victim, which in turn, created mystery. The sound effects used were heart beats because it showed the feelings of the character and how it was a pulse-raising situation. I also used an extreme close up of a foot because it showed foreshadowing, as moments later, the character starts to run. The extreme close up was effective because it helped to highlight an important feature of the plot because the sequence was about running away from a stalker. Additionally, the tracking forwards was to try to unsettle the audience, so it felt like they were in the dangerous sequence. The next convention was a close up of the characters face. The facial expressions helped to create the tense mood. When the cubicle door opened, i purposely made it silent, to show the anticipation and to build the tension. The final convention that created suspense, was having an eye-line match edit because it showed the severity between the two characters and it implied that the character could run no more, hence ending the sequence effectively.

The Target audience is PG as it contains stalker content but there is no actual violence, making it a mild thriller.

The sequence received positive feedback, proving that it met its target audience and matched the genre that was intended. 

A Perfect Getaway

My favourite film this summer was ‘A perfect getaway’ which is a thriller based on a newly wed couple, who travel to Hawaii for their honeymoon vacation where their lives are put at risk because of murders on the island. The murderers are said to be a couple which creates a lot of suspicion with the 2 couples travelling together. There are many plot twists in the storyline that keep the excitement running through to the end of the film, which is what I love about the movie as it always keeps you guessing and the mystery is never lost. Another reason I like this film so much is because the answers are only revealed right at the end, which is effective because it keeps you ‘on the edge of your seat’ and keeps it in the psychological thriller genre. The mystery throughout the whole film is kept because of the characters all acting suspicious. This made it so much more interesting to who were the real killers as it could have been any one of them.

At the start of the movie, there was camera footage from the wedding, which is a different way of setting the scene and introducing some of the main characters. I also like that the movie drops a few hints even before the storyline actually begins, so it’s almost like foreshadowing what is to come. The music kicks off about 5 minutes in, which has a dark tone, which gives you a clue that the film is going to be more than just a happy vacation. The producers putting this kind of music in the movie is effective because it helps to set the tone and attract more attention from the viewers. The varied camera angles in the film create different atmospheres. For example when the camera does close ups, it makes you feel claustrophobic and more on edge, as if danger is close by or something dramatic is about to be unveiled. However when the camera is spacious and angled at a distance, it shows the contrast of a more safe environment which throughout the film, there was aspects of distanced camera shots, So I like that your mood changes with the camera angle difference. The actors made me enjoy the movie because I connected with the characters and along with that the plot was so much more believable and the plot twists were even more shocking. The plot build up introduced even more suspicious characters, which created more tension.

Inception 500 word response

In the zero gravity fight scene, there are transitions from the scene with the van on the road, to the zero gravity fight in the hotel room. Just before the change in scenes, the moving vehicles have a soft focus. I think this is so you can see that the characters in the van and the guy on the motorbike are not as important as the characters in the hotel room. This is because in the hotel room, both characters have a wide focus, which shows they are crucial to that particular scene. The transition from one to the other, I think is very sharp and sudden, implying that this moment is fast paced and pulse racing, which is effective as the viewer is captivated and appears to be on the edge of their seat. It also suits the scene, as it’s a fighting scene, so sudden changes in the transitions bring out the built up action. As Arthur walks down the hotel lobby corridor, the camera uses tracking/dolly shots, as it follows the action. I think this is done, so the viewer can sense that something is building up to an extreme. Additionally, the tracking shots are fast paced, and not at the normal speed, implying that the scene is going to be adrenaline pumping. Even without the tracking, you can already foresee that it is going to be an action packed scene, just by the non-diegetic sound. The background music starts off quiet and barely audible, but progresses to a very loud sound. I think this is to show the climax in the scene, and as the music increases in volume, so does the tension and seriousness of the character Arthur. During the fight in the hotel corridor, the camera uses a tilt technique. I think this is to show, that there is no order to this fight and it gives you the feeling of disorientation which links to the films idea, that this is all a dream and that nothing is as it seems. In the other shot, when the van is crashing and tipping over, the characters are shown in slow motion. I think this was done so that the viewer could see the impact on each of the characters in the midst of the crash. In both the hotel corridor scene and the road fight scene, there is low-key lighting. I think this is used because the situation is dangerous, so in turn, adds to the effect. During the hotel corridor scene, there were repeated close ups of a gun sliding across the floor. This makes you think, that there is going to be shots fired, danger or even death sooner or later because of the gun being in the shot so often, so it makes you realise, that there is a purpose for the gun occurring multiple times. It may be suggesting the type of genre that this film is, or it may be suggesting the types of characters that they are. In this case they are dangerous, violent characters. In the transition, when the van is still turning over on the road, the objects and surroundings all appear black and white. The black symbolises death and the white symbolises purity and life. I think, that the director wanted to place the characters in the middle of the 2. The van is crashing and they will either live or die and the black and white in the scene implies that there fate is not yet decided.

Horror Genre

The Horror genre has a theme of suspense, which generally puts the audience on edge and makes them frightened. The suspense can stimulate reactions such as biting nails, tugging at clothes, looking away or getting goose bumps. The Horror genre can both have a positive and negative effect, where either someone watching will get an adrenaline rush and want to come back for more, or they will feel unsettled and hate the experience. Research shows that the male gender prefer horror because of their brave characteristics and their idea that they are strong, where as females don’t think like that, so may not like horror as much. The fright factor generally comes from the dark and sinister music, which darkens the atmosphere. The music normally affects the audience, by which their heartbeats quicken or the music is a stimulus that causes shaking or reactions that contribute to discomfort and fear. This music is an effective tool to use in Horror because it is an additional layer that sets the tone more than just the acting and background noise. Along with sound track music, these types of films also use sound effects. Generally, when the sound effects are used, it is for sudden fast paced moments in the movies, which helps to build the tension even more. An example of this would be in ‘Scream’ where when the killer was lurking behind the victim, there would be a sudden sound effect, which in this case signified a warning. In effect, it could also be to signify foreshadowing of future events that were about to occur. Different camera angles are also factors that make the audience watching at home react either with fear or something else entirely. In ‘Scream’, when the camera angle was close up to the character on set, it would create a feeling of claustrophobia to those watching. This feeling would then become creepier and that would result in the audience being on edge. The feeling of claustrophobia also makes the audience feel like they are a part of the story, which in turn grips them and makes them fearful. This is all because the close up camera making a creepy atmosphere helps to mess with the viewer’s minds. In contrast to this, when the camera angle was at a distance, a feeling of mystery would be placed in the viewers minds and it would allow them to ask questions, for example: ‘who was watching in the background? or who was lurking in the shadows?.’ However along with the mystery, there would always be fear because horror movies always have a sinister effect. There are different types of Horror genres which all affect people in different ways. For example, the ‘gory’ and ‘violent’ films such as ‘scream’ have a purpose to make you feel sick and disgusted, which then leads you to question the morality of the characters in the movie. The feeling of being scared for your own welfare isn’t the intention for this genre, however you do get a sense of fear in any horror because of the added factors, such as the music or sound effects. Secondly, another popular style of horror is sinister and demonic genre. These films are about possession and demons and generally, they are linked to the devil in some shape or form. Sinister films do have the intention to scare and mess with your mind. The worst sinister movies can have a bad effect on people watching, where it can lead to them having psychological problems or insomnia. People watch this for the thrill and scared excitement that any other horror style wouldn’t deliver. On the other hand, there is comedy-horror, which is a more lighthearted approach that anyone would cope with. An example of this would be ‘Shawn of the dead’. When people would watch this, their initial reaction would be to laugh and humour the characters because there is limited realism throughout. There is a fraction of seriousness in these types of films, but not enough to scare. Gothic Horror is another type that is more about zombies and ghosts. The more supernatural, the better. These movies are fast paced but can be unrealistic, so it’s more entertaining than scary. In conclusion, no horror genre has the same effect and depending on the type, the reaction will always be different. I thought that ‘Scream’ made me feel some-what disgusted with the killings, and the sound effects and music put me on edge, but I reacted with limited fear, as it was mild. However, I liked the mystery of who was behind the mask because it kept me guessing, which in turn sustained my interest.

'The Fault In Our Stars'

The ‘Fault in our Stars’ became a box office success because it became the most watched new release of all time during its third weekend of having been released. It is suggested that girl power drove this movie to success, earning an estimate of $48.2 million very early on. However, other sources debate that it was the actress, Shailene Woodley, who created the excitement for the movie as her characterisation and emotion convinced so many people and drew them in. Her flawless performance may have been what caused ‘The Fault in our Stars’ to be talked about so much which then went on to attract the attention of the many million viewers. Another possible idea for the films success is Smart Marketing. The Movie did a very good job reaching out to social media, attracting the attention of many young people. Straight away this was a very effective target audience and because social media is so popular, the release dates and advertisements were shared around very quickly. The producers even put on a special Thursday night screening with a Q and A from the cast, which generated a lot of interest, and the positive reviews spread like wildfire. After 3 weeks, it was starting to become a world sensation. Also, the original book by John Green was already a hit to many readers, so the book would have been a big stepping-stone to the film’s success. Many reviews said that the film was beyond their expectations. The execution of the movie was a huge factor because even the best Smart Marketing wouldn’t have had made a difference if the actual acting and screenplay wasn’t to a good standard. The execution of the movie generated thousands of fans leading to a box office success. In addition, the timing of the release also contributed to its success because at the time, the box office was facing weak competition meaning that all eyes were on ‘The Fault in our Stars’. Its release date, June 2nd , was a very wise choice because it was the first major summer movie, which created excitement for a few weeks before other major movies were released and only then did the competition start. Finally, another possible factor for its driving success would be the reality and raw truth in the story line. The romantic teenage tragedy hit home to so many fans which meant that they would have connected on a deeper level compared to light hearted movies. This means that ‘The Fault in our Stars’ would have stayed with them long after it had finished, so it would have been a popular topic of conversation, creating publicity for the filmmakers and the movie itself. The film producers turned over a huge amount of profit, proving to the media that this film was a clear success - a success, infact, of $48.2 Million. A film’s success is measured by total tickets sold – Office Gross. The growing foreign market is also used to measure success because if a movie goes international by a large percentage then it shows box offices that that particular movie has created a lot of excitement, proving its success. It is uncertain whether the industry will ever move away from using Office Gross to measure success. Although the box office uses this method, I assure you that it is not the best measure. Dollars/ pounds spent per ticket - although more time consuming to work out and more difficult to grasp - does actually provide a better insight into how well the movie is performing. A better measure would include worldwide ticket sales, but the average ticket price in many parts of the world is never the same. In conclusion, the box office will continue to use ‘movie gross’ as a way of measuring success, although it’s proved not to be the most effective method.