Camera shots

Long shot

This is a shot that shows the whole body of the subject and can also show the scenery around them, and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surroundings. A related notion is that of an extreme long shot. This is a fairly basic shot and is used in most films but can be very effective never the less. 




Close up

This film shows the upper body of the subject and can be used to show emotion on the face of the subject and tightly frames a person or object, this is a very important building block in cinematic story telling, for example they use this shot in True Detective. Again it is a basic shot but effective.





Medium shot

This shot utilizes the most common framing in movies, it shows less than a long shot but obviously more than a close up, again it is a basic and common shot but effective it makes the audience still feel like they are looking at the whole subject and feels as if you are having a conversation with the subject, this is used in most films and again is basic. 




High angle shot 

These shots are used in thrillers to make the subject or figure seem powerless and vulnerable and as if the camera is looking down at them and the audience are looking down on them, it connotes power as you feel as if you are standing over them or another character is in power. 



Low angle shot 

This shot is very powerful in the way that they can emphasize just how scary or intimidating a character is, this can also make the audience/viewers feel weak and insignificant as a result, the usual feeling is that it connotes fear and gets the audience thinking how this character is in control. 



Panning shot 

This is a shot used to establish a scene or to create more tension and suspense with the character or setting it can be used as a shot which keeps the audience waiting in anticipation to see what the whole panning shot will reveal. 





Tracking shot

The camera will follow a person or object which is moving and physically move along with the object be it from behind, alongside or in front of the subject. This will usually be done with tracks, ropes or handheld. Also known as a Dolly shot as the camera is mounted onto a cart, known as a camera dolly and wheeled across raised tracks to create a smooth shot. 

Over the shoulder shot

The over the shoulder shot is used so it allows the audience to feel like they are in the scene. This can also be used when there is someone scary behind the actor and you can see the actors reaction when they turn around. It can also be used in conversation so you can see what they are talking about with them.

Establishing shot

A shot at the head of the scene that clearly shows the location that the action is set in, this shot can often comes from after an aerial shot and is used to show where everything will happen, so for example in Harry Potter they show a shot of the place it will be set in





Point of view shot (POV)

This shot gives a perspective of the character and effectively makes the audience feel like they are the character as it makes us see what they see and do what they do, this can make the audience feel like they are that person and could be used to look through a killers eyes in a thriller. 

Audience research into Genre

History of Thrillers

History of Thrillers

The first thriller film was made in 1926 called "The Lodger" which was a Jack the Ripper type story and was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and it was a silent film. The next thriller made by Hitchcock was in 1929 and was called "Blackmail" it was also Britain's first film with sound, from 1935 on wards most of Hitchcock's films were thrillers, Hitchcock essentially made the Thriller genre so relevant and famous as one of the biggest Genre's as he was one of the best directors for the Genre. A lot of the directors who made Thrillers were British, for example Walter Forde, Victor Saville, George A Cooper, Michael Powell etc. In the 1940's Hitchcock continued his theme of thriller films and made films such as "Foreign Correspondent" and "Rebecca". which were Oscar winners.

George Cukor also brought out a psychological thriller called "Gaslight" in 1944, Overall the old thriller seemed very unrealistic as technology has improved a lot now, but back then to the people it would have looked more realistic. Thrillers now borrow themes and elements from the past but to avoid repetition they add horror aspects and is why people mistake thrillers for horrors. I think Thrillers have evolved a lot as the old thrillers were very interesting to watch and very classic, whilst now thriller have evolved a lot and there are hidden messages in what happens in scenes to connote certain aspects

Timeline of Thrillers

The Thriller genre is designed to revolve around suspense and anticipation. It aims to keep the audience on 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 falls into it will emphasize the danger that the protagonist faces,

The Director that first made the Thriller genre what is it today was called Alfred Hitchcock, he made one of the first thrillers back in 1926 called "The Lodger" which was a story that was similar to that of Jack The Ripper, then his next thriller in 1929 called "Black Mail" was notable for being the first sound film in Britain and his first sound film.

Psycho (1960)

Psycho was one of the most famous thriller ever made, it was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and was a black and white film, and was made in 1960. The film is about a Phoenix office worker Marion Crane who is fed up with the way life has treated her. One Friday Marion is trusted to bank $40,000 by her employer, seeing the opportunity to leave town and start a new life she heads to her Lover Sam, to his California store. Then after the long journey she pulls into a Motel and it is managed by a man called Norman who seems to be dominated by his mother. One scene in particular that stands out is the famous "Shower scene" this is where Marion Crane is attacked and violently murdered however it does not actually show her getting killed, this scene had 77 different camera angles and 50 different cuts.

Sisters (1973)

Sisters is a film directed by Brian DePalma which was made in 1973 and is about  a reporter called Jennifer Salt who thinks she has witnessed a murder, apparently Margot Kidder is the killer and Lisle Wilson is the victim. By the time the authorities arrive on the scene, there is not one scintilla of evidence. With a private eye's help, Salt gets to the bottom of things. One scene that is famous is the murder scene where a romantic scene between Phillip Woode and model Danielle Breton ends in Phillip's brutal murder and with a private eye's help Salt gets to the bottom of things.

Se7en (1995)

The film Seven is directed by David Fincher and was made in 1995, the plot of the film entails two homicide detectives desperate hunt for a serial killer who justifies his crimes as absolution for the Worlds ignorance of the Seven deadly sins. The movie takes us from the tortured remains of one victim  to the next as the sociopath Jon Doe Sermonizes Detectives Sommerset and Mills one sin at a time. One scene that stands out in the film is the end scene, where Mills has Doe at gun point while Sommerset goes and checks a "package" when he opens it the camera zooms into his horrified facial expression and the music changes. The package contained Mills' Wifes head, this lead him to eventually shooting Doe even though Sommerset tried to stop him. 

Scream (1996) 

The film scream was directed by Wes Craven and was made in 1996. Scream is set one year after the death of Sidney Prescott's mother two students turn up gutted and when a Serial killer appears Sidney begins to suspect whether her mothers death and the two new deaths are related and no one is safe as the killer begins to pick everyone off one by one. The first scene of the film the audience first noise that they hear is a loud high pitched scream from a girl, the audience then begin to see why the film was named "Scream". This already creates suspension and gets the audience to wonder why the girl is screaming, it then introduces the female victim . We then see the titles after this as they turn from white lettering to red lettering which runs down the page like blood, along with the girl screaming a phone is ringing, this links in with the first scene as there is a phone ringing in the scene 

The Sixth Sense (1999) 

The film The Sixth Sense is directed by M. Night Shayamalan and was made in 1999. The plot of the film is about Malcom Crowe a child psychologist who receives an award on the same night he is visited by an unhappy former patient. After this encounter Crowe takes on the challenge of curing a young boy with the same condition as the ex patient. The boy "sees dead people" and Crowe spends a lot of time with the boy. The boy's name is Cole and his mother has ran out of idea's about what to do about him. and Crowe is the boy's only hope. One scene starts with Cole needing the toilet, we first know that something is not right when the thermostat drops ten a figure passes behind Cole as he is peeing, but it passes as a blue so the audience know it is not right, The thermostat and the figure passing builds anticipation and fear of what will happen. Cole then walks slowly out of the room when he sees a female figure in a bath robe who he thinks is his mum. When she turns around its is in fact a ghost who has bruises and slit wrists, Cole then flee's into his tent where he has religious figures and a flashlight.

Saw (2004)

Saw is a film which was directed by James Wan and was made in 2004. The plot opens with two men waking up in a bathroom with their legs chained and trapped, they then find out they are victims of a serial killer who plays games with his victims and gives them one last chance to survive and if they wish to live they have to play their own game as the killer has told them to on an audios script. As the movie progresses the victims find out why they are there and how they have ties with the Serial killer. One particular scene that stands out in the film is when one of the victims (Lawrence Gordon) decides to cut his leg of with a saw as his family is being threatened , we see how gruesome this scene is and it feels like we are doing it with him as he screams and blood comes pouring out. You then see him crawling off out the door with a blood trail being left by his leg. 

The Dark Knight (2008)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yqvbv-SB4bg

The Dark Knight is a film directed by Christopher Nolan and was made in 2008. The film is set within a year of after the events of Batman Begins. Batman  Lieutenant James Gordon and new district attorney Harvey Dent begin to round up the criminals in Gotham City until a mysterious sadistic figure called "The Joker" appears in Gotham creating a new wave of chaos, his struggle against The Joker becomes deeply personal forcing him to improve his technology to stop him and a love triangle develops between Bruce Wayne, Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes. The opening scene of the film we see a team of people with clown masks attempt to rob a bank, we see a figure by the side of the road with a mask in his hand not on, but as the camera slowly zooms into that mask we realize it is important. As the Clowns enter the bank and get closer to completing their mission they kill each other one by one so the cut is less and as they all kill each other the only one left reveals himself as he Joker, in this scene the music intensifies and is a good reveal for the main villain. 

Inception (2010)

Inception is a film directed by Christopher Nolan and was made in 2010, The plot of the film is based around Dominic Cobb, a skilled thief and the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction stealing valuable secrets within the subconscious during the dream state when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in the new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him a wanted fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved and now Cobb has been offered redemption and a chance to get his life back, however the task is to not steal an idea, but to plant one. One scene that stands out in this film is the Cafe scene where Cobb and Ariadne are sitting in a Cafe talking about what Job Cobb is giving Ariadne and explaining how to do it, he then starts explaining that you never remember the beginning of dreams and they realize that they are actually dreaming in the Cafe, then everything starts simultaneously collapsing around them. 

Shutter island

The film Shutter island is directed by Martin Scorsese and like Inception was also made in 2010. The film is set in 1954 and up and coming US marshal Teddy Daniels is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a patient from Boston's Shutter Island Ashecliffe hospital. He has been pushing for an assignment on the island for personal reasons but before long he realizes he may have been brought here as a twisted plot by Hospital doctors whose treatment range from unethical to illegal and even to disturbing. Teddy's investigating skills provide him a promising lead but the Hospital refuses to give him access to files that could potentially blow the case wide open. As a hurricane cuts off communication from the mainland more criminals begin to escape and Teddy begins to question his memory, partner and even his own sanity. One scene that stands out is when Teddy comes home to his family and see's his wife in a weird state, the music changes to a creepy setting and the wife is wet and looks pale, when the kids are not there she says they are "at school" even though its the weekend. Teddy then realizes that his Wife killed the kids and gets their bodies out of the water in an attempt to revive them. His wife is looking like she may kill Teddy as well, so Teddy shoots her as he is hugging her.  

Deciding a Genre

Deciding what genre

The Genre which i have decided to do in my short trailer is the Thriller genre, the reason i have chosen this genre is that it provides a good blend of aspects which can be very effective and exciting to use in a short trailer. This Genre is also good for creating suspense and excitement for the audience, the central aspect that is used in thriller is violence, this means good shots and music can be made for these types of scenes, This Genre stood out too me compared to the other ones i had for selection as in my opinion it provides the most aspects that can be used. It can provide a good mystery for the audience and due to me doing a trailer this means it can entice the audience to watch the actual film as they get a sneak peak of what the plot will be. The conventions of a thriller are also very interesting as well and provide good entertainment for the audience, and keeping the audience's attention during the trailer is a key aspect of getting them to watch the film.

Research into Film Genre

Research into Film Genre

Action Genre:

The action genre is usually associated with high energy and a fast moving film and usually use a lot of stunts and have large budgets. They also have features such as chase scenes, rescues, fights, floods, explosions etc. A lot of action films usually have a "good guy" and a "bad guy" who are against each other for the duration of the film. Some examples of well known action films are Die Hard, James Bond, Terminator, Transporter, The Dark Knight etc. This genre aims to keep audiences on the edge of their seats and wonder where the plot will take them through the film. They are also usually set in big cities and urban areas where a lot of destruction and explosions can happen.


Adventure genre:

The Adventure genre usually includes an exciting story in an exotic location and is fairly similar to the action genre, can involve expeditions and exploring jungles, deserts and finding treasure, can also involve it being set in famous locations with historic landmarks which can interest the audience and play a factor in them watching, examples of adventure films include Indiana Jones, National treasure, Jurassic park, Lord of the rings etc.





Comedy genre


The Comedy genre is usually connected with a light hearted plot that are deliberately designed to provoke and amuse the audience and make them laugh, they can do this by exaggerating a situation, the language, action, relationships and characters. Some examples of Comedies are Anchorman, Napolean Dynamite, The interview etc. There are a few sub genres of comedy like black comedy, romantic comedy etc.



Crime Genre

The Crime genre is developed around the sinister actions of criminals or mobsters, the villains in these can be associated with bank robbers, underworld figures, or just ruthless criminals who operate outside the law, The main conventions of this genre would be the good Detective trying to catch the bad villain for the whole movie, and getting clues which leads them to the criminal. Then there will be a big scene at the end of the film where the detective manages to catch the villain after a lot of hard work, this genre of film can also be called Detective mystery or film noir. Some examples of Crime films are Gangster squad, Goodfellas, Scarface etc.
 

Drama Genre

The drama genre is usually associated with serious, plot driven presentations, portraying realistic characters, settings, life situations and stories that include intense character development and interaction, they usually do not use a lot of effects, comedy or action and this genre is film is arguably one of the biggest and most popular, mainly due to the fact that the plot can be so interesting and it is hard to predict what will happen, some examples of drama films are 12 years a slave, Schindlers list, The Godfather, Shawshank redemption etc.






Epics/Historical

The Epic genre is usually focused around costume dramas, historical dramas, war films, medieval romps. Epics often share elements of the elaborate adventure film genre. Epics take an historical or imagined event, mythic legendary or heroic figure and add an extravagant setting and lavish costumes accompanied by grandeur and spectacle, some examples of epics are Gladiator, Lord of the rings, 300 etc.


Horror genre

The Horror genre is made to scare and frighten audiences and to invoke our worst fears, often in a terrifying shocking finale while captivating and entertaining us at the same time, Horrors have a wide range of styles, venturing from monsters to deranged humans. They can often be linked to the science fiction genre as they can share similar aspects, for example when the Earth is being invaded by Aliens this can be in the horror genre as well as Sci Fi. There are many sub genres of Horror for example slasher, teen horror, serial killers, zombies, satanic etc. Some examples of horror films are The Exorcist, Halloween, Psycho, Alien etc. A lot of the most successful films are horrors because they can be so brilliantly written and have captivating story lines that chill the shock the audience.






Musicals/Dance genre

The Musical genre are films that emphasize full scale scores or song and dance routines in a significant way. Or they are films centered on combinations of music, dance song or choreography. Some examples of Musical films are Grease, Mamma Mia, High school musical etc. These films can usually be aimed at people who want to see a film with good entertainment and want possible a new catchy song to listen to.


Science fiction genre

The Science fiction often referred to as "Sci Fi" are very imaginative and visionary that use a vareity of special effects and try to produce "Wow" moments for the audience so they can admire the work that has been put into the film. They are complete with heroes, Aliens, distant planets, impossible quests, futuristic technologies. They are sometimes an offshoot offshoot of fantasy films, or they share similarities with action/adventure films. These films can often display the potential of future technology and can be used to destroy the human race and can often scare people about the future and can overlap with horror films. Examples of Sci Fi films include Alien, Predator, Star Wars, The Terminator etc.


War Genre

War films acknowledge the horror and heartbreak of war, letting that actual fighting on land and sea be the main primary plot of the film . War films are often paired with other genres such as action, adventure, romance, drama, comedy etc. They can include tales of previous wars and stories about military operations and training. Examples of war films include American Sniper, Fury, Saving Private Ryan, Platoon etc.


Western genre


Westerns are arguably the major defining genre of the American film industry, a eulogy to the early days of the expansive american frontier, it is one of the oldest most enduring genres with very recognizable plots, elements and characters, however overtime Westerns have been re invented and re defined and it is not the same genre as it used to be. Some examples of Western films include The Good the Bad and the Ugly, Django Unchained, Tombstone, Unforgiven etc.

The Brief

A promotion package for a new film to include a trailer, together with these two options:

• A film magazine front cover, featuring the film.
• A poster for the film