Continuity

Task 5: Script

No script or dialogue will be needed for the final piece of my film opening. Non diegetic background music will be used throughout to create suspense for the audience, and diegetic sound will be used of screams and nostalgic laughter.

The Preliminary Task

The Letter: Continuity

The objective was to film a short continuity piece with featured:

• Match on action
  
• Shot reverse shot


• 180 degree rule

The Letter: Storyboard

Evaluation of Continuity

For our task, we decided to film a simple sequence of a girl handing over an envelope to a boy. Although we thought it would be difficult to film the sequence continually without editing, we found that we managed this by signalling when the camera was recording and not changing position until a few seconds after wed paused the camera to make sure the film was consistent. Also, the 180 degree rule was a new concept to us and thought that this would be an obstacle when we change camera angle. However, we found that we could use the rule to our advantage as we could successfully film from this direction the door when the girl enters and leaves and the boy sitting at the table. It benefitted us when filming the shot reverse shot element and there is a consistency in the movement of the camera. It gave the effect that the audience is eavesdropping on the scene, whereas if we hadn't followed the rule the camera angles would be directed from all over the room which would cause confusion. We had some difficulty in the match on match action, as we had to change position of the camera to film the movements of both the characterss and a close up of the exchange. The actors had to keep completely still whilst we changed the camera position to maintain a smooth flow between shots. When we watched the sequence over, we were all pleased with the result as we included the three compulsary features and maintained a smooth flow throughout it. At the end of the sequence, we were a little disapointed when there was a slight jump between the movement of the girl, but overall this did not effect the sequence. In doing the preliminary task, we found that it has helped to give us an understanding of what will be expected of us in out final piece. We are also more experienced with the camera and the different shots used to convey a characters expressions, movements and action and we can be aware of the slight errors we made in the preliminarty task so that we avoid them when we eventually film the final task.

Task 4: The Pitch

1) There are police officers standing on patrol outside the college as one of the students dropped down dead the night before. A groups of friends are seen walking to their lesson when one of them also falls to the ground and dies mysteriously. Fellow classmates scream and reluctantly go over to the girl. She has only been dead a few minutes yet she is already freezing cold...

2) The opening sequence starts with a scene early in the morning in a woodland, the weather is cold and misty which creates a tension filled mood and atmosphere. The woodland is silent and deserted, whilst a voiceover is used from a news report to give the audience narrative clues. The report explains how a body has been found. The camera then flashes back to a scene where men in white suits are walking through the woodland searching, and the voiceover changes to a distressed persons phonecall informing the police. The camera then cuts and focuses on a body in the woodland.

3) A group of teenage friends are at a party, they are celebrating their graduation. They then begin to think they are being watched and they think that people are going to crash the party. Three armed men then break in and all the friends are taken and held hostage.

4) A story about a marriage that has turned sour. The husband has an affair behind his wifes back which she eventually finds out about; she can't see the marriage working out any longer so she decides to leave her husband. He then proceeds to kill her because he is angry, possessive and regretful about the affair and the consequences.

Main Idea

The main character in the film is Harry Morgan aged 34, who is happily married to his wife Jane, 32. As the story develops the audience is told that their marriage is 'on the rocks' because Jane is unable to conceive. They both become suspicious of each other as Jane believes that Harry will leave her for another woman due to her infertility, and Jane often has late nights out due to her increased depression.
Jane's behaviour and accusations pushes Harry away, subsequently he has an affair with another woman. However, Jane catches Harry and his mistress redhanded when she walks in on them to inform Harry that he is a father-to-be as she has finally fallen pregnant. Jane is distraught but decides to try to work through the problem for the sake of their child, but she keeps the secret to herself as a way of punishment for what Harry has done.
Eventually, Jane decides that she can't get over what Harry did behind her back and leaves him. Harry has a change of personality as he becomes possessively violent towards Jane and he follows her whereabouts until he has a chance to kill her.
Harry is then sent to prison for the crime he has committed, he is later told that he has not only killed his wife but his unborn child after Jane's post mortem has taken place.

Characters

Harry Morgan, 34
Married
Location- London
Occupation- Lawyer, Crown Prosecution Service
Harry is a highly respected man because of his successful profession. He has spent most of his life working with criminals and serving justice to poor victims.
He has quite a reserved personality and he likes to keep his emotions to himself. These character traits change throughout the film as he starts to become aggressive and violent.
Likes- Playing golf.

Jane Morgan, 32
Married
Location- London
Occupation- Cabin Crew, London Heathrow
Jane is a happy and high-spirited woman, she is extremely sociable and out-going which are traits that she has picked up from her career.
However, throughout the film she starts to become depressed because she realises that she cannot have children.
Likes- When Jane is not working she likes to go out socialising to catch up with old friends or meet new people.

Till Death Do Us Part

The opening sequence begins with an extreme close up of Harry in a dark and dingy prison cell with angry, depressed and psychotic facial expressions.
The camera then fades to suggest to the audience that Harry is having a flashback of him and his wife's marriage in happier times.
The camera then cuts back to him in the prison cell, an extreme close up of him, with the sounds of Jane's voice and her laughter in the background tormenting him.
The camera then fades to again suggest a flashback to the audience, and Jane can be seen reaching for a doorhandle. The door can be seen opening, but the audience does not get to see that Harry and his mistress have been caught which creates tension and suspense.
The camera then zooms in on Jane's face to show her shocked and distraught facial expressions.
The camera cuts back to Harry pacing up and down the prison cell. The pace of the editing quickens to suggest his frustration and to create tension for the audience, and also to keep them guessing as to what is happening.
The camera then fades to another flashback of Jane running from the house. The use of a handheld camera will make it appear to the audience that she is being chased.
The use of a focus pull on Jane when she is caught is to show fear in her facial expressions, and then to give the audience narrative clues as Harry's shadow is slowly bought into focus so that the audience realises something terrible is about to happen. Diegetic sound of Jane screaming is used, then the camera blacks out and the credits begin to roll.

Location Ideas

The opening sequence will be based on London. We are considering travelling to this city to make the film more realistic and relatable for the audience. However, as we have limited time to create the film we may use Sutton Coldfield as a potential location to create the effect of a busy and wealthy lifestyle. London would be a suitable location as this city reflects the characters and their professional careers.
The opening will be filmed in a prison cell to give the audience narrative clues about the films plot. We have approached Sutton Coldfield Police Station to ask permission to use a cell. They put us in contact with Dave Cross who gave us permission to film at Sparkhill Police Station's Museum in a mock cell.
During the opening sequence the film will be shot in a house/apartment to portray the characters wealthy lifestyle and to give the audience narrative clues as to what the story is going to be about. This part of our opening sequence will be filmed at Kirsty Guilfoyle's house.

Task 3: Target Audience

Questionnaire

Age
1) 15-18 19-25 26-40 40-50 50+

Ethnicity
2) White British Asian Black African Black Caribbean White other Other
(optional)

Gender
3) Female Male

About Film Genres
4) From the Thriller genre what is your favourite film?

............................................................................

5) Why is this your favourite?

............................................................................

6) What do you expect from this particular genre?

............................................................................

7) What do you like about this particular genre?

• The Thrill
• Captivating plots
• Characters
• Particular film institutions/directors
• Actors/actresses
• Other ....................

8) What particular plot lines do you enjoy watching?

..........................................................................

9) Do you enjoy watching cliched films with stereotypical characters?

• Yes
• No

10) If yes, why does this appeal to you?

.........................................................................

Questionnaire Summary

15-18 year old females and males enjoyed thrillers because of the storylines that included suspense, captivation and twistedness. This is also what they expected to see when watching a film from this genre. They enjoyed watching storylines that entailed police looking for serial killers and they also liked the fact that some storylines were relatable to their age group.
Favourite films from the thriller genre were Silence of the Lambs, Kidulthood and The Day After Tomorrow.
No one from this age group liked cliched films or stereotypical characters.

19-25 year old females and males enjoyed thrillers because of the good storylines, suspense and twists which occur in the plot. They also liked the idea of that some things make you believe in some films of this genre and that they can be quite realistic. Film examples included Silence of the Lambs.
From this genre this age group expected to be hanging off the edge of their seat, to be kept in suspense, good acting and good storylines.
They enjoy watching plots that are violent, have murder scenes, trying to figure out who the killer was and plot twists.
Their favourite films from this genre was Seven, Silence of the Lambs and Deja Vu.
No one liked watching cliched films or stereotypical characters.

26-40 year old females enjoyed watching thrillers for tension, action and plotlines. From the genre they expected good plots, chase sequences, villians and unpredictability.
They enjoyed watching plots which contained murder. This age group has no interest in watching cliched films or stereotypical characters and their favourite films from this genre were What Lies Beneath and The Bourne Identity.

40-50 year old females and males enjoyed watching thrilles for the storylines, suspense, realism and acting. From the genre they expected suspense, twists, intelligent plots and good characters.
They enjoyed watching plots which involved fraud, deception, murder, kidnap and hostage.
Favourite films from this genre were Hitchcock, Long Good Friday and View From a Window.
No one liked watching cliched films or stereotypical characters.

50+ year olds enjoyed watching thrillers due to the good action, real life and the idea of the unknown. From this genre they expected suspense and murder.
They enjoyed watching plots which invloved kidnap, hostage and murder. Favourite films from this genre were Man on Fire, Jagged Edge and The Birds.
No one from this age group enjoyed watching cliched films or stereotypical characters.

Popularity of the Thriller Genre

In 2007 the cinema and box office admissions saw an increase in the number of films that were viewed within the UK. Cinema admissions increased by 4% whilst the box office share of UK films went from 19% in 2006 to 29% in 2007.
However, even though most media attention is mainly focused towards film it is not always necessarily viewed by audiences at the cinema. Within the UK in 2007 the the number of people was recorded who opted to watch films on the television as opposed to at the cinema. The total figure for the audiences who watched films on television was 3.1 billion, which was 19 times larger than an audience who preferred to watch films at the cinema.
According to the UK Film Council's statistics, young people nearly half under the age of 25 mainly watched films at the cinema. However, in recent years there has been a substantial increase in the older audience such as people aged 45 and over which accounts for 19% of cinema visits.

The UK Film Council has recorded thw top 20 films released within the UK in 2007. Films of the thriller genre that appeared within this list were I Am Legend, The Bourne Ultimatum, Die Hard 4.0 and Ocean's Thirteen. I Am Legend was shown in 440 cinemas, the box office gross (£ million) was 25.52 and the opening weekend gross (£ million) was 11.01.
The Bourne Ultimatum was shown in 458 cinemas, the box office gross (£ million) was 23.72 and the opening weekend gross (£ million) was 6.55.
Die Hard 4.0 was shown in 458 cinemas, the box office gross (£ million) was 13.89 and the opening weekend gross (£ million) was 5.00.
Ocean's Thirteen was shown in 475 cinemas, the box office gross (£ million) was 13.15 and the opening weekend gross (£ million) was 3.02.
The Bourne Ultimatum made it to number 1 in the weekend box office charts on 17th August 2007, where it stayed for 3 weeks. The weekend gross (£ million) was 6.6.

In the UK in 2007, there were 28 (5.4%) films released of the thriller genre. The gross box office (£ million) was 67.6 (7.2%). The top performing title was The Bourne Ultimatum.
However, audiences favourite genre was comedy with 127 (24.6) released films in 2007, and the gross box office (£ million) was 206.6 (22.1%). The top performing title was Mr Bean's Holiday.
Horror was the 10th most favourite genre with 24 film releases in 2007, and romance was the 14th most favourite genre with 21 releases. Top performing titles from these genres was Saw 4 and P.S I Love You.

BBFC classifications are there to give audiences a general idea of what the film will contain and what type of audience will be suitable to view it. U (Universal) classifications are suitable for for all to watch, PG (Parental Guidance) is suitable for general viewing but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children, 12A is suitable for no one younger than 12 years of age and this age groups cannot see a 12A in a cinema without being accompanied by an adult, 15 is suitable for no one younger than 15 years of age and 18 is suitable for no one younger than 18 years of age.
In 2007, one film from the thriller genre was given the 12A classification. This film was The Bourne Ultimatum, whereas all of the other films with this classification fell under the genre of comedy, romance and action.
Films with a classification of 15 were mainly from the genres comedy, action, sci-fi and drama. Two films from the thriller genre were given a 15 classification in 2007, these films being Blood Diamond and The Last King of Scotland.
Films with a classification of 18 were mainly from the genres crime, horror, thriller and action. Examples of these films in 2007 were American Gangster, Hannibal Rising, Eastern Promises, Outlaw and Apocalypto.

The UK Film Council has recored the top 10 institutions/distributors in the UK in 2007. The number one institution being Warner Brothers with 15.6% market share, box office gross (£ million) 141.5 and 32 released films in 2007 including there biggest hits Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I Am Legend, 300 and Ocean's Thirteen.
Paramount was the second best institution with 14.7% market share, a box office gross (£ million) of 133.7 and 31 released films in 2007 including Shrek the Third, Transformers and Stardust.
20th Century Fox was the third most rated institution with 13.9% market share, box office gross (£ million) 126.3 and 27 released films in 2007 including The Simpsons, Die Hard 4.0 and Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer.

http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/media/pdf/1/p/2008.pdf

Thriller Convetions

Thriller is a broad category which includes sub-genres such as supernatural thrillers, political thrillers, spy thrillers and crime thrillers. Examples of films with these sub-genres are The Sixth Sense, Munich and The Bourne Identity.
However, the majority of thrillers revolves around the sub-genre of crime which are usually either planned, committed or thwarted.
During the 1990's and the early 2000's filmakers turned to making thrillers with a crime sub-genre as opposed to any other as they only use a few special effects and they are often set in contemporary urban locations.
The crime sub-genre is the centre of a thrillers main genre. This sub-genre mainly consists of three types of characters such as law-breakers, the forces of law and the innocent victims or by-standers.

"Film Art"- An Introduction Eighth Edition by David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson.

Thriller or suspense films are created to heighten suspense, tension, anxiety and uncertainity within an audience. A film with a thriller genre has a main purpose which is to provide thrills and give the audience a cliff-hanger or make them feel like they are virtually on the 'edge of their seat'. Tension within a thriller usually arises when one of the main characters is placed in an awkward situation or when they are trying to escape from somebody or a particular situation.
Characters within thrillers are usually criminals, stalkers, convicts, assasins, terrorists, psychotic individuals and innocent victims.
Themes which often occur in thrillers include terrorism, political conspiracy, pursuit or romantic triangles which in many cases lead to murder.

http://www.filmsite.org/thrillerfilms.html

Thrillers with a crime sub-genre uses narratives that progress more slowly as opposed to any other genre, and characterization is usually more complicated as there is no clear binary oppositions between the main protagonists in the film. Examples of thriller films that use this convention is Seven, when the narrative serial killings progress slowly and the main character has a logical approach to life suggesting that he is no different from most individuals in society.
Most crime thrillers use narratives which includes:

• The Set Up- The main problem which the characters will be faced with is set up or told within the first 5-8 minutes to the audience.
• The Complications- A series of small problems must be overcome by the characters. The problems become harder to solve or overcome as the story goes on.
• The Climax- The law breaker usually gets caught at this point, and scenes may involve car chases or intense confrontations.
• The Wrap Up- Any unsolved narrative plots are resolved for audience satisfaction. Any clues which are unfolded to the audience are reffered to as foreshadowing.

Another common narrative convention of the thriller genre is Portmanteau. This is where more than one narrative can be loosely tied together at the end of the film. Some films of the thriller genre use 'cross cutting' to keep the audience entertained between storylines. These plots come together at the end of the film and are used to keep the audience guessing and in suspense so that they feel rewarded when they figure out the full narrative.

http://sismedia.wetpaint.com/page/Psycho-thriller+-+Narrative

Textual Analysis of Genres

Thriller
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind begins with a sequence teaser to suggest to the audience what the narrative will be, and to give them an insight into the protagonists character.
The film starts with the use of an ECU on the character's face. This suggests to the audience what type of person the character is and gives us an idea about their background. Jim Carrey is portrayed as bewildered with the use of this shot and he is also represented as slightly unhygienic and he appears to have no pride in himself or his appearance.
The camera then zooms out to give a wider view of the room and the mise-en-scene is portrayed as a dark and dingy flat which suggests to the audience that the character is unclean and he is possibly stuck in a dead end job and cannot afford to buy another place.
The camera then cuts to Jim Carrey outside of the building trying to get into his car. The mise-en-scene again shows crumbled surrounding buildings and dented garages and cars, this suggests to the audience that the people who live in these buildings don't care about themselves or their environment.
The camera cuts again to Jim Carrey waiting at a crowded train station. A voiceover is informing the audience of what the character is about and what they are thinking, at this point the voiceover is explaining that the character is never usually impulsive and that they feel like taking the day off work. Jim Carrey is then seen running towards the exit, the music is fast paced as is the editing with the use of fast paced cuts. The sound of a ringing bell can be heard in the background to build tension for the audience at the same time.
The camera then again cuts to an isolated beach where Jim Carrey is strolling along on his own. The isolation of the beach suggests to the audience that the character has quite a lonely life, this idea is reinforced with the use of the voiceover as the character explains about his ex-girlfriend and how he cannot talk to or make eye contact with any female. The background music turns melancholic as is to suggest that this is just another repetitive day for the character.
The camera then cuts to a woman walking along the beach, the strong waves crash about suggesting to the audience that this is a representation of Jim Carrey's life- mad and chaotic.
Jim Carrey's character is then caught up in a flirtation with the Kate Winslet's character as they get back on the train to head home. She then invites him to her house where the mise-en-scene is again dark and dingy suggesting that they are similar people and come from the same world. The audience then sees the relationship grow between them.
The camera then cuts to Jim Carrey driving in his battered car, he is crying and banging the steering wheel. The scene is set at night keeping the mise-en-scene dark and creepy matching his behaviour. The music also fits the mood as it is quite depressing for the audience and the use of pathetic fallacy is good as there is heavy rain creating tension for the character and also the audience.
The use of an ECU shows the audience that the character is angry and sobbing as his hands are shaking violently. The music then becomes fast paced and it creates tension for the audience to suggest that something bad might happen.
The camera then cuts to Jim Carrey in his flat, the mise-en-scene is still dark and dingy with little lighting. The protagonist takes a pill while he keeps looking out of the window to a van outside. The music once again quickens its pace as the character pulls the blind down. This suggests to the audience that the character may be being watched or stalked.
There is a non-diegetic sound of a ticking clock which gets increasingly louder, this gives the audience a sense that something bad is about to happen.
The people in the van then break in with their equipment and then the camera cuts to show Jim Carrey lying on the floor passed out after taking the pill.

The Butterfly Effect

The Butterfly Effect begins with an explanation of the Chaos Theory. This suggests to the audience what the film will be about and also gives us a greater understanding of what the character will experience which enables us to relate better to the protagonist throughout the film.
The film then begins with the camera tracking left by a window and the shadow of a figure can be seen moving running along the outside corridor. The mise-en-scene is dark with little lighting apart from a torch shining through the window.
The camera then stops tracking when it reaches a door, and it remains static as the character enters.
Ashton Kutcher can be seen wearing a blue and white stripy dressing gown whilst he is running around the room with a panicked and bewildered expression.
Deep and loud voices can be heard shouting while Ashton Kutcher's character re-arranges the furniture over the door so that people cannot get in.
The music is fast paced creating tension for the audience whilst it fits the mood of the characters behaviour.
The protagonist can be seen on the floor under a table murmuring to himself extracts from a diary. The camera then fades to the title sequence.
The title sequence is electric blue with the image of a brain in the background and butterflies fluttering around as if to form the brain. The image is in the form and colour of an x-ray which gives the audience narrative clues.
The camera then cuts to a black screen with white writing explaining that the story has developed and we are now 13 years ahead. Bright mise-en-scene can be seen which suggests a flashback to the characters childhood. The use of dialogue between the characters gives the audience an understanding about their background which suggests that Ethan has missed a crucial part of family life during his upbringing, but his mother has always been there for him.
The storyline progresses to show that Ethan has been at school and has drawn an image of a murderer as part of the task of what he wants to be when he grows up. This gives the audience narrative clues as we witness the teacher telling his mother that when Ethan was questioned about the drawing he could not remember doing it. The music is quite spooky and slow paced to reinforce this to the audience.
The camera then cuts to another day when Ethan is seen standing with a knife in his hand while his mother is trying to get it from him. He appears to be blanked out and he doesn't realise what is happening. This gives the audience narrative clues, and it also links back to the title sequence of the brain and the butterflies.

Scream

Scream begins with the sound of voice screaming and a heartbeat can be heard in the background. The title then appears on the screen in bright red to connote blood, death and danger which suggests to the audience what the film is about.
The camera then cuts to Drew Barrymore's character while she is in a house on her own. The use of an isolated setting suggests to the audience that something sinister will happen to the main protagonist.
The phone then rings and someone appears to be prank calling her. The voice is extremely creepy and gives the audience an image of a perverted person on the other end of the phone.
The camera then cuts to show her answering the phone again, but this time Drew Barrymore has a full conversation with the person. The main protagonist can be seen playing with knives and the sound effect is heightened as she pulls out the knife from the box. This also suggests that something sinister will happen which may involve the use of knives such as a brutal murder.
While Drew Barrymore is on the phone to the other person she leaves her popcorn on and the sound of crackling is heightened as if the bag is about to explode. This creates tension for the audience and makes us become frightened for the character.
The film is set at night in a dark isolated house which has big windows. A barking dog can also be heard suggesting that their is somebody around who has triggered this off and scared the dog. This gives the audience an idea that Drew Barrymore is being watched by somebody. This idea is also conveyed through the dialogue as the other person on the end of the phone asks the characters name because he wants to know 'who he is looking at'.

Love Actually

The film begins with a documentary style teaser. This gives the audience narrative clues whilst there are ECU's of people hugging at an airport. The use of a documentary style teaser creates realism for the audience.
Slow motion and ECU's are used of children running up to parents and being embraced and re-united. At this point there is a voice over which is done by Hugh Grant explaining to the audience how "love is everywhere". This again gives the audience narrative clues to the film.
A tagline then appears at the bottom of the screen saying 'love actually is all around', this links to the title of the film and the use of the colour red on the word 'is' connotes love and passion.
The camera then cuts to a black background with the title "Love Actually" in red and white lettering. This ensures that the title stands out to the audience.
The camera then cuts to an ECU of a character singing in a recording studio. Meanwhile the names of the actors appear at the bottom of the screen in red and white lettering which keeps with the trend of the title.
The camera then cuts to an MS of the same character with his backing singers. His costume suggests that he is an old 'rock 'n' roll wannabe'.
The mise-en-scene is bright and creates a happy mood for the audience.
The main character then uses inappropriate language to create humour for the audience. This links to the rom-com genre.
The camera then buts from the recording studio to a couple carrying a Christmas tree, then there are fast-paced cuts of London surroundings such as the London Eye on the River Thames and an ice rink which suggests an element of romance to the audience.
The camera then cuts to an ECU of a character looking for something in a drawer. The camera then pans to the bed which his girlfriend is sitting on. The man is portrayed as 'soppy' whilst his is declaring his love for her.
The camera cuts to an MS of Liam Neeson who is portrayed as lonely which is relatable to the audience of which people may be single.
The camera cuts to an MS of a 'geeky' delivery man then to a woman in an office. The dialogue suggests that he is desperate and in love with her, but she does not want him. This is suggested by her body language as she walks out of the office.
The camera then cuts to a couple who are being filmed for a sex scene. They get on well even though they are in an embarrassing situation.
The camera then cuts to two men in a church awaiting the bride to get married. The camera then cuts to the Prime Minister on Downing Street, and the camera zooms in on his face as he gets out of his car.
An ECU is used on Hugh Grant's face whilst he is talking to his colleagues. His character as the Prime Minister is portrayed as friendly, witty, approachable and humourous for the audience.
The use of inappropriate language is funny as it isn't conventional to the subject of the genre and the character types, for example the Prime Minister is portrayed as 'Down to Earth'.
The use of the different characters shown in the opening sequence suggests the storylines for the audience. This links to the idea of romance and comedy.

Task 2: Research into Existing Products

Conventions of Film Genres

Rom Com Conventions
In a rom com the storyline or plot will always be:

• Boy meets girl
• Boy either loses girl or can't be with her
• Boy gets girl

The audience is able to understand that a particular type of film is of the rom com genre due to the above storyline conventions, and also due to how the opening sequence is structured. In British rom coms in particular, the characters are introduced one by one showing a variety of plots to the audience that will happen throughout the film e.g Love Actually.
Also there are multiple characters which are usually relatable to the audience, and in the genre rom com there is a narrator that will tell the story the whole way through the film.

Thriller Conventions
Within the genre thriller there can be many different sub-genres. These include:

• Action Thriller- Where the film contains a plot such as the characters racing against the clock, large amounts of violence, guns and explosions. e.g. James Bond, The Transporter.
• Conspiracy Thriller- Where the hero confronts a group of enemies, and the protagonist is the only one to realise their true colours. e.g. The Chancellor Manuscript, Three Days of the Condor, Capricorn One, JFK.
• Crime Thriller- Gives the audience a suspensful account of either successful or failed crimes. This sub-genre focuses on the criminal rather than the police, and often central topics include murder, robberies, chases or shoot-outs. e.g The Killing, Seven, The Godfather, Reservoir Dogs, Inside Man, The Asphalt Jungle.
• Disaster Thriller- The main conflict is due to a natural or articficial disaster such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes or a nuclear disaster. e.g Stormy Weather, Tremor, Earthquake.
• Psychological Thriller- The conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional as opposed to physical. e.g Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt, Strangers on a Train, Blue Velvet, The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Good Son.

Most thrillers are formed with a combination of the above sub-genres and other elements such as horror, conspiracy and psychological tricks. These elements are mainly used to heighten suspense and tension for the audience.

Horror Conventions
A horror film uses specific conventions to enable the audience to distinguish the genre easily. These particular conventions includes:

• Over-lapping sub-genres
• Dutch tilt camera angle- mainly used in horror films to create disorientation
• Chase sequences- demonstarted by the use of high octane action and fast editing.
• Blood
• Death
• Victims
• Isolated settings
• Gore
• Violence

Horror films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience.