RC - Analysing an opening sequence

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

The first two minutes...

Genre
Q. To which genre does the film belong?

A. This film belongs to the slasher/teen-horror genre

Q. To what extent are the audience's generic expectations of the text fulfilled or challenged by the opening sequence?

A. The audience's generic expectations are fulfilled, as the first two minutes highlight the various conventions of a 'slasher' film. This incorporates: the use of iconography, for example the chainsaw; the use of sound, which is very eerie; the mise en scene such as, the dull lighting and the desolate house. Other common conventions include the use of camera and editing,

where the cutting rate is very quick, the picture has been filtered to be black and white and there are plenty of close-ups. This is just a brief overview of how the audience's generic expectations are fulfilled.

Q. Does the text conform to the characteristics of the genre, or does it treat them playfully or ironically?

A. I think that the text does conform to the characteristics of the 'slasher' genre. This is because the film is based on a true story, so I do no think that they would treat the characteristics in a playful or ironic way. The opening sequence underlines what I think as well, this is due to the use of the voice over narration, which is narrating the history behind the film and also the mise en scene, which includes newspaper headlines of the events, which accentuates the truth behind this story. Similarly to what I have answered in the previous question, I think that the use of camera, sound, mise en scene, editing and even iconography is the reason for why the text does conform to the 'slasher' film characteristics, but does so in a serious manner.

Film language

Q. How does mise-en-scene convey meaning in the sequence?

A.The first thing that we see in this opening is two men carrying a dead body into the back of a van, which we assume is an ambulance. Immediately, this establishes enigma as people would be curious as to why that person is dead in the first place. The mise-en-scene here shows the ambulance to be in a deserted area, which definitely creates tension. We then see someone pulling across a 'police line do not cross' tape, which amplifies further that someone is dead, and they are investigating as to how and why. We then see another dead body in a lake, with lots of police men surrounding it, their body language shows them to be searching for clues and evidence. Another use of mise-en-scene is when there is a shot of a huge house, which seems to be desolate, this comes under the conventions of a 'slasher' type film and would instantly build up suspense for the audience. We then see lots of close ups of different objects, which include broken glasses and parts of a human skeleton, this connotes an ominous feeling to the film, which bodes will with the genre. We then see someone typing up an autopsy report, again signify the theme of death in this opening. An empty corridor is then shown and the lighting here is very dull and it almost seems as if there is a green/blue filter to the picture. The dull lighting again supports the 'slasher' genre. There are also more objects shown, which are seen to be pieces of evidence, as they are concealed in a plastic bag. The objects include such things as a hammer/mullet, teeth, a dead fish with a hook going through its mouth, and most importantly a chainsaw, which again implies that a lot death takes place in this film and that they are trying to put together all the evidence to catch the killer. Overall, mise en scene is used effectively to convey the meaning of this film.

Q. How does camera shot size, movement and angle also convey meaning?

There are a lot of close ups used in this opening sequence, which helps the audience to understand the content of this film, particularly when close ups are used on objects, which most of them are seen to be evidence for a homicide case. They are used to highlight what is going on in the film such as, when there is a close up of the 'police line do not cross' tape, signifying that something very bad has happened. A lot of panning shots are used as well to also help establish what is going on, this is evident when one is used to show a police crime scene of a dead body lying in a lake. High angle and low angle shots are also used to create tension within the film, this is obvious when a low angle shot is used to show us the desolate house and because of the low angle the house is made to look bigger than it actually is, which builds suspense as not only is the house isolated but is also huge. It is obvious that camera shot size, movement and angle are very important in establishing enigma, as it is shown to be key in this film's opening.

Q. How does sound anchor the images?

Right at the beginning of the clip, when the titles are appearing on the screen, the music is very ominous, with a slow tempo and a minor key and when moving image appears on the screen it then becomes a lot lower and louder. Then as soon as the voice over narration begins the music is drowned out. This suggests to me that the music at the start is preparing the audience for the film so that they recognise that this is a 'slasher', and when it becomes lower and louder when the moving image appears we know that no assumptions need to be made that the body on the trolley is dead, this is implied through the ominous feel of this music. When the narration begins it is very loud, connoting that what he is saying is very important, along with the images that go with his dialogue. Also, as the clip goes further on we are hear that every noise being made is being amplified such as, the slamming of the chainsaw on the table. This is building up suspense and puts the audience on edge.

Q. What do we learn about the characters through dialogue and non-verbal language?

In this sequence we are presented with many characters and there does not seem to be an obvious protagonist yet. However, the characters that we do see in this clip are mainly police officers of some form and it is apparent that they are all investigating in this one particular case. There is not much dialogue in this opening sequence until you get to the last five seconds of the two minutes, where you hear a police officer speaking into a tape recorder, here you understand that he is recording what he sees when at the crime scene. This tell us that this particular character is trying to find out who the murderer is.

Q. What other visual techniques are used?

Other visual techniques which are used, include a black and white filter to the picture, giving it an authentic feel, which suggests to us that the events in this film happened some time ago. This is supported by another visual technique where the picture seems to go fuzzy at some points, which implies that the camera is old.

Narrative

Q. How is the narrative organised and structured?

A.The narrative seems to be non-linear, as we keep going back and forth to different events and the sequence seems to be asynchronous.

Q. How is the audience positioned in relation to the narrative?

A. Although there seems to be no obvious protagonist yet, we appear to be positioned with the narrator, who is telling us the story but also the police men because they are the only characters that we see in the first two minutes.

Q. What techniques of identification and alienation are employed?

Although it is implied that there is no protagonist just yet, there is one point in the opening sequence where we see someone typing up an autopsy report and the name 'Hewitt' is being typed out. This could suggest that this person plays an important role in the narrative.

Q. What are the major themes in the narrative?

A. Death seems to be the most prominent theme in this film.

Q. How is tension created and maintained?

A. I think that tension is created and maintained through the use of the many conventions of a 'slasher' film genre. However, in relevance to this film I think that the fast cutting rate, which causes the audience to go back and forth in the narrative, plays an important role in maintaining the tension, as it keeps the audience mesmerised.

Representation and Ideology

Q. What social groups are represented in this sequence and how?

A. This is quite hard to say from just looking at the first two minutes, as it appears that the only characters we come to meet are the police officers, so they are the only obvious social group. However, you could say that the victims of the killer, who are dead, are some sort of group although you could not really define them as being a social group. Also, it appears that the characters in this film are mainly white-Americans.

Q. What values and beliefs / ideological discourse is evident?

A. There is the belief that a murderer should be caught because of his actions, underlining the values of the policemen - that sinners should be punished.

Q. How does semiotics as a framework see how the representation is constructed?

A. The tape, which says 'police line do not cross' is an obvious indicator for the representation constructed, as it shows the policemen secluding the crime scene area so that they can find evidence to catch the murderer.

Media Audiences

Q. Who is the target audience?

A. The target audience for this film would appear to be the youths aged between 16-25 and obviously audiences' who appreciate the slasher genre.

Q. What are the probable and possible audience readings of the text?

A. The preferred reading of this text is likely to be that we are to meant be positioned with the narrator or with the policemen of this film, so that we are to believe that whoever they are looking for we are meant to be against him/her. The oppositional reading of this text is that we are to sympathise with the killer and the negotiated reading of this text could be that we may understand the justification behind the killer's actions but we follow the morality of the policemen.

Q. How do you, as a British teenager, read and evaluate the text? To what extent is your reading and evaluation influenced by your age, gender, background?

A. As a British teenager I think that I would read this text just like any person would and I do not believe that age, gender or background necessarily comes into it. However, I do feel that when you are of a younger age your comprehension of morals and ethics is not so clear to how they are when you grow older, so this could cloud your judgement on the justification of the killer. Also, if you have had much more of a rough background compared to others, where you are use to theft, murder, rape, etc. then your perception of this text could be that you understand where the killer is coming from, on the other hand, it may mean you are less inclined to sympathise, as you have come to detest these actions because you are so familiar with it. So, although I said that I initially didn't believe that age, gender, or background influenced your reading of the text, I do now believe that it does play a role.

Institutional context

Q. Has a star been used in this film? Why is this important?

A. Jessica Biel is the only actress in this film that could be considered as the bankable star. It is important that a bankable star is used because including a bankable star is most likely to increase the credibility of the film, in turn raising revenue.

Q. Which studio produced this film? Is it an 'industrial' film or an 'independent' film?

A. The film was distributed by New Line Cinema and Focus Features and the film appears to be an industrial one.

Q. Is the institutional context evident in the production values of the opening?

It is evident through the production values in the opening that this is an industrial film, as you can tell that to achieve the effects that this film does a lot of money would have had to have gone into it.

CH - Genre Analysis

1) My chosen genre is Horror. Sub genres include gothic horror, teen horror, slasher horror, gangster horror, psychological horror, body horror, science fiction horror and teen horror. We are following many of the conventions of this sub-genre, such as the proposed chase scene between a victim and an unknown predator, using darkness and teenage imagery of a rowdy group of friends (using iconography such as uniforms). Films that fit this genre include Scream, Eden Lake and Sorority Row.

2) Techniques/style of films that may be useful:Scream; the use of dramatic irony when the audience know the killer is with the victim before the victim realisesEden Lake uses a distinct tone of colour and lighting throughout the movie, which sets a dangerous and animalistic atmosphereSorority Row; by using the happy, bright atmosphere of a high school movie contrasted with the dark, horrific imagery of the murders it creates a stronger impact

3) A typical narrative for this type of film is a group or couple of teenagers in a secluded location, or familiar location (which would then be twisted, such as a high school) beginning with a dramatic occurrence before returning to seemingly normal life, proceeding a murder mystery scenario or an escape sequence. This would be used to create suspense by the contrast between high school life and the innocence of youth vs. the troubles and horrors then facing them and how they escape.

4) In this genre, conventional characters include:
- the ‘jock/cheerleader’,
-the ‘nerd’,
-the archetypal ‘hero/heroine’ (such as Sidney in Scream)
-and the obvious villain, who is usually apparent to the
audience

5) Typical locations for this genre are generally secluded, shadowed or dark, with some sort of twisted juxtaposition (such as a family home).

6) Iconography of this genre include school uniforms, knives, gloved hands, hooded assailants, ECU of eyes, blood splatters

7) Costume is normally casual clothing or clothing associated with that teenage group (such as jeans, or baseball hats) but normally the costume becomes dirty and ruined by the end, after multiple chases or fights

8) Lighting and colour is used to create tension and danger, such as the use of slanted shadows in Film Noir or the use of figure shadow to represent an impending danger. I would like to create the effect of a contrasting situation by juxtaposing light and dark in quick succession through two scenes compared. The connotations of red are fire, danger, pain; blue are cold, shock; green includes envy or safety.

RC - Genre analysis

1. What is our chosen genre?

Our chosen genre is 'teen horror', which is actually a sub-genre of a teen film. Therefore we will be following the conventions of a teen and horror film to help create our two minute opening. Other sub genres that exist within the teen category are teen sci-fiction, teen drama, teen comedy and teen musicals. Films that are placed in the teen horror sub-genre include 'Scream' (1996), 'I know what you did last summer' (1997), 'Halloween' (1978), 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1976)' , 'Prom night' (1980) and 'Swimfan' (2002). Out of these I am most interested in 'Scream' because the opening sequence for this film was cleverly done, using the conventions of horror to establish enigma and create tension.

2. Outline specific techniques or styles used within these three teen horror films

In the opening sequence of 'I know what you did last summer', the film that I analysed for my technical analysis, one particular technique that I liked was the blue filter used to make the images look a lot duller, creating this eerie feeling. Another one that also sstruck out to me was the choice of soundtrack, especially when two layers of sound were used. This layering of sound meant that the film could emphasise on the mood of the sequence by playing background music, whilst at the same time playing the diegetic sound that the character or his surroundings made. Both these two techniques could be applied to our opening to help establish the genre of our film.

In the first two minutes of the film 'Scream', many codes and conventions were used effectively to build suspense. I particularly like the idea of a teenager being home alone, creating this desolate feeling, which makes the character a lot more vulnerable. Any technique used to create vulnerability would be an impressive way of underlining the genre of the film. The dialogue in this film is also very effective, this is evident when Casey is on the phone to a stranger and asks, "Why do you want to know my name?" and the phone voice replies by saying, "because I want to know who I am looking at". We could attempt to do something similar to this.

In the opening of 'Halloween', the famous POV sequence is what I distinctly like best about it and this is similar to what Casey and I were thinking of including in our opening. The POV shot puts the audience on edge, as although they are positioned with the predator he/she is unidentifiable, raising curiosity.

3. What is a typical narrative for this genre of film?

A typical narrative for the teen horror genre, is for one teenager or a group of teenagers to be stalked by a predator, who eventually ends up killing them or in most cases one will survive, this is normally the character that is the protagonist in the storyline. Typically in this sort of teen horror the characters will be killed off one by one, to create dramatic effect for the audience. However, there are some types of teen horror films that contrast to the one I have just described, which follow a different narrative. An example of this would be 'Eden Lake', where in this film the teenagers are the ones who are considered to be the threat. Despite this though, most conventional teen horror films are typical of the narrative I outlined at the beginning.

4. What kind of characters are conventional to this type of genre?

In every teen horror film there will always be an antagonist, who most likely will be a murderer, typically this character would be played by a male. The females in this type of film normally play vulnerable characters, and sometimes will be the protagonist, as they are likely to be the antagonist's obsession. However, in some films such as, 'Swimfan' the female plays the role of the murderer and the male the vulnerable victim. It is common that the teenagers within this genre of film will all have some sort of connection like a love relationship or a friendship, which only dramatises the film as you become more attached to each character. In reference to the teen aspect of this genre, common characters would include cheerleaders/jocks and maybe nerds.

An example of an archetypal heroine would be 'Sidney' from "Scream"

5. What are typical locations or settings for this genre?

Many teen horror films are situated in a location, which normally prove to be desolate. Common locations include a school, an isolated house, a grave yard, or possibly a carnival/festival. The settings are commonly dull lighted, with an eerie feel to it. The weather that takes place during the film traditionally mimics the mood of the action, which is called pathetic fallacy.

6. What iconography would you expect to see in this genre?

Iconography is key in teen horror films, with things such as knives, blood, school inform, masks, distorted faces, etc. allowing the audience to clarify what genre the film is.

7. Find examples of suitable costume.

Suitable costumes for this type of film genre would include iconic outfits such as the ones in "Scream" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", this would be in particular reference to the villains. However, for the teenagers their clothing could include school uniform and quite casual clothing.

8. How is lighting/colour used? What effects would you want to create with particular lighting?

Lighting is very important in teen horrors, as it helps to create the mood of the film. Colour can also be used to establish the mood, as each colour signifies a different meaning. For example, red always connotes danger and blood, yellow represents happiness and safety and blue is common for representing coldness and death. With our opening sequence, lighting will play quite an important role. In the part where the teenage girls are on screen, the lighting will be bright and highly saturated, however, when the chase scene is in action the lighting will be dull, maybe with even a blue filter over it?


9. Find examples of fonts which would be suitable for this genre for the title sequence.

CH - Technical Analysis

Scream, 2 minute opening cut list : cut sound camera Mise en scene- Black screen stretch transition phone rings in background ‘SCREAM’’ appears- layered sound screaming, heartbeat, phone ringing, lightning, knife (All horror enigma)- a red wash appears over the writing, the writing expands to fill the screen- dissolve transition to CU of phone on table, (ringing) steadicam tilting pan to MS of female picking up phone, (Dialogue of female and caller, crickets outside) zoom to CU and following pan continues throughout scene between CU and MS - (Phone rings) Motivated cut back to original bird’s eye view CU of phone , hand reaching, tilting pan to female MS (dialogue between female and caller, continued crickets signifying desolation?) - jump cut to outside, low angle shot of a tree tilting towards long shot of the females house, swing moving inexplicably in the oreground (wind creaking, crickets chirping) - jump cut to (flame lights, exaggerated diegetic sound of cooking popcorn and continued crickets/phone rings once more) high angle of flame on cooker, females arm reaching to cook popcorn, tilting pan to MS and steadicam to long shot as (phone rings, she picks up) she walks around kitchen, focus on knives, following with tracking dolly shot throughout ending on a MS (Rule of 3, her in 1st knives in 3rd, picks up knife) exaggerated sound of metal knife, continued conversation and diegetic popcorn/crickets- sound bridge as conversation continues as popcorn increases leading to a motivated cut CU popcorn and kettle on oven - shot reverse shot returns to MS of female and knives on counter steadicam pan and tracking shot following female as she picks up videos and walks into a different room, continuing her conversation on the telephone as popcorn noise increases building tension as she enters the hallway, an over the shoulder shot of a dark room, slanted light (enigma of film noir)

RC - Technical analysis on teen horror film 'I know what you did last summer' (Gillespie, 1997):

I decided to look at the first four minutes of the film's opening sequence, as the first two minutes did not include enough for me to complete a full technical analysis...

-The film starts with a black background with the film's credits, which are of a white font, appearing and then disappearing, this cuts to a high angle, following pan of an ocean, where rock music begins to play

-The film title then appears and the pan continues, showing us black rocks in the deep blue ocean.

-Now two layers of sound are being played, which we hear as being the rock music and the amplified sound of the waves crashing; this happens when the names of the actors and actresses appear.

-The pan still continues and we then begin to hear vocals in the soundtrack, as the pace of the music slightly decreases. The camera movement allows us to see the glare of the orange/yellow sun and more rocks in the background.

-The following pan then takes us closer to the rocks in the background, as we hear that the singer in the soundtrack has a low, husky voice, as this happens more credits are appearing on the screen in the bottom, right hand corner.

-There is then a very high angle panning shot, which twists around so that we are positioned to face the sea and then twists around further, whilst at the same time getting lower, so that we see a man sitting on a rock looking at something.

-This then cuts to a close up of his hand holding a metal object, at the same time the music quietens slightly.

-This cuts to a low angle shot of the man, still holding the object, looking windswept and upset.

-This cuts to another close up of his hand holding the object, but then his other hand comes into view and then hits the metal object so that it swings around. The only thing that you can hear now is the sound of him hitting the object, as the soundtrack has stopped playing. The noise the metal object makes is quite high pitched and is amplified.

-This cuts to a medium shot of him sitting on the rock, with his hands on his lap, looking down.

-This cuts to a POV shot of him looking down at the waves crashing against the rocks he is sitting on and at the same time another soundtrack begins playing.

-This cuts to a low angle shot of him still sitting, as he turns his head to his right, as a noise of birds flapping their wings is heard.

-This cuts to a POV shot of him looking at the view to his right, which is of more rocks with green grass on it and another view of the blue ocean. The music here is quite slow and high pitched.

-This cuts to a medium shot of him with his body twisted round to his right, which then cuts to another medium shot of the back of him, twisting his body round to his left to look behind him.

-This cuts to a medium long shot of a road, the music playing here is still the same.

-This cuts to another medium long shot of him sitting on the rock, with his legs dangling. The rule of thirds here shows us to be looking at the ocean, whilst he is positioned more to the right of the screen.

-This then cuts to a low angle medium shot of his face and upper half of his body, looking distressed and then bringing up the metal object to his eyesight.

-This cuts to another medium shot of him from behind (slightly to the left of him) looking at the metal object.

-There is then a slight high angle shot, which pans so that we are looking over his left shoulder at him looking at the metal object still.

-This cuts to a POV shot of him looking down again at the sea, where you notice that the music is now of a higher tempo with still quite high notes.

-This cuts to a medium long shot of the right side of him, sitting on the rock and taking a swig out of his drink. The music then starts to build up.

-There is then a cut to a long shot of him again sitting on the rock drinking, but this time we see the left of him and the rule of thirds show him to be to the right of the screen.

-This cuts to a low angle medium shot of him looking drunk and out of place, with him still holding on tightly to the metal object in his left hand. He then suddenly looks up, as the soundtrack reaches its climax and stops and the sound of fireworks is then heard.

-There is then a motivated cut to a long shot of the fireworks, where you can still hear them all exploding and where the different colours, which appear after each explosion contrasts nicely against the night sky.

-Throughout these first four minutes there seems to be a blue filter put in place, used as an editing technique to create a dull like sequence.

How many layers of sound are there? How does it help to establish enigma/create dramatic tension?

In this opening there seems to be two layers of soundtrack playing at the same time, at the most. The music in this helps to establish enigma, as in the first minute or so the genre of music seems to be rock, which could intrigue many viewers. This is because some people may feel that rock is not suitable for the opening of a horror film, so would want to stay put and carry on watching out of curiosity. On the other hand, many may think that rock is suitable, as it has quite a dark, edgy feel to it. These responses to the rock music can be seen as why enigma is established.

Further on, you could argue that dramatic tension is created, when the style of music changes into a more softer, high pitched soundtrack. This can be seen as more suitable to a horror/slasher film, as this type of soundtrack builds up suspense, by having the audience at the edge of their seats. This could again apply when you hear the noise of birds flapping their wings, on top of this soundtrack already playing. Another reason for why tension could be created, is because the character that we are positioned with does not speak, and therefore is silent throughout this opening sequence. This silence could build up suspense for the audience because by the character not speaking it is hard to decide, as an audience, whether or not you can relate to this person.

What have I learnt from this technical analysis?

-I have learnt that it is not necessary for there to be dialogue within the opening sequence, for tension to be created. This is because silence can be seen as suspense builder within itself.

-I have also learnt how different camera shots can help establish fear for the viewers, a prime example of this would be when a POV shot is used to show the man looking down from the cliff to the ocean. This type of shot meant that the audience was put in the position of this character, so felt just as scared as him when looking down.

-I have also learnt how music soundtracks are key in establishing enigma, whether if it is just the one or two layers of sound. This is because if you were just given an opening sequence, which played no music it would be hard to understand what kind of film you are about to watch without being told.

-Through this analysis I have also come to understand how mise en scene also plays an important role in conveying the genre of film. I believe this is so because if the lighting is dull, and the location isolated, you immediately identify that this particular film is meant to be scary. Also, if the NVC of the character(s), portrays loneliness, distress, etc. you can again recognise that this particular use of mise en scene has been used to make the audience aware that this film is of a horror genre.

Altogether, I have learnt a lot from this technical analysis, which will aid me and my other group member in creating the best possible opening sequence we can.

Feedback #1

Well done - some interesting ideas development here. Make sure to use images to communicate your concept development visually where possible.

RC - The conventions of a horror film

(Taken from www.wikipedia.org...)

"Horror films are movies that strive to elicit the emotions of fear, horror and terror from viewers. Their plots frequently involve themes of death, the supernatural or mental illness. Many horror movies also include a central villain.

Early horror movies are largely based on classic literature of the gothic/horror genre, such as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Operaand Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

More recent horror films, in contrast, often draw inspiration from the insecurities of life after World War II, giving rise to the three distinct, but related, sub-genres: the horror-of-personality Psycho film, the horror-of-armageddon Invasion of the Body Snatchers film, and the horror-of-the-demonic The Exorcist film."

(Taken from www.filmsite.org...)

"Horror films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience. Horror films effectively center on the dark side of life, the forbidden, and strange and alarming events. They deal with our most primal nature and its fears: our nightmares, our vulnerability, our alienation, our revulsions, our terror of the unknown, our fear of death and dismemberment, loss of identity, or fear of sexuality.

Whatever dark, primitive, and revolting traits that simultaneously attract and repel us are featured in the horror genre. Horror films are often combined with science fiction when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology, or when Earth is threatened by aliens. The fantasy and supernatural film genres are not synonymous with the horror genre, although thriller films may have some relation when they focus on the revolting and horrible acts of the killer/madman. Horror films are also known as chillers, scary movies, spookfests, and the macabre."

An important capture in the horror film 'Pyscho' (1960)

CH - The conventions of a Teen FIlm

Taken from http://www.wikipedia.org.uk/
"Codes and conventions of the teen film genre vary depending on the cultural context of the film, but they can include proms, alcohol, illegal substances, high school, parties and all-night raves, losing one's virginity, relationships, social groups and cliques, and American pop-culture.
The classic codes and conventions of teen film come from American films where one of the most widely used conventions are the stereotypes and social groups. There are many stereotypes used."

Teen films employ techniques to appeal to a teenage audience, by choosing common themes such as; rebellion, coming of age, first love, and teen agnst or alienation. These are chosen as the target audience is most likely to relate to them, as they create a sense of verisimilitude as the audience are likely to be experiencing similar issues.

Examples of teen movies include the American Pie series, Transformers, Mean Girls and Slap Her, She's French.

RC - The conventions of a thriller film

In a thriller film many characteristics are featured...

-Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings and cliff hangers are used extensively.
-There is always an antagonist and a protagonist.
-The heroes in most thrillers are often 'hard men', which are accustomed to danger such as, law enforcment officers, aviators or soldiers.
-A thriller climaxes when the hero defeats the villian, saving his life and often the lives of others.
-Most thrillers include sub genres such as, a crime thriller, an action thriller and a drama thriller, etc.
-In many thrillers the villian is known all along.
-The action that takes place in a thriller always occurs on a much grander scale, with the crimes that must be prevented being serial or mass murders, acts of terrorism, an assassination, or the overthrow of governments.

CH - Initial Ideas

After some discussion, Rosie and I have drawn up some initial ideas for our horror/teen movie opening:
A chase scene, contrasting to a slow motion scene; the juxtaposition of a bright, happy, loud situation with a quiet, dark and dangerous scene. The scene should show many of the conventions for teen thriller, utilizing cliche techniques such as the ''following shot'', shot from the POV of a hidden, unknown person following one of the characters we are already familiar with.
If we were to use this shot, it would be to show the danger facing that character; another technique we may use is the layering of sound (both diegetic and non-diegetic) over opposing scenes (Eg. switching the sound between the supposed 'happy scene' and 'scary scene', which would build a creepy, unnatural atmosphere of tension).
Another of our initial ideas is to roll the credits after the climax of the first two scenes (which would probably be switching back and forth between throughout) and to further build the tension and dangerous thrill asosciated with Teen Horror by showing disjointed images over a minor-key music track.
We will continue with building our initial ideas after completing research into our topic, to give us further reference.

RC - Initial Ideas

The idea that me and Casey have initially come up with is based on the conventions of a teen/horror film. We quite like the idea of using cliche shots of extreme close-ups and predatory point of view shots. At the moment we are playing with one particular idea, where in the opening sequence there will be a chase scene, where there is a contrast between this scene, which is dangerous and edgy, with another one where we a presented with more of a happy scenario. The sound will be key in this opening sequence.