Lighting Practice

In order to re-create the shot from 'Drive', we played around with the lighting in order to create atmosphere and to alter the audiences perspective on the characters.
We positioned the light under Jess' face, which caused her face to become distorted. This can make a character seem sinister and mysterious due to the way their appearance is altered by the light.
We also used several filters to achieve a certain atmosphere. For example, we used a blue filter to create a sad and gloomy surrounding. You can also use two different coloured filters in order to achieve a particular colour.

Sofia's Thriller Openings

The Usual Suspects

· The close up of the matches and the fire represents the genre straight away.

·The non - diegetic music creates tension and builds suspense which makes the audience feel anxious about what is to come.

·This character to the right is the villain, we know this because he is wearing dark clothes which convey danger and death. He is also creating the fire with the cigarette causing the audience to feel a sense of discomfort with this character.

oA medium shot is used to show a dead body on the floor surrounded by fire. Fire represents danger and fear in this scene. It also lights up the scene and makes it much more interesting to watch because the shots before have all used dark lighting.

 There is a panning shot leading to a man on the balcony. However, we can not see his face so he has no identity making him mysterious. There is a long shot to follow the man down the stairs which leads us to the male character we have seen earlier in the scene. Footsteps are used because this is a typical convention for a thriller.

• The medium close up used in this shot shows the man we have soon before with the mysterious figure. However, the figure is not in focus which causes the audience to feel confused about the villain really is.

· We can see the fire in the background which lights up the surroundings. But the lighting on the two characters is dark and dull.

· The audience can hear the figures voice so we are aware of the characters gender.

· A gun is a typical representation of crime and thriller. Guns are dangerous weapons which can inflict large amounts of pain on a person which makes the audience fear this character.

· As the character lifts the gun, pointing at the other male character, the non-diegetic sound builds by more instruments, such as strings, being used to create an eerie atmosphere. I really like this technique because it links the gun with the backing music which causes the viewer to feel more tense.

· Acousmatic sound is used in the next shot because we can hear the sound but not see the source which it came from. The effect is that it confuses the audience and creates a cliff hanger as to who pulled the trigger.

· The pace of shots increases once the trigger has been pulled to increase the viewer’s heart rate.

· Slow motion is used when the dark figure walks away and drops the cigarette. I think that the slow motion technique is a great way to represent thriller and to enhance the mystery that follow this unidentified character.

· The last shot is a medium long shot of two characters facing an officer. The two characters are facing away from the camera and are in dark lighting. However, the police officer is in bright light to show his importance and to create a hierarchy within the scene.

Todorov’s theory is not used in this scene because it cannot be used in chronological order. However, this theory can be used within the storyline.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

· The scene begins with a package being opened with a knife. Straight away we see conventions of the thriller genre which include a knife and a mysterious package. The man is wearing gloves which shows that he is hiding something and he knows what he is doing.

·  The male character is surrounded by darkness so that the audience can focus on his facial expressions. His face is lit up with bright lights to attract attention.

· The non diegetic music used has a slow tempo and is mainly string instruments to ensure that the audience

are feeling tense and anxious.

· The close up of the frame shows the importance of it and that it will be very significant further in the scene. The darkness surrounding the frame connotes danger which may cause disruption to the equilibrium. Within the scene we can also see the hands of the man holding the frame showing that he has great power and dominance.

· An extreme close up shot is used to state the place that the package is from which is Hong Kong. The music builds at this point to build a

tense atmosphere around this object.

· Close up shots of the man's face shows his facial expressions to create a pers
onal connection with the viewer and it displays that he is unaware and weary of this mysterious object.

· In addition, this long shot of the male character demonstrates his authority because he is surrounded by a big desk which connotes wealth and business. There is bright lighting coming through the windows which reflects off his face and the desk to create brightness around the character, again showing his domineering characteristics.

· However, there is a tracking shot moving backwards which suggests that the character is weak. Also, he is crying in the scene which is the first time we see his true emotions. String instruments are used to create a sinister and unearthly scene.

· The next shot is juxtaposing the previous shot. The music has now increased in speed and many more instruments have been used to increase the tension. The figure is unidentified due to wearing a dark hoodie which is a typical costume for a character to wear in a thriller. The only lighting used is on the walls surrounding the character which creates shadows. Only dark, dull colours are used in this scene to ensure that the audience feel a sense of fear and uncertainty.

Drive

The scene opens with a voice over of a male character which gives us a good insight and introduction to the film. There is a panning shot around the room which reveals a figure of a  man with his back to the camera. This creates a mysterious atmosphere and makes the viewer feel unsettled.


The next shot is a medium close up of a suitcase but we do not know what is inside which causes the audience to ask questions. Also, top lighting is used to make the suitcase glow in the scene which draws our attention to it. The surroundings are dark and gloomy implying that the case is significant within this thriller. Voice over is still being used to create a connection between the male character and the suitcase.  Voice overs create a different perspective and can make things more easy to understand. It makes viewers think about how the story has developed and what it is like to have this different view other than seeing it visually. 

 This point of view shot shows that the male character is wealthy because he is driving a expensive car which you can see from the interior. Also, he is wearing gloves which signifies danger and is a common representation of the thriller genre. We can not hear anything in this scene only the quiet sound of the cars engine which causes us to feel anxious and tense at this point. It is filmed in the night time because many fear the dark so audience members can sense danger. We finally see the main character with a low angle shot of him driving the car. Low lighting is used to light up his face to show his importance.

The audience are manipulated into thinking that the male character is dangerous and a villain. However, we quickly change our mind when we see that he is only buying a car and the suitcase was filled with money. The long shot shows two characters in a garage where cars are stored. We finally see the male character from previous shots. He looks well dressed and confident in himself causing the audience to possibly feel uncomfortable.

The Sixth Sense

This thriller film opens with a close up of a light bulb surrounded by darkness. I think this is really effective because it is an unusual way to open a film. It does not include any characters, only a bulb. The audience may feel slightly disorientated or confused as there is nothing of importance in the scene. Diegetic sound is used when someone opens the door and walks down the stairs. This is effective because we focus on the character rather than the instruments being used in non dietetic music.

Here we are given more context and can see more of the settings with a medium shot of the stairs and some of the room.
The next shot shows the female character who is dressed as a typical female, in a dress and in heels. Shadows are created which links to the light bulb but also contributes to the enigma of the scene.

This next shot is really clever because the lighting creates a silhouette that connotes  darkness and gloom. The female character looks uncertain and fearful. We are able to hear her breathing cause the audience to feel tense and to increase out heart rate like the character.
The long shot used in the next shot shows the females body language changing. She looks week and vulnerable. The stairs are closer to the camera showing that she is able to escape from danger if she needs to. She then realises the steps are there and runs which shows that she was unable to face her fears. Her weakness and insignificance holds her back which many viewers my be able to relate to. This crates more of an interest in the scene because we want to know what she ran way from.
Todorov's theory can be used in this opening scene because there is a disruption and recognition of equilibrium which creates a clear thriller narrative.

The Dark Knight Rises 

The film opens with an extreme long shot of a plane flying through mountains which the audience follows. We can hear diegetic music such as the plane flying but also non diegetic music is being used which builds the tension and suspense. However, the audience are unaware of the significance of the plane until the next shot where there is a medium close up of a man sitting in a seat in the plane. He looks scared and desperate to escape from the madness.

This next scene is a medium shot which gives us more of an insight of what is happening. We see that the man in the blue shirt is in control and there is a clear hierarchy of importance. The other characters are kneeling on the floor, blindfolded. They show weakness and desperation whereas the characters standing up show strength and confidence. The main character standing is holding a gun which is synonymous of danger and the thriller genre.
In the screen shot on the right a close up of the main character proves to the audience that he is extremely powerful and dangerous. We feel intimidated by his control and actions against the man he is holding out of the plane.

The opening sequence is disrupted by a black figure who we know nothing about. The male in the blue shirt begins to show his uncertainty when slowly moving closer to the unidentified figure. He does not seem as strong as he was before.

This close up shows that the male character in the blue is not in control anymore. The lighting is bright and reflects off the character to show his face clearly. It also shows that he has a very important role in this thriller film. The Dark Knight Rises opening sequence is really effective because it presents action immediately to put the audience on the edge of their seats. Also, the uses of guns and blindfolds represents the thriller genre and creates an enigma that will be carried on throughout the film.

Prisoners

The opening sequence begins with a long shot of a car and the rain falling heavily. Rain and thunder are negative connotations because they can be dangerous. The car does not have much lighting on it whereas the building in front of it is brightly lit up so our attention is drawn to it. A tracking shot is used to slowly zoom into the back of a character who is sheltered from the rain. We believe that the car belongs to this man. He is wearing black and seems to be comfortable in his own skin. For quite a few seconds we do not see the male characters face but we do see the waitresses face. But when we finally see his face he does not have much expression which causes the audience to feel a sense of discomfort around this character who seems to be significant. 

I believe this medium shot to the left is very clever because it still has a sense of the unknown because the character and car are in darkness but we know who the character is and we know some of his features. This is a great idea for a thriller opening and will keep it in mind for the planning of my own work. 

There is a voice over of an officer which shows that the male character is of importance and has a successful job in the police force. He then picks up a device to respond to the voice over which creates a connection between the characters. A silhouette is created by the brightness being strongest in front of the character. The rest of the surroundings are not in focus so we can concentrate on the diegetic sound.

The miserable weather and darkness leads the audience to a crime scene making them feel a part of the film which helps to entertain and intrigue the viewers.

Police cars are used as a convention of the thriller genre. Also, the sirens are a diegetic sound that everyone knows. The sound of sirens conveys fear and threat.

Todorov's theory can be applied to this opening sequence because we  are aware of the state of the equilibrium and the disruption caused which is trying to be resolved by the main character and police.

Research - Lighting

Zoe's Thriller Openings

Mise en Scene
Editing
Camera work
Sound
Key words

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

• The lighting is very low key which already suggests that there's a presence of a villain character.
• The non-diegetic music seems subtle and quiet during the set up, which adds to the uncomfortable atmosphere.
• The extreme close up of the male opening the package straight away creates enigma, as the audience feel his eagerness to know what's inside.
• The close up of his face shows us that he's old, and allows us to view his facial expression which looks very serious and concerned.
• His costume consists of a very stereotypical elderly outfit, he's wearing a cardigan, tie and glasses, which emphasises his old age.
• The close up of the plant suggests to the audience that it's important, and the way the camera moves up it, emphasises the careful observation the man is making.
• The long shot of him sitting at his desk, allows the audience to see that he's alone, making the setting seem instantly more sinister and creepy.
• The very dim light that's coming through the window throws a silhouette around the man, making him seem ghostly and mysterious.
• The size of his desk also suggests power, authority and high status.
• As the camera zooms out, more of the setting is revealed, which amplifies how alone he is, and the way he becomes smaller as the camera zooms out, he cries. This establishes how weak he's appearing.

• The non-diegetic music also gets louder when he cries, which emphasises his sadness and also makes a build up.
•   The mid shot of the female antagonist walking creates mystery as the camera follows her from behind, making it seem like she's up to something
• Also, the female antagonist challenges femininity, as she doesn't appear to be wearing a very feminine costume. Her costume is plain and black, which has connotations of evil and darkness. She also has her hood up which suggests she doesn't want to be seen. Stereotypically, people with their hoods up are usually seen as thugs, which definitely challenges femininity.
• There's a significant change in lighting as the light becomes slightly brighter, conveying that she's important.
• She's also positioned in the middle of the frame, which emphasises how she's walking completely alone.
• Her body language is quite stiff and tense. Her head remains bowed as she walks, which conveys that she doesn't want anyone seeing her face.
  
• The non-diegetic music becomes higher in pitch when we are introduced to the female antagonist, which adds to the tension and enigma.
• We are given a close up side view of her face, but still haven't seen her face properly. This creates mystery and also shows how she doesn't want to talk to anyone by the pace of her walking and the menacing music that mimics it.
  
• The close up of her face in amongst a line of other people allows the audience to see that she's wearing a black mask, this increases the enigma, and makes the audience eager to know what she looks like.
• The fact that her face has remain hidden, makes her seem shady and mysterious.
  

Shutter Island 

• The first shot is very misty and white, which creates a ghostly and deathly atmosphere.
• The iconography of metal and chains hanging down have connotations of torture, prisoners and  danger.
• The male character appears to be wearing a formal costume which suggests he's powerful and has authority.
• The close up of him walking out onto the deck allows the audience to see his serious and concerned looking facial expression, which creates enigma as we don't yet know where the ship is going.

• The weather seems quite dull and moody, which could act as pathetic fallacy to emphasise the tense atmosphere. 
• The flashback he has contrasts with the current scene as the lighting becomes immediately brighter as he talks about the girl which shows how happy he was back then, but now everything is gloomy and dull which establishes the change in time.
• The extreme long shot of the island looks sinister and dangerous due to the way the non-diegetic music becomes deeper and more menacing. The long shot also allows us to see how big the island is, which makes it seem intimidating.
• The island is also surrounded by lots of dark clouds, which makes it seem evil and unsafe. This adds to the enigma, as we want to know why the island is presented as unsettling.
  

• As the boat approaches the dock, the non-diegetic music repeats the same deep notes to signify the danger of the island.
• The long shot makes the dock seem deserted and bare.
• The camera slowly zooms into the dock, which allows us to see the men in black costumes patrolling around in an intimidating way.
• The use of black costumes suggests that these men are the male protagonists due to the evil connotations of the colour black.
• The close up of the police badge creates enigma as it suggests they have come to investigate something, and there's been no talk about what it is that they have come to investigate.
• The two male protagonists holding guns portrays a threatening vibe to the audience. Gun's are a stereotypical prop included in a Thriller. Their facial expressions look serious and unhappy, which adds to the suspense.
  

21 Grams

• The first mid shot shows a women sleeping and a man creepily watching her - this straight away create enigma due to the absence of any non-diegetic or diegetic sound, so it causes the audience to feel tense already due to the silence of the scene, and it makes us wonder what the man is going to do.
• His facial expression also looks quite worried and distressed, suggesting that something bad has happened. He's also hunched into a tight ball, which conveys that he's in deep thought and is bothered by something.
• The way the women is lying also makes her seem vulnerable and innocent.

• The over the shoulder shot of the female antagonist sat on the chair creates enigma due to what she's talking about - the audience become eager to know the context behind her dialogue.
• Her costume is very feminine, the skirt and boots emphasise her femininity.
• The long shot of the two males sat opposite each other at a table creates tension, as the camera shakes slightly whilst filming, which suggests that there's something dodgy about these two characters.
• The long shot allows us to observe the setting around them, which looks quite plain. They are also alone, which generates tension because anything could happen.
• The younger male's costume is very informal and casual. His hat makes him look thuggish, and the colour red has connotations of warning and danger, which could maybe suggest he isn't a very good person.
• Whereas the older male's costume is more formal, suggesting he is more powerful and has a high status than the younger male.

• The close up, over the shoulder shot, shows the older male looking quite intimidating by standing over the younger male. This creates tension as his facial expression is fairly menacing.
• He also doesn't break eye contact, which shows how serious he is.
• The extreme close up of the older male looking angry at the younger male adds to the suspense because of how close their faces are.
• The younger male continues to face downwards whilst the older male looks right into his face - this demonstrates the difference in power between them, as the older male appears to be the dominant speaker.

• The flurry of  black birds at the end of the sequence creates tension due to the low key lighting which causes the birds to be silhouetted, which makes everything seem sinister and unsettling.
• The non-diegetic music also begins to play at the end of the sequence which conveys that something is going to happen. 

Collateral

• The first shot is a mid shot of a male walking towards the camera, the use of focus pull means that the camera is focused on his face and not on the other people around him. This suggests that he's an important character.
• His costume consists of a grey suit and black shades. The suit conveys power and authority, and the shades make him look mysterious and suspicious. His costume makes him look like a stereotypical spy or villain.
• His facial expression remains stern and emotionless as he makes his way through the crowd of people, this creates enigma as we become eager to know what he's so serious about.

• The mid shot of a different male suggests that these two characters are going to come into contact due to the same effect being used - the focus pull singles him out from everyone else.
• His costume also consists of a suit, which again suggests authority and high status.
• The slow motion effect used when the close up of the male with shades is walking creates tension as it suggests something is about to happen, it also makes it more dramatic.
• The close up of them bumping into each other creates tension, and the quick cut to the bag falling on the floor, emphasises how sudden and quick it was.
• The shot reverse shot is swift and quick as they talk, which generates suspension.
• The close up used when they are talking allows the audience to see their facial expressions which seem to be quite serious and slightly irritated, which again creates tension as their seems to be some tension between them.

• The shaking of the camera as they pick up their bags creates a chaotic atmosphere
• Tilt up as the bags are picked up allows the audience to observe that they've picked up the wrong bags, which creates chaos and drama.
• The close up, over the shoulder shot of the male with shades walking suggests that he's up to something as the camera peers over his shoulder, it makes him seem suspicious.
• The non-diegetic music is dramatic and makes the sequence sound action-packed and mysterious.
• As the black male gets in the car, he chucks in a bag, and focus pull is used to focus on the bag, and then focus on the male when he gets in, this suggests that he bag is important/contains something important.
• His costume is very informal and low status compared to the previous men in suits, as he is wearing a brown hoodie and a plain top, making him seem like a normal, average looking person.
• The faster paced cuts as he checks the lights on his car creates excitement as it causes a build up to something.

• The non-diegetic and diegetic sound stops as he shuts the car door, this suggests that he's deep in thought, but also emphasises how chaotic the outside surroundings are.
• The extreme close up of his face after he shuts the door also suggests he's in deep though as his facial expression looks slightly strained and concentrated.
• The extreme close ups of the items he takes out of his bag suggests they are significant and are important to him.

Drive

• The panning of the camera around the room in the first shot of the set up, reveals the setting which seems quite modern. It also creates a build up for the character being revealed
• The tilt up the character allows the audience to see his costume, which looks smart and sophisticated, which gives the character power.
• The non-diegetic sound thunders very subtlety in the back ground, which creates a very mysterious atmosphere, and adds tension.
• The man's face reflected in the window causes his face to become slightly distorted and not clearly visible, which is an attempt to make him seem mysterious.

• The lighting is quite low key, which makes the room seem quite dim and dull.
• The pan round to the bag suggests that the bag is important and creates enigma as we wonder what's inside.
• A bit of light seems to be thrown over the bag, which also suggests it's significance.
• The slow zoom in to the window creates tension and suspense.
• The low angle shot of the male protagonist driving the car, amplifies his power due to the way the audience are put into a lower position than him, which then makes him seem bigger and more intimidating.
• The non-diegetic music becomes louder as he sees the car, which suggests the car is important. Another beat is added to the non-diegetic music, which conveys that something is about to happen.
• The birds eye view of the city shows how he is travelling, and also makes it seem dramatic due to the diegetic sound of police sirens, which connotes chaos and crime - appealing to the Thriller genre.

• The focus pull as he looks out the car window at the two male antagonists, suggests that those two men are important, and also creates tension as their costumes appear to be mostly black which has connotations of evil and darkness.
• Their faces are hidden by masks which creates the stereotypical criminal look, so it's obvious they are about to commit a crime.
• The close up of the male antagonist wrapping the watch around the steering wheel, allows the audience to see that part of his costume are brown leather driving gloves, which again, makes him seem sophisticated and of a high status.
• The diegetic sound of alarms signals danger and creates tension.
• The amount of cuts increase as the two male protagonists wait for the other male to exit the robbery. This quickens the pace and increases the tension as the diegetic sound of police sirens gets louder, which illustrates how they are running out of time.
• The amount of cuts then decrease to maximise the tension when they are hiding from the police.