Holiday Work

Media Studies AS Level

Summer Work

Conventions of a Thriller

 

This genre contain many features within conventions. These include:

·         Mirrors

·         Shadows

·         Quick Cuts

·         Music to cause tension

·         Flashbacks

·         Time confusion

·         Montages

Sometimes thriller movies can start going straight into the action but other times might contain a simple, beginning, middle and an end with the problem starting in the middle. On most occasions, the fact that some thrillers start with the action and problem can bring more suspense to the audience as there can be confusion coming across as the audience do not know why it’s happening, which would obviously make them want to sit and watch more to find out what, why, how, where, when and where.

Also, thrillers can also be associated with action films due to its fast rolling cameras and its shadowed lighting. This is all to create effect to what the scene wants to represent. Thrillers can be seen most of the time containing music playing through the dialog when something bad is building up. Usually in a fight scene when a group of people are on a chase. The type of sound can be known to be heat beats? Fast guitar bass strumming? Or a tension making soundtrack.

5 Analysis Shots- Olympus Has Fallen

This was at the very start of the film where they have chosen to directly get the audience on their feet when the producers decide they are going to make a death already right at the start of the film.

To start, this shot is a long shot to show the extent of what the car is going through with someone actually in it. The dusk conditions with only the light coming from the car exterior really sets the pressure being put on in the car.

Right at the bottom corner of the shot, we can see the side of the road that the car fell off. It may not look like much but what we don’t notice that it makes the audience realise the shear drop for the car to fall. This also contributes to the tension of the death.

This shot shows the presidents assistant pure expression on his face due to the president’s wife’s death. The camera itself has been made to focus right on the actors face. This is obviously to allow us to see the stress and strain being put on him.

This shot also has the same kind of lighting effect, similar to the other shot. This is to show that they are under pressure.

The costume they use tell us that they were going to attend somewhere nice, for example, a meal or a ball of some sort. Maybe to celebrate some sort of public event.

The very long shot, showing the landscape of America, focusing on the White House makes us think that the film may or may not have something to do with the well-known building.

This time, rather than the other 2 shots, this gives us a 1 second idea on what we are looking at for the next 2 hours. The editing side of it makes the shot look very clear and quite a day light kind of bright to give us the impression of happiness and being patriotic.

It simply shows a normal day of the USA.

This shot is actually in the White House, a clear shot of the president’s face in what he has to deal with every day. Obviously, he has to make some pretty hard decisions and do some pretty difficult life things/choices. So in this shot, the actor would have to make his facial expression look stressful.

Lighting wise, we can see that you can clearly see the setting and the actor but it’s still a bit dull to show how under pressure he really is.

Again, the fact that they have put him in the middle of the flags shows the patriotism of their country.

This shot shows that when there is a problem, they have to make it discreet to keep people calm but fast to keep the president safe.

Seeing the presidents body guard’s facial expression (serious and sweat on his forehead) makes us think that something bad is about to happen and there will inevitably be gun shots.

Something that supports this statement, also, is the dark lighting coming from both characters. The only type of light shade of natural light we can see is the dusk light coming from out the window.

Notes on the conventions of The Girl Who Played With Fire

·         Beginning with tense music

·         Short bit of action at start

·         Camera showing the face to show facial expression

·         Fast shots to suggest big build up

·         Loud foot step noises for build up of tension

·         Close ups on faces

·         Long shots with characters walking towards the camera talking

·         Sirens to represent police

·         Shadow and darkness to represent death and something bad

·         Voiceovers

·         Screeches from car wheels on the road