Recce Shots of Locations

Great Northern railway
bonded warehouse.
Uttoxiter New road
Derby

Empty warehouse,
Chester Green
Derby.

American adventure
Grounds Ilkeston 

Abandoned railway warehouse. Pros are that its creates a great mise en scene of a messy and dysfunctional lifestyle. Cons include limited access, lack of natural lighting, co-operation with visitors to the building and there was a fire in recent years which has made some of the floor unsafe.The warehouse on Chester green has good natural lighting so that isn't a problem however there is limited access as it is a listed building. The now empty wasteland of American Adventure, Ilkeston is an outside location that is completely derelict so co-operation with the public wouldn't be a problem, however it may be perceived as a dystopian future mise en scene rather than a psychological thriller due to its remoteness. The public bathrooms of Elvaston Castle create the right mise en scene for the psychological genre with ow key lighting yet a large window to allow an eerie atmosphere to be captured.

Toilets of Elvaston Castle
Derby

The main problem with this location would be co-operation around the public. The open field can would also be an ideal location as it, like American Adventure is an outdoor location. however this location is reliant on natural lighting and weather which may be temperamental. Garage : pros of a ready made mise en scene of a grubby confined location, with just props to add in. Cons: limited lighting and space.

Garage





Planning Ideas

Planning : Moodboard

Moodboard from 12cbrannan

Results from Target Market Research

Survery moneky from 12cbrannan

Mise en scene

Mise en scene from 12cbrannan

The mise en scene analysis of the opening scene to The Sixth Sense

Potential taregt audience - Gathering results

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Gender sterotypes

Psycho 1960.

Nick and Amy Dunne
from Gone Girl.

 Globally there are 2.24 male characters for every 1 female characters. This is particularly evident is psychological thrillers with over 70% of films produce having a male lead. The reason behind this links to old fashioned gender stereotyping of the male being the more intelligent and stronger sex. Therefore the women are more susceptible to vulnerability and therefore rely on the main male protagonist. As time has moved on from gender stereotyping in the style of 1960's Psycho, Women have developed the stereotype of  minced and disturbed such as Amy Dunne from Gone Girl. Where as the stereotype of a male character hasn't developed all that much other than them now having the capability to be shown in a vulnerable and unstable way (Teddy Denials from Shutter island). By having more open stereotypes for the separate genders the audiences of psychological thrillers almost know what to expect from the characters as their plots unfold on screen.

Establishment of narratives

Flashbacks- Non chronological scenes are a common convention for psychological thriller films as the main protagonists past usually is the reason behind their erratic behaviour. Flashbacks can be filmed the same way as the present day shots just using younger characters, or they are shot with a blurred effect or in black and white(such as in Memento) by adding the colour contrast or blurring the audience pick up on the fact that the scene they're watching is a flashback or dream like episode rather than becoming confused between flashbacks and the present day.

Exposition - In some psychological thriller films the introduction to characters is the first thing that the audience are exposed to through a voice over, such as in Gone Girl or an extreme close up shot, like in Memento. However some psychological thrillers leave the character introductions out and just confuse the audience from the very beginning leaving them to understand the narrative, despite this fitting well with the genre it doesn't always work as intended depending on the target audience.

First-person narrative- a narrative technique that is a popular convention for this genre of film. An individual's point of view is produced as the main plot line so the audience are able to see the characters thought process. In psychological thrillers, the narrative tries to manifest the character's psyche through the way they present themselves to the audience through body langue, dialogue and hostility towards other characters. (Eva, from We need to talk about Kevin).

Certification in Psychological Thrillers

BBFC ( The British Board of Film Classification) rate films based on their content and how appropriate they are for different age groups. The majority of psychological thriller films are rated 15 for there content as well as to inform the audience that the movie they are watching requires concentration and a level of understanding that a younger audience are likely to be confused by. The age rating is usually based on the content not on the target audience of the film for example Gone Girl is a 18 rated film yet its target audience would be a more middle aged bracket as its main theme is a marriage breakdown.

 Psychological Thriller films that are rated 12 A:

Virago

Psychological thrillers rated 15:

Psycho 

Memento

Black Swan

The Sixth Sense

The Butterfly Effect
We need to talk about Kevin

18 and above rated Psychological Thrillers: 

Se7en
Gone Girl

How different social groups are represented in psychological thrillers.

Costume

Nina Sayers from Black Swan

Teddy Daniels from
Shutter Island

Harry Goldfarb from
Requiem for a Dream 

The types of costumes used are almost always normal clothing. The reason behind this is to add a sense of reality and ambiguity to character profiles. Characters tend not to have clothing that would identify them as estranged so that plot lines are not reviled and the audience are not fearful of the characters and can create sympathy for them, making any plot twists that may occur more unexpected. Loose clothing for a victim protagonist is conventional to this genre. It gives them a scruffier or more vulnerable appearance so that the audience subconsciously pick up on there susceptibility, for example Harry Goldfarb (see below) and Nina Sayers (see above). The antagonist or person of authority in the movie is usually smartly dressed in order to show there superiority over the other characters to the audience, for example Teddy Daniels (see right). Costumes usually match the location for example the character  Harry Goldfarb is based in an urban area therefore his costume is a baggy T-shirt, trousers and trainers, which are connoted to a typical person of his young age from a built up urban area. The colour schemes used for clothing are always dark for this genre of film. The costumes alway reflect the dark and isolated state of the characters as well as fitting in with the mise en scene of dark and mysterious settings to fit the conventions of the genre.

Types of Editing

Obtrusive and montage editing is often used in psychological thrillers to enhance the feelings and emotions connoted with the image track, such as suspense, tension and anxiety. This is often used over important or significant scenes that what to be particularly highlighted to the audience.



Flashback from Memento

Flashbacks are a typical convention of a psychological thriller because it gives the audience an insight into whatever horrific past the main protagonist has suffered through. Flashbacks can be edited colour wise or have a blurred or slow feel to them. for example the opening sequence to Memento.

Colour grading is often used is psychological thrillers to make scenes appear darker and more sinister. The colour grading on shadows and scenes where sound plays a significance can enhance the tension and fear amounts the audience.



Requiem for a Dream

Slow motion or Fast pace editing are also conventional to a psychological thriller film as a scene in slow motion builds up suspense because the audience are intrigued to know what happens yet this process is pro-longed by the editing. On the contrary fast pace editing is very common for this genre of film as fast moving scenes create a shocked and intrusive atmosphere for the audience often to create a sense of fear. Fast pace scenes are usually used to portray chase scenes or scenes that pass a significantly long period of time. An example of this
would be in Requiem for a Dream fast paced editing is used to portray a drugs trip.

Types of Characters found in Psychological Thriller Films

Character annalysis from 12cbrannan

Lighting

Lighting conventions:


The character  Nick Dunne from Gone Girl

Low key lighting is mainly used to depict a sense of suspense and uncertainty as well as adding to the mise en scene to create a unsettling and disturbing atmosphere for the audience. A lot of shots used in psychological thrillers use low key lighting to only show a part of a characters face. This is used to not only put the audience members on edge as they find the characters appearance unsettling, but can also be a physical metaphor for an unpredictable or split personality. By using the lighting to create a shadowed effect the audience begin to understand that there is more to the character than it may seem, creating enigma and intriguing the audience.

The character Teddy Daniels from
Shutter Island.

Backlight is less often used in psychological thrillers, however IS very effective when used as it enhanced a character or object on screen. This causes the audience to notice the element of the shot which is being highlighted creating enigma as to its relevance. A backlight often gives a halo effect around a characters head particularly at the ends of hair. This can be used to portray different characters in different ways.


The character Amy Dunne from Gone Girl 

Fill lighting may be used to reduce the contrast of a scene to match the dynamic range of the recording media and record the same amount of detail typically seen by the eye in average lighting. This creates a blander colour scheme to shot to create a darker more suspicious atmosphere to a scene.




The order of the opening credits

Order of titles analysis from 12cbrannan

Typography

Serif typefaces are semi-structural and have small decorative flourished whereas San serif do not have the flourishes and are usually easier to read. In  films San serif typefaces are used due to the near-uniform width of the strokes keeping the font readable even when reduced in resolution or in font size. San serifs are also more legible from farther away, which is why they make good title typography.

For psychological thriller films the fonts used are often san serif to give a clear and striking meaning to the text being shown which often contrasts the plot line. The colour scheme of the texts used are usually white, red or blue. These colours often contrast a dark background making them stand out. The red also has a common connotation to blood or danger which fits well with the genre of the film. The blue is often associated with isolation and the cold, separation and isolation are both common themes in psychological thrillers therefore the colours can be used as foreshadowing and links to the storyline. White is ambiguous as it can bring the ideas of insanity and sanity into the title or it can have clinical or death related connotations, either or is decided by the
title the colour is red for. However it is not uncommon for serif typefaces to be used for titles despite them not being ideal for movie titles. This is because  a serf typeface gives a more intellectual and advanced aesthetic to it which would attract the reformer type of audience to the film as psychological thrillers are usually aimed at the more intellectual side of society. The titles are always written in the centre of the shot to give a direct and almost forceful introduction to the film for the audience.

 An exception to the common conventions of a psychological thrillers typography would be Black swan  which is written in serif in the colour of black. This title still fits with the  bold central title for added suspense, however the typeface is based on a white background suggesting to the audience that is not just a conventional psychological thriller that it has something unique and different about it, in an attempt to draw a wider audience. This difference is the main protagonist is a woman which is unusual for this genre.

Types of Opening Shots

Opening Shot Types from 12cbrannan

Production and Distrabution

Production companies:
Hammer films is a British film production company based in London and is best known for producing horror movies and TV series ( The Hammer House of  Horrors). This is a semi realistic
production company as is aims at a British audiences however it is still a main stream distribution company that usually markets high budget horror and thriller films such as The Woman in Black.
 White lantern films are an independent production company based in the UK that fund all types of productions. As this company produce films on a low budget in the UK they are the more likely company to produce a film such as the one I will create.

Distribution:

Mainstream distributors  New Line Cinema is a popular distributor for psychological thriller films due to previous success. This distributor has released films such as Se7en and The Butterfly Effect. Although the opening sequence I will create will not be a high budget/ mainstream film it will have a similar storyline where it follows a main protagonists self state and similar genre conventions therefore making this distribution company a good choice.

 Independent distributors: Warp films are a small British targeted intuition. This would be a more realistic possible distributor as it doesn't distribute high budget films and targets British audiences. Warp films have produced films such as Dead mans shoes which is also a psychological thriller film.

Genre Conventions of a Psychological thriller

Silence of the lambs,
psychological
thriller/horror
(1991)

A movie under the psychological thriller genre has a thriller story that emphasises on abnormal psychological states of its characters. In many cases other genres are incorporated into psychological thriller films in order to promote intense emotions and create high levels of anticipation for the audience to draw them in. An example of a cross over of genres would be Silence of the lambs which is labels as a psychological thriller as well as a horror movie. Drama and mystery are essential for a psychological thriller in order to create the enigma needed to engage the audience, which is why there are always elements of these genres in psychological thrillers, such as Taxi Driver.

Taxi Driver
Psychological
thriller/drama
(1976)

Literary devices and techniques of a psychological thriller:
-Plot twists are almost always present. Films such as Psycho and The Skeleton Key have advertised the fact that they contain plot twists and asked audiences not to reveal them.

Psycho
Psychological thriller/
horror
(1960)

-Unreliable narrators are common in psychological thrillers as they link back to criminal insanity.

Themes that are commonly used:
- Reality/ fantasy
- Perception
- Mental state
- Existence/purpose
-Identity
 -Death

Classical Music in Psychological Thriller Openeing Sequences.

The type of music used in a films opening is a reflection of the psychographic audience the movie is trying to attract. In terms of the psychology of music the reformer and explorer groups or those rated high in openness (the type of audience a psychological thriller appeals to) tend to prefer more novel and complex music, such as classical, jazz , intense and alternative. People rating higher in openness also tend to rate higher in self-assessed intelligence, meaning that an alternative/ classical soundtrack for a psychological thriller movie is going to attract the audience the film makers intended.

Surprisingly classical music is often used in psychological thriller movies in order to create a more intense emotional attachment for the audience. Lux Aeterna used for the soundtrack of Requiem for a Dream was specifically adapted by Clint Mansell for the movie. The tone of music gives a very intense and almost sinister atmosphere to a very bright image track. If the composition was not present the films opening would have a  very different much happier atmosphere to it, therefore this is a perfect example of the effect the soundtrack has on the way an audience reacts to a film.

Similarly the opening sequence to Black Swan has the swan lake composition to accompany its opening sequence. This adaptation of the traditional swan lake piece was also by Clint Mansell  and creates a similar atmosphere to that of Requiem for a dream. Both pieces start off very concordant creating a slow and peaceful mood to the beginning of the sequence however they become very discordant by the end of the track making the audience in edge for the movie. In Black Swans the soundtrack as well as the title give an insight to the films main theme (ballet). Foreshadowing is also present within the soundtrack as shattering glass in  an artificial sound that has been added into this modern adaptation of Swan Lake in order to drop hints to the audience about the unfolding plotline. Overall classical music is effectively used to transition the atmosphere from calm to tense even when it contrasts the image track, this is essential for this genre of film as they create enigma and intrigue the audience as well as set they type of audience the film is aimed at (reformer and explorer psychographic groups) from the very beginning.

Audience Classification

Demographics:
The demographics of the type of audience the opening sequence will appeal to is very important as it determines the type of content I will use. The genre of the opening sequence is psychological thriller which will appeal those over a certain age bracket, predicted at anywhere form 12 and above to 18 and above. Due to the genre of the opening it will not be gender specific, however from researching other openings of the psychological thriller genre it tends to be male dominant. The education and occupation of the audience reflects how well they respond to a film, or in this case the opening. The type of audience for a psychological thriller need to be educated in order to follow complex plot lines as well as have the
capability to think about more than they are being shown on the image track.

Psychographics:
In terms of film, audiences are divided into several different categories that reflect their characteristics and hobbies etc.. The category of audience that physiological thriller movies aim to appeal to is the reformer or explorer group as they tend to be more open towards controversial and perplexing ideas that can be presented within a film of this genre.  These groups also tend to be more socially aware and usually younger making them more impressionable (not always but the majority of the time). The curious and intrigues nature of these types of people makes them an idea audience for a psychological thriller as they will enjoy the fact they have to think about the films plot line; unlike an audience from the struggler category.