Analysis of thriller opening scene

Analysis of: Pay the ghost opening scene 
This is the film opening I watched: 
Pay the ghost opening scene  

Uli Edels the director of 'pay the ghost' uses many different effects and techniques in order to create a sense of alarm and discomfort within the audience, as they watch his edge of the seat movie. The film is based aroud a young boy who is kidnapped on the 31st of August and shows his fathers determinasion to get his son back from the 'other world'.

Throughout the short opening scene I watched the director uses sound, in order to create suspicion and unsurity amongst viewers. At the beginning of the clip an element of the proairetic code is reresented as we begin to hear strange and rather loud bangs from above where the children are. Straight away this causes a sense of panic within the audiene as they begin to ask themselves many questions in relation to the subject of the noise. These loud bangs from above also being repeated and very unexpected cause the audience to become slighly tense and anxious of whats to come next. This straight away, was a way of the director creating shock and unsurity amongst his new audience and already from the very beginning keeping them on their toes. At the very beginning slow and eerie music is used meaning that already from the very first shot the audience becomes expectant for the worst. There are many sudden screams within the opening scene causing the audience to feel on edge as well as begin to worry about the situation that may be about to happen. The director also uses non digetic sound such as slow and depressing music as the father carries the child to bed, creating a sense of saddness amongst the audience as well as suspicion of the negativity which will most likely be about to happen. Non digetic sounds of footsteps are also used to add to the idea that we are unaware of who is above the floor boards where the children are being kept, and causing the audience to begin to ask themselves questions in relation to this. There is also a sudden buzz of the fathers phone during the short clip. This being very unexpected and also common brings the audience back to reality as well as possibly startling them, making the audience feel as if they are beginning to imagen the presents of anything other than the characters. Finally the director also uses heavy breathing also to accentuate the idea of nerves within characters as well as cause the audience to feel a sense of panic, and begin to understand the fear the characters are feeling.

The director also uses a variey of camera shots and angles to create simmilar emotions from the viewers. Throughout the short clip there are many extreme close up shots of the characters in order to accentuate their emotions. The director uses this at the very beginning of the clip whilst showing a tear slowly running down the childs face. This causes the audience to feel the saddness of the character as well as begin to question their unhappiness. Throughout the entirity of the short clip the director uses slow hand held camera shots, in order to create fear amongst the audience as well as creating the ideology of someone or something in the room . Medium close ups are also used of the young child, whilst the director also uses shallow debth field in order to accentuate his significance and cause the audience to become anxious of whats to come. The director also uses high angled full room shots, this enables the audience to see the entirity of the room, and becuase they cant see anything suspicious they begin to worry and become nervous of what is hiding where it cant be seen.  This straight away adds to the fear of the unknown and continues to make the viewers feel panic. Finally the director also uses many over the shoulder shots looking at the child in the distance, this emphasises the fear of the child as it is unaware of whats behind him. This also once again accentuates the idea of something else being in the room other than the characters, causing the audience to be suspicious and worried for the childs saftey.

Mise en scene is also used within the short clip to add to the thrill of the movie. The director uses dull colours throughout the entire short clip as well as using little contrast between these colours to add to the eerieness of the scene. These dark colours cause the viewers to feel fear of whats to come next as it adds to the ideology of the unknown that may be in the setting. The director also focusses light only on one specific character at a time in order to accentuate the importance of that one specific character at that moment in time. This overall adds to the spooky aspect of the clip as we are unable to see anyting other than that one person and causes the audience to feel nervous and extremely uneasy.

Overal throughout the short opening scene from 'pay the ghost' many techniques are used by the director in order so create suspense and add to the thrill of his thriller movie!

             


       

 

                                            

The proairetic code

The proairetic code/action code: 

The proairetic code, which is also known by the action code, is another one of Barthes suggested codes. The proairectic code is a plot action that does not directly raise particular questions. It is simply an action that is caused by a previous event that leads to many others. This code refers to little questions and actions such as: are they dead? and are usually answered very soon after you begin to consider them. Simmilarly to the enigma code, the audience will be asking themselves questions whilst watching the film. However questions falling under the proairetic code will be answered quickly, where those falling under the enigma code may not be answered at all. Simmilarly to the enigma code, this code is also used by producers in order to keep the audience watching and to fill them with suspense. The proairetic code leaves us wondering, and amazed of the next step each character might make, keeping us all excited for every next move, keeping our eyes pinned on the screen. 
Some examples of actions in which cause suspence amongst the audience are:
- A dead person, usually causing the audience to ask questions like "are they dead?"
- The reload of a gun, results in questions such as "what are they going to do?"
- Sudden noises
- Footsteps
- Screaming in the distance 
- A slap
- Clocks ticking in the back ground
All of these things are examples of actions within a film that might result in the audience asking themselves questions and wondering what the next move of a character might be. This is a useful thing for directors to add into a scene as it creates in suspence as the audience begin making guesses. 
 

The Hermenuatic Code

Barhtes hermenuatic code:  


Barthes suggested that there will be one or more of the five codes that describe the meaning of text. An extremely important code in which massively applies to most thriller movie's is the hermeneutic or also known as the enigma code. This code is one in which refers to the mystery within a film, the suspension in which it causes of what comes next, and the way the audiences begins to feel tension as we begin to ask ourselves questions in relation to a characters next move. Enigmas within a film make the audience want to know more and therefore usually continue to watch. Enigmas also usually create frustration amongst the audience causing the tension to begin to rise. The hermeneutic code therefore refers to any specific part of a story that is not very well explained and as a result of this usually becomes a mystery to the reader. The directors purpose is to essentially keep the audience guessing all the way through the film until usually the end when all answers will be revealed. This is designed to keep the audience watching for the entirety of the film, as well as to keep them entertained as they themselves try to discover the correct answer. So to sum it up the enigma code is a part of a storyline in which is not fully explained, or at least not straight away.
Directors often express this using one of these techniques:

- Snare: the truth is purposely avoided creating annoyance amongst the viewers, this also adds to the amount of suspicion and tension felt by the people watching.
- Equivocations: where the director creates incomplete answers leaving the director space to create another movie in the future.


An example of a thriller film in which leaves the audience asking themselves questions is Now you see me, towards the beginning of the film some magicians are all handed a mysterious card, in which leads them all to a strange destination. This particular scene in the film leaves the audience asking themselves who gave them the card? and how it got to them? The answers to these questions where then not answered until the very end. This method was a fantastic way to keep the audience watching all the way through. A way for the directors to keep the audience 'on the edge of their seats'.

Thriller subgenres

                    

Thriller subgenres:  

There a large variety of thrillers in which all fall under the same thriller genre, however this thriller genre also contains many subgeners, all of which create the same tension and mystery that we all expect. These concventions however are portrayed to us through slightly different plots. An example of some thriller subgeners are: 

- Action thriller: A film consisting of lots of action scenes, usually ones in which cuase the audience to be on their toes and expectant of a specific outcome. 

- Conspiracy thriller: Usually the protagonist will confront a large and substantial group who show threat towards that charecter. Normally the charecter will also have to confront these people alone.

- Crime thriller: A film consisting of lots of crime and illegal acts, usually the criminal will be on the run whilst the police will be attempting to discover useful infomation in relation to this person.

- Disaster thriller: Films in this particular subgenre will usually consist of a natural disaster where masses of people die or are left suffering, normally their death will be unexpected or the charecters will be attempting to save themselves quickly.

- Legal thriller: A subgenre which is usually based in the courtroom, usually the protagonist is trying to gather information as a lawyer against a particular crime.

- Romantic thriller: Still this subgenre follows the general conventions of a thriller such as tension, however whilst two charecters are trying to form a relationship the audience will be left suspicious of each charecters next move.

- Medical thriller: Usually a film in which consists of a deadly new medical weapon or disease in which infects an entire community.

- Spy thriller: A film consisting of some kind of secret task where a number of qualified spys set out to discover answers usually creating masses of mystery within both the film and also amongst the audience.

This is just a few and there are many more but here is a list of some film examples in which fits in with these catagorys:


Spy thriller: The Bourne identity
Medical thriller: Shutters island
Romantic thrillers: Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Legal thriller: The client
Disaster thriller: The day after tomorrow
Crime thriller: Seven
Conspiracy thriller: V for vendetta
Action thriller: The dark knight 
 Here are a few more examples:

                      

      
     

Thriller conventions

Thriller conventions:    

 Thriller. The edge of your seat genre filling the audience with anticipation of the actors next move, next step, and even next idea. Keeping the audience on their toes, awake and alert.  The films that thrills the audience, fills them with suspenseful excitement. While watching a thriller movie the emotions received by the audience will be massively mixed, ranging from excitement and suspense to anticipation and anxiety, all of which add to the surprise of the film. There are a lot of subgenres that fall into the thriller category all of which will follow the basic conventions of a thriller such as: crime thriller, disaster thriller, action thriller, conspiracy thriller, legal thriller, psychological thriller and religious thriller. 

The main conventions of all thriller films are: 
* low key lighting 
* quick cuts
* shadows 
* music that creates tension 
* various changes in angles and shots 
* diegetic sound or heavy breathing
* the protagonist reaches a climax 
* ideas in which symbolise the wrong out come 

Some examples of thriller films are: now you see me 2, the conjuring 2, Jason Bourne and many more. 

Here is a link to access many more fantastic thriller movies: 
thriller movies 
 

Welcome to my blog

Hello there my name is Ellie and this is my AS media studies blog! Welcome


Lights, Camera, Action.. Do you ever sit watching that type edge of the seat movie and wonder how long it took? or the way the camera moves? or the purpose of each and every tiny angle, sound or even the distance in which the actor is from the camera? Have you ever sat in the cinema and just for a minute appreciated the way in which the change in music's speed creates tension or excitement?

This blog is designed to be an area in which I will  regularly be uploading my voyage of my very own short thriller clip. I will be making and designing a thriller video from the basics in order to grab your attention and create that edge of the seat tension you all know and love. In my video I will try to include a varied amount of effects in order to make my thriller thrilling. My aspiration is to successfully create a powerful video in which you will all enjoy.

I hope that this blog will fill you with excitement and masses of anticipation of what's to come next.
Enjoy!