Research Essay

Why do people watch films?

People of different ages and genders watch films for different reasons. They also watch different genres of films. Girls for example, may watch a film because of a certain emotion or situation within it that she feels that she can relate to. A boy, on the other hand, may watch a film for the adrenaline rush that he can gain from it. These, however, are typical stereotypical views on male/female film interests. Some girls enjoy an action or horror film as much as a guy may enjoy a romantic comedy. Another reason a person may watch a film is to relax. Many say that watching a film with someone or even on their own is a good way to relax because they can loose themselves in the storyline of the film. The actors and actresses within a film play a big part in who watches a film. If a certain actor/actress is in a film some people say that they would watch it just for them. Boys and girls alike have said that if the lead character is attractive their want to watch the film is greatly increased.

A professor of psychology called Susan Burggraf once looked into why people watch horror/thriller films. She had several theories on why people watch horror films. One of her theories was called the “relief theory”. This explored the idea that the relief at the end of the film made the mood of the person lift in a way as to make them empathetic towards the protagonist. This made them see the character as a “friend in distress”. She also stated that the film can create a feeling of excitement that causes arousal once the fear of the situation has worn off. It was called the “snuggle effect”, this is supposedly why films of this nature are a favorite choice for dates among males. These ideas seem to add up, their fundamentals can be easily examined by creating a questionnaire to gather people's opinions. However, these results may be subject to age and gender. The older a person may be the less active the “snuggle effect” may be. Also, female viewers may not want to initiate the same effect the way that male viewers might. This is because girls are typically seen as the more emotional and shy sex and in many ways seem to live up to these views. Her other theory was called the “continuous reward theory”, this was split into two main categories; the “arousal theory” and the “social theory”. The “arousal theory”, like within the “relief theory”, would see the sensation of excitement caused by the film to create a heightened sensation which would often lead to arousal. Burggraf states that this is most common within adolescents because they crave a sensation such as this. The “social theory” is an interesting exploration of how people react to a horror film when they are in a group compared to how they react on their own. The study showed that the gender roles are often played out. (Girls are the emotional ones while boys are the braver audience.) It also showed that the influence of the people around the viewer within the situation makes a large difference in how they react. If the viewer is in a group of friends they may use them to distract themselves from the film. They may talk to the people around them; look at the others to gage their reaction in order to see how they should be reacting. People within a group audience also appear to not feel the fright as much as they would if they were alone. A typical film that this effect could be seen with would be “Scream”. After watching the film, many of the people who I asked said that they would have reacted differently alone than they did in a large group. This is because the feeling of safety is enhanced when there are more people around you, while you are on your own, you feel vulnerable and are easily scared.

When asked, many people said that they watched films simply because it was something that they enjoyed doing. They said that they enjoyed getting engaged within the storyline of the film and being able to relate to the characters. This tied in with the fact that out of the nine females asked, six of them said that their favourite genre of film was a romantic comedy. Out of those six females, four said that they watch them so that they can relate to the emotions of the characters and maybe even feel something completely different to what they were originally feeling. Two of the six said that they enjoy romantic comedies for the basic story line. How the characters interact with one another and the story of how they live their lives in parallel before they intertwine in “such a beautiful way”. This relates back to Burggraf’s “relief theory” where females are more often the shyer and more emotional sex. They relate to films such as romantic comedies easier than men because it is thought that men find it harder to think about their feelings. The other two genres that were most popular were action and comedy. Both came up between males and females and yet the men that I spoke to liked action more than the girls.

Another reason for watching a film that came up was to get a broader knowledge of other cultures and ways of life. This was an evenly split point between males and females. They use films as a basic information source about other people’s lives and cultures. How different countries would deal with a given situation. An example of this would be a film called “In Bruges”. It is an action film set in Belgium. The main characters are ‘hit men’ and they are lead by a merciless boss. The film is able to explore the lifestyle of these people while keeping a certain distance. It is able to show how people within this profession aren’t always heartless and sometimes do feel guilt for what they have done.

I asked the nine men and the nine women whether they would watch a thriller film. Four out of the nine girls said that they would and seven out of the nine men said that they would. This is a close representation of the male sex being seen as “strong” and “brave”. I then went on to ask what effects thriller films have on them. I grouped the results collectively and all eighteen of the people questioned said that thriller films make their adrenaline levels raise a great deal. They also said that the suspense and fear tie as the second strongest emotions. Other emotions that were said to be present were excitement and “jumpiness”. After doing some secondary research I was able to find out that these emotions are said to be the highest rating when people were asked the same question. Other emotions that were gained through secondary research were; sadness, happiness, nausea and terror.

In conclusion I feel that the main reason for watching a film varies on who is watching the film. For girls and boys it is different, females tend to lean towards the emotional side of a film while men tend to lean towards the action side of a film. I also think that while Susan Burggraf’s theories may hold up to in some areas, others are widely questionable.

Hitchcock Essay

To What Extent Is ‘Psycho’ A Typical Thriller?

Thriller films can be split into many subgenres. However, all of these subgenres would include the codes and conventions that make them, noticeably, a thriller film. Codes and conventions for this genre typically include quick cuts between frames, the quicker the cut the more action is going to be happening on screen and more of an atmosphere is made. Camera angles also help make the genre what it is, by switching between high, low and ordinary angles the audience is able to recognise what is going to happen within the film. The music that the film uses to create tension is a clear signal of a thriller film and the music is always made up of stringed instruments. The lighting within a typical thriller is usually dark and contrasting, half bright and half shadows. The use of shadows is a strong theme within the thriller genre, so is the use of mirrors, corridors and staircases to create a tense atmosphere or help build up to a key sequence within the scene.

The thriller genre is completely separate from the ‘horror’ genre even though they are often confused with one another. The horror genre uses a lot of gore and the violence within the films is substantially greater than within thriller films. Thriller films focus on giving the audience a sense of tension, to build up to the action rather than have it all there straight away. The focus of a thriller film is specifically that; to thrill the viewer, to make them scared using psychological techniques. A psychological thriller is a subgenre within the main genre. There are many other subgenres within thriller including; disaster thrillers, crime thrillers, supernatural thrillers and horror thrillers.

One of the most famous horror thrillers is Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’. It shows all the codes and conventions of a successful thriller film and from start to finish follows a stable plot line. There is, however, a twist. Like many thriller films, what is laid out in front of the audience isn’t always what it appears to be. The title sequence of ‘Psycho’ is the first clue we get as to what the film is going to be like. The music that introduces us to the film is the same string section that is used when tension is trying to be built up. The simple black and white text that is used doesn't give us a distraction which means that the music is able to hold our attention. The bars that are used to bring in and take out the credits could be hinting towards the disorientation of the mind that is evident in the film.

Psycho is a good example of a thriller film that plays with our expectations of what is meant to be, in real life. The policeman within the film appears to be edgy and suspicious. This distorts the way in which we, as typical people, think of police officers; as a figure of authority and reason. The camera angles and the editing helps to add to this effect. The panning movements of the camera make it seem like he's watching the woman (main character) and the sharp cuts between these long scenes to build the tension even more. He also follows her in his car which is another typical trait of a thriller film as well. It helps to build up the plot and is another way of building up the tension of the scene. By disorientating our senses the films makes the audience edgy, at which point they try to predict what is going to happen in order to make themselves feel comfortable again.

The main, and most famous scene of the whole film is quite early. This seems to be a trend within thriller films. For example, in 'Scream' the “worst” part of the film is right at the beginning. The shower scene is the most iconic scene in thriller history and many films have copied elements of it since. The stringed music plays a great part in the build up of tension; as do the camera angles. The scene uses a high up angle on the woman's naked shoulders. This makes the main female character appear vulnerable to the audience. The silhouette that can be seen on the outside of the curtain gives a huge boost to the build up of the scene and makes us able to guess what is going to happen. Sharp, fast cuts are used within this scene from all angles. This makes the action seem more intense and the tension is brought to it's peek. Even though the knife doesn't actually make contact with the woman's skin the fast cuts that are done in editing mean that this isn't important, the effect is all in the editing.

Psycho is a genre defining film. It was made in the 1960's and films even today are using it as a source of influence. For example, 'No Country For Old Men' uses a scene that is shot from a high angle, looking down on a sink where the murderer is washing his hands. This scene was also used within Psycho and is just one of the many examples of modern thrillers using Alfred Hitchcock's influences.

After studying Psycho in detail, I have come to the conclusion that it is definitely a typical thriller film and one that has paved the way for modern thriller films. It contains all the codes and conventions of a typical thriller and definitely thrills the audience.

Treatment

Treatment

Characters:
Main Female – Emma Roydes (OR Alice)
Her Boyfriend – Billy Rubin
Her Best Friend – Annette Curtain
Clown – Ferris

Character Traits:
Emma – She is a blonde teenager she’s strong willed, smart and popular. Her mother was killed by Ferris the clown, she doesn’t know that she was killed by him.
Billy Rubin – Billy Rubin is boyfriend to Emma, he is an attractive, tall high school photography nerd. He’s a sensitive, sentimental guy who is very down to earth; he is also very ‘normal’ and tends to reject anything that doesn’t seem to fit into that category.
Annette Curtain – Annette is Emma’s best friend she is a plain ginger girl who makes up for her appearance with her personality. She is easy to talk to and very trustworthy. She’s down to earth and likes to read a lot. Like Billy she is typically ‘normal and also rejects anything that doesn’t fit into that category.
Ferris – Ferris is the murdering clown. He’s cloaked and quite tall.

Location:
Woods – The woods is set on a dark morning, it’s misty and the trees appear silhouetted against the early morning sky. The area is cold looking, and the mist creates an eerie, empty feel to the atmosphere. There is a pond within the woods and the mist creates a tension within the scene.
Bedroom – The bedroom of Emma is a dark, secure place. It’s a pink room with a girly design. It’s a homely place where she can go to relax and get away from the world.

Synopsis:
Behind Closed Eyes
Emma Roydes has a reoccurring nightmare for many months and each night she wakes up at the same point. Almost exactly a year ago her mother was killed tragically and her body was never found. As the anniversary to her mother’s death nears, her nightmares get stronger. Emma pushes it to the back of her mind and tries to carry on with everyday life. She spends the majority of her time spent with her closest friends and her boyfriend. However, even in her conscious mind; images and frights seem to be present. Finally, one night when her dream became so vivid, (a small child-like figure on the other side of the pond), she wakes up and decides to find a resolve to the reoccurring dream. This starts with her losing her closest friends because of the abnormality of what she is planning to do. She’s at a point of no return. The date of her mother’s death draws nearer and nearer and Emma gets closer and closer to her goal. When the day finally arrives, Emma is faced with her fate. As she runs through the woods she has flashbacks of memories. Little does she know that she is reliving her mother’s footsteps. Emma gets to a certain point and recognises the scene from her dreams. At the end of the pond is a cloaked figure, as curiosity for the truth overwhelms her she runs towards it. She reaches out to touch the cloaked figure’s shoulder. As it turns, Emma finds the reality of the situation and the reasoning behind her fear of clowns. Exactly a year after her mother’s death; Emma comes to the same fate by the same clown; Ferris. The nightmares and the flashbacks that she was having were not a creation of her own mind but were passed on from her mother.

Detailed Explanation of the Opening Sequence:
Opens with a secluded wooded area on a misty morning, Emma is running through the woods and she is looking for a cloaked figure within her dreams. She is unaware that there is a hooded figure following her. As she reaches the pond that is in the middle of the woods (her destination) the cloaked figure is standing on the opposite side of the pond, its reflection is rippling on the water. She walks cautiously around to the figure, reaching to touch it’s shoulder. When the figure turns around she is face to face with her worst fear, a clown, barring his rotten teeth. Everything fades to black. As an alarm goes off, the scene arises from the black into a pink and feminine bedroom where Emma is just awakening.

Opening Sequences - Reserch.

The Purpose Of An Opening Sequence:
To establish the visual style & mood of the film and to introduce the audience to:
Characters - Main and minor.
Location/Setting
Narrative/Plot - Who the story is following.
Genre - Thriller, Romance, Comedy, etc.
Themes

Examples:
The Panic Room.
Deep music Credits written in appropriate font to the style and setting of the film - Looks like the writting belongs on the buildings - Transparent writting.

Vertigo.
Lengthy title sequence. Swirling - Disorientating, shows disorder of the mind. Dark music - Builds up. Very different from modern thrillers because of the lengthy title sequence. Modern films seem to get into the film faster.

Resevoir Dogs.
Voiceover. Non-diagetic, upbeat Music. Almost slow motion. Exposition. Shows the Auter of the director.

Manhatten.
Establishing shots. Voice over. Non - Diagetic. Documentary style shots. Quick Cuts.

Train Spotting.
Montage. Voice over Introduction to the characters - Shown as stills while name comes up. Get a general idea of the type of setting that will be used.

Research into the 'Thriller' genre.

Thriller Genre:

• Thrillers are characterised as being fast paced with a lot of action. Devices such as cliff-hangers, suspense and ‘red herrings’.
• Often take place in places away from the character’s home. Somewhere the character wouldn’t know and wouldn’t be able to escape from easily.
• Involve a “hero”, often displayed as a “hard” character such as a policeman, a soldier or a spy. Most thriller heroes are male because women characters are too easily portrayed as being vulnerable.
• Main themes for plot in a thriller are; murder/mass murder, terrorism or over throwing a government or sense of authority.
• Thrillers always include some kind of a twist in plot.
• In more recent times the thrillers have been increasingly influenced by psychological horror.
• Thrillers are not defined by their subject matter but how they approach it.
• Thrillers are primarily defined by the emotion that they evoke. “If they ‘thrill’ then it’s a thriller.
  

There are many sub genres of thrillers;
- Action thriller (James Bond)
- Conspiracy thriller (Three Days Of The Chancellor Manuscript)
- Crime thriller (The Godfather)
- Disaster thriller (Stormy Weather)
- Drama thriller (The Illusionist)
- Eco-thriller (Mars Trilogy)
- Erotic thriller (Basic Instinct)
- Horror thriller (Psycho)
- Legal thriller (The Innocent Man)
- Medical thriller (The Hot Zone)
- Political thriller (The Manchurian Candidate)
- Psychological thriller (The Sixth Sense)
- Spy thriller (Mission Impossible)
- Supernatural thriller (Carrie)
- Techno thriller (The Hunt For Red October)

Codes and Conventions

- Quick cuts
- Camera angle changes
- Music that gives tension
- Dark lighting; use of shadow
- Mirrors, stairs and corridors

Camera:

The camera within thriller films often take on human qualities, handy cams are often used to create a sense that the viewer is there with the characters, it enables the camera crew to interact with the characters without being in the way. Tracking is often used to create a sense of being followed. Panning and tracking used together can also be used to create a sense of disarrangement or mental disturbance. High angle shots are often used for victims to display a sense of vulnerability. They can also be used to show that there is going to be action within the scene. These two purposes can tie together to show the victim in the moment that they become the victim.
Low angle shots are most commonly used for the aggressor/villain. They make the character look powerful and/or intimidating. Both high angle and low angle shots were used within Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho”.

Editing:

Quick cuts are used to create a greater sense of action and suspense. While longer, panning shots are used to show a build up.
Fading can be used to enhance the storyline and merge two pictures together. For example; within Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” in the end scene “Bates’” face is merged with the image of a skeletal skull.

Sound:

Sound within thrillers use a lot of strings, their sharp high pitched sound makes them perfect for tense scenes and scenes where a build up is being created. Matched with a bass line from another stringed instrument, the tension is built up gradually to a climax. Non-diagetic sound is used within a lot of thrillers. However films such as “No Country For Old Men” also use silence to create a feeling of tension and being on edge. The audience react to the tension that comes with silence because, without the music, they are not sure what to expect. In many ways the silence in a thriller film makes the atmosphere even tenser than if there was music.

Narrative:

A good way of keeping the audience following the film is to use a narrative that shows the story from one of the character’s points of view. By following one individual character, the storyline is consistent and the audience is also able to relate to the character, meaning that it is easier to build up the tension within the film because the viewer is able to relate to the character with greater ease. Characters:

Main characters within a thriller are usually kept to a minimum. They usually consist of the villain, the victim and the victim’s friends/family. There is usually a ‘hero’ within the thriller to counter balance the villain. The hero is almost always at the forefront of the film and almost always on camera. They are represented by the typical “hard man” while the villain, even if they appear strong end up having great weaknesses. When it comes to characters there are also stereotypes. The main kind of character types that are included in a thriller film are convicts, criminals, stalkers, the psychologically disturbed and assassins. Victims often include babysitters, women, people on the run or normal everyday people.

Thriller Films:

Psycho – Alfred Hitchcock
The Godfather – Francis Ford Coppola
Silence of the Lambs – Jonathan Demme
Se7en – David Fincher
The Shining – Stanley Kubrick
No Country for Old Men – Ethan and Joel Coen
Jaws – Stephen Spielberg
Basic Instinct – Paul Verhoeven

Films I Watched:
Silence of the Lambs: Dramatic music and peaceful birds makes an eery opening music. Camera shots - Tracking - makes it look like someone is following her. Setting - Woods, typical setting for a thriller film. Music - strings - typical code and convention. Camera follows her - main character. Exposition while the credits come up at the beginning. Contrast between city and country. Young girl in a man's world. Photo's to tell as story. Shot reverse shot to gauge someone's reaction. House - "eery" setting. Vulnerable - young woman with older man. Warning of Hannibal. Stairs and corridors are a typical code and convention. Lighting with the background music build tension.
Scream: At the beginning - brought in by a heart beat - tension. Blond haired woman - shown as vulnerable makes it obvious that she's a victim. Doors and windows - disorientating. Outside and inside shots - edgy. Tracking. Close ups - show a sense of danger. Build up - typical thriller. Shot of outside through a window - Edgy. Jumpy shot cuts.

Coursework, preliminary paperwork.

22nd September 2008.

Preminilary Paperwork.

This post will give details of our preliminary task and the paperwork which goes alongside it.

The paperwork includes the script, storyboard, location recce, risk assessment and shot list.

Script;

For our task we have written our own script with characters who we have chosen between us. Myllee and Jenna wrote up the script, which was an important part of the task because it shows the lines which the actors within the film have to say and it can be used if an actor needs a promt. The stage directions which are also included within the script help the camera people to follow the actors with ease.

Storyboard;

The story board is also an important part of the paperwork because it demonstrates not only shot sizes but it shows character and camera movement within one side of the storyboard and on the other is shows a description of the shot, including sound, character movement, length of shot, scene and shot number and the camera movement. It allows for a changes within movement before a final draft is completed and followed. It also allows us to see if match on action or shot, reverse, shot is happening. Everyone had a part in the story board.

Location Recce;

The location recce is an important part of the location process. The photographs which have to be completed and placed together to create a panaramic view of the room that we will be filming in. This helps to recognise any hazzards of risks which are within the room and this will help to complete the rick assessment. The location recce will also help us to identify the power sources that are around the room, the lighting that is in the room and also what permission is needed to film within that room. I did the location recce for my group.

Risk Assesment;

The risk assessment is a document which helps to identify the risks that are posed within a filming location. It is important because it will limit the danger that is posed to both people and equipment. A risk assessment must be completed for every location that is being used for filming and everything that could be counted as a risk should be listed with a column saying how the risk would be limited or resolved. I typed the risk assessment for my group.

Shot List;

The shot list must be completed as an outline for the script and storyboard. It must include the location, scene and shot number and a description of the scene that includes which characters are in the shot and who is speaking at a time. The shot list was written by myself and Katie and Jenna and Myllee helped to edit the scences and create a final draft. Katie then typed it up.

8th September 2008 - Lesson 1

First Lesson.

In today's lesson we were given the booklet which outlines out course structure and tells us our assignment. We were talked through how to draw people in a storyboard and taught that an arrow inside the frame shows character movement and arrows outside of the frame show camera movement. I learnt about Jibing, Tilting, Panning and Tracking. I also learnt about action matching, 180 degree rule, and shot reverse shot. I learnt how to draw the different camera angles (ecu, cu, mcu, ms, three quaters shot, mls and ls) within a storyboard frame. I also learnt how space is needed within the frame for movement and speech. We then went onto start our first assignment and I learnt how you write out a script.

Explanations.

Jibing - This is a movement made by the camera whilst filming. It means that the camera follows the character's movement in a vertical sense. (eg; if a person was falling from a height then the camera would follow the fall by appearing to fall in the same way that the character does.)
Tilting - This is a movemant made by the camera whilst filming which sees the camera making a vertical movement from a fixed point. (eg; this movement is almost the same as watching someone fall from a height, your head would move from a fixed point, your neck in this example.)
Panning - This is a movement made by the camera whilst filming which sees the camera move about a fixed point (like whilst tilting). The movement would be a horizontal movement from left to right or visa versa. (eg; like watching somone run past you, your head would move on the fixed point which is your neck.)
Tracking - This is a movement made by the camera whilsy filming which sees the camera move free of a fixed point (like jibing). It would follow the character from left to right, moving in the same way the character does. (eg; if a person was running from left to right the camera may move with them filming from the side.)

Match on Action - This is where the camera films the action which is being completed. For example; if there is a dialoge within the film then the camera would be focused on the person who is speaking.

180 degree rule (aka, crossing the line) - This rule means that the camera should not cross a "line". It means that the camera always stays on one side of the character because if the camera crosses the line then the character's actions will appear different and the scene (once cut and edited) will not join together fluently.

Shot/reverse shot - This is where the camera will shoot one subject, reverse to another and then go back to the original subject. For example; if two people are talking then the camera will go from person number one, to person number two and then back to person number one.

ECU - Extreme close up.
CU - Close up.
MCU - Medium close up.
MS - Medium shot.
3/4 - Three quaters shot.
MLS - Medium long shot.
LS - Long shot.

Continuity - Continuity means that a piece of film flows and fits together perfectly. For example; if you were filming a person then they should wear the same clothes, the same makeup, the same shoes, pick things up in the same hand etc. because if they don't then the continuity of the piece would be broken.