Research into sounds in a thriller film - Miss Miller

In this section of my project I will researching sounds and the techniques that are being used in thriller genres and research how they create different effects. I will do my research by using the clip from the movie "Halloween H20 20 years later". This includes various different sound effects throughout the clip which all create different atmospheres and levels of tension and suspense. Furthermore the clip includes a number of different sound techniques in which are able to research about. Sound is the noise that is created  by either voice or technology to create different atmospheres which is dependent on what the genre of the film is. There are different types of sounds such as diagetic, non-diagetic, off-screen, on-screen, parallel and contrapuntal sounds. Sound is important within films because certain sounds need to match the genre of the film that it has been set e.g horror, mysterious music needs to go with a thriller film/scene. If the correct sound does not match the genre then the scene will not have an impact on the audience making it a poor quality so films need to include the sounds that match the genre so that the effects on the audience are positive and will keep them on the edge of their seat.

 Clip from "Halloween H20: 20 years later"

Non Diegetic Sound

In this particular part of the clip, non-diegetic sound is being used (0.57). This is evident from where a loud shocking sound effect is being used when the female character discovers the first death where an ice skating boot is stabbed into another characters face which also displays blood all over his face at the same time. The purpose of this sound being used is to emphasise the death which has just taken place. Furthermore, the purpose of this is to create an enigma as no one knows who was behind the cause of this death. Also, it will alert the audience that there an attacker in a nearby region which then will keep the audience on the edge of their seats. This gives the audience a sudden shock as the loud noise has alerted the audience and keeps them on edge. This sound is conventional towards a thriller genre as it creates a sudden shock which is a vital convention as it is a key element within a thriller genre. Furthermore, this is conventional towards a thriller genre as this creates an immediate rise in the level of tension as it immediatley alerts the audiece that there is danger within the setting. By this, a sympathetic relationship is built towards the character as the audience are worried and fear that they are in danger and that the female is going to be the next victim of this mysterious plot. Also. it helps to create a better relationship between the audience and the characters as the audience feel more engaged within the sequence as they are more eager to know who the antagonist is.

Diegetic/On screen Sound

The next sound technique that is to be identified within the sequence is the diegetic sound that is being shown on screen to create a thrilling effect (1.19). This can be identified at the point where the mysterious unknown murder is picking the knife out of the knife rack and at this point a knife sound effect is emphasized and played over this movement. The purpose of this sound effect is to exaggerate the use of the knife in which they make this particular sound effect louder than the music that is being played in the background so that it draws automatic attention from the audience as they suspect the worst to happen. Furthermore, due to the fact that this sound effect is emphasised at it is played louder, it will suggest to the audience that this is the iconography that is going to be used to murder any victims. This is conventional to a thriller because it's a typical iconography with regards to a thriller film and is used for a death of a character. From the sound effect, the audience can link this with any attacks that take place within the sequence. Furthermore, this is conventional towards a thriller genre as the use of exaggertation is a key convention within this type of genre as it makes the sequence more dramatic and engages more with the audience. With this in mind, the audience build a sympathetic relationship with the victim as we can instantly state that she is in danger which makes us concerned because she vulnerable which makes us paranoid as we know she is going to be killed by the exaggeration of the knife sound effect. Also, this makes the audience fear more of this unknown antagonist as their hidden identity and their mysterious movements make the audience more aggitated as they fear more of this character.  

Parallel Sound Effect

In this clip a parallel sound can be identified within this sequence (1.08). This was identified every time the clip presented a murdered body with a screeching, screaming sound effect being overlapped on the scene. The purpose was to build up the intensity as this sound was being repeated numerous times within the sequence. Furthermore, it exaggerates the death activities as it immediatley attracts the audience attentions and puts all the focus on the death of the character. Following from this, this helps the audience to become more engaged within the sequence as the sequence is becoming more mysterious and the audience want to know who's behind the mysterious activites. This sound effect captures the audience's attention as it sounds like someone is dying and was only played whenever someone died which makes the audience more paranoid and engaged. The fact that this sound effect was being repeated made the audence more worried that something bad was going to happen as the scene starts to exaggerate and become more dramatic. This sound effect is conventional towards a thriller genre because it represents someone dying which is ideal for a thriller film. Furthermore, the sound effects sounds like someone is dying which increases the level of tension and suspense and the killer has an unknown identity. It also creates a better relationship  between the audience and the characters, particularly with the victim as it keeps the audience on edge as we sense that the sound effect is a sign and has a hidden meaning that the number of murders is going to increase. Furthermore, it makes the audience feel more sympathetic for the characters as the number of deaths is increasing so they feel sympathy that something is going to happen to the remaining characters.

Parallel/Non-Diegetic Sound

There is an paralell/non digetic sound which has been identified in the sequence (0.36). The sound changes speeds depending on the atmosphere that is being created within the sequence. The sound would be played whenever the victim starts to panic and when she is being chased by the murderer which would immediatley make the audience more engaged within the sequence as they become more eager to know whether the victim will escape. The sound that is being played is representing the characters heart beat, as she is becoming more scared her beat is beating faster. Furthermore, when her panicking reduces the sound slows down then when the intensity increases the sounds would be played faster to increase the tension. At the end when she dies the sounds being played completely stop which suggest that her heart beat has completely stopped and that she is dead. The purpose of this is to build up the intensity and suspense to keep the audience interested and excited the whole time so that they do not lose interest. Also, this sound technique is loud so will give the audience a better focus on the sequence and what activities are taking place. This is conventional to a thriller because the sounds are exciting and thrilling while being mysterious at the same time which is ideal for this genre as it will keep the audience focus. Furthermore, this is conventional as it creates a high level of tension as the audiece are worried about what's going to happen to her. The intensity of the sounds makes the audience more sympathetic and paranoid as the audience feel that something bad is going to happen as this would be typical within a thriller.

From this clip I have learned many different things. For example I have learned that this simple sequence has created tension, surprise and suspense successfully. Surprises were included where we see the first dead body as that shocked the audience as we did not expect that. The tension was being built up as the sounds in the background were changing speeds constantly throughout the film which kept the audience on edge. The suspense was successful at the start of the film were it was silent and the door was mysteriously opening and a spooky wind sound was being created building up the suspense as we did not know what to expect. Furthermore this also occurred in the middle of the clip, where the victim was hiding behind an object to attack the murderer however at this point we did not know where she was until she revealed herself which built up a suspense atmosphere. This has helped me with my research as it taught me different moments and ways that I could include tension, surprise and suspense and how I could build them up into a short clip just by adding small details. 

I will add a wide range of different sound techniques so that I have a variety of mixtures of sounds so that the sequence itself would be thrilling and would contribute to the thriller genre. In my own sequence I may add the different speed rates of the sounds in the background as that builds up a lot of tension towards the audience and keeps them on edge. In addition I may add the small pauses in between in which it creates a mysterious atmosphere which then builds up the suspense. I then could add short, loud non diegetic sounds to create a shock and surprise towards the audience so that they do not lose interest and are constantly kept on the edge of their seats. For example, I could include sound techniques such as non diegetic sounds as I find that these are more effective towards the audience as it engages them more and creates an increase in terms of key elements e.g tension. Also, I could add sounds such as on screen sound as I find that they engage the audience more as the audience can see for themselves where the sound is coming from so it makes it more thrilling for them.

Research In Cinematography-Miss Miller

Cinematography

Firstly in this essay I will be elaborating what cinematography techniques are used within the thriller genre. Cinematography is the art of photography and camerawork in the film-making industry. Cinematography is vital within any film/sequence as it can emphasise on the type of atmosphere and key elements that build up throughout e.g point of view can increase on the level of tension. There are many terms that should be know in cinematography such as a "Protagonist" which the good person/hero/victim in a film. In contrast an "Antagonist" is the evil person/villian/ bad person.

 

In this part of my coursework I will be looking at the film "The Last House On The Left" as it consists of many different camera shots and angles so there will be various different cinematography techniques that can used and researched about. The research that I create now will help contribute towards my final production as I can use the inspirations from this sequence to incorporate within my own.

The first piece of cinematography being used is an 'Extreme Close Up'. This cinematography technique is evident where the woman is crying and is panicking in distress against the window at the start of the clip. This clearly is to show that she is scared and obviously upset which is why she is against the window crying for help to show her panic and distress.  Furthermore, the use of the extreme close up will help the audience to become more engaged within the clip as they now have a clear vision of her emotions and feelings. This will make the audience feel sympathetic as she is obviously being held in hostage and doesn't want to be there and would clearly rather be somewhere else. Also, this could also make the audience feel angry as they can clearly identify that she is being forced and is trapped within the location. This technique is conventional towards a thriller genre as it shows pure terror and fear from the emotions she is revealing as she is scared and builds up a lot of tension as we don't know exactly what it going to happen to her. Moreover, the intensity of the sequences rises as the panic that she is expressing shows that she is in danger. This is also conventional as she is displaying that there is an antagonist within her region in the form of her expressionss. Also the use of isolation is conventional towards a thriller genre. At this point we do not know how and why she is being held in hostage and who has done this to her so this leaves the audience is distress which then begins creating a sympathetic relationship between the audience and this character. This also creates a more closer and bonded relationship between the audience and the characters as the audience start to fear more for the character as they can see that she is a huge amount of danger.

The second cinematography technique being used within the sequence is the 'Point of View' technique. This is evident from after her looking out the window we straight away see her perspective of a car driving away from her distress making her even more frightened than she originally was. In addition when we view her point of view perspective the image is slightly blurred so the audience can clearly suggest that this the view that she is experiencing. This has been included so that the audience can observe why she is panicking and what is making her so upset. It comes to my attention that the vision has been blurred because her life could be fading away as the people that she needs is driving away so she is getting closer to dying so her life is slowly coming towards an end which is why the image is slightly blurred. This also makes the audience feel more engaged within the sequence as they are viewing a characters perspectives which makes the audience feel as if they are within the sequence it self. This also makes the audience feel sympathetic as they see that an innocent character is being trapped and that a possible person who could save her life is driving away so this makes the audience upset that she was close to getting the help she needs. This is conventional to a thriller genre as it clearly shows that someones life is coming towards an end and the convention of death is suited towards the thriller genre. Furthermore, the use of the character being isolated is also conventional towards a thriller genre as it increases the level of suspense and tension within the sequence.

Furthermore, the third cinematography technique to be used is a slow moving panning movement. This can be seen where the female character is swimming away from everyone and is trying to escape so that she doesn't get caught or dies but ends up getting shot in the back of her neck. The audience can clearly state that she is scared and is trying to escape but as she is swimming away we see that she gets shot in the back of the neck and at this point is when the panning movement comes to a stand still. I believe the panning movement was used so that the audience can see her panicking and swimming away and so that the audience can see the suspense of when she gets shot. Furthermore, the use of the panning also gives the audience a display of the location within the background of the subject and also shows a short section of the distance in which she is swimming to escape. The impact would not have been as effective if any other movement was used for this scene as it would create the wrong atmosphere that is needed for this scene. This technique is conventional to a thriller as the use of blood makes it more towards a thriller genre and the weapon used in this scene such as the guns makes it typical iconography for this sort of weapons to be used. In addition its a typical scenario of a character screaming and panicking because they want to escape. This makes the audience feel more involved as the tension is building up and makes the audience feel more sympathetic creating a disheartened relationship between the character and the audience. 

Thirdly an Eye Level angle cinematography technique occurs within the clip. This can evidently be shown where the victims in the film are being kidnapped by the villain's and they are all in their get- away car. The purpose of this angle is to show the perspective of someone sitting in the car with them so that the audience can see the terrified expressions on the victims clearly and so that they audience feel more captured into the scene as if they was sitting in the car with these victims. This will then make the audience feel more engaged within the sequence as they are viewing this scene as if they was in the film sitting with the characters. Also, the eye level angle will make the audience have a clear display of the characters expressions so this will give the opportunity to emphasise with them. This cinematography technique is conventional to a thriller genre as we can clearly see the fright and panic within the characters faces so this creates more suspense towards the audience as a whole and also makes them feel more sympathetic. This enables the audience to build a relationship with the characters as the audience tend to feel tragedy towards these type of situations where innocent characters have been held under hostage and the audience will feel the suspense that something bad will happen. This then will help the audience build a better relationship with the characters as they feel more sympathetic and upset for the characters who are the victims.

Finally a 'zooming in' technique movement can be identified within the scene. This can be evident from where one of the female characters is trying to escape and is frantically running away before someone captures her. As she is running the camera is zooming in on her while the background is gradually becoming blurry so that she becomes the main focus of the shot. The purpose of this is so that all the attention is on this particular character which is why the background is being blended at the same time so that the character in the middle of the frame gets all the attention and focus. Furthermore, this also helps the scene become more exaggerated as the attention is all on this female victim. The zooming in also provides the ability to focus on the females facial expressions as the audience can see the fright and terror on her face. This is conventional for a thriller genre as she is trying to save her life and escape from being kidnapped and murdered and the suspended atmosphere that is being created is linked to the thriller genre. Furthermore, the zooming in also provides an increase in the tension levels which is also conventional towards the thriller genre. This makes the audience feel disheartened that she is in this position and also makes them feel more empathy that she is at least doing well so far trying to escape as we can see no one going after her so we feel happer that there is a small chance that she will survive. This enables the audience to create a positively dramatic relationship with this female character. 

I think all the shots/angles are all used for different purposes. The shots that tend to be closer to the subject (s) are so that the focus is on them because they would be the main subject. In contrast shots that fill many different subjects are so that the audience can spectate everything that is going round them and can have a good understanding of the scenario. Angles are also used so that each angle will have its own interpretation and perspective for the audience to spectate. Furthermore the different shots/angles will create atmosphere depending on what can be seen in that particular frame at the time. In addition they will also be conventional to thriller genres as they will show different facial expressions which will then lead to creating different atmosphere which links to the thriller genres. This clip has influences and inspired me for my own thriller opening scene as this uses various different shots/angles which creates different moods and atmospheres which then link the the thriller genres. Furthermore as all the different scenes were linked together we could straight away understand the thrilling story line and the different motions that were being used as some scenes were slower than others which built up the suspense and tension which is ideal for the thriller genres. As a result of identifiying several techniques within this chosen clip, I hope to use some within my own sequence such as  including the technique zooming in. I find that this technique has a big impact on the audience as it creates a dramatic level of tension which is ideal for a thriller genre as it helps the audience to become more engaged with the sequence and also gives the ability for the audience to start building a better relationship with the characters. Furthermore, I also intend to use the panning technique within my own sequence. I find that this technique would be effective within my own production as it helps create more suspense, which levels are dependent on the scenario. Also, it will help give a better viewpoint of the location/setting in which the sequence is taking place. Another technique that I find will be ideal for my own sequence is the extreme close up technique. I find that this has a huge impact on the audience as it creates an immediate shock which is conventional towards a thriller genre. Also, the technique helps to display the intricate detail on the subject and creates a better focus and attention for the subject which would then help the audience to become more engaged.

Research into Mise-en-scene- Miss Georgiou

Firstly MISE-EN-SCENE is French and is the arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a play. It is made up of various elements such as settings&iconography (props) , costume-hair and make up, facial expressions/body language, lighting&colour, positioning of characters/objects within a frame. Colours carries certain connotations which may add meaning to a particular scene. Furthermore it can be used for a dramatic effect. Connotation is the implied meaning and denotation is the first meaning. Low key lighting is created by using only the key and back lights to create an effect towards the audience. Furthermore it produces sharp contrasts of light and dark areas. There are also deep, distinct, shadows/ silhouettes are formed. In contrast high key lighting uses more filler lights are used. Lighting is natural and realistic to our eyes. In additionally it produces brightly lit sets or a sunny day. The key light in a frame is the brightest light in a frame which is usually based in the center of the frame. The back light is the light that is commonly behind the actors. The filler lights are used towards the back to reduce the sharp rays so that the frame isn't too bright.

Firstly Mise En Scene is being used through this sequence. In this particular part we can focus on the lighting that has been arranged. The lighting seems to be generally low key and all the bright light is focused in the center so that all the attention is on the victim by the use of the key light. The filler lights in the background reduce the sharp rays but also display what is being used in the background as we can see that the victim seems to be trapped in an abandoned place.  The purpose of this is to create a isolated atmosphere which then leads to building up a suspense atmosphere as the victim is clearly being held under hostage and is clearly vulnerable as he is being abused and manipulated for no reason. This is conventional to a thriller as the lighting has created a mysterious atmosphere and keeps the audience alerted at all times which is ideal for a thriller genre. As the audience we build a sympathetic relationship with the character as well feel sorry that he is being treated in this manner. The lighting puts all the audience focus on him which makes the feelings stronger towards him and enables them to engage more within the sequence and give them the ability to build a better relationship with the character.

Secondly, the next Mise En Scene to be shown is the positioning of the character within the frame. From this we see that he is powerless and vulnerable as he is laying on a stone table and is chained up so that he is restricted and cannot move. The purpose of this is to show that he has clearly been over-powered and has been manipulated and defeated as he now has no control of anything that happens to him. This is conventional to the thriller genre as this is sign of overpowering and weaponry, he has no choice but to be tortured by a swinging axe. The position he is laying in leaves him no choice but to suffer through the torturing which links to the thriller genre. Just by this, we build a extremely sympathetic relationship with this particular character as we feel sympathy that he has no control and that we can witness him being tortured and eventually dying. He has no power and has been manipulated and has been chained up so that there is nothing he can do to save his own life and prevent himself from death. 

Thirdly the Mise En Scene linked to facial expressions and body language can be clearly seen in this clip. This is evident as he is consistently distressed throughout the clip and is panicking constantly with a worried expression. The purpose of this is so display the struggle that he is facing and to display the amount of power that he is lacking which is why he is in the position that he has been put in. This is conventional to a thriller as their is always a victim who has been overpowered and manipulated and is being tortured so this scene links to the thriller genre. This builds a disheartened relationship towards the victim has we feel hurt that he is this distressed and hurting that much from all of this torture that he is suffering from as he is an innocent character and should not be treated like this. 

The next Mise En Scene that is being viewed is the costume, hair and make-up. This is evident as we can see the victim has only got trousers on and is not wearing anything on the top half of his body. The purpose of the victim not wearing any top is show the level of pain. The axe only swings on the top half of his body so if he is wearing no clothes on the top half of his body then he is more likely to suffer more pain as it would be more painful as it makes contact with the skin so he would suffer more. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it displays the use of weapons to create pain towards the characters. This makes the audience feel sympathetic as we struggle to watch his suffer in pain. Also there is a lot of make-up being used on the doll to make it look more manipulative and evil.The purpose is to show the big contrast between the two types of characters and just by their image we already know both their personalities. With the enemy, it is conventional to a thriller as he is the antagonist and is trying to manipulate an innocent victim who is suffering badly. As the audience we feel hatred towards these types of evil characters as they are full of bad omen. 

Lastly the Mise En Scene includes the setting and iconography. From the clip we see that setting is set in an isolated, abandoned room which looks like it has been set up specifically to punish people and to make them suffer which is why the layout of the room is mysterious in which their is a stone table which has a length to fit a human body lying down. The iconography in this clip is the axe that it being swung consistently to kill the victim. The purpose of these is to create a suspense atmosphere as we sense that this room is specifically for torturing and killing innocent people so the tension builds up throughout the clip. The iconography is also used to build up tension as it gets closer and closer to his skin each time and is an effect that keeps us on the edge of our seat. Both of these are conventional to a thriller genre as the setting has been used to create the suspense which is ideal for this genre as it makes it more mysterious and the iconography builds up the tension that is used in thriller films. This builds up a sad,disheartened and sympathetic relationship with the character as we know from the start from the general atmosphere that something bad is going to happen to him. 

My research that I have conducted will help assist me when it comes to planning my own thriller as I have now learned different techniques that can be used to create different atmosphere which are conventional to the thriller genre. I would like to use the different types of lighting as I find that is the strong Mese En Scene element for a thriller genre and it is simple to set up yet has such a big impact on the audience. The lighting will consist of mainly low key lighting as I find this is the most ideal for a thriller genre as it builds up more tension within the atmosphere and also enables the audience to become more engaged and build relationships with the characters. Furthermore I would also like to include settings and iconography as that has a wide impact and sets the general atmosphere in any films. I would also like to use facial expressions and body language as I find intricate details can be very mysterious and peculiar and is what tends to be used to build a relationship with the audience. Depending on what the plot of the film is I will decide whether the costume, hair and make-up will be a strong factor of the thriller genre as it does not appeal to certain plots. 

History of Thriller Films - Miss Georgiou

In this present time, thriller films have developed since the 1940's because now days we have better technology so we can create more realistic sounds and effects whereas in the 1940's they didn't have the type of technology that we have now so they had to use their own interpretations and voices. Also they hadn't developed make-up at that time so that effects wasn't as realistic as they could be, so now that we have make-up it makes it more realistic which makes the film more horrifying e.g bloods and bruises. In addition directors in the 1940's relied on sound and editing to help the films more scary.

 

In the 1940's the film "Before I Hang" was directed by Nick Grande.

"Before I hang" was an American sci-fi thriller sub-genre. It was created and produced in 1940. The film is about a physician on death row for a mercy killing is allowed to experiment on a serum using a criminal's blood, but secretly tests it on himself. He gets a pardon, but finds out he's become a Jekyll-&- Hyde. This narrative is conventional to the thriller genre as the main character in this film is consistently using blood which is a key convention towards a thriller genre and makes the audience question this behavior and make them curious. In addition, this makes the audience suspicious as why he only uses the blood from criminals and not anybody else. Does he have hate against criminals? Is there any personal reason behind this behavior. This leaves the audience with suspense and a tension that is gradually building up. Furthermore, the use of him secretly testing this experiments on himself discreetly conventional to a thriller genre because this creates enigma as it is mysterious of why he has to do this experiments secretly which builds up the tension and suspense as the audience wonder why he is acting in the manner. Moreover, the fact that he is a Jekyll-&-Hyde displays that he constantly alternating between good and evil behavior which builds up suspense and tension because we do not know why he is acting in this behavior. The constant switching behavior between the two displays that he is clearly hasn't got his mind set and is obviously not being himself which builds up the tension towards the audience as it makes the audience unsteady of what is going through his mind. Furthermore, the clip has no colour as it is in black and white which maybe because at this time there was so colour filming however the loss of colour creates more tension and enigma as the setting is not clear so therefore creates tension towards the audience which is ideal for a thriller genre. The style of the film by including no colour has a bigger impact on the audience as it creates more suspense. The made the thriller successful as the key conventions of a thriller genre were being used in the film as this was one of the very first thriller films to be made and include conventions such as death and blood which made the audience's more eager so sold many copies.

In the 1960's the film "Wait until dark" was directed by Terence Young.

The film "Wait until dark" was created in October 1967 and was directed by Terence Young. Wait until dark is a mystery/thriller play by Frederick Knott. The heroine is recently blind Susy Hendrix, a Greenwich Village housewife who becomes the target of three thugs searching for the heroin hidden in a doll, which her husband transported from Canada as a favor to a woman who since has been murdered. The trio tries to convince Susy her spouse has been implicated in the crime and the only way to protect him is to surrender the doll. More murder and mayhem ensue when she refuses. It was originally produced on Broadway in 1966, and made into a film the next year starring Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin. This narrative is conventional to a thriller genre as it uses a combination of the elements of murder and manipulations which are both key features within the genre. This feature makes the audience feel disgusted as they are taking advantage and manipulating a poor, innocent young female. Furthermore the narrative also consist of a vulnerable female victim who in this case happens to be blind making her chances of becoming in danger higher than a victim who is not blind.In a typical thriller, the victim always tends to a vulnerable female. In addition some of the conventions that can be identified in the sequence is the use of non-diagetic music which can identified once the female victim realises that the phone chord has been cut of by someone and then a loud, haunted, panicking music is played when this moment occurs. This automatically alerts the audience that the chord has been cut of deliberately and that there is someone out there clearly watching her and wants to put her in danger. This makes the audience more alert as they know that she's in great danger as she is vulnerable. Furthermore the music tends to be more deep noted which creates a more tensed atmosphere building up the suspense. To add, the music also speeds up while the victim is panicking turning off all the lights which builds up the tension as this could be parallel to her heart beats as she is clearly scared. More over another convention that is included within the sequence is the use of dark lighting. The purpose of this convention is to display the increase in how vulnerable the victim is as she is now in the dark which makes her more easily targeted and less resistant which put her in a very dangerous position. Furthermore as it is dark, it is easy for someone to approach her and harm her in any way. This makes the audience scared as we panic as we know that she is immediately in grave danger as she is now in the most vulnerable position which makes the audience terrified. This is conventional to the thriller genre as this alone builds up the suspense and tension throughout as we do not know what to expect as we are not able to anything that is happening so it keeps the audience on the edge of their seats which is ideal for a thriller genre. This was a successful thriller as it was an unusual story line which consisted of typical conventions which made the film unique and kept the audience on edge and raised a lot of tension throughout which is key for a thriller genre. 

A film that was made in the 1980's was "Dressed to Kill" which was directed by Brian De Palma, 

"Dress to Kill" was a film produced in 1980 was was directed by Brian De Palma. To summarise the narrative; While taking a shower, Kate Miller who is a middle aged, sexually frustrated housewife who lives in New York City, has a rape fantasy while her husband is standing at the sink shaving. Later on in that same day, after complaining to her psychiatrist Dr. Robert Elliott about her husbands pathetic performance in bed, she meets a strange man at a museum and returns to his apartment where they continue an adulterous encounter that began in the taxi. Before she leaves his apartment, she finds documents which display that the man has a venereal disease. As she panics, Kate rushes into the elevator, but then has to return to his apartment as she realises she forgot her wedding ring. When the elevator door's open, she's brutally slashed to death by a tall blond woman wearing dark sunglasses. Liz Blake, a high-classes girl, is the only witness to the murder and she becomes the prime suspect, and the murderess's next target. Liz is rescued from being killed by Kate's son Peter, who enlist the help of Liz to catch his mother's killer as Detective Marino who's in charge of the case is uncooperative in the investigation. This narrative is conventional to a thriller genre as it is consisting female victims which is conventional as female characters tend to be more weaker making them more vulnerable and easily endangered than male characters. In contrast, the antagonist in this sequence is also a female which is different in comparison to a typical thriller, as the female's don't tend to have the ability to over power other characters so other sequence typically contain either a male or a fictional character e.g monster, doll etc. This convention concept keeps the audience feeling mysterious towards the antagonist especially as an enigma is created because the audience do not know why she is acting in this manner and what her relationship with the victim is, whether there is any bad history between the two females or whether there is a reason this particular female is targeted. In addition, the convention of iconography with a blade occurs in the sequence. The use of the blade is conventional to a thriller genre as it is the iconography that is being used to kill the victims. Furthermore it is also linking the iconography to the use of blood and that is what the blade is creating as a result. This is conventional to the genre as it creates a lot of tension and suspense as we do not know what to expect as we do not know whether the blade is being used on specific people or just random people. Moreover, the blade itself is creating death's as a result and death is one of the conventions to a thriller genre. This use keeps the audience alerted as we do not know the blades targets and who it is intended for. In addition it creates an enigma towards the audience as we do not know the story behind the blade of where its from as it appears to be a razor blade therefore is stolen from someone so this makes the audience more mysterious and questioned which is ideal for a thriller as when their question answers are revealed it will create a shock which is ideal for a thriller genre as it keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. The film was successful as it was based on a unique narrative and there are no thriller's like this so created good rated levels and was successful on the audience expectations as there was a lot of enigma produced within the film which is ideal for a thriller genre. 

A film that was created in the 2000's was "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" (2005) and was directed by Scott Derrickson.

"The Exorcism of Emily Rose" was produced in 2005 and was directed by Scott Derrickson. The narrative of this film is loosely based on a roman catholic church exorcism in 1979. It is based on a true story of Emily Rose, a 19 year old college student who suffers problems of sufficiently ill-defined nature, that medicine and later an actual exorcism fail to cure. The movie refuses to make an explicit statement on whether the problems are psychotic or demonic, and whether the medicine and exorcism are helping or interfering with one another. Her questions unanswered, Emily eventually dies from self injury and malnutrition. The story is told in flashbacks after the priest who performed the exorcism and oversaw Emily's care is arrested on charges of negligent homicide. The flashbacks are told from various perspectives, each providing a spiritual or medical reason for her condition and death. The narrative is conventional to a thriller genre as it uses the convention of possession and manipulation as there is someone try to get inside Emily's body by possessing her. Eventually she dies which is a key convention in the thriller as this is what builds up the most suspense and tension within a sequence as it keeps the audience alerted and on the edge of their seats. Furthermore the narrative consist of a female victim which is typical towards a thriller genre and audience as female are more vulnerable and weak and are less resistant to any harm that comes towards them. This makes the audience feel sympathetic towards the female as we are scared for her and her vulnerability as she can clearly be easily manipulated. In addition it makes the audience more aware of the situation that is going on and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats because they are eager to know what is to come next. Moreover, the sequence consist of fast non-diagetic music which is played in the background. The purpose of this is to keep the audience on edge as this could be representing the panic and heart beat levels which builds up the tension as the audience are now alerted that something bad is going to occur. Furthermore it also keeps the audience's heart racing as they are now on edge because the tension levels are rising and this keeps the audience more interested. This makes the sequence more dramatic and exaggerated which are key conventions within a thriller genre. It also keeps the audience more alerted and aware of the situation. This film was successful as it was based on a true story it questions the audience beliefs in demons and possessions as before this film was produced they may of been people that didn't believe in these but as it's based on a true story the audience question their own belief which also raises the tension levels and creates enigma as a whole.         

The top thriller film in the top rated thriller list is 'The Purge: Anarchy'. This could be because it was created in 2014 so there is more technology so the producers can make the film more realistic with more scary effects which makes it more realistic which then leads to increasing the popularity of the film. This was a top thriller film because it was based around a thriller and action theme at the same time which made it more eye catching to attract more viewers that like those types of genres as it is more satisfying for them. The narrative of the top thriller film following a would-be-vigilante, a married couple stranded in the slaughterhouse of downtown, and a mother and he daughter from the projects, as they all collide in a desperate bid to escape the worst maniacs and predators roaming the streets. But as the nights of horrors continue, the vigilante and his charges begin to realize that The Purge is about much more than the primal release people celebrate. As they begin to understand the designs and intentions behind the blood and chaos, the rag-tag group of survivors find themselves on the front lines of a social revolution. The narrative itself is unique compared to any other film as commonly the use of crime is illegal and consequence's would be given however in this film anyone can do anything they want without getting in trouble which means that an extremely high chance of danger occurring as people are at more risk. This would attract many more audiences as it's a more unique and different in comparison to any other film so the audiences would be more eager and excited as they do not know what they are going to expect. The characters within the film also contribute to the uniqueness of the film as typically the members of a group tend to be similar whereas in this thriller there appears to be a child accompanied with her mother and also there is a married couple which is also unusual as these are people you wouldn't expect to be involved in such a thriller. The general theme of the film is different as this would be an unusual event to take place in reality as they would be severe consequences so this also makes the film unique as audiences want to watch something never seen before which is what they get when they see this. The general uniqueness of this film is what attracts so many different audiences towards this film.


The film at position number 14 is 'Enemy'. The narrative of this film is about a character called Adam who rents a movie and find his reality challenged and potentially even threatened. An actor in the film that he rents looks exactly like him and Adam feels the need to investigate. The narrative for this film is unusual as is consist of an actor representing himself as two different characters which audiences love as it makes the film more interesting to watch. Furthermore the narrative creates an untold enigma at the start because the audience are confused of why there are two of the same characters and this keeps the audience questioned which is ideal as it creates more suspense. In addition, the characters consist of the same actor in two different representations which keeps the audience more interested because they is a more focus included as the audience are eager to educate themselves on the contrast between the two characters. The theme of this film may create slight confusion which is why the film may not be towards the top end of the chart. Furthermore it is more of a mystery than a thriller as it doesn't contain of what a typical thriller would so many not attract as many audiences. The targeted audiences for this film would generally be the ones who like action and mystery combined as this film consist mainly of these two as there is tension being built up from the minute that Adam see's this similar looking character.

The film at position number 34 is 'Murder 11'. The narrative of this film is about a serial killer is loose on the streets of Atlantic City. His 10 victims are prostitutes, his methods are ruthless and yet his motives are unknown. Two embattled homicide detectives, Mayfield and Jessee, are in race against time to catch this killer. They only have a few hours to utilize all of their resources and prevent murder number 11. But with very few leads, very little support and luck playing against them they are in for a long night because being wrong is unforgiving and number 11 is already gone. The narrative for this film is interesting and keeps the audience on the edge of their seat as the audience don't know what is to be expected so keeps them eager to continue watching the film as there is a killer on the loose and two people are trying to prevent this killer from continuing. The characters also keep the audience occupied as it is a 2 versus 1 extremely dangerous character so the audience tension levels rise as we do not know whether the killer is going to be defeated or whether they killer will overpower the two detectives. The targeted audiences for this film are most likely to be towards people who like action and the theme of death as this occurring throughout. Both of these keeps the audience on edge as they is no knowledge of what is to be expected and all the audience can do it wait. Furthermore the theme of death is typical towards a thriller genre and this is seen in a lot of thriller film which could be the reason that the film is towards the bottom of the chart as it is very common and the audiences would rather see something more unusual and unique. 

Research into BBFC-Miss Miller

BBFC RESEARCH

The BBFC (The British Board of Film Classification) are an independent organisation that is responsible for the all classifications of age ratings on every individual film and DVD. This organisation was first set up in 1912 and has continued this process ever since.  Their responsibility is to set appropriate age ratings on different types of films so that the audience is suited to the particular film and so that there is no harm towards any of the audience whether it puts the audience under bad influence or whether is mentally harms any of the audience. 

We need the BBFC so that the public is protected, and especially children, from content that may raise potential harm. In addition we need to recognize and respect adult freedom of choice within the law. Also they can empower the public, especially parents, to make informed viewing choices. Furthermore the purpose of having the BBFC they can respond to and reflect changing social attitudes towards media content through discussions with the public and research. Also can can provide a cost-effective, efficient classification service within our statutory responsibility. 

There are various age certificates such as U, PG, 12A, 12, 15, 18;

                                                   U-RATING

This 'U-Rating'  means that the age rating is universal meaning  it is suitable

for all ages from the age of 4  years old and above.  All ages admitted and suitable for all ages, so there is nothing unsuitable for children. This is the youngest age rating which is at the lower end of the categories. The U-Rating is specified to this age as there is infrequent use of any bad language and these type of films contain the least use of sexual interaction. In addition these type of film contain no significant issues such as discrimination e.g drugs, nudity, imitable behavior, sex, threat or violence. In these films there maybe characters that often kiss however they will not overt the focus on sexual behavior and language.  Furthermore there is only a mild use of bad language e.g "damn" and "hell".  Any potential dangerous or antisocial behavior would be immediately disapproved so that there is no impact on the younger children which they may copy after watching. To continue, in these types of films the violence tends to be at a very mild level as there could be brief scene's where characters may be placed in a dangerous situation however, moments of emotional stress or threat will be quickly resolved and the outcome will be very reassuring towards the audience. The violent, fighting scenes would always be balanced by using reassuring elements such as comic interludes or music. 

U films explores various themes as long as the film is appropriate for younger audiences. These films are mainly suited for the younger ages so these films tends to contain positive messages e.g loyalty, honesty, friendship. U films are very unlikely to contain discriminatory language or behavior unless its clearly disapproved off.





An example of a U rated film is 'The Lion King'.

 'The Lion King' is classed as a U rated film because it is a family friendly film that does not contain any discriminated behavior that could cause any potential harm towards any younger audiences. There is not harmful language used which younger children could pick up on. There is some slight violence used in particular scenes e.g fighting scene towards the end,  however throughout the film the younger audience can pick up easily that who is the hero and who is the villain so when this fight scene occurs the younger audience would be more encourage and support towards the hero and no potential harm is done. There is infrequent use of action/violence however the Kings death occurs in the middle of the film and the audience feel disheartened however moments shortly two comedian characters enter the feel to raise the mood again and create a happy, exciting atmosphere. After the tragic scene, after there are many exciting family friendly songs are used throughout to make the film more positive. This lifts the moods of the audience making it suitable for all ages from 4 years old. I find this film is associated with this age rating correctly. 

PG RATING

PG, also known as 'Parental Guidance' is a rating where all ages are admitted however some scenes maybe not be suitable for young children and will need to be watched with a parent.

In these films there is a chance that they contain a mild use of bad language and sexual references however this use is limited. In addition these may contain moderate violence. In these type of films a parent may be asked to watch the film with their children to keep their children supervised and reassure them when any violent or harmful scenes may occur. A PG film should not occur to any child under the age of 8 years old. During these film parents should consider whether any of the scenes would harm or have an impact on young or more sensitive children.  Types of PG films does not contain any sciences which may cause any younger aged children to become upset. In a PG there is only a mild use of bad language used e.g"shit".  There would not be any focus on anything illegal such as drugs. Furthermore there will also not be any focus on any sexual references or bad language.


An Example of a PG film is 'Harry Potter'

The film 'Harry Potter' would be classed as a PG film because there is an occasionally a use of violence during the fighting scenes which makes the audience, especially younger children more frightened in which an adult or older person may be required to comfort them. In addition, there is a rare use of any bad language so it would not yet be classed as a '12' or '12A' however there is a lot of violent scenes being used throughout. I believe that it can also be classified as a PG film because even though their is violence being used in the film there is also lessons being taught which engages the younger ages making the film more educational. When the violence and fights are being shown the main focus is not on to the actual fight but what Harry is fighting for. From the start we learn that Harry is out to finally kill the man that killed both of his parents which has scarred him so we learn that he is just out to get revenge. Harry's general background is quite upsetting which may upset more younger, understanding and sensitive viewers. Parent will need to view this sort of content with children if they are sensitive towards upsetting content so that their children are mentally protective from any visual harm. I find that this age rating is suited towards the film.

12A Rating

The 12A Rating means that it is suitable for children at the age of 12 and that  it is suited for children under the age of 12 as long they are accompanied by an adult for mental protection as it could cause potential harm towards the younger viewers. The difference between 12A and 12 is that a 12A requires an adult to accompany any child under the age of 12. Film that are only 12 cannot be seen to any child under the age of 12 regardless whether an adult is accompanied or not under no circumstances. At as 12A, moderate violence is allowed nut it should not go too much into detail as it should not be the focus at anytime. Verbal sexual references should not go what is beyond a 12 year old. Anti-social behavior is very unlikely to occur in these types of films. Some horror films can be passed at a 12A rating however depends on how much horror and terror is being included in the film as some parts may be potentially harm towards younger viewers. No discrimination is to be used in any 12/12A films as it is not suited towards this age group and is suitable for slightly elder audiences.


An example of a 12A rated film is 'Spider Man'


I believe that 'Spider man' is rated as a 12A film because there is violence that occurs through the film however is suitable for ages below the age of 12 if they was to watch it with their parent or guardian. Furthermore there is passionate scenes that occur between Spider-man and his lover however the focus is small when it comes to these scenes which is why it is suitable for the younger ages. When the action scenes are occurring the violence is extreme however it is easy for the younger ages to understand the difference between Spider-man and his enemies which is why they would not feel mentally threatened in anyway because they learn that Spider-man is only doing this to protect himself e.g Spider-man lifting and throwing cars at the villain. In addition it is under the age rating of 12A because there is no use of any bad language which may affect younger viewers and does not contain any form of discrimination that may have an effect on the younger viewers. Also I strongly believe that the film is under this particular age rating as this is the age range in which seem to be inspired by superheroes so therefore could inspire and educate this age group. I believe this is the corrected suited age for this film.


12 Rating

 A 12 rated film is different to a 12A rated film. 12A films can be viewed by ages lower than 12 as long as the child is accompanied by an parent or guardian however a 12 rated film can only be viewed by 12 years old or older. Under aged children will not be permitted to view this film regardless whether an adult is accompanied or not.  A 12 rated film is more restricted as it could cause potential harm mentally to younger viewers and tends to contain more violence and passionate scenes. Despite the extreme violence and passionate scenes they are still at a low focus compared to similar scenes in which you may experience in a 15 or 18 rated film. There is no form of any discrimination that is displayed during any of these films, no matter how serious/offensive it is. Furthermore small amounts of bad language occurs through the film however is kept at a low level which is suitable for 12 year old's. 

An example of a 12 rated film is the film 'Thor'. 

I believe that the film is a 12 rated film purely because of the consistency of violence that is occurring for the majority of the film. This is the main reason why it is classed as a 12 not a 12A because it is not suited towards ages younger than 12 regardless whether an adult is accompanied. Violence is this film is too extreme for the audiences younger than the given however isn't extreme enough to make the film a 15 or 18 rated. There are small parts of romance in the film however it is only a small focus which is suited towards the audience. In addition there is a very small focus on any bad language so is also suitable. Furthermore there is no discrimination in any form being used what so ever throughout which also makes it appropriate. There is no potential harm that could be offensive or that could mentally harm someone which makes the film age appropriate. I believe that this is the correct age rating set towards this particular film.




15 Age Rating

15 rated films are much more complex than 12 & 12A rated films. Unlike younger age ratings, 15 rated films have no specific theme however the provided treatment is crucial that it is appropriate for 15 year old's. In contrast to any younger age ratings, 15 rated films may have a chance of containing; frequent strong language, strong violence, portrays of sexual activity, sexual nudity, drug taking, strong verbal reference to sex, discriminatory behavior and brief scenes on any sexual references. The use of strong language in a 15 rated film is quite extreme which is why films that contain this behavior is not suitable for younger ages. Occasionally the strong language may go to extremes e.g c***. If there is a continuous use of language like that, it normally would not pass at a 15, it would be more likely to be an 18 rated film if it is not continuous. Furthermore in a 15 there may be use of racism, homophobic or discriminatory however in this particular age rating the work as a whole must not endorse this behavior/language, At this rating sexual references and activity can be portrayed however without strong detail.There may be strong references to sex and any form of sexual behavior, but especially strong or crude references are unlikely to accepted unless justified by context. Strong violence may be strong however it should not focus on pain and injury. Strong sadistic violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There is a chance that there may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence e.g rape. In a 15 there may be strong threat and horror as long as there is no sustained focus on sadistic or sexualised threats. 

An example of a 15 rated film is 'Saw'

'Saw' is based as a 15 rated film purely because of the extreme horror and terror. There is only small parts of strong language and there is no sexual references being used in the film. The horror and terror is at extreme levels and is also consistent throughout the film. The levels of blood and extreme violence is no where near appropriate for any younger ages. I find that the horror is too extreme for any other age which is why it is categorised as a 15 age rated film. I find that the violence that is included in this particular film is not focused on pain and injury but still fits into the horror context. I believe this is the correct age appropriate film as I find that it could potentially harm younger audiences mentally. 

18 Age Rated Films

Films that are rated 18 are only for adults. Anything contained in an 18 rated film is not suitable for children as this is the most extreme violence and sexual references. There is no particular theme set for 18 rated films, the adults are entitled to choose there own entertainment provided the material being used is not illegal or potentially harmful to other audiences. Some 18 rated film contain strong materials of; very strong violence, very strong language e.g c***, portrays sexual activity, real sex, discriminatory language/behavior, strong horror, strong blood and gore, scenes of sexual violence. In addition there are no limits with strong language as they tend to be very frequent and aggressive. There may be racist, homophobic comments as the work may be relating to the theme of discrimination. There also can be strong and detailed portrayals of sexual nudity. Very strong and explicit sex references and scenes are permitted at this age. At 18, horror films may contain very strong horror or sustained threats. Though 18 films may cover difficult and strong subjects and themes, the harm is still a consideration. Extreme dangers or criminal behavior may be cut out for safety as audience may copy this behavior. 

An example of an 18 rated film is Saw II

Saw II is classed as a 18 rated film as the violence and the use of horror/terror is at a very extreme level. This type of film is definitely not suitable for any younger ages and it can mentally harm them because the amount of blood and gore used throughout the film is at a maximum level. Furthermore there is a extremely large amount of violence being used consistently throughout the entire film. In addition there is terror music always being played in the background which makes the terror even more frightening for audiences so this type of horror and violence may potentially harm other audiences outside this category.  This is why it is categorised as an 18 because of the strong terror. There is only a small use of strong language however that isn't the main focus and there is no sexual content contained in this film. 

Conclusion

I believe the BBFC is crucial with regards to films and audiences because it is absolutely vital that any aged audiences should not be harmed in anyway and need to be suited to the correct rated films. Younger ages such as 12 years old should not need to view content that is 18 rated as it could influence them as they would not understand the context and the meaning behind the film. Furthermore it could potentially harm them mentally as it tends to be very frightening.

 I will use my research from this to help inform my decision on what age certificate I will use for my film as I can study the different age rating and observe what different contents and levels of these are being used in each individual rating so that I can therefore consider what age rating I will make mine e.g 12/12A should require very small amounts of strong language which should not be the focus.

 I will then ensure that it is suited towards the correct audience and falls into safely into that particular classification by reviewing the specific levels of content is suited to each rating e.g violence, sexual references, strong language. Furthermore if I was to make a film based on an older age certificate I would need to confirm that I have the correct equipment and materials e.g extreme levels of blood may require specialist make-up/costume equipment. By reviewing all the content used I will make sure that it is safe and suited to the correct age range that I have set.