Research: Thriller Opening - The Cabin In The Woods

Institutional Information
The Cabin In The Woods is a 15 age rated American horror thriller film, directed by Drew Goddard and released in April 2012. The story stars Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchinson, Fran Kranz and Jesse Williams, as a group of 5 friends who take a vacation in a remote cabin in the woods. Mysterious events begin to happen and we learn that there is a much bigger plan behind the trip to the cabin. The film was distributed by Lionsgate and was made on budget of $30 million and produced $65 million at the box office worldwide. 

Genre and Target Audience
This film belongs to a horror thriller genre and conforms to many of the typical conventions of the genre. This therefore makes it appealing to the typical audience of thriller/ horror film; this being both male and females aged between 15-19. The horror elements of this film, such as the gore, make it less suitable for a young audience (hence the age rating of the film being 15). And the young cast, slightly immature plot line and science fiction elements would perhaps make this film less attractive to adults.
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Opening Credits

The famous Lionsgate ident has been distorted in order to coincide with this film. The usual light colours and pretty clouds have been replaced in favour of a black and red ominous sky. The use of red and black conjures up connotations of  death and blood (linking to the horror aspects of the story). This title fades to black and we then transition to pages revealing egyptian images and symbols as blood seeps over the top, with loud, ominous instrumental music playing over the top. The credits list of the most important people and companies in the production of the film in a red font. This all provides a very tense and dark atmosphere and creates a sense of the enigma within the audience from the start.
The original credits build up, with the momentum of the music increases, as if leading up to a climax in which the title will be shown. However, this does not happen. Instead a jump cut is used to abruptly cut away from the ominous blood soaked pages, to an office type environment; completely juxtaposes the supposed genre of the film. In fact the title is not shown until 2.50 when a very sudden non-diegetic sound of a woman's scream and a loud percussion is played, and the movie title appears on screen in bold red capitals. 
A second set of credits is played when the next group of characters is introduced. Although the scene appears more vibrant and fun, the same red font is used for the text, suggesting that this happy atmosphere will not last. 

Location and Atmosphere representation 
The first location that we are introduced to initially appears to be an ordinary office environment. Over the shoulder shots are used to show the two new characters having a conversation. They leave the coffee room, then a long shot shows the building that they are in, and the location appears less familiar with the audience as the building has a very slight futuristic twist to it. The building also has a grey tone to it which suggests a sense of formality and slight darkness. As the camera moves with the two men down the corridor the conversation changes. This highlights the thriller aspects of the film as the typical conventions of this genre are met, and a mystery element is introduced into the film; what are they talking about? 
The second location is introduced by medium shot, pan zoom of a friendly looking neighbourhood. The bright mis en scene and upbeat music connotes happiness and carefree fun. This is a very different setting to the beginning office-like scene and again puts forward a sense of mystery for the audience as it is unclear how these two settings will interlink in the story; making the film conform to the typical conventions of thriller. The two sets of characters also do not appear to fit together, the first group appear formal and serious, dressed in office wear, whereas the second group appear more relaxed and carefree as the first character we meet is dressed in only pants and a shirt. 

Character Representation 
The first set of characters appear formal and business like. They wear suits and the mis en scene of their surroundings has a grey tone, connoting conservativeness but also emotionlessness; linking to the character's role later in the story as they view the horrific events happening to the teens with little or no sympathy. Eye level shots are mainly used to present these characters, which suggests that they are all of the same importance. Although, at 2.15 and long high angle shot is used to show the characters walking into a large room, suggesting that they are all a small part of a much bigger picture, as they look smaller and less significant. 
The second set of characters appear much more carefree and youthful compared to the first group. The light mis en scene, bouncy, upbeat music and cheerful setting of a typical teenage girls room imply both youth and happiness. The first character that we are introduced to is Dana; dressed in nothing but a shirt and her pants suggesting that she has a nonchalant attitude towards life. The next character introduced is Jules. An over the shoulder shot is used to represent these two characters having a conversation, however a high angle is used to suggest that Jules's confidence is misplaced and that, in fact, Dana is superior to her in some way. 

Conclusion
This is an unorthodox opening to a thriller film, however it still abides by some of the typical conventions of the genre. A sense of mystery still remains throughout the opening scenes as we do not know what role these scientists play and how they are interlinked with the other group of characters.  Also, although their roles have not yet been established, both villain and hero roles have been introduced. The opening credits have also created tension and an ominous tone to the film as the blood seeping over the pages connote death and something to be feared. 
Overall I think that this is an effective opening to a thriller film as it uses some of the typical conventions to create suspense, yet creates a false sense of security by juxtaposing a bleak scene with that of a happy neighbourhood and carefree teens. This create confusion within the audience and therefore creates suspense. 

Research: Thriller Opening - Black Swan

Institutional Information 
Black swan is a psychological thriller released in September 2010, directed by Darren Aronofsky and distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures. The films stars Natalie Portman as Nina, a committed dancer who is considered perfect as the lead role as the white swan in a production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake.  However the qualities of the darker and more mysterious black swan are better suited to her rival Lily (played by Mila Kunis). As the film progresses. Nina comes under immense pressure and descends into a living nightmare. The film was made on a budget of $13 million and produced $329 million worldwide at the box office. The was rated as a 15 due to violence and scenes of a sexual nature. 
The movie was successful and was nominated for five academy awards (best picture, best director, best actress, best cinematography and best film editing) and won one for Portman's performance. However the film is still considered by many as a 'love it or hate it' type of film.  

Genre and Target Audience 
This film was sold to an audience of ages 15 and above however was most likely better suited to an adult audience. Darren Aronofsky's previous work has also appealed to an audience, for example The Wrestler presents a serious and dark side to the world of wrestling that, by most, would not be considered appropriate for younger age groups. The Black Swan shows no difference, as the viewers we are introduced to a dark and oppressive world in which our protagonist enters; therefore making it less suitable and perhaps less inviting to a younger audience. 
This film is a psychological thriller, designed to both excite and scare the viewer through the mysterious plotline and the inclusion of disturbing imagery. Therefore perhaps this film would appeal to an older generation as the mental fear that this movie creates may be considered too scary for younger audiences.

Opening Credits  
We are first introduced to an alternative on the usual Fox Searchlight Pictures ident. Instead of the famous logo that we all know, we are shown a a black background with a white font over the top. This immediately set an ominous tone to the film as it suggests something wrong and the black connotes death and evil. 
Then a slow piano instrumental is played over the top of an image of black chalk travelling over paper as the rest of the credits are played. The credits are written in a black font again, along with the black chalk and beginning ident, connote negativity and fear, but also elegance and formality which could link in with the theme of ballet. Ballet is considered by many to be an art; which links with the images of chalk in the opening credits.
The title is presented in a hand written in a old time type of font in white, which suggests precision and delicacy which connects to the ballet theme of the film. 

Location and Atmosphere Representation 
The film starts with a long shot of the protagonist, dressed in white in a dark room, with a spot light pointed at her.  This establishes who the protagonist is in the film by putting the spotlight on her and by dressing her in white it creates connotations of purity and innocence. Also the tone of the film is introduced through the dark atmosphere and this is being battled by the white purity of the protagonist. This suggest that this fight between Nina's innocence and the darkness that tries to overwhelm her will be a key aspect of the film. 
The full extent of the room in never fully seen but it is clear to the audience, when she begins to perform, that she is in fact on a stage. A jump cut is then used to transition to a close up shot of the protagonist's feet as she begins to dance; showing that she is in fact a ballerina.

Narrative 
The dark setting of first long shot sets a negative tone for the rest of the film as the colour black typically connotes death and fear. However it also suggests elegance and power which implies that the protagonist follows or is associated with these traits. An over the shoulder tracking shot then follows a new character into the scene. This new character is wearing all black and, as he begins to dance, he begins to manipulate and control our protagonist, suggesting that a dark force can override the purity and innocence of Nina.   
Both characters are also wearing costumes that include feathers. This theme of birds not only coincides with the name of the film but also suggests grace and beauty. However swans also connote hypocrisy, with their beautifully pure white feathers opposes their black skin underneath, The inclusion of both of these two sides of a swan suggest that, as the audience, we will see both purity and darkness feature in this film.  
The beginning of this film presents a fictional and metaphorical narrative. Although the characters are portraying a dance, they are also suggesting what the for the rest of the film will be. 

Character Representation 
Both of the characters introduced in this scene are wearing costumes featuring feathers. This highlights that the elegance and grace of a swan is adopted by these two characters as they dance. Feathers also connote freedom; however this juxtaposes the story being told through the dance as the young princess is cursed and turned into a swan, trapped within her new form. 
The colours of the costumes also reflect the characters roles. The white of Nina's costume connotes purity and innocence, whereas the black of the man's costume connotes death and impending doom. 
The final shot of this scene is a long shot of Nina dancing alone, now in her swan-like form, as the screen fades to black, implying that she has now been taken over by the darkness of the other character. This also links with the character of Nina in the rest of the film, as she has to overcome a darkness that is trying to transform her. 

Conclusion
Overall I think that this is an effective opening to a thriller film as it abides by many of the typical conventions. For example hero and villain roles are introduced from the beginning, and dreary, suspenseful music is played in order to create tension within the audience. Also A sense of mystery and unknowing has been created through this interpretive dance. Although the dance does reflect many of the traits on Nina's character and parts of the plot, it requires much concentration and even then the story is still ambiguous and can be interpreted differently. This makes the opening effective as a lot of suspense is built within the audience as is usually done within he audience.  

Research: Thriller Opening - Limitless

Institutional Information
Limitless is an American thriller film, released in March 2011, and directed by Neil Burger. The film stars Bradley Cooper as Eddie Morra, a struggling writer who's life turns around when he is handed a mysterious pill by his ex-brother in law. The film was distributed by Relativity media, and was made on a budget of $27 million, going on to make $161.8 million at the box office worldwide. This movie has an age rating of 15, due to some of the violent action scenes. 

Genre and Target Audience 
This is a psychological thriller with mystery and science fiction elements added in. The film has a rating of 15 years old and above due to its more violent scenes. For this reason I think that it would appeal to a teenage/ younger audience in particular, due to the high action content included in parts of the film. However I believe that the complex psychological elements of the film could be considered appealing to older audiences along with the more mature protagonist and the issues that he faces. Therefore this film is appropriate and entertaining to a very wide audience.  

Opening Credits
There are two sets of credits in the opening sequence of this film.The first set of credits are simple; white text in a simple font, on top of a black background. These establish the most important people in the making process of the film, starting with the company 'Relativity' and then continuing to mention other production companies involved, the director and the lead roles. These credits are simple yet effective as the text alternates along to the diegetic sound of a loud bang. This use of sound is effective in creating tension within the audience as it is abrupt and mysterious. Later the source of the sound becomes apparent. A smooth transition is created when a final loud crash occurs, then the non-diegetic sound of the protagonist's voice is played as the shot converts to a medium shot of a door. This thens moves to a close up shot showing the door move as the loud crashes occur. This is an effective use of sound and imagery together as it creates suspense within the audience by generating a sense of mystery, with the unexplained sounds, and then the unanswered questions of; who is at the door? And what do they want? This is all conventional within the genre type of thriller.
The second set of credits begin with a birds eye shot from the top of a skyscraper, zooming in to the busy street below. These credits are played after the main protagonist has established part of the story to the audience in a voice over format. Non-diegetic music is played and the shots used quicken and slow down according to the momentum of the music. For example, at the beginning, when the shot travels downwards from the top of a skyscraper, I Don't Care If There's Cursing by Phosphorescent is played. As the shot nears the pavement, it speeds up and the momentum of the song increases.
The title of the film is presented in the second set of credits. 'Limitless' is written capitals and in a white plain font. This is presented to the audience through a rotating canted angle shot, with loud diegetic car and city sound effects played over the top. This creates a disorientating effect and coincides with the plot as it is representative of the adrift feeling of being on drugs; therefore hinting to the audience as to what the story is about, yet still allowing enough mystery to remain in order to still be representative of the thriller genre. 

Location and Atmosphere Representation
The location of the film is shown to us through a sequence of shots. The camera is always moving around the house on a dolly. The slows pace of these shots juxtapose some of the horrific images that are shown (e.g the dead bodies at 0:55) and presents the idea of 'chaos before the calm', as the slow music sounds both daunting and wrongly calm and the loud banging sounds continue from outside. The camera then moves out of the house as the protagonist's voice over

is played. The music builds in momentum and the speed of the camera movement increases up the building, until we are met with a long shot of our protagonist. A bird's eye shot from above the character shows a long city street far below him as he is perched on the edge of the building. This establishes the setting of the film as being in a busy city in America. 

Character Representation 
The protagonist is introduced to the audience dramatically, with  long build up. This is typical of the genre as it creates tension within the audience. The mysterious scene that we are first met with, of the expensive apartment and dead bodies, combined with the precarious position of our protagonist on the top of a extremely tall building all make the audience question what is going on. A close up shot of the protagonists face, shows tears in his eyes and we realise that he is in a suicidal state and begin to question why, and how the people behind the door are involved. This again produces a feeling of anxiety within the audience as this chaotic setting is like a taught spring ready to be released and for action to ensue. 
The self-conscious narrative of the protagonist allows the audience to recognise his emotions during this scene. His accent and articulate communication translate that he is an intelligent American as he speaks of his high IQ.This is the first insight that we get of Eddie as a character and gives subtle hints to the audience as to what the film is about as he talks about coming to close to 'making an impact on the world' and how he 'doesn't miss much'. 

Conclusion
Overall I believe that this film stays safely within the conventions of a psychological thriller. It does this by keeping a sense of mystery throughout the beginning of the film and also combines the use of sound and shots to build tension for the audience. This has been done effectively as the opening produces many intriguing questions for the audience and leaves the majority unanswered, creating a sense of enigma for the audience. 

Genre research - THRILLER

What is a Thriller

A thriller film is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense. The aim for Thrillers is to keep tension in the audience and to keep them on the edge of their seats. The protagonist in these type of films is usually set against a problem, of which the hero will have to solve/overcome. No matter what sub-genre a Thriller film falls into, it will emphasise the danger that the protagonist faces. The tension with the main problem is built on throughout the film and leads to a highly  climax.

Thriller films also have many sub-genres: 

Some examples of thriller films include: 

• Psycho - 1960
• The Dark Night - 2008
• Black Swan - 2010
• The Silence of The Lambs - 1991
• Inception - 2010
• Jaws - 1975

Convention of Thriller Openings

• A Villain and Hero (Good vs Bad)
• Low key Lighting
• Tension and Suspense
• Violence and Blood
• Location, Genre and Character Presence
• Dreary, Creepy Music
• Murder, Crime

Why I have chosen to make a thriller opening:
I have chosen to make an opening to a thriller film as I feel that, with the limited amount of resources that are available to me, I will be able to create an effective opening with a small budget. I also feel that thriller films are very versatile, which leaves me with a lot of room to come up with a specific plot for my film. On top of that, a typical convention of a thriller is that the film usually follows a single protagonist. This is helpful for my situation as I have limited availability to actors. Also thrillers often take place in isolated environments which is convenient for me as I live in rural area.