Research into cinematography - Miss Miller

Case 39 

In this post I will be discussing the cinematography used in case 39. I chose this particular clip in the film as at this point in the film the parents are believed to be the antagonists,  however upon focusing on the cinematography used we can see the girl is the real antagonist. This is confirmed as the film goes on. Cinematography is the different camera angles and shots used within thrillers to create tension, it also helps the representation of the characters.

At the start of the clip we see a shallow focus. We see this we when the girl is getting dragged into the over by her parents. The young girl is in focus and everything else is blurred. The emphasis on the girl shows something is going to happen to her. This makes the audience feel sympathetic towards the girl and anger towards the parents as they are trying to harm a young girl. Young girls portay inccoence and vunrability which increases the anxiety for her to be saved and the parents to be stopped. You can still clearly see the parents dragging her but there is a focus on the pain and suffering of her. This makes the parents seem inhumane almost as the are ignoring the cries from there own daughter and still trying to put her into the over. From this the audience will create a relationship with the girl as she is being portray as a victim, therefore they would want her to survive.   This creates suspense as at this point we are unaware there is someone coming to save her therefore it makes the viewers feel tense. This is conventional to a thriller as the antagonists are clearly stronger and unsympathetic, where as the protagonist displays vunrability.



There is an establishing shot and slight panning. We can see this as the camera is pointed at the house so we can see it all and then pans around the rest of the road. From this we can see the house in not situated in a nice neighbourhood. Also there are bars on the window which symbolise a prision. This could suggest someone in the house feels trapped. At first people think its the girl that is trapped in the house, and this makes the audience feel sympathetic for the girl and creates suspense and its not known what the parents are going to do to her. The house is very dark in the scene, all lights are offs in the house and you can't see in.  This implies that the people inside the house and not known and that its not known what is really happening inside the house. This creates intensity and suspense as we don't no what is going to happen to the girl or her parents.

Furthermore, there is a high angle and zooming in. This happens when the parents are pushing the girl into the over. This makes the whole family appear vulnerable even though the parents are in control of the current situation. The fact that both parents are against one little girl it conveys the girl is more powerful then thought at first, the creates curiosity and increases tension. This is because the viewers are unaware of why its taking two people to hold a little girl. The audience will automatically associate the girl as the victim and will build an emotional relationship with the girl as she is being targeted by her parents. This sense enigma is conventional in thrillers and helps to create suspense within thrillers

There is also another high angle used when the girls dads is trying to push her into the oven, it is also a mid shot as we can see from his shoulders up. This allows us to feel more involved in the film as we can see the raw emption shown by the dad and the strain in his face. However you can also see the girls hand hanging out of the oven in this shot which creates suspense and the dad would easily be able to over power a little girl, so there is suspense in what is going to happen next. Her hand hanging out also represents the girl as a  strong character, which would make the audience feel happy because they want her to escape. This type of scene the audience would be on the "edge of their seats" due to the fear of the unknown which is conventional in thrillers.

An extream close up is used when the couple turn on the oven with the girl in it. This shows the seriousness of the parents. It also their ruthlessness and hatred for the daughter, this unusual hate creates suspense within the audience. The intensity of the scene rises as the flame spreads round the oven, which lets the audience feel more involved with the little girl as they can see the flames getting closer to her. Which creates tension as we don't no if she will get out or not.

A two shot is used when the couple are looking into the oven at the little girl, you can see the girls hand pressed up against the oven glass and part of her body. Both parents come across as heartless and like the antagonists of the film.  They are both looking straight at the little girl without any emotion on there faces. The man is more in this frame which could suggest he is the dominating parent. This will cause the audience to feel resentment towards him. The audience would feel suspense as they want the girl to get out but the mans dominating nature makes us questions this. The parents are trying to show their authoritative however we know they are vunrable.

This research into cinematography within case 39 has shown me how to make my characters appear vulnerable or dominating. Different shots and angles help to show different characters representations, this helps me to build up the tension within my thriller. I want to use an extrema close up in my opening sequence as I think it helps to show the characters emotions and the seriousness of the scene, which helps the audience to feel more involved. I also would want to use a high angle shot of the victim to show the vulnerability of them. I will try to include most of these shots as they are all effective in sustaining the audiences attention and maintaining tension through out. This will help me to create a conventional thriller sequence as it will help me to show the vulnerability of my victim and over powering/dominating nature of my antagonist.

BBFC - Miss Miller

BBFC
The BBFC stands for the 'British board of film classification'. They are a trusted guide to media content. There aims as an independent, self financing media content regulators are to protect the public (mainly children) from contact that might raise harm risk. Additionally they want to empower the public, especially parents, to make informed viewing choices.  Furthermore, they aim to recognize and respect the adult freedom of choice within the law. They give age classifications to films, blue-rays, video games, videos and adverts.

The BBFC encourages feedback from the public, and responds to every letter or email they get and give a rational explanation for its decision on the age rating. This makes the BBFC very trustworthy which is an important aspect to them.

Age classifications


The U stands for universal, this means that the film should be suitable for audiences aged four and over. Although saying this, some scenes may upset a particular child, especially if there at the lower end of the age category. Therefore it is up to the child's parent to decide if it content is suitable.
Films that are suitable for children under four are also given the U classification, however they give them a special BBFCinsight stating they are particularly suitable for under fours.
The infrequent use of bad language is allowed in this age classification for example 'damn'. There would be no overt focus on sexual behaviour, however there may be kissing and cuddling and some slight sexual references. Brief scenes of violence are allowed or moments where characters are put into danger, but these are quickly resolved, mostly with reassuring elements such as music.
Films with a U rating can explore a large variety of themes as long as appropriate. Generally, the films will enforce a positive message about friendship, honesty or loyalty.

An example of a U age classification is island of lemurs: Madagascar 

This is an animated film with lots of bright colouring which appeals to children. The content of this film Is none which would offend or harm. There may be the breeding of the lemurs mentioned, however there is no sexual content which could offend. The cast includes Morgan Freeman who is a well known voice and is highly valued in his industry. The purpose of this film is to inform we know this as it is a documentary, therefore it would be good for young children as it would encourage them to learn new things. The narrative film takes the audience on a journey of how the cast away lemurs, who arrived island of Madagascar millions of years ago, evolved into many diverse species. However, it goes into how they are becoming highly endangered. It shows how Dr. Patricia is spending her life trying save them. The narrative with the films helps younger children have an understanding of whats going on.




This stands for parental guidance which is quite self explanatory. It means the film may be suitable for general viewing but there may be some scenes which younger viewers may find distressing and unsuitable. Generally a PG should not unsettle a child eight years and older. This rating encourages parents to think whether the content may be upsetting for younger or more sensitive children.
Not all PG classified films are aimed at children, for example saving Mr.Banks was mostly enjoyed by adults but the content within is suitable for children eight years plus.
The themes involved in PG's will always be suitable for eight years plus, however can involve some challenging issues such as racism and bullying.
There may be mild bag language used but the context surrounding this and delivery of it is important. Comical and infrequent sexual references are allowed.
An example of a film with the PG rating is up.

The film has a main theme of adventure however does touch on the issue of bullying slightly (when one dog gets left out and victimized by the others). This is only touched on slightly as otherwise it would not fit into the PG age classification. The film is conveying to children to keep promises, where the old man ties balloons to his house to keep his promise to his wife. Also the brightly coloured film makes it appealing to children and the fictional characters are suitable for most ages.
The start of the film is like a mini love story about how Carl and Ellie first fell in love and then married and then spent the rest of Ellie's life together. There is some holding hands and kissing but this is not focused on. And within the content would not harm. We see Ellie in a hospital bed and then it changes scene and we see Carl sitting in the church without Ellie. This makes the audience aware that Ellie has died however there is no dwelling on this.
Following this, Carl meets Russell and they go on an adventure trying to fulfil Ellie's final wish. Along with this story we find out about how Russell's dad is always letting him down and never there for him, there is not a lot of focus on this story but lots of children can relate to this and it makes them feel more emotionally involved with the film.



These films with this classification contain material the is generally not suitable for children under 12.  Under 12's cannot see a 12A film in a cinema, unless they are with an adult. However, when adults are planning to take under 12's to see a 12A they have to consider whether the content of the film will be suitable.  Depending on the manner of which it is used strong language may be in 12A's, also it depends who is using the language and the frequency of it. Additionally there is a minor allowance of puns on strong language. It is very unlikely that discrimination will be in the content of these films. There may be sexual references but only ones suitable for young teens and any sexual scenes will be brief. Detailed violence will not be aloud however moderate violence may be incorporated. There will be not detail into dangerous drugs in these classifications but they may be present. Some horror films will be given the classification 12A but the scenes of horror will be brief and not very frequent.

An example of a 12A is Mary Kom:

This film has been given this age classification as there is moderate violence which could not be suitable for any person under 12, therefore it would be up to he adult to decide whether the content may harm their child. It also has detail to injury which could disturb younger viewers, again it would be up the adult if it's suitable.The theme of this film is about a woman who is striving to achieve her dream, but it dwells on the hardships of achieving this. The film shows her as quite a strong independent woman therefore its encouraging for young people to see this. Some sensitive children could find some of the fighting scenes (Mary Kom is a boxer) upsetting and disturbing, again so the 12A classification means adults can decide. There is quite a lot of skin shown in this film, however with the content of the film it would not harm or offend.




 The difference between the 12A and the 12 classification is that the rule that a child must be accompanied by an adult in a 12A cannot be enforced within a household. Therefore it would be given the 12 classification for DVD/blue ray films. This makes it easier for retailers of DVD/blue rays films as they simply won't sell the film any child under the age of 12.  12's allow much of the same content as 12A's. Infrequent strong language may be used, but it depends on who is using in and the content surrounding the use of strong language. Sexual references suitable for young teens may be used, but the sexual scenes will be brief. There will be no dwelling of blood or injuries, therefore detailed violence is not allowed. Moderate violence may be involved in the classification. Dangerous drugs may be present but there will be no details.
An example of a film with this age classification is The hunger games: mockingjay: part 1
 This film is about the courage and determination of a young woman and how she takes extreme lengths to save her friends and family. Also how she grows as a woman. Although these are quite adult themes, due to the depth of them, they are not violent or sexual and encourage children to do the right thing. The is some violence in this film however it is only moderate and there is no dwelling on injuries or blood. This is why the film is in the 12 age classification and not a 15. The main subject of this film is the actually game. The aim of the game is for the characters to fight to the death and there be one survivor.

The 15 classification means that people under the age of 15 will not be aloud to see a 15 in the cinema, nor buy or rent a 15 film/blue ray. This is because the content of the film will not suitable for children under this age. There are no boundaries on the theme of the film.  Strong language will be aloud in these age classifications as will strong violence. There may also be sexual activity portrayed and strong sexual references. Nudity is also allowed. But there will not be much detail.  Additionally there could be some quick scenes of sexual related violence. Some language and behaviour may be discriminatory. However the films must not endorse this. There will be no encouragement of drug taking however drug use may be seen in these films with a 15 age classification.
An example of a film with this age classification is Lucy:
The theme of this film is quite dark, the girl playing the main character experiences some dangerous circumstances which could upset or disturb some younger viewers.The sexual content and nudity in the film is rated 5 out of 10, this is because sex is implied in some scenes but never seen. And the is no full nudity only men topless and a woman's cleavage. There is some violence and gore which includes shootings, car accidents, a few graphic surgery scenes and detailed speech regarding the pain a man is feeling while being stabbed in the hand. The is moderate bad language used such a names calling and common drug references. Its quite a intense and frightening film, by the suspense built by the main character Lucy as we don't no what is going to happen to her.

Films with an 18 age classification are aimed at adults and the content involved will not be suitable for anyone under 18 years of age. There is not limit on the theme in this age classification as long as the film does not promote any illegal behaviour. This may lead to some of the themes involved being offensive to adult viewers. There are not limitations on the content involved, therefore very strong language will be allowed as will strong violence. This may go into detail about the blood and gore. Strong sexual scenes can be portray and sexual violence may be in the content of these films. Horror is a common theme in 18 age classifications and scenes of horror will be frequent in many of them. Drugs taking may be in these films as well, but the use of the illegal substances will not be promoted. Due to adults being able to choose there own entertainment there are no limitations on the limit of strong language or sexual scenes and references used within the film. Saying this, there can occasionally be cuts to these films. This will happen when the BBFC feel the film is going to endanger us or when the film is in breech of the law.
An example of a film with this age classification is The wolf of wall street:
This film is based on a true story therefore is very realistic to the viewers and makes them feel more part of the film, as there are real issues being dealt with. For this same reason, the topics covered in the realistic film would not be suitable for under 18's. Some of the themes are crime, corruption and federal government. Throughout the films there are many sexual scenes, and common women nudity. There is some male nudity but it is not as common. There is a very controversial issue of women being treated as objects, which makes it highly inappropriate to young children. There a references to sex and prostitution continuously. There is not a massive amount of  violence and gore, but blood is seen in one scene. There is also fight scenes which include some blood. Bad language and derogatory terms are frequently used. Additionally drugs and alcohol are used mostly all the time in the film, there are scenes of drugs being smoked, snorted and injected.





The BBFC allows people to decide the content that the want to view while watching films, this is important otherwise we could be harm and disturbed by watching inappropriate content.
This research into the BBFC age classifications has allowed me to see what content is allowed in each classification as i didn't know before. I now think that my age classification for my film will be a 15 or 18, as a thriller is likely to include content which is not allowed in a 12 or 12A. Such as strong language and violent scenes. If i choose a 15 age classification my opening sequence will have slightly more guidance as to what can be in it, which will help me when producing it. There is going to be no theme restrictions but there would be no detail into nudity as it is not allowed in a 15 age classifcation. I would not have nudity in my opening sequence due to it no being suitable therefore an 18 age classification is not really needed.

History of thriller films - Miss Georgiou

History of Thriller films
1940's to the present day 1950s

1940s - Rebecca

Unlike now in the 1940's the film producers relied mainly on music and editing to make the viewers jump. A popular film from 1940 is Rebecca. It was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Tension is created in the film by naivety of the second wife. The plot of the story makes viewers fearful for The Second Mrs. d Winter, as she unravels the mystery surrounding the first Mrs. d Winter and the possessive ways of her husband. From the poster of the film you can see that the colours used are dark. The title 'Rebecca' is in red, this could symbolise that whoever that is, is dead. And died in gory circumstances therefore lots of blood was involved. We can also see two definite characters on the cover, and then a faint picture of another lady. This implies that this lady is no longer there, which is supported by the film itself.
The film is shot in black and white makes it feel even more eery and helps to create suspense. It is also created by increasing the speed of the music and different camera angles. For example focusing straight on faces.  The film is quite dark therefore its easy for the director to make particular parts of the film stand out. The characters are all quite well spoken and have the same speed through-out mainly. Therefore when there voices speeds up it increase tension and allows the viewers to know something is going to happen but they don't no when.
The film uses low key lighting to create shadows and sillohhets. Shadows are cast over the characters faces which help to creates suspense as it give defenition to the chacrters emotions. Another way this film helps to creates suspense is by adding sudden sounds, for example in scene ten when maxim admits he knew Rebecca was dead the telephone rings. Making the characters jump and creates tension within the audience as we don't no who is on the phone. Once the phone call has finished it fades into another scene, this could symbolise Maxims hopes of getting away with Rebecca's death fading away.


1950s - Psycho 
Alfred Hitchcock  makes each scene of his film so that its effects the viewer in some way. He does this by making the content engaging, which reels them in. He creates suspense by teasing the viewer, this encourages them to watch more. Hitchcock says "emotion comes from the eye" this is why he uses is actors eyes to help him get across the emotion of each scene. Psycho was different from other horrors of its time as it allows the viewer to know the main character more personally. This makes the viewers feel more emotion for her. The film is black and white which helps to create tension and nothing is given away. Additionally, light is used to make certain characters stand out and other blend.
Also the audience is made to feel uncomfortable, for example in shower scene the camera follows a naked woman into a personal place, the shower. The quietness of the scene adds to how intruding the audience feel.
The main ways in which tension is created in this film is by camera angles and music changes.
The famous shower scene in Psycho builds up suspense and tensionby using a variety of camera angles and shots. The girl victim (girl victims are conventional to thrillers) is completly unawear that she is about to be killed. However the audience can see the shadow of the killer when he walks into the bath room, this helps to create tension as we don't no when his going to pull the shower curtain and reval himself. This means the audience are waiting to be scared.
 Due to the age classifications of this time we do not actually see the girl being stabbed but using over 100 different shots we can cleary see her fait. At this point in time, prodcuers would have to physically cut the film to edit it and cut parts out.

2001- along came a spider

Even from the poster of this film you can tell it will be full of secrets, hidden identity and disseat. We can see this as the girl is hidden behind the man look away which implies she is hiding something straight away. Also the spiders web across it suggests that the story is quite complex with lots of different factors. And the red in the middle suggest danger for both of the characters on the cover.
In the film there are lots of surprises and unexpected events, this is key to making a good thriller. This along the complex plot, that is continually unravelling and revealing more about the characters is what make along came a spider a successful thriller film. The film is about the congressman's daughter gettig kidnapped from her private school by an insider from the school. It shows the struggles of grieving parents who just want there child back and the efforts detectives go to, to get the little girl back. There are guns used and chase scenes this creates suspense within the audience as we dont no when the kidnapper is going to be found and what is going to happen to him.
Supense is created when Morgan points a gun at his partner as we dont no whether his going to kill her or if she is going to try to kill him. This is convential to a thriller as the audience are always left in suspension, not knowing how the film is going to end .
Also, ealier on in the film there is an escape attempt by the little girl who was kidnapped. She gets past the gaurd which rases hope from the aduience as we think she can get away. She then jumps into the river and begins to swim towards the bank. However the camera shows us how far the girl has to go, this creates tension within the audience as we want her to get away but we know she has far to go. And we know that the gaurd is coming after her. There is then an establishing shot where we can see the man trying to help her out, the girl swimming and the boat coming after her. This lets the audience see the whole situation and how close the girl is from escaping.  This is conventional to a thriller as the victims normally have an attempt at escape however the antagonist usually catches them quickly. This creates edge of the seat tension for the audience as the want to victim to get away. We no the gaurd is on a boat therefore is faster then the girl swimming but we are still hopeful.


2007-Zodiac
This film is about a armature detective who becomes obsessed with a Zodiac killer. The obsessive nature creates curiosity and tension within the audience, as we don't no how far he will go to figure out who the killer is. Additionally, the killer taunts the police with letters and Cypriot messages, which creates suspense amongst the audience due to there unpredicitablity.
Unlike most films the "nail-biting" thriller does not need many special effects unlike some other films to create suspense and tension. The story line and camera skills alone do this very well. Some of the different camera angles used are a close up and panning.
The poster for this film supports that most things are unknown right until the end of the film as the middle of the bridge is covered in smoke and we cannot see what is there.
There is a scene within this film which creates suspense within the audience. A couple are sitting in there car at night and then another pulls in. Because it is dark outside we cannot see who it is and nether can they. The car pulls away but then returns. This creates tension as we don't no who is in the car and it also make us fear for the safety of the people in the car. We anticipate that something is going to happen when the car returns, the wait for the person in the other car to arrive at the couples window in very tense as we are unaware of what their future will be. Additionally, we still cannot see who the killer is, this is conventional to a thriller as they use enigma and hidden identity to create suspense. After the boy is shot the camera moves to behind the girl, and we see the silhouette of the gun, which shows the vulnerability of the girl and that she is going to be the next victim. The camera then focuses on the gun again this emphasises that it was the weapon used to kill the couple. It could also suggest that the gun is going to be used again. This creates tension as its an enigma for the audience. A gun is conventional to a thriller as its a quick way to kill someone and does not take a lot of force from the antagonist. Without a weapon antagonists are weaker then with a weapon.




2014- The purge: Anarchy
This film creates tension and suspense by the fear of the unknown and not knowing what is going to happen next.
It starts off by emotionally making the audience attached to each character by showing there home life and how they think they are going to be fine that night. As the film goes on we find out more about each character and how they have been targeted from different groups of people. Also, the audience becomes emotionally attached as we see the group of strangers make friendships, rebuild relationships and learn to trust each other. This helps to create even more suspense as the audience doesn't want anything bad to happen to them but as we know there are many antagonists in this film who are after people in the group.
By the many extreme close ups in this film we are constantly involved with the feelings and emotion of the characters. This allows the audience to feel like part of the film and more involved in the journey that the characters are going on.
In the moive the group think they are safe at many points however they are kept on their toes by groups of antagonists chasing after them. This makes the film an emotinal roller coaster for the audience as we never know what is going to happen next. At one point the group are walking through a tunnel when a group of people on quad bikes with fire tourches start chasing them. This creates tension as we don't no whether they are going to make it to the other side. This part of the film is conventional to a thriller as the antagonists usually have an advantage which makes the stronger then the protagonist. This is used to create tension as the audience don't no how they are going to get themselves out of the situation.

From this we can see that the film Hannibal was a lot more popular then the film Natural born killers. Hannibal is based on a man who use to eat people, which although very gory, creates tension and suspense amongst the target audience. The title of the film gives a brief overview of the whole film, even though its short.

Natural born killers was made in 1994 therefore the special effects used would be very minor and it would be more camera angles and lighting which was used to create tension. Whereas Hannibal was made in 2001 therefore the special effects used in this film would be much more advanced. The clarity of Hannibal would be much better then Natural born killers which would allow the viewers to feel more involved in the film.