Analysis of stills from the opening of 'Vertigo'

This is an extreme long shot showing rooftops of a city, with a man (most likely a criminal) running away from a police officer and a man in a suit (most likely a detective). We can’t see the character to well in this still, however the audience knows that this is a chase scene as the criminal is running away from a police officer and a detective. This create mystery, as the audience have no idea why this chase sequence is happening or what crime has be committed for there to be a chase. In fact the audience don’t even know who the main character is. It is very common for there to be a chase scene in a thriller film as it helps to create an atmosphere, danger and panic. All of which this scene does well. The setting for the still is the rooftops of a city; this shows how dangerous this chase sequence is and creates fear among the audience as someone could fall to their death. The composition and framing of this shot is important as they have chosen to keep a lot of the background in, so much so the audience can’t the character very well. This show just how big and dangerous this chase really is, as so much could go wrong.  

This is a medium close up showing the detective hanging off a building. The character is dressed in a smart suit which suggest to the audience that he doesn’t usually chase after criminals (this could be why he slipped and is about to fall off a building).  The fact that the drainpipe he is clinging onto is bending shows that it can’t support the man’s weight, creating tension as the audience knows he hasn’t got long before the pipe snaps and the man fall to his death. The composition and framing for this shot is interesting as the audience can’t see much of the detective but they can in fact see more of the background and the building edge. This has been done create more tension, fear and panic for the audience as they can see just how much danger the detective is in.

This is a close up of the detective face as he hangs off the edge of a building. In this shot the audience can clearly see the fear in the man’s face as he looking down. His eyes a wide, his eyebrows a frowning, his mouth is slightly open and there is a sweat on his brow. All this shows how scared and panicked the man really is, which makes the audience sympathise with the man. The framing and composition has been done to main show the man’s face, however it clear shows the setting in the background. This has been done so the audience can see how much danger and fear the man is in.  

 

This is a high angle shot from the police officers point of view. In this the audience can see the police officer reacting out for the detective and in the background the audience can see the drop from the top of the building to the bottom. By using a high angle shot it makes the detective seem in more danger and more scared, making high tension and panic for the audience. The background is key to this shot as the audience can see just how high up the man is and it makes them feel like they are really apart of this scene. The framing and compositions of this shot has been done very cleverly as it allow the audience to see the fear in the detective face, the height the sequence that is taking place in and it makes the audience feel like they are a part of it.

 

This is another high angle shot from the detective’s point of view. This is the highest point of tension as the worst possible thing that could happen in the scene has happened; the policeman is falling to his death. This create sympathise from the audience as they know there is nothing anyone can do for this man and they can only watch. Also because this is from the detective’s point of view, it makes the audience feel more a part of the scene creating more tension and panic. The framing and composition for this shot has been made to make the man seem small and helpless among these building which are enclosed, dark and extremely tall, all of which is appropriate as the man is about to die.

Analysis of 'Psycho'

Analysis of ‘Psycho’

We watched the Shower Scene in Psycho. This is a very famous scene which uses a lot of different techniques and really represents a good thriller film. I am going to look at camera work, editing, sound, mis-en-scene and specific still from the scene, all of which will help show that this is a thriller film.

The first key shot in this scene is a medium close up which is taken a third persons point of view shot. In this we see the women showering with shower curtain left, it then loses focus on the women showering and move a cross to just the shower curtain where we can see the killer entering. This is a key shot because audience start to realise that the women is in danger and completely unaware that the killer has enter. This creates tension and makes the audience sympathise with her because she doesn’t know about what’s going to happen. During the killing there a number of disjointed shot from the victims point of view, the killer point of view and a third person point of view in a very short space of time. This allows the audience to see everything that’s going on in a lot of detail and it makes the sequence more confessing and panicky to watch. Also during the killing, the scene jumps cut from the killing to the sky which is dark, storm and thundering and lighting. This is called pathetic fallacy as it relates to what going with the killing, helping to create even more tension. Once the killing is over the audience see three key shots, the first being of the women eye with pupil big, the to show drain with blood and water washing away and finally we see the women eye again but with pupil smaller. All of these shots are extreme close up, which is only used for something specific and they are graphic matches. What these shots show is the life is literally draining away from her and she is dying.

The editing in the scene has been used to create more tension and atmosphere throughout.  At the start of the scene it very slow pace editing, this create the feeling that everything seem normal and relaxes the audience. But as soon as the killer draws back the shower curtains the editing becomes very fasted pace with shot jumping from third persons point of view, the victims point of view and the killer point of view. This creates panic, tension and confusion for the audience. Also it allows them to see everything that going on in a lot of detail. Then once the killing has been done the editing goes back to slow pace showing the audience that everything is over now and that there is peacefulness after the kayos. 

The diegetic sounds used in this scene are all made to make the scene look realistic. At the start of scene we can only hear the shower running which is only thing the women will be able to hear. This create tension and an atmosphere as she can’t hear the killer coming in,  making her exposed and a victim in the audiences eyes.  When the killer does draw back the curtain we hear the women scream which makes the scene scarier to watch and create more tension. Once the killing is done, the shower running noise fades out and the audience can then hear some cricket noises. This creates the feeling of cram and peacefulness after the event that has just occurred. The music (the non-diegetic sound) in this scene fits perfectly to what going on. The music starts as the killing begins, were we can hear high pitch violins noises which sound like a scream and it plays as the killer is stabbing the women. Then once the killing has happened the music goes much more lowered pitch, showing the crime is over and the women is dead. All of this creates more tension and makes the scene more sinister to watch.

There isn’t a lot mise-en-scene; however the bits are really help to make this scene into a great thriller. The key prop from this scene is the knife which helps create the feeling of danger, fear and shows that something bad is going to happen.  The interesting thing about this knife is that it’s a kitchen knife suggesting that this wasn’t a premeditated murder. The fact that the woman is cloth less in the scene shows how vulnerable she really is. Also it shows she can’t protect herself when the attack happens. The lighting in the scene is very bright. This helps emprise that the woman is exposed. The setting for scene is the bathroom which is very white. This is key as people are most vulnerable so this makes the murder seem even worst and the fact its white suggest purity which is the ironic as there is a murder taking place. Also by the bathroom being white it makes the blood standout more, making even creeper to watch. 

This shot is of medium close up in which we can see the women showering and the killer entering. This shot perfect example of a thriller because it build suspense as the women does no he there nor do the audience know who he is.  The composition from this shot is clever as she isn’t the key thing to look at in this shot but the shower curtain is. This really emprises the fact she doesn’t see the killer coming in.  the framing for this shot is important because the shower curtain being there means we can’t see the killer properly which creates mystery.

 

This shot is a medium close up taken from the victim’s point of view. This is another good example of why this film is a thriller. As we can’t see the killer face, so the audiences have no idea who committing this crime creating tension and we see the knife which shows the violent and danger of this scene. Also the fact the killer is in a lot darker lighting suggests that he is the villain, sinister and has a twister mind to commit the crime. The composition for this has been made to make the killer the centre of attention, even though we can’t see the killer face. The framing for this shot is made to look like it’s from the victim’s point of view as the audience can see the shower running; this makes the scene scarier to watch as it like your apart of it.

This is a high angle shot which is one of the disjointed shots the audience see during the killing. In this shot we can see blood around the women legs. This shows that she has been stabbed and her legs are wonky suggesting she is dying.  As the bathroom is really white, making the blood standouts even more. What this shot does is it makes the sequences seem more realistic to watch which it makes it hard and more sinister to watch. The composition for this shot follow the golden mean, as all the point of interested are on a line of diagonal. The framing for this shot is important as the audience can only her legs and blood. This has been done so the audience will just focus on the blood and the fact the women is being murdered.

Editing Techniques

·       Continuity Editing- this is where shot are cut so the narrative is continued. This ensures that there is a smooth flow shot to shot.

·       Jump cut- this is where there is an abrupt switch from one scene to another which may be used deliberately to make a dramatic point. Sometimes boldly used to begin or end action. Alternatively, it may be result of poor pictorial continuity, perhaps from deleting a section.

·       Transition- this is where one shot is cut to another shot. This implies a change of time/location or a connection between character/scenes. There are different ways this can be done:

-Fade- this is when a shot fades into black or white.

-Wipe- this happen when one shot pushes the other off frame.

-Dissolve/cross face- this is when one shot is merged into thefollowing shot making a superimposed. The longer it takes the more noticeably the superimposed.

·       Match cut-In a 'matched cut' a familiar relationship between the shots (like colour, shape, size) which makes the change seem smooth.

·       Shot reverse shot- this is when a shot is a staple of editing in dialogue sequences. It utilizes the 180 degree rule, the eye line match, and rule of change among others.

 

Camera shots

·       Extreme close up- this is used so the audience can see something close up and in detail, which shows the audiences how important something can be.

·       Close up- this is used to see one feature or part of something close up. When used of a character it can help the audience understand there emotion in detail.

·       Medium close up- this is used to show something important but not so close that it’s uncomfortable for the audience.

·       Mid shot- this is used so the audience can see the subject in detail but it allows them to feel like there looking at the subject as whole. It’s a very common shot used in a film as it feels like your there actually talking to the character in the flesh.

·       Long shot- this is used so the audience can see the character as a whole and it allows them to see a character in their environment.

·       Extreme long shot- this is used to see the environment that the action is going to take place in. This allows the audience to get a better understanding of the story.

·       Two Shot- this is used when two character are in the shot. It allows the audience to see the relationship between the two characters and it also helps stop the audience getting distracted from the back ground. 

·       Over the shoulder shot- this shot is used to see what one character is looking at, form over their shoulder. It is commonly used when two character are talking to one another, so the audience can feel a part of the conversation and they can see the emotions on the characters faces in more detail.

·       Noddy shot- this is commonly used in interviews, when they cut away from the person who is speaking (the interviewee) to the interviewer where they will nod their head. This is used for editing so it runs smoothly instead of jump cut.

·       Point of view shot- this is used so the audience can see what happening though the eyes of a character. This allows the audience to see really important things.   

Composition

This means where someone/something is placed/arranged with in a frame. There are two different types of composition:

·       Rule of thirds-this is where the composing is done a grid and the point of interests are where the lines cross on the grid.

·       The golden mean- this is where the composing is where line go across the shot diagonal and the point of interested occur on that line.

Framing

Framing means what things are including in a shot and what things a left out of shot. An example of this is how much a background is shown when a character is speaking.

Camera angles

·       Low angle shot- this is a shot taken blow the subject. This is used to give the feeling of power, authority and strength to the audience.

·       High angle shot- this shot is taken above the subject. This is used to give the feeling of helplessness, powerless and weak to the audience.

·       Bird’s eye view shot- this is a shot taken from over head of the action. It is used so the audience can see everything that’s going on from a good angle.

Conventions of a thriller film

To get a better understanding of the conventions in thriller films I watched ‘Batman Begins’ and the following is what learnt from this film.

·         Narrative- the main narrative for a thriller film is good versus evil, justice versus injustice. This is shown perfectly in Batman Begins as the storyline is Bruce Wayne/Batman trying to defeat crime in Gotham City in order to bring justice to the city. He does this by fighting Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow who wants to poison the city.

·         Storyline- the storyline of a thriller film is an event at the start of the film causes a lot of bad things to happen, with the good guy trying to get things back to normal. In the end this usually happens with peace and justice restored.  This happens in Batman Begins as at the start of the film Gotham City is a normal city but with a high crime rate, then this changes when Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow starts to poison people meaning that Bruce Wayne/Batman steps in to try and stop it. Things do get worse before they get better however by the end Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow is defeated. Also in a thriller film it’s very common for the story line to include a flashback so we can get a better understanding of the main characters past. This happens a lot in Batman Begins so we can see why batman wants to fight injustice.

·         Characters- the main character in a thriller film is the hero of the story. They are brave and fight against injustice or fight to save a female character. They do this out of revenge or anger. In Batman Begins Bruce Wayne/Batman is extremely brave when fighting the villain and the reason he becomes Batman is out of revenge/anger over his parent’s death. The villain in a thriller film will stop at nothing to get what they want. This makes them sick and twisted and not a ‘normal’ person. In Batman Begins Dr. Jonathan Crane / Scarecrow enjoys seeing other people suffer and wants power, therefore he wants to poison the city for his own pleasure.

·         Setting- the setting for a thriller film is usually an ordinary suburb/city but events that take place in it are usually unrealistic. In Batman Begins it is set in Gotham City which is a normal place other than the fact it has a very high crime rate.

·         Editing- a very common type of editing in a thriller is quick cuts, so the audience can see multiple events which are going on simultaneously. A scene that shows this well in Batman Begins is when Bruce Wayne/Batman fights members of ‘League of Shadows’, as he is fighting a lot of different people in a short amount of time; by having quick cuts the audience can really understand what’s going on.

·         Sound- in a thriller film non-diegetic music is played in crucial scenes, to help build suspense and create an atmosphere. A scene that does this in Batman Begins is when the poison is released into the city and Bruce Wayne/Batman has to work quickly to stop damage being done. Also there can be a lot of silence in thriller films as it is thought provoking and helps builds tension. A scene where this is shown in Batman Begins is when Bruce Wayne/Batman’s parents are killed.

·         Camerawork- high and low angles are often used in a thriller film as these show power and weakness. High angle shots are used often when Bruce Wayne is Batman to show he has power of crime and low angle shots are often used after Batman has defeated a bad guy as they lay on the floor showing that they are weak compared to Batman. Also in thriller films a lot of close ups are used on a character’s face so the audience can really see the pain of their emotions, this is done on Bruce Wayne/Batman throughout Batman Begins.

·         Props- the most commonly used props in a thriller are weapons including guns, knives and bombs, as they create the feeling of danger and show how serious the story is. In Batman Begins Bruce Wayne/Batman and the bad guys all carry some kind of weapon.

Analysis Stills from the opening of 'The Dark Knight'

Over summer I watched 'The Dark Knight' to gain a better understanding of thriller films. Then from this, I looked at five still image from the opening and analysed them. 

This is a mid shot/point-of-view shot showing one of the bad guys about to fire a guided missile. The character is wearing dark clothing and a mask which tells the audience he wants his identity to be kept secret suggesting he has something to hide. Also it helps create atmosphere and mystery in the scene. The main prop in this shot is the guided missile, showing the danger and seriousness of the scene. Interestingly the character in this scene holds the weapon with confidence implying that he has done this type of thing before. The setting of the scene is in a skyscraper in a city showing this is a realistic setting in a normal place suggesting that this could actually happen in any normal city. The lighting in the still is dark with only the natural light from the outside allowing the audience to see what’s going on. This again helps create an atmosphere and mystery and also suggest this character has something to hide. Before this shot we see the character breaking the window which initiates the chain of bad events and after this shot it cuts to another setting with a different character who is also involved in this mission showing just how big it is.

This is a wide shot/point-of-view shot showing one of the bad guys waiting by a road for a car. The character is wearing a dark suit suggesting he doesn’t want to stand out from the crowd, as he doesn’t want to be noticed for what he’s about to do. His body language also suggests he wants to keep a low profile as his head is down and his shoulders are slouched. The main props are the mask which tells the audience he does not want to be recognised suggesting a crime is about to take place and the big bag which creates mystery as the audience doesn’t know what’s in the bag. Both these props make the character stand out from the norm and it builds tension as the audience doesn’t know what he is going to do with them.  The setting of the scene is on a street, in a city showing again that this is a realistic setting and in the background we can see people going about their business showing how unaware they are of what’s about to happen. The lighting in the still is made to look like normal daylight which again shows that this is a normal setting. Before this shot we see the other character shooting the guided missile showing just how huge the mission is and after this still we see the character get into a car with the other bad guys suggesting the mission is starting.

This is a medium close up/point-of-view shot showing three of the bad guys driving to the place where they are going to commit their crime. These characters, like the other bad guys in this scene, are wearing dark clothing and masks to create mystery and keep their identity secret. What is interesting about this shot is they wear their masks around each other which suggests to the audience they don’t fully trust each other. The main prop in this shot is the gun which one of the bad guys holds. This tells the audience that there is a chance someone will get hurt or killed during the crime, which adds suspense and uncertainty. Also none of the bad guys are fazed by the gun suggesting they have done this type of crime before. The setting of the scene in a car which looks no different to any other car shows they don’t want to stand out and makes the scene more realistic. The lighting in the still is made to look like normal daylight which again shows this is a normal setting. Before this shot we see the character waiting for this car and after it cuts back to the character we see in the first shot showing how things are developing.

 

This is a high-angle shot showing two of the bad guys zip wiring from one building to another over one of the city’s streets. Once again these characters are wearing dark clothing and masks to create mystery and keep their identities secret. Also they wear this type of clothing so they won’t attract any attention to themselves for what they are doing. Like the pervious shot, the bad guys wear their masks around each other showing that once again they don’t trust each other. The important thing about this shot is the setting of it, as the characters are very high up, risking their lives to get to another building. What this tells the audience is that this crime is really important, so much so that a lot of risk is being taken to make sure everything goes to plan. Also what it suggests to the audience is that the bad guys are fearless and determined to go through with this crime. The lighting in the still is made to look like normal daylight which again shows that this is a normal setting. Before this shot we see the other bad guys driving in the car and after this shot we see all of the bad guys working together to break into a bank.

 

This is a wide shot showing two of the gang in the bank holding people hostage while the other bad guys steal the money. These characters, again wearing dark clothing and masks to create mystery and keep their identities secret, which is especially important so they are less likely to get caught by the police.  Also they wear gloves on their hands which is important as they won’t get there finger prints on anything, suggesting that these criminals know what they are doing. The main props in this scene are the gun which is being pointed at someone, showing danger and the seriousness of this event, and the big bag (which we saw in a previous shot) which has been opened and looks like it has some kind of weapon in it showing that a lot of people could get hurt or killed. The setting for this scene is a bank which is extremely big and posh compared to a normal bank which tells the audience that there will be a lot of money in this bank. Also in this setting there are a lot of innocent people crouched on the floor with hands behind their heads showing the audience that the bad guys have the power and fear of these people, creating even more tension. The lighting in the still is made to look like normal daylight which like all the other shots shows that this is a normal setting. Also it shows the crime is being committed in daylight, suggesting the bad guys are pretty confident about it and are completely fearless about it. Before this shot we see the bad guys breaking into the bank and after this shot we see the money being stolen and then one of the bad guys takes off his mask to reveal he is the Joker, which relates to the clown masks.