Final Props List for "Aaron" - Revised

• Large Knife 

I found a large kitchen knife at home, which is quite heavy and has a black handle. I decided to use this one because not only did it look menacing, but it looked good in the hand of the actor. A smaller knife would have been lost in his large hands, and upon reviewing the footage, it overall looked a lot better when it was wiped clean. It is something similar to the one in the image shown - however the blade is a little bigger and shaped slightly differently.

• Big Earrings

I used the earring to represent the idea of wearing things made of a mixed fabric as I did not want to express this explicitly as people might not understand it. There only being one earring also signifies a sort of danger because it infers that a struggle has taken place. It is a relatively big earring, with a black inside and small, faux pearls on the outside. I bought them from Amazon and hence the exact model is shown in the image to the right.

• Polaroid Camera

I was originally going to use polaroid images, then due to the impracticality of producing these I decided against it. Then, torn between using film and a polaroid camera, I consulted a small group of people who helped me to decide that, in the situation I was creating, a stray polaroid camera in the woods would be most suitable for a thriller film situation.
It is a standard black polaroid camera with a pop up flash, as seen in the image to the right. Due to it's aged look, I think it will create more of an ominous mood, and create more questions for the viewer.

• Rosary

I am using a rosary with an image of Jesus Christ on it to portray the idea of "false idols". It is relatively simple, but it should look good hanging from a tree branch, which is what I have envisaged in my piece so far.
It will appear in both the woods, and the gloved hand.

• Fake blood

I will use fake blood throughout the piece - it will appear at the base of the polaroids, on the rosary perhaps, on the knife, swirling down the sink, and on the earring. The gloves of the antagonist will definitely have it on to ensure that he is conveying a message of danger. Instead of buying it due to it's high cost at this time of year, I will make it myself using: granulated sugar and water / golden syrup, red food colouring, green food colouring, and potentially thickening agent in order to ensure it has the correct viscosity.

• White cotton dress

I will use a plain cotton dress to clothe Sadie in the scene. She will have bare feet in order to portray innocence and make her appear even more vulnerable. The dress I will be using is my mum's because I don't want to ruin anything that belongs to Millie. This is going to be helpful as it will be too big for her and this will yet again instill a mental image of her being vulnerable to the audience.
This has reference to Helmut Nickel's "Black Hats" theory, in which the good characters are in white and the 'bad' characters are in black.

• Latex gloves

In order to prevent himself from becoming "unclean" and "defiled", Aaron covers his hands in gloves whilst killing. This also reflects how easily he shrugs off the murders and how easily he casts them aside as something unimportant and the people as disposable.

I will use standard white latex gloves. As they are white, it suggests that he is committing murder for reasons he thinks are good.

In Dexter, he uses gloves in order to make himself untraceable. They are different gloves in my piece (in Dexter, they are, I believe, leather), but they portray the same message.

Soundtrack Choices

In this video I have included 30 second snippets of the tracks which I am considering for my piece.
They are both copyright free and come from the website freeplaymusic.com
I will analyse both of them in order to ensure that I have the most suitable one.
Final Sacrifice, Dark Dimensions 
This piece is 2:53 long and it is quite ambient. I enjoy it, because of it's mysterious nature. It falls under the category of being "eerie and ethereal" which I believe suits it well. It has a lot of depth, what with the variety of instruments and the way in which there are various stages throughout the music.
It is longer than I could possibly need it  but I think as long as I broke it off in an appropriate part, this could help to build tension.
It also reminds me vaguely of the music for the closing credits of "Dexter" (Blood, Daniel Licht), which I find to be very fitting for the thriller genre.
I think this track would be good for my piece because of it's melancholy and rather sad nature. It embodies what I want the film to, and hence I think it would be a wise choice. The various aspects of the music means that it would be easy for me to do jump cuts as intended, because there are depressions in the tone of the music throughout.

Small Blind, Evil Intentions
This piece is far shorter than the other at 1:06 but I could potentially edit it to make it a little longer during the climatic part. It loops in a manner which is rather unnoticeable, and would be improved if I decided to take a little bit off the end or beginning in order to make it flow a little better.
It has a very slow opening, which becomes more intense in certain parts throughout the track.
It is not as dramatic as the other piece which could lead to it either being ignored, or improving the entire piece due to it's muted nature.

In conclusion I think I will use the first track, Final Sacrifice. It is my personal preference and it's length means that it will be easy to incorporate. It sounds mildly dangerous and this is the kind of tone I want to put across in my piece.

Equipment List

I am using a digital camera to shoot my film - it is a Sony Handycam HDR-HC9 and uses a Mini DV tape.
I will be using a tripod too, but not using any artificial lighting or filters. I will not use a tracking dolly due to the obviously impractical nature of this in a wooded location.
The camera has a good built in microphone but I will not be using it apart from a gasping sound, which I will be able to add in at another time if the camera does not pick it up initially.
I have taken the equipment out as of today (25th October 2012) and I will return it on the 5th November.

Shooting Schedule

I will film during the half term, which is from the 29th October to the 3rd November. I will predominantly film during one day as I am filming with a young girl and I don't want to put either her or her mother at a disadvantage.
Currently I will be filming the scene in the woods on the 29th. I will be filming the other scene, featuring the antagonist, at home during some time in the half term - I am planning on doing this on the 30th, in order to make sure that there is going to be similar weather outside - so that natural light will be similar
I will be visiting the location on the 27th October in order to find a suitable location inside the woods which has enough natural light.
A schedule has been provided below to clarify this and also to specify which scenes are indoors and outdoors.

Thriller Movie Posters (Improved)

Chatroom, 2010

The poster for this film is generally very dark, which indicates that there is a dark theme in the plot. The main character is shown as being quite a lot bigger than the other characters and he is also in the middle, which implies that he has a lot of power over the other characters shown. They are all looking towards him with negative expressions on their faces, including intimidation, fear and worry.

Below them is a setting with five people sitting around on chairs, which suggests that this is the main theme or situation which the characters are in. This is an example of mise en scene - the characters will have been arranged in a specific way and the lighting, props and scenery used have all been constructed in such a way that they convey a certain message. For instance, the floor beneath their feet looks like bars which is a typical thriller film convention. There is a lot of green writing behind the characters at the top of the poster, which is very small and is blurring together. The writing being green reflects the classic “Matrix” style typing. The theme of the Matrix is about altering reality and predicting what will happen in the future, and this is reflected in the poster in the tag line, "Control.Alter.Delete". The eyes either side of the poster signify that someone is constantly watching over the characters and the sinister nature of the eyes imply that this is definitely not a good thing.

Eyes also make people feel rather uncomfortable usually and judging from the rest of the poster this could be something which the creators of the poster wanted to achieve.

American Psycho, 2000

The poster for this film is also very dark. It looks sinister and the expression on the man's face indicates a certain steely nature and an unfeeling. He does not seem at all phased by the large knife in his hand, and it appears that he is turning away from it as if looking for his next victim.

The way that the title is partially obscured could be signifying that the "psycho" side is hidden from society and that it is a secret side to him.

In the main image, the character looks well dressed and well presented, yet in his reflection in the blade is distorted, haggard and the clothes look different too. This shows that when he is presented with a weapon, such as the knife, his entire demeanour changes and he goes from what is most likely a suave professional to something that is unrecognisable.

The entire image is surrounded by darkness, which suggests that he has hidden an awful lot of his personality from a lot of people. They say that the eyes are 'the window to the soul', yet these are totally obscured, yet most of his face is visible. This could be perceived as showing how devoid of a soul this man is.

 Alien, 1979

This poster is shrouded in darkness which it seems is a common theme in thriller movie posters. The blackness in this image shows how isolated the main focus of the movie, the egg, is. The typography used is very spaced apart and this further instills the notion of isolation, which apparently is a very dominant feature. The egg is very old looking, due to it's neutral colour and full of craters, and it has cracked open to reveal something which is greatly juxtaposed to it, due to the bright green hue and eerie looking light coming from within it.

The image below the egg, at the bottom of the image is brought to our attention by the fog descending onto it, which indicates that it is secondary to the main image. This is further supported by the way that it seems that there are humans below, who seem to be bowing down to the egg. This enforces an idea of subordination. As humans are atypically at the top of the food chain, as so to speak, this is an uncomfortable image as there is seemingly something more important than them. Aspects of the humans are unrecognisable, such as there being no clear limbs shown, only skin, which suggests an idea of mutation and abnormality.

Thriller Movie Title Deliberation

The title of a thriller film is very important when people are choosing whether or not to watch it, and hence I am wanting to find one that is appealing.

My choices currently are:

• Aaron
• Leviticus
• Unclean

They all consist of one word because this is a common theme I have seen throughout my research - a lot of thriller films and shows have a title like this (Dexter, Se7en, Insomnia, Chatroom, Alien etc)

Aaron

I came up with this title first, and this is mainly because it is the name of the main male character, and the antagonist of the film. 

It is a biblical name, and comes up frequently in the bible chapter Leviticus. I think that this would be an appropriate name, as in the chapter, God is telling Moses different kinds of things which his brother, Aaron, needs to do in order to not be unclean.

The character in my film has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and he believes that in order to ensure that he is "clean", he must rid himself of unclean things that are around him.

It is a simple name but I think in the context of the film it could work and it's simplicity results in intrigue.

Leviticus

I like this title although it makes me think of the film Invictus when I hear it, which it bears no reference to. I think this similarity could be a disadvantage. I of course have to assume that this film is going to be a success and hence this would not be a good idea. It is hugely relevant to the film as the entire bases of the murders is the list of behaviours listed in the chapter.

I think the main issue with naming my film this is that I do not want to offend anybody. Calling it this makes it more controversial and this could result in me losing a massive contingent of my audience.

Unclean

Although this title is only one word, there is an existing film called "The Unclean" which is far too similar for my liking. 

I like the idea behind this title as it symbolises exactly what the antagonist fears, but in a relatively ambiguous way. 

In conclusion, I am going to call my film "Aaron", as it is a title that has the fewest connotations with other films and negative things, as well as being simple with enough hidden meaning for it to come across as ambiguous and interesting.

Thriller Movie Research

In order to conduct primary research for my film, I used Survey Monkey to create a questionnaire.
The survey can be found here

Casting

These are the hands which will appear in my video. They will most likely be gloved.






 This is Millie, who will appear in my video as Sadie.

She is 11 and lives in the same town as me.

 

Location

I will be using a wooded area in my piece because of the time of year in which it is set. I could have used the beach but due to the popularity of beaches through the year I decided against this.
Currently I am trying to figure out which of two locations to use. I would need to visit them in order to find out how well they are lit as well as how easy they are to access.
I chose to use a woodland area because of how isolated it could look as well as how easy it would be for my cast to access it.

This is Bacton Wood. It is nearby but it is quite popular so I would have to be careful with sounds and people getting in the shots. This weekend I will be visiting the location to figure out just how popular the area is and to find a specific location within.

The other location which I could use would be this area; this is a more dynamic area because it is closer to my house, as well as there being two different areas of woodland to film in. Despite there being a road through it, it is not quite so popular due to it leading to a small hamlet, so it could be good for filming at popular times of day.

Revised:
I visited another location this weekend, called "Sadler's Woods" which is slightly closer to my house. It does not show up clearly on Google Maps, unlike the others. Here is an image of the exact location which I wish to film in.

It is relatively flat, and due to the sparse covering of leaves, it should be relatively easy to film on even if it is mildly damp. The branches frame the area well and it is well lit.
I will be using this place as my final choice to film in.

Initial Storyboard - "Aaron"

Revision
I have decided not to use polaroids in my piece and hence the fourth scene of my storyboard is now defunct - I will instead use a polaroid camera in it's place.

Planning Edit

For my film, I will use mainly jump cuts, although I will also be using some fading.
My first shot will fade to black, and subsequently the first camera shot will fade in, from the darkness.
From there I will be using jump cuts to transition between the shots. I will do this in order to indicate a certain fast paced nature which will be carried on throughout the plot.
The main point of using jump cuts is because it suggests a disorganised, messy nature.
I will most likely have a filter over the camera, or add an effect afterwards that will make the image look more white in colour and decrease the brightness of it.
In the scenes that are not shot in the wood - that is, the images of the antagonists hands - will be blurred around the edges, to show focus on one particular thing and emphasise that it is not currently going on. This is an effect I have seen in the tv series Misfits. While not strictly a thriller, it has mysterious, tense and suspenseful elements. It does not happen strictly where there is a dream - but it conveys an effect that I feel instills this.

Opening Quote (Revised)

Originally I was going to have this in white with black writing on to emphasise the pureness behind the idea, but I decided to use a black background instead, with a light orange tone to the font in order to make it look less stark and more aged, as well. This was in order to emphasise how ancient the ideas that are being used are. The ratio of red, green and blue for this colour on Microsoft Paint are as follows :

I used the font "Microsoft Himalaya" which is a serif font. It had a good amount of spacing between the lines and it was the kind of font which I had in mind.

How can I make my thriller appealing to my audience? - Secondary Research

When I was conducting my secondary research I looked at the statistical yearbook from 2011 from the British Film Industry (BFI). I did this in order to find out the popularity of thrillers in the UK in comparison to other film genres.
Genre
For example, there were only 20 thriller film releases in the UK for 2010 out of 557. The majority of films were drama and comedy films. The top performing title for the genre was Shutter Island.
The yearbook also shows how few sites aired certain genres. The average number of sides at the widest point of release was only 73 sites, whereas fantasy films were shown at an average of 373. This indicates to me that thriller films do not have as wide of an audience as other, more accessible genres of films such as fantasy films.
Due to their shocking and often graphic nature, thriller films are usually rated at least a 15 by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification). Films that fall under the genres of fantasy, animation and musical/dance will more than likely have low ratings which means that they are easy for people to watch. Parents can take their children to watch these films for example, which means that more sites will show the films.
Films with higher ratings are less likely to be shown in cinemas because of course the cinema wants to maximise their profits and showing films that are not likely to be watched under these circumstances would not be particularly beneficial.
However there were quite a few people who went to go and view these films, shown through the statistics for the average box office revenue per site. Thriller films, which were only shown at a total of 1,468 sites, took in £13,092 per site. Comedy films however, which were shown in a total of 17,420 sites, took in nearly £2000 less on average. This indicates that the sites which showed thriller films were probably more specialised cinemas. The cinemas which showed comedy films were most likely the more mainstream ones which shows that they have a wider audience, but were not as frequented.
The specialised cinemas are likely to bring in a certain, condensed audience which go there to see thriller films because that is specifically the genre which they enjoy. Mainstream cinemas such as ODEON or Vue are likely to show more light hearted comedy films because they appeal to most people.

12 out of the 20 thriller films that were released in 2010 were independent releases, such as "The Ghost", which was the top performing independent thriller title.

If we look at a compound bar graph to show the proportion of the box office by genre for all films, UK films and UK Independent films, we can see that usually UK independent films did better than ones funded by major production companies, especially so in terms of thriller films. When this is overlaid with the information for the proportion of releases of all films, UK films and UK Independent films, we can see that although some thriller films were funded by larger companies, it was usually independent ones which were more successful in the box office.
This suggests that people are more likely to watch independently made thriller films, and hence it would be wiser to release thriller films into specialised cinemas in order to reach the smaller audience. (This graph goes up to 50% in denominations of 10. The yellow bar is the top on the chart below the graph - All films. The red is UK films and the blue is independent UK films)

Audience
Through my research on audience, I found that most people watched films at home. Only 3.4% of people actually went to the cinema to view films. This indicates that it is not worth the hassle of trying to get an independently made film into the cinema because the audience it reaches will not be wide enough, most likely.
The next highest up group is through downloading or streaming. This would be the best method of getting a film out to people, owing partly to the cost free nature of this distribution method as well as the fact that it reaches out to almost everyone in the world, if they look in the right place of course.
There was also a gender divide in terms of audience. This is shown through the amount of people which were attracted to each film. For instance, rom-com Sex and the City 2 had a male audience of only 27%. However, the action film Green Zone had a female audience of only 24%. While these cases are rather extreme ones, it proves a point that certain genres are more attractive to certain genders.
However, certain films such as Shrek Forever After had an exactly 50/50 divide between gender. This is a kids animated film, which is likely going to be viewed by parents taking their children out at the weekend to watch it.
However, thriller film "The Ghost" was also a gender neutral film. This suggests that unlike rom-coms and action films, there is an unclear gender bias and they are enjoyed by both men and women.
The results also suggest that the largest age group who watch the top 20 and UK films is 15-24 year olds, with on average 29% of the six groups included in the statistics.

There has actually been a drop since 1997 in the proportion of cinema goers who are aged 15-24. It has gone from around 43% in 1997 to 38% in 2010. It hit an all time low in 2004, but has generally been on the rise since then.
There are certain films which appeal to certain age groups. For instance, the most popular age group for How To Train Your Dragon was the 7-14 year olds. Another popular film for this age group was The Princess and the Frog. These are both animated films.
For 15-24 year olds it was Kick-Ass; they made up 59% of the films audience. Other popular films for this particular age group were Four Lions and Karate Kid. These are action and comedy films.
As we travel through the age groups, there is clear evidence that action, comedy and drama films become more popular.

There is also a noticeable difference in the types of films which different social groups go to watch. For instance, the group classed by BFI as "AB", who are the wealthiest social group, tend to watch films such as The Ghost, Burke and Hare, and Four Lions. These are generally UK films which are either historically themed and slightly comedic. These films are generally fantasy and are not going to be ones which are necessarily relatable.
In contrast, films viewed by the lowest social class which BFI identify as "DE" tended to watch films which are more uplifting, such as StreetDance 3D or Kick-Ass. These are probably popular because they deal with subject matter that the audience may be familiar with, such as struggles in home life, rough streets and ultimately prejudice.

Audiences found that with Thriller films, they enjoyed being made to feel uncomfortable and disconcerted (Se7en). They enjoyed fast paced parts, intense music, and truly imaginative ideas (Looper), as well as ideas that pushed the boundaries of humanity. This would be twisted ideas of killings, ill concieved morals and sick justifications. These all alienate the viewer, yet leave them craving more, generally.

In conclusion, I found that thriller films appealed to a variety of audiences and that very few people visited the cinema in comparison to how many people actually watched films - this tells me that I have a far greater chance of achieving success through putting my film online.

Intertextual References

This is listed under my "Inspiration" for the plot.
Se7en: This is in the sense of the opening sequence - lots of softly lit, extreme close ups, diagrams, photographs and anonymous hands.
Dexter: Dexter values his victims on how bad their crimes are as to whether or not he will end their lives. Aaron in my plot believes that it is okay to kill someone if they are unclean as to purify their soul and not let them defile him. Also the opening sequence to the show has lots of close ups of hands doing certain things, such as slicing. While not quite so explicit, there will be lots of shots of Aaron doing things which are everyday - washing a knife, etc.
The Doomsday Killer: This is a character from the sixth season of Dexter. He bases his killings on the book of Revelation and he believes it is okay to kill if because the victim will end up being granted access to heaven because of their sacrifice. This is similar to Aaron basing a kind of code on the book of Leviticus, as well as the purification. There is also a senior man who dictates what the Doomsday Killer does, which is similar to how Aaron looks up to a superior in his cult. He tells Aaron that their deaths with grant them redemption.
Leviticus: This book in the Bible details unclean sexual behaviours, food and items such as clothing. This is the basis which Aaron bases his murders on - if there is someone does something he deems to be unclean, he will act on instinct to commit murder.

Martha Marcy May Marlene: In this film, a young girl is riddled with flashbacks over her experiences of a cult - which is a similar situation to Sadie, who is also tormented by this. The cult has destroyed and taken over her life.
Body of Lies: There is a W.H. Auden quote at the beginning of the film. I will use a quote from Leviticus at the beginning of my own sequence, with the colours inverted - a white background with black, serif font.

A Mother's Son: The style of the fonts (a classic, serif font) and the way in which they appear on the screen for the opening credits, will be similar to those in my own piece, but will be a different font most likely and a different colour.

Opening Quote

For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. Leviticus 18:29

"Aaron" Synopsis

Synopsis:
Following a string of random, unconnected murders, a young girl, missing since infancy, is discovered in the woods. Surrounded by the remnants of an intense and illegal study, the entire situation is an enigma for the people around her.
Tormented by the images she recalls, she sets out on a personal mission to ensure the man who ruined her pays.
The man is Aaron. A devout man, burdened with obsessive compulsions, he only wants to stop himself from being unclean, and to do this, he commits murder.
Enlisting the help of a boy she meets while in the social care system, she sets out for redemption.

Props - "Aaron"

Costumes - "Aaron"

Character Board - Man - "Aaron"

Character Board - Young Girl - "Aaron"

Plot Ideas for "Aaron"

Initial Brain Storming for "Aaron"

Thriller Scenes: How is editing used to drive the narrative in the scene?

Insomnia

In the opening sequence of the 2002 film Insomnia, there are a variety of shots which hint at the context of the film. For instance the title of the film is shown over a piece of carpet which has blood spreading through the fibres, as can be seen to the right. This extreme close up is an interesting one as we are only seeing the very micro side of a situation. It is a white carpet too, which signifies a few different things. White carpets usually feature in the homes of the affluent, due to their impractical nature in everyday life. Also, the whiteness of the carpet contrasts well with the blood. The total pure white of the carpet reflects both a goodness as well as an innocence.

The way that the word Insomnia has been put on top of the blood spill signifies that this is probably going to be a key feature of the movie.
There are then sweeping establishing shots icebergs, more images of the blood spilling out onto the carpet and then there are drops of red falling onto what looks like a pristine white shirt. Again, the white signifies good things and a purity, which is why it is so shocking to see blood red on it. This is effective iconography as it instantaneously implies murder due to the contrast between the two colours. Then we see someone trying to rub blood out of the linen, with an extreme close up of a masculine hand. The use of so many extreme close ups mixed with the very macro image of icebergs is rather disorientating to the viewer because in a sense we have very little idea what is going on, because we are only seeing two clues to the whole situation, which do not have any direct link at all.
This relates back to the title of Insomnia, which is most likely a rather disorientating problem for it's sufferers.
The next scene is again ambiguous. It appears as more of a midshot through the reflection of a cabinet, of the back of someone. Most of this is obscured. This can be seen in the image to the left. This is more of a clue but it is again not very helpful. Using the image of someone rubbing away the blood we can gather that this character probably is not the protagonist of the film, and we are not seeing him for that reason, possibly so that we have a similar knowledge to that of the protagonist as to what is actually going on.
Next comes some disorientating editing. From the sight of the gloved hands we see a close up of someones face, then the macro again of a plane. We see several different shots of the face, and he is looking at images of what seems to be crime scene photography in a folder. This manages to imply that he is the antagonist, yet the fact he is blatantly holding a police evidence file suggests otherwise.
The camera then cuts to the establishing shot of a plane flying across the icebergs. This indicates both loneliness and danger. Loneliness in the sense of the abandonment felt in Arctic environments, as well as the danger that is expected when one sees icebergs and frozen environments. These are tough environments to live in, and the shots of the weary looking man suggest that he is going to have a difficult time managing.
There is then a shot from even further away, and fewer micro shots. This is setting up the scene and encouraging us to feel the desolation of the area. Similarly to the scene in the Shining whereby the car drives into an increasingly dangerous looking environment whilst being totally alone, the small, solitary plane heading to some unknown destination manages to make us worry for the fate of the weary man and his accomplice on the plane.

Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Produced by: Warner Bros.
Release Date: 30 August 2002 (UK)
Filmed in: Alaska, USA
Box Office Returns: $113,714,830 (worldwide grossing)
Rated 15
Given a 7.2/10 on IMDB.
Viewers called it "masterful", "excellent" and "intense"
Clip from Insomnia

Se7en

The film Se7en has an interesting opening sequence, with a lot of props, icons and clues towards the actual context of the movie. It has many extreme close ups, which manage to create the effect of an indepth, close study of something, which, when we look at the props in the scene such as images of hands and the opening image, which is of a book having it's pages dropped down slowly. This extreme close up of what appears to be a handcrafted book is appealing to the viewers eye. The pages are blank, which signify the beginning of something. He is clearly awarding the whole book to the event which shows that it is probably something special and worthy of note.



The music is timed perfectly with the images shown on the screen, with loud, bass noises coming in as the black opening credits scene appears. There are high pitched noises that emphasise the writing used on the credit screens - the official parts are in a typewriter like font, yet the actual names are written in young looking hand writing. This almost suggests a personal attachment to the names themselves, which gives us the idea that the antagonist is going to commit the crimes against people who he has identified as specifically deserving it. The slightly blurred nature of the words either side of the names signifies them being done by hand, for instance through a stamp or aged typewriter. This also instills a sense of it being personal and also carefully crafted.
Next we see the man holding a blade between aged fingers, and even slicing the skin on the pads of them away. This signifies how anonymous the killer is and how he goes to extreme measures to hide his identity. His ease with such a dangerous thing as a razor blade also shows that he is not a novice, but more experienced in this field and that he has skill. This gives off the impression of him being almost assassin like. His hands are dirty too, which although is most likely from his study, it signifies him doing "dirty work"such as murder or other illegal deeds.
Unlike in Dexter, whereby the murderer is shown in a positive light with bright, overly contrasted images and upbeat music, the mise en scene here is much different. The room he is in is dimly lit and the images are not just dangerous, such as knives, but deadly - guns and blades being an example. The music is also very ominous - drawn out and containing some high pitched, static noises which sound like the antagonist is tuning into something - for instance a police radio.
Soon the opening credits stop having a whole shot of their own but actually blend in with the images shown in the montage - for insance here. This signifies the characters being drawn into the life of the killer.
For instance, the leading lady's name is here, which suggests that she will be in danger in the future, danger caused by the antagonist. The way that her name has been put in the shadow of the book implies that she will become a part of his study.

Directed by: David Fincher
Produced by: Cecchi Gori Pictures, New Line Cinema
Release Date: 5th January 1996
Filmed in: Los Angeles, USA
Box Office Returns: $316,400,000 (Worldwide)
Rated 18
Given 8.7/10 on IMDB
Viewers called it "shocking", "suspenseful", "disturbing" and "clever".
View the scene here

AS Media Project 'Monster Chase'

Thriller Movie Titles

American Psycho

This title is pretty self explanatory and as a result it mainly gives away the plot. The main character of this film is a "psycho" and evidently an "American" as well. This title works well because the normal connotations when someone refers to being American is freedom, and is generally a rather wholesome image. However, the addition of psycho shows a different side of this. This implies that there is a darker side to this American, and due to this side being psychotic, it is not a familiar one.
The title is interesting because it is partially obscured, which yet again shows a darker side to something. It is also white, which relates to Nickel's theory on black and white hats. It does this through half of the title being stark white, and the other half being totally black.This shows the image which people want to see, a good, well-meaning person, as well as the one he refuses to let people see, which has been obscured to the point of not being visible at all. However, the fact there is a grey area shows that there is a blurred area, where he exposes himself to a few people. There is a great contrast between the white area and this grey area.

The writing is in Times New Roman which is quite a classic font, which suggests that to the unknowing eye, he looks rather classy, but nothing different to usual.

Fight Club

This title is different to the other one because the way that it is has been portrayed is much less obvious and initially, as a viewer, we wonder why it is that the words have been carved out of soap, and to add to that, pink soap.
One lead character in the film is a soap manufacturer and he also creates the fight club, which makes this make a little more sense. The letters are bold, capitalised and sans-serif which makes them look very neat and also reminiscent of an action movie. The way in which the "U" and "B" are connected is quite unusual as this is not something which the rest of the font follows. This shows a nonconformity and a breaking of the rules - most other letters are apart. Also, the letters joined together look a little confusing and also look almost unrecognisable as what they are meant to be. This is a theme strongly explored in the film.
The title of Fight Club is not an ambiguous one, and it sounds like what it is. The fight club in the movie is literally an underground club where men come to fight one another. The use of club makes them sound unified somehow, and almost as though the fighting has a purpose, much like a knitting club or a book club.

Thriller movie plot ideas

1) Essentially a cult. The opening scene would be a little reminiscent of Se7en but obviously not following the same pattern of plotting a murder. For instance there could be shots of scriptures, idols, costume,  drawings, photographs. This would call for a variety of different shots, many props and eerie music. The main idea would be of people being affected or recruited by the cult - for instance a sacrifice or new recruit would have many photos of them in the sequence.
2)  Based extremely loosely about a nerve wracking situation I myself have been in. There would be a family coming to collect an exchange student from the airport in the beginning. In the morning they would go out early - the host child would have a knife on her. When the exchange student asks what it is for, she laughs. Then they drive for a while, then come to an abandoned garage where they take out barbecue equipment and knives. There would then be a long drive into the countryside, into an isolated place, where there would be lots of derelict stables etc. There would be a lot of tension in this short scene.

Thriller Scenes - How is sound used to create suspense and other effects in the scene?

American Psycho

The scene which I am analysing is colloquially known as the "Business Card Scene" due to it's content, but we can tell from actually watching the scene that it is much more sinister from the music which is being played beneath. The scene begins more calm with business men making small talk and the main character, the "American Psycho"(as we gather from the film poster), narrating the scene on top of this.

Yet, as soon as the business card is passed from one character, Paul Allen, to another, Bryce, there is a tension cast over the scene which is thanks to the introduction of non-diegetic sound. As Allen opens his business card case and hands the card over, there is a soundtrack added which makes the viewer believe that there is something dangerous going to happen as a consequence, due to the ominous tone of it. It is very suspenseful and encourages the viewer to believe that something is about to happen.

There are a lot of diegetic sounds which are brought in too, and this is very interesting. Despite the sounds only being of men opening their business card cases, the metallic effect sounds like the loading of a handgun. 

As the card is passed between hands, there is a noise like an exhaling, which could be construed as Bateman (the lead) trying to control his breath. He is blatantly not happy about this high profile character giving his business card to another person, but not himself. 

There is then only sound from the characters continuing in small talk, until Bateman pulls out his business card case. This is clearly an important move, emphasised by the music which has been played over the image of him withdrawing it from within his jacket. He does so as the other characters discuss Allen. The noise almost points towards something happening to him, including the diegetic sound of the case opening sharply. This sounds like a blade being drawn, sharpened, or even a switchblade being opened. This immediately triggers an awareness of danger, considering what we already know about this character. When the case moves out of sight the sound stops, and there is silence until he pushes the card towards the other characters. The noise builds up again and then calms when the card is in the position that he wants. They discuss the card briefly, and it is evident how proud he is of it from the way in which he speaks. His voice is low, high class and this suggests to us just how much of an enigma he is. He appears to be a suave businessman but the tone throughout the scene suggests otherwise - each time the breathy sound passes over we can feel a sense of danger. This is known as Verfremdungseffekt, coined by Victor Shklovsky. This term is used to distance us from the character in the sense that if we are following their story, they are the protagonist and hence the "good guy". This is not so true though, because we already know that Bateman is a murderer. This distances the audience because we have to step back and actually question what is wrong and right. He is evidently a serial killer but he is also shown to us as the one which we ought to show support for. This is strong evidence for the verfremdungseffekt.

The way in which Bateman utters "Nice" is low, monotone and is said in a gravelly, whispered voice which is a far cry from the way which he was just talking so proudly about his own card. This has connotations of testosterone, or the character having a masculinity about him. This is a secondary side to him. The opening scene shows his daily morning routine including face masks and picking out the perfect designer suit for the day. This is more effeminate. 

This is evidence of Bateman having a different side to him and this one is more dangerous. It is supported by the ominous music cast over the scene and the metallic diegetic sound effects. There is then a much longer sound as Bryce complements the other card, and Bateman is clearly showing signs of stress at this, shown in the image above. The way that he talks sounds provocatively threatening as he claims to be in disbelief over Bryce's preference. His facial expressions are well supported by the music and his monotone voice. Despite his claim to be feeling such an emotion, his voice reveals very little. This is something which is shown within the thriller series "Dexter". The cinematic sociopath is shown to fake emotion which is almost what Bateman does here. This could potentially be something which the creators of Dexter chose to include in terms of intertextual referencing. 

When he asks to see Paul Allen's card, Bateman clasps his hands together and then points them towards the other men in a manner reminiscent of aiming a gun. We can take this as being significant because of his evident emotions towards the man in question - he is asking to see the card so that he can size up the competition. His fingers being pointed like this also reveals a little of his true nature to his peers.

Directed by: Mary Harron

Produced by: Lionsgate Films

Release Date: 21 April 2000 (UK)

Box Office Gross Returns: $34,266,564 (Worldwide)

Rated 18

Given a 7.6/10 on IMDB

Left viewers confused with it's "ambiguous ending", but they enjoyed the "satire" and "black comedy"

Scene from American Psycho

Dexter

This TV show has another example of the verfremdungseffekt. The main character is a blood splatter analyst for the Miami Metro Homicide Division. He moonlights as a serial killer, taking care of the cases which managed to slip through the system and get away regardless of their misdoings. 

In this particular scene, Dexter is being talked to by Sergeant Doakes, who sees through Dexter's everyday facade. He is being threatened and up until the point shown in the image to the right, he is being lighthearted in response. This is up until Doakes begins to make accusations against him. The music then begins to turn a little more sinister and there is a noise similar to a rattlesnakes tail going. This foretells the danger that Doakes has put himself in, as well as the switch in Dexter's personality. You can see this in his face as well, and the sound only emphasises this. The loud, diegetic sound of him sighing is also evidence for this shift. This creates a lot of suspense because his friendly, carefree demeanor has been replaced for one which is distancing to even dedicated viewers.

The music continues, and it is ominous and just generally sounds dangerous. Previously to this, there was subtle music similar to the way the sound in American Psycho tailed off each time, only continuing the whole way through. 

The music continues to get more and more tense, with Dexter's voice low, controlled and almost teasing to the sergeant. He then headbutts the man, sends him flying backwards. This is interesting because he then leaves and goes into the main office. 

The music is tense and provocative as he walks out of the room, and gets increasingly tense until Doakes bursts out of the room. The music sounds like a chase scene, yet Dexter walks with composure, with his hands in his pockets. This is clearly a skill which he has cultivated over time, being a sociopath. This is something which Bateman, in the previously analysed scene, is also good at.

Screenplay by: James Manos Jr

Produced by: Showtime Networks

Released: 2006-Present

Rated 15/18 

Given 9.1/10 on IMDB

Viewers said it was "eclectic""breathless" and a "bloody masterpiece"

Scene from Dexter

(REVISED) Thriller Scenes - How does location and the use of light and dark depict the emotional landscape of a character?

Body Of Lies

This opening is rather suspenseful, beginning with a rather haunting quote from W.H Auden, which essentially says that everyone knows that if someone has evil committed against them. This fits well with the question which I am answering in regards to this piece - It works because in a lot of the scene, the characters are mostly obscured by darkness with a little light coming through, but usually behind them. Of course darkness being prevalent in the scene suggests that there is an overwhelming sense of an internal darkness throughout. As the antagonist talks, his entire face is blanketed in darkness, which essentially what he is now facing. The only light in the room comes from behind him, and although it is very light it is evidently not enough to pull him away from his ill deeds.

 His hat is white, which contradicts Nickel's white hat/black hat theory, because we know from his talking of destruction and vengeance that he is an antagonist and is therefore a threat. His hat being white is disconcerting but the light behind him is actually causing part of it to appear dark, thanks to the shadow being cast over it.

His hat being white shows that he believes that he is doing a good deed in his terrorist acts, although the audience is set against him from the moment he talks of destroying a bus.

The entire group of people within the house are dark, and they are all encompassed by it. The man lying down on his bed is rather haunting and we can learn a lot from it. For instance, he is totally surrounded by almost pitch black, yet we learn later that he is actually in an open room. He is not like the others in the room, who are preaching, working, or standing. He seems far from the atypical terrorist type, resting and clutching a book. The book signifies knowledge and being exposed to new things and turning away from ignorance. It is implied that he has been reading it due to it being open on his stomach, but the scene which has already been set shows that this has been changed. 

He has turned away from the lighter side of the scene and is instead facing into the darkness - this signifies what he is now facing mentally and how his mindset has changed. He could easily turn towards the light but due to his different way of thinking, he is being drawn towards the dark side of life and essentially, the darker side of religion. We do not know what the book is but it signifies an intelligence. However, he has turned it away from him and it is facing downwards, which suggests that he has closed himself off to this more open way of thinking and instead has become less tolerant, for instance. He has chosen to ignore the light side of life.

The book is shown in the light half of the image but is not shown at all in the darker half, which indicates that there is no room for rational thinking in the new life which he has chosen for himself.

Another man, the one who is sitting down and working, as well as listening out for the police entering is surrounded by what looks like clutter and general mess. This suggests to us the complicated and chaotic mindset of them; the house does not look clean in general, and this firstly suggests that they have a lot going on in their minds and hence cleanliness and order comes second - order being important, as terrorist acts can disrupt social order hugely. The chaotic nature of the house in which they are sat, sleeping and preaching shows also how messy their ideas are to some, notably the director, and how they are misunderstood to outsiders. This reflects the idea of them knowing how messy it is, but knowing where to find everything they need. This is often an opinion held on religion.
This man is very dimly lit and it seems that there is next to light on him. His entire front is shrouded in dark and there is probably only light on the back of his shoulders. This could be taken to indicate that he has turned his back on good and is facing the darkness head on. This suggests that he has made the choice much easier than for example, the man on the bed.

Directed by: Ridley Scott
Produced by: Warner Bros
Released: 21 November 2008 (UK)
Box Office Gross Returns: $39,380,442 (USA)
Rated 15
Given a 7.1/10 on IMDB
Viewers said that it was "technically well made", "engaging" and "intelligent"

View the scene here

Se7en

This scene, of Detective Somerset in the library shows him as someone who is a lot wiser than the detective that he is juxtaposed with throughout, Detective Mills. Somerset is in a large, empty library and walks deep into the shelves, and it symbolises him immersing himself in knowledge. The lighting is dim, but not in the same way as in Body of Lies; it is soft, warm, and makes the entire scene look decadent. 

This makes it seem as though he is indulging himself by being there, surrounded by thick books, which we are shown in the micro as he looks at certain titles in more detail.

In contrast, Mills is in what appears to be his home, with the crime scene pictures in front of him. The room is well lit, unlike the library, but not in a pleasant way. It makes Mills look stressed and almost pressured. The different locations are symbolic in the sense that it shows a lot of difference between them and how they operate as detectives.

Although Somerset is taking things more slowly, he is evidently more wise through his use of books, delving a little deeper in order to make sense of the mess in front of him. He looks at books that do not seem directly relevant, such as Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and a book named Divine Comedy. This effectively indicates a deeper understanding of the case, and it also proves to the audience how experienced of a detective he is. He is taking the entire situation and dealing with it in a calm manner, which is emphasised by the lighting used throughout. Although the library is mostly dark, Somerset constantly has lights above and around his head, perhaps to indicate the clarity and pure goodness he upholds. 

The lights are around him in such a way that is is suggested he is protected from the darker side of crime through his knowledge and wisdom. In contrast, there is a sole lamp lighting up the scene with Mills, which almost suggests that he has to work harder to stay on the positive side of the situation. 

As Mills ponders the images in front of him, his face is lit dimly. Although this is not necessarily suggesting that he is a bad character, it is suggesting how "in the dark" he is about the whole situation, being a younger, less experienced detective. Their differing research methods really highlights this; Mills is looking at the surface of the case and is frustrated when he fails to see what he wants to. He is at his own house, and this choice of location actually instills the idea that he almost wants things to be easy for him - Somerset has gone out of his way to look further into the information.

This shot in particular shows the difficulty Mills has as he researches information, the entire left side of his face being obscured. His eyes aren't incredibly visible either. Unlike Body of Lies, this does not show him turning bad and leaving the light, but it does show how he is not in as good of a position as Somerset, whose face is always visible, no matter which position his head is in.

We are shown the different successes the men have; Mills continues to look at the pictures, but Somerset finds words in a book which more or less replicate the victim which they are both looking into. 

Overall, the locations of the two characters show how they try to handle a difficult problem, and light manages to show us which is preferable through the hue of the light, as well as the clever positioning of lamps in both scenes. 

Directed by: David Fincher

Produced by: Cecchi Gori Pictures,
New Line Cinema

Released: 5th January 1996 (UK)

Box Office Returns: $316,400,000 (Worldwide)

Rated 18

Given 8.7/10

Viewers called it "crafted and ingeniously clever", as well as "dark" and "disturbing", and a "grisly" film that will "stay with you forever"
View the scene here