Narrative Structures

Claude Levi-Strauss

Levi-Strauss (left) was an anthropologist who studied how societies functioned. He argued that ‘primitive’ societies and ‘advanced’ societies shared similarities. He suggested that opposing pairs provide motivation for the story to develop. The way in which the characters attempt to resolve these oppositions creates a narrative. Levi-Strauss named these pairs ‘Binary Opposites’

Vladimir Propp

Propp (right) studied media texts and productions and developed a theory that suggested that whatever the surface differences between stories, they all contained the same internal structure in which there were 8 different character types in narratives. These are: 

1. The villain (struggles against the hero) 
2. The hero (seeks something) 
3. The donor (prepares the hero) 
4. The helper (help the hero along in the story) 
5. The princess (reward for the hero) 
6. Her father (who rewards the hero or usually dies during or before the story) 
7. The dispatcher (character who sends the hero off) 
8. The false hero 

Roland Barthes

Barthes (right) came up with a theory that suggests that any text portrays a mystery to make the audience question something about the narrative and intrigue the audience to draw them in. For instance, a crime thriller will often not reveal the full motivation of the crime until the end of the story, which poses the question "Why was the crime committed?"

Preliminary Task

NOTE: All of the information below is available in annotation form in the video itself, and this post will effectively be recycled for the last question of our evaluations.

From the preliminary task, i can see where we can improve with our camera skills. It has also made me more familiar with using the camera, and the tripod, so that i am more confident when filming. In the first scene of the task, we realised when editing, that the framing was off, and the character's head was out of the frame. When we begin to film our thriller opening, we know that we need to get the framing correct to avoid this problem.We also had the problem that background noise, but resolved it by editing the sound to fade in. This helped us to become more confident editing the sequence, however, we still need to explore other features when editing.

(Jack) My Film Pitch: System Crash

The film is set in the near future; cybernetics have advanced to a stage at which it is now possible to augment humans with cybernetic parts to increase their performance - and a secret government technology has been produced which allows human brains to exist in completely robotic android-like bodies known as "Shells".

The Omega Crime Unit, a cyber-crime team who silently take out cyber-terrorist threats and deal with serious risks to national security is chasing a terrorist group who are trying to break into a government facility to obtain information on their security systems – and it seems as though they are preparing for a system-wide takedown of the government network to digitally paralyse them for a few days. The terrorists escape with the data on the government firewalls, and the team re-convene to discuss a new strategy.


Tracing crimes of robbery, hacking and the occasional murder back to a single point in the Capital City (using a CSI-style montage investigation sequence), the crime team find a single member of the terrorist group in the middle of a busy street and silently capture him – only to find that the terrorist is, in fact, an android, who subsequently self-destructs, preventing them from gaining any information from it. They do, however, find traces of a signature code of the terrorist group attempting to hack into a server from a warehouse in another location – and most of the team leaves to go and chase the signal.


Meanwhile, the main character, an augmented cyber-human, smells a rat and stays behind – and as he examines the android's parts closer, he spots a numerical ID code that matches that of one of the government's own android IDs. He goes to the office of the head of the crime unit, and finds him suspiciously absent – and upon looking through his computer files, finds traces of hacking activity. He puts two and two together and realises that the head of the crime team was the main villain all along. Going down to the basement after seeing a new hacking signal on the monitor, he finds the head of the crime unit (another cybernetically augmented human) waiting for him – who goes on to explain his entire evil plan to overthrow the government and blow up the warehouse that the rest of the team are currently inside.


The main character has thirty minutes to defeat/kill the head of the crime team and halt the bomb to save the rest of his team – and after an epic battle with laser swords and some awesome acrobatics, he does so with a single second to spare.


The movie ends with the main character being given an award for his success, and he is appointed as the new head of the crime team. Cue fade out and credits. ^_^


- Jack

Target Audience Research

Target Audience of Individual Films - Harry Brown

Harry Brown is a British Crime-Thriller Film  directed by Daniel Barber .  The casts consist of slightly older actors and actresses for example Michael Caine who plays the character Harry Brown , Emily Mortimer and David Bradley. The use of an older casts  tells us that the film isn't targeted at younger audience but is aimed at older audience . The film contains a lot of violence and strong language , drug use and sexual content and  the film is obviously  rated 18 ; So there's another reason why the film isn't targeted at a younger audience . I think the film has a primary target audience of Age 18-29 .

Harry Brown is a British film and the  film has a well known cast especially Ben Drew who plays as Noel Winters . Ben Drew is a music artist and having him in the film is also a huge advantage as he will attract the younger audience ,  his fans and there would be a lot of fan base audience wanting to watch him . Also the location of where the film is shot is important , the director has decided to shot this film in south London and because of this it will attract a lot of people who live in London to watch this film and the representation of youth in the film means the teenagers would be interested in watching this film .

 In the data below you can see that there's a range of audience group who saw the film gave it a high rating. This Film has managed to hit every target audience group and made it a success.

Votes	Average
Males	35107	7.3
Females	2787	7.2
Aged under 18	345	7.8
Males under 18	313	7.8
Females under 18	32	7.6
Aged 18-29	21205	7.3
Males Aged 18-29	19658	7.3
Females Aged 18-29	1547	7.3
Aged 30-44	13229	7.2
Males Aged 30-44	12376	7.2
Females Aged 30-44	853	7.0
Aged 45+	2889	7.2
Males Aged 45+	2601	7.2
Females Aged 45+	288	7.5
IMDb users	44759	7.3

Character types withing thrillers and micro elements used in their portryal.

Character Types - The Villain 

There are usually one villain in a thriller film that is introduced as an antagonist . This character can be very evil and always seem to be causing trouble and involved in crime  . This character type could seem genuine, innocent but deep within there is a monster inside . This character type is usually negative towards other characters and trying to hurt anyone that gets in their way of achieving their goals .  The villain is normally seeking revenge or trying to steal some money etc  . However we do get some sympathetic villain for example In the Film 'Panic Room' there are 3 villains who break in some one's house to get hold of a large amount of money that is hidden somewhere in the house . One of the villain doesn't want to hurt the people in the house , he just wants to get the money and get out . Here is scene from 'Panic Room' where one of the villain is trying to help the girl by giving her the injecting her with her medicine .

Opening Scene Analysis: Deja Vu (Editing)

The opening credits stand out as they seem quite formal (left) and sound has been added as the credits appear, to make them more dramatic.

The first scene has been slowed down and then paused, as if they were being watched on a video (left), which relates to the narrative. It then cuts to a tracking shot of a bus moving, and time compression is used to jump to the characters getting off the bus. A match cut a is then used showing more buses and other characters exiting them to add to the continuity of the setting (right).

Various match cuts are then used to show other activities that are happening in the same setting, to begin to construct a narrative of the film. The title is then shown (left - 01:15 minutes in). Match cuts are shown again, much like before, and two scenes have been slowed down again.


A reaction shot is then shown of the captain of the boat looking at something, as the focus of the scene changes to the reflection on the glass to the bridge behind the camera (right).

Sub-genres of Thriller Films

Sub Genres of Thriller Films on Prezi

A rough sketch of our storyboard for the preliminary task. You can see the character walking towards the door, opening the door and walking towards the other character sitting down.

Opening Sequence of The Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code starts with a shot what looks like a blueish UV light shining on paintings; this is foreshadowing for some of the themes and scenes that occur later on in the movie – and this is followed by close-ups and POV shots of a man running through an art gallery. The paintings are filmed quite interestingly; it appears as though the people in the paintings are watching the man running as he dashes past them, and as the camera tracks him, we are shown out-of-focus glimpses of his chaser.

The opening to The Da Vinci Code features extremely dark and low-key lighting, keeping the scene deliberately ambiguous and mysterious; through the dim light, we are shown a man running through what looks like an art gallery or museum, attempting to evade a monk-like figure who follows behind him. We aren't shown much of the monk; he follows at a distance, always in the edges of long shots, and almost as soon as we see him, the camera cuts away to another shot of the man running. These rapid cuts create a sense of paranoia; it's assumed that if the monk catches the man, then he will kill him – but in actuality, his intentions are more enigmatic than just murder, as what he seeks from the man is information.

The preservation of ambiguity is extremely important in this scene; we're not even actually shown the monk's face until he traps the man by holding him at gunpoint, and the camera had previously not stayed on him for all that great a length of time before cutting away. The scene remains extremely claustrophobic despite the relative largeness of the art gallery; it's shown that the man who is attempting to escape has nowhere to go but in a single direction – and when it becomes unfeasible to continue in that direction, he is basically at the monk's mercy. This creates a massive sense of tension, as the audience is prompted to be somewhat fearful for the safety of the running man – as well as setting up the tone and scenario for the rest of the movie.


- Jack

Silence of the Lambs Opening Sequence Analysis

Silence of the Lambs begins in the woods; the scene is set as a mysterious and foreboding forest, complete with dead trees, fallen leaves and a shadowy, steel-grey blanket of misty fog that almost completely obscures all vision past a few metres. We are shown Clarice running in the forest, and this instant brings up assumptions and connotations that she might be being chased; she appears breathless and sweaty, and the way that the camera often pans behind her implies that she is being followed by someone who we can't see. Side-on tracking shots from in the trees also help to accentuate this; it initially appears that Clarice is being watched – and as someone who hadn't seen the film previously, I was fully expecting a psychotic murder to jump out of the trees and maim her (and this was, of course, enhanced by the scene's spooky, ominous music).

However, this proves not to be case – although the scene as a whole does create a building sense of tension and worry; it's essentially a bait-and-switch designed to keep the audience on the edges of their seats, and generates an already thrilling atmosphere even at the very start of the film. This is, in effect, foreshadowing for the themes presented in the rest of the movie; the fact that that we are led to believe that Clarice is being pursued by a murderer when in actuality she's only doing a simple training exercise is a statement that what we expect from a situation isn't necessarily congruent with the reality of that situation. Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lector is, for example, initially portrayed as a complete monster who made a name for himself by murdering and eating people, and as a result, we expect him to be an absolute vicious psycho – though in reality, he's actually quite a polite, calm and well-spoken person who helps Clarice solve a murder case.

This kind of character stereotyping could, of course, work the other way; talking to Lector, you wouldn't necessarily think that he's a murderer who'd like to eat your liver “with some farver beans and a nice cianti” - in fact, he comes over as quite nice. Silence of the Lambs' opening sequence, then, cleverly encapsulates the film's running theme that things aren't always what they initially seem – and it does so suitably thrillingly.


- Jack

Thriller Sub Genres

Action Thriller
Action Thriller is one of the main sub genres of thriller . Action thriller is portrayed differently as any other thrillers with its faced paced shots , car chase , explosions and a lot of physical violence . A good example of an action thriller would be 'The A-Team' . In the Trailer of the film , you can see a lot of fast paced shots and explosives and effects that really emphases that the film is an Action Thriller and it gives the audience the instant idea that it's an action thriller film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM0ypzvuphg

Psychological Thriller 
This type of thriller focuses more on the characters and plays with the characters state of mind and their emotions rather then their physical side . Psychological thrillers are more in depth with the story line and a bit more complex . This type of thriller really gets the audience on the edge of their seats and grabs their attention ,this is one of the main reason that a lot of people go to see a psychological thriller . Some of the good example's of psychological thrillers are Seven , Fight Club and The experiment .

Crime Thriller
This genre identifies the accounts of a crime that has taken place or about to take place . Crime thrillers are different to just crime films as they follow the accounts of the criminal rather than the hero. Crime thrillers are full of suspense rather than just action . Crime Thrillers plays with the audiences emotions and their own fears so the crime thrillers also has a large psychological side to them . An example of a good crime thriller would be Silence of the Lambs .

Romantic/Erotic Thriller 
 Romantic Thriller is usually focused on two people normally a couple or two close friends.  Romantic Thriller has that suspense , anxiety and suspense . A good example of Romantic Thriller is Mr & Mrs Jones .

Se7en Opening Analysis

In the opening of Se7en, imagery is used to portray the atmosphere, narrative and genre of the film; the opening credits, for example, are edited together in a deliberately juddery and mismatched-looking fashion, and is littered with visible and audible glitches and distortion. It shows a montage of close-up shots of a person stitching together a scrapbook of pictures, cutting between shots and skipping time abruptly to make the scene appear disjointed.

I personally think that this is a clever metaphor for the mind of the criminal killer; warped and damaged, (like the camera shots and sound) though cleverly calculated and strung together (like the organised scrapbook) – and in a sense, this provides something of a base for the plot of the rest of the film. It's also worth noting that the person organising the scrapbook is blotting certain parts of the texts and pictures out entirely; pictures of people's faces, for example, and words like “homosexuality”. The choice of words is extremely important; there is a quick close-up of the words “in God we trust” written on a bank-note, and because of the fact that we already know that the film's title refers to the seven deadly sins, the reference to religion is important in establishing the themes of the film.

From the introduction, we can also tell that the person constructing the file is a criminal as opposed to an investigator; he crosses out pictures and people's faces, and doesn't use professional or very precise or clean methods of handling the evidence that he is collecting – and the fact that he is seen slicing skin off the ends of his fingers implies that he wishes to evade detection, and is attempting to erase fingerprints.

The audio is also extremely important; it is extremely harsh-sounding, with a distinctly incoherent feel and regular buzzes and blips to match the confused, jittering visuals. However, the buzzes and blips eventually turn into a drumbeat – and this, much like the jumpy editing and camera work as mentioned earlier, signifies the thought processes of the criminal himself; the glitch effects are representative of his chaotic and insane thoughts, though the drumbeat symbolises a steady theme and rhythm to his work. It all concludes with a spoken line that starts muffled, though audibly ends with the words “closer to God” - and this links back into the religious themes and motives behind the killings.


- Jack

Themes and Symbols Used in Thriller Films

In thriller films, there are usually similar themes and symbols used. There is typically a crime at the core of the narrative, which is usually shown in the opening scenes. At the crime scene, there are usually symbols that would relates to the narrative, for example, a weapon. This could be subtle or obvious to the viewer. Evidence, such as clothing or forensics, is usually also used to relate back to the criminal or scene. There are usually signs or implications of suffering, with blood, or again, a weapon.

Psychological aspects can also be included in a horror film. Themes such as voyeurism, identity and mirroring can be used to support the psychological aspects of the film. For example, in 'Se7en', Detective Somerset appears to have some OCD traits, which brings up the theme of mental illnesses, which can increase the anxiety in the film as anxiety is a common symptom of some mental illnesses. Usually it is the antagonist that has an mental disorder, but it can sometimes be the protagonist, which is shown in 'Se7en.' 


Symbols can be used at the beginning thrillers to mirror what is to happen later on in the film. For example, the film 'The Minority Report' uses the single eye and it's function of vision as one main symbol used throughout the film. At the beginning, the attempted murderer refers to his glasses: "You know I'm blind without them" which is the first reference to vision right at the beginning of them film. Later on, the protagonist has his eyes replaced to hide his identity from the retinal scanners are everywhere. He becomes blind in one eye when a retinal scanner lifts his bandage before it has completely healed from the replacement operation.

Thriller Sub-Genres

Psychological Thriller: Emphasis on the mind; often confusing, and explores the deeper, more psychologically confusing and/or complex parts of the characterisation and narrative - and they can often be disturbing or frightening because of this. Popular examples include Se7en, Inception, Silence of the Lambs and One Hour Photo.

Political Thriller: In Political Thrillers, the protagonists are usually charged with the task of protecting the government by whom they are employed. Examples of famous films in this sub-genre include State of Play, Notorious and The Interpreter.

Spy Thriller: The main protagonist (or, in fact, protagonists) are spies in some form of secret service - and usually, they are pitted against either a rival government or terrorist group. They tend to involve action and espionage, and often, they employ science-fiction elements to make the plot work. It's notable that the James Bond series is a series of action films as opposed to thrillers - though some good examples of spy thrillers include Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Traitor and Taken, which have a far smaller emphasis on action than a Bond film does.

Techno Thriller: Science-fiction elements are emphasised, with the story based on scenarios or reliant upon science that either doesn't exist in real life or is futuristic in another way; for example, Jurassic Park, The Matrix and Minority Report.

Crime Thriller: The main focus of a Crime Thriller is, as the name of the sub-genre would suggest, on a crime of some kind (and the struggles of the detective team to solve it). The most common crimes include murder and robbery - and some of the most popular Crime Thrillers include Se7en, Silence of the Lambs and Untraceable. If more emphasis is placed upon the criminals or investigators themselves, then there is often overlap with Psychological Thrillers.

Conspiracy Thriller: In which the main character must face an enemy that only they acknowledge the existence of; this is usually some kind of evil organisation with a nasty plot. The Manchurian Candidate, Awake and The Da Vinci Code are all examples of films in this genre.

Erotic Thriller: Not always entirely sexual, though with a heavier emphasis on the more erotic parts of the characters' relationships. Examples include Basic Instinct, Lust and Eyes Wide Shut.

Supernatural Thriller: These occasionally follow a more horror-like structure, and involve ghosts or supernatural phenomena in some way. Essentially, these are thrillers that contain events that can not be explained with logic or science - and they often contain elements of fantasy. Examples include Death Note, Chronicle and What Lies Beneath.

- Jack

Priorities

Jack:

> Complete missing posts by Thursday 6th Dec. 3:15PM
> Pictures and videos must complement every post

Rojan:

> Complete missing posts by Thursday 6th Dec. 3:15PM
> Catch up on preliminary task

Aimee:

> Look at other thriller films on own, e.g. more psychological sub-genres (different)
> Identifying target audience specifically

Group priorities:

> Mood board
> Logo
> Audience Research

Signs and Symbols

Signs, Symbols and Themes in Thrillers

Psychological Elements: One common theme in many thriller films is the emphasis on the psychological aspect of the genre; this could be represented by introspective scenes in which characters are explored deeper and in a more in-depth manner. For example, their possessions, clothing, mannerisms and speech might be focused upon to make them seem more pronounced and prominent, and to give the audience a better, clearer understanding of the characters as a whole. From this, it's sometimes possible to work out their intentions, though thrillers may often attempt to mislead the audience by doing so.

Shot Reverse Shot

According to http://dictionary.reference.com, 'shot reverse shot' is "a shot that views the action from the opposite side of the previous shot, as during a conversation between two actors, giving the effect of looking from one actor to the other."
http://en.wikipedia.org also says that it is "a film technique where one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other."

The 180 degree rule is important to keep the viewer focused and avoid confusion when watching. 

The guidelines for the 180 degree rule can be seen to the left. A line of vision must be put in place, which usually runs through the middle shown in the diagram). The camera can only stay on one side of the line once filming has began, because if the camera is on the wrong side of the line, it will appear as if both characters are facing the same direction.