Camera Shots

Rose and Jack as Binary Opposites

Claude Levi-Strauss was the first to suggest that a narrative was driven by opposing forces, this idea become his theory "Binary Opposition". More detail is given on this idea in my previous blog post "Binary Opposition".
The Protagonists Jack and Rose (in the opening of the film Titanic) are portrayed as binary opposites.
These are the notes I made on their individual introductions.

Rose:

• bright lights/ colours
• hiding her face
• wealth
• hand shown first
• golden light/ carriage
• walking upwards, to get to the ship
• guaranteed passage
• slow casual walking
• has a car
• purple hat - royal colour
• high camera angle, people look down on her?
• people moved out of the way for her
• posh white clothes- innocence
• choir music
• slow paced editing
• no emotion showed
• red lipstick
• unimpressed by ship
• escorted into boat

Jack:

• dark screen
• dulled colours
• gambling- down to chance
• running- no car/ transport
• walking down to get to boat
• scruffy clothes
• folk music
• fast paced editing
• laughing and joking
• no one moved out of the way for him
• very impressed by ship
• briefly stopped from getting on the ship
• runs under the bridge

Thriller Films and the Sub- Genres Of Thriller

Thrillers: Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense. The aim for Thrillers is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. The protagonist in these films is set against a problem – an escape, a mission, or a mystery. No matter what sub-genre a Thriller film falls into, it will emphasise the danger that the protagonist faces. The tension with the main problem is built on throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax.

Action Thriller: An Action Thriller uses physical action to create suspense within the film. Like a traditional Action film, this sub-genre will often have continuous motion and action including physical stunts, chases, fights, battles, and races. Often, these scenes will contribute to the overall sense of danger that the protagonist is facing. Examples: Die Hard, Kill Bill Vol. 1, The Bourne Identity.

Crime Thriller: Crime Thriller film is a sub-genre that incorporates the suspenseful aspects of a thriller with a crime film plot. This sub-genre's plot usually centres on a serial killer, murderer, robbery, or manhunt. As opposed to traditional crime films, the storyline focuses both around the criminal and the protagonist. Crime Thrillers use both action and psychological aspects to build tension and suspense. Examples: The Usual Suspects, The Fugitive, Jagged Edge.

Film-Noir: Film Noir is not simply a sub-genre, but rather a term for a distinct, stylistic type of crime-drama or thriller that was popular throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Film-Noir is characterised by a black-and-white style with stark lighting effects. The main character is usually a cynical hero. Film-Noir relies on a narrative voice and various flashbacks to explain the intricate plot. Examples: Sunset Boulevard, The Maltese Falcon, Sweet Smell of Success.

Psychological Thriller: In addition to the traits of a regular Thriller, a Psychological Thriller incorporates elements of drama and mystery film. The suspense in this sub-genre comes from the mind, rather than from a psychical threat. The protagonists in Psychological Thrillers must rely on their mental resources to solve the situation. Because of their nature, many Psychological Thrillers cross over into the Horror genre. Examples: Memento, Rear Window, Taxi Driver.

Science Fiction Thriller: Science Fiction Thriller incorporates hypothetical, science-based themes into the plot of the film. Traditionally, a Science Fiction film will incorporate heroes, villains, unexplored locations, fantastical quests, and advanced technology. These elements can be used in a Science Fiction Thriller to create anticipation and suspense. Often, this sub-genre will explore the “future-gone-bad” theme, including plots that revolve around alien invasions, dystopian scenarios, and super-diseases. Examples: Aliens, Inception, District 9.

Religious Thriller: Religious Thriller film incorporates religious themes, including religious questions, ceremonies, and objects. Though some films can revolve around a specific church, many Religious Thrillers include supernatural experiences not pertaining to a certain religion. Exorcisms, demon possession, and church cover-ups are typical themes of Religious Thrillers. Examples: The Devil’s Advocate, The Ninth Gate, The Da Vinci Code.

Codes And Conventions Of The Thriller Genre

The Thriller Genre:

A thriller usually consists of a battle between a protagonist, and an antagonist, caused when there is a disruption in the initial equilibrium. The story then shows a building the tension and suspense, ready for the climax of the storyline. The aim of the protagonist is to restore the equilibrium, where as the antagonist seeks to destroy it.

Conventions Of Thrillers Include: 

Low Key Lighting

Quick Cuts

Shadows

Tension Music

Changes in Angle of Shots

Exaggerated Diegetic Sound effects

Montages

Protagonist at mercy of Antagonist

Character Conventions:

The protagonist is a brave courageous person, who is innately good 

The antagonist has a hidden identity which the audience will uncover as the film progresses. Often wants revenge on the protagonist because of a past event. 

Cinematography Codes for Thrillers: 

Close up, and extreme close up shots. Used to show emotion, and to help the audience notice certain things, or link sequences together, important for the narrative. 

Shots of antagonist are ambiguous. They often are cut quickly, have low key lighting. Or focus on a silhouette, or shadow.  

 Editing Conventions:

Jump cuts- helps the narrative

Cross Cutting - helps audience link the narratives into a story

Sound Conventions:

Jumpy non-diegetic, tension building music. 

Mise en Scene:

Dark often gothic setting

Low key lighting

Antagonist in dark clothes, Protagonist in everyday clothes

Make up and hair of antagonist often is warped and strange, Protagonist's is usually more normal.

Filmstoke (Often black and white in parts, or even grainy) 

Narrative

Narrative and story are different. A story is a sequence of events, known as the plot. Whereas narrative is the way that those events are put together to be presented to an audience. so, when analysing narrative you analyse the way the story is put together, including the intended theme,  instead of the story itself.  

Narrative Includes:

Technical codes

Verbal codes

Symbolic Codes

Structure

Character

Narrative Conflict

Russian Theorist Tzevtan Todorov suggested that all narratives have a 3 part structure. Equilibrium (beginning), Dis-equilibrium (middle), and New Equilibrium (end). This theory takes into account Aristotle's theory that all drama is conflict, so therefore there is a dis-equilibrium at the heart of every narrative. Claude Levi-Strauss had a theory called binary opposites, where each narrative has an opposing force. These theories provide formal framework for describing and understanding the meaning and significance of a narrative.  

Terror In The Night - Animatic

This is the animatic of our groups horror story, Terror In The Night.

Film Language

Binary Opposition

Binary Opposition

Structuralism -  understanding semiotics through its opposite which is called the binary opposite. 

Claude Levis Strauss and Roland Barthes developed this idea.

They realised that meaning can never reside entirely within a thing in itself, but only from a complete appreciation of a thing opposite ~ called its binary opposite.

Examples of Binary Pairs:

- Fast/ slow

- Strong/Weak

- Tall/Small

- Good/Bad

- Wealthy/Poor

- Moral/ Immoral

- Happy/Sad

- Male/Female

- Black/White

- Life/Death

- Calm/ Moody

- Interesting/ Boring

Famous Directors on Genre

Famous, Accomplished, and Influential Directors on Genre

Daniel Chandler: 

"Conventional definitions of genres tend to be based on the notion that they constitute particular conventions of content (such as themes or settings) and / or form (including structure and style) which as shared by the texts which are regarded as belonging to them."

David Buckingham:

"Genre is not simple 'given' by culture: rather it is in a constant process of negotiation and change"

John Fiske:

Defines genre as "attempts to structure some order into the wide range of texts and meanings that circulate in our culture for the convention of both producers and audiences"

Rick Altman:

Argues that "Genres are usually defined in terms of media language (semantic elements) and codes (iconography/ stars) or certain ideologies and narratives (syntactic elements)."

Regenrification