> Differentiates between acceptable cinematic thrill in danger and just plain unpleasant fear, "That provided a thrill, certainly, not the kind to please the public. There were so many complaints that the sideshow was closed down."
> Differentiates between the Thriller and Horror genres in cinema, "It is permissible for a film to be horrific, but not horrible," and that Thriller, being more exciting and "Wholehearted" will live and thrive and Horror will die.
> Shows how when the audience is shown a dangerous and deadly situation in such a way as they are put in it, that this is a good example of cinematic thriller, "Watching a well-made film, we don't sit by as spectators; we participate."
> Explains that people like thrillers because of our sheltered lives being deprived of thrilling experiences , so we "have to experience them artificially and the screen is the best medium for this."
> Tells how Screen is better than Stage for providing a thrill, "in which a character who had won the audience's sympathy is in danger ... because the screen can produce an impression of great danger where no danger is"
Jaguars are elegant, powerful and beautiful animals and that is the effect we hope our films will produce and our logo is a reflection of that.
The shortening of Production to Pro, makes us seem modern.
The lack of colour in the logo makes it simple and memorable and less appealing to kids of a younger age, showing that this company wont be making films.
-The paramount logo is an effective film company logo due to the fact that the meaning of paramount means the most important and having the mountain in the logo it emphasis the meaning of the intentions of the company.
-The stars can also be a representation of the quality of the their films and the people in it which shows that they are making and funding films to a high standard and the sort of spotlight that highlights the mountain also could represent being the front runner.
-Also the mention of Viacom can make the film company more popular as it is an incredibly well known company in the US who own many channels and broadcast a lot of programmes etc.
Genre Elements/Conventions:
This film is a thriller, we can tell from a number of conventions. This includes the title, the use of mise-en-scene, lighting, cinematography, editing and sound. The beginning of the film starts with a track view of the sea splashing against the cliffs. The editing in this scene is the use of a sepia tone in the picture this creates a old fashioned look contrasted with the scene of the shore and the sound of the waves this adds a deserted look especially as it zooms into a deserted barn on the edge of a cliff.
Sub Genre:
From watching the opening sequence there isn't a apparent sub-genre however there is a sense of mystery because of the deserted house and two men with guns pointed to their head.
Certificate: 15 because of some strong language, violence, drug references and sex and nudity.
Target Audience:
The target audience for this film would be people interested in detective films above the age of 15. As the main characters Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds have stared in various films that have engaged the younger generation such as Miss Congeniality and the Notebook audiences may want to watch this film to watch the characters.
Institutional details:
Budget: $50,000,000 (estimated)
Opening Weekend: $9,307,394 (USA) (21 April 2002) (2663 Screens)
Gross: $31,874,869 (USA) (30 June 2002)
Critical Reception:
Guardian- This very underpowered thriller ... has a garbled, unbelievable plot, dull performances and an absurd, back-projection cliff-edge finale.
In this opening sequence you can see that there is a distinguished genre of romance and thriller. You can tell this by the couples relationship and body language. As well as the use of a gun and the sound of the gun shot. The lighting is also bright at the start and changes as the thriller genre is being introduced.
This opening sequence gives too much away of the plot and doesn't leave it as a cliffhanger and questions that you would ask about the film, have been answered. However the transitions and the cinematography in this sequence is varied and effective.
Lots of different camera angles have been used including close ups and long shots which help you understand whats going on. Parallel editing has been used to show the story from two different angles. There is diegetic and non-diegetic sound in this sequence which help to add atmosphere and excitement.
By Victoria and Daisy
Analyse of two student films
Derilium Tremens (Student Thriller - 2007)
1)genre elements
this clip fits genre elements like the many questions that don't get answered in the beginning of the film like what is in the car why are they there. also the music give you the idea that there is something wrong or these people should be worried and it helps you get into the film and feel what they feel at the time of the film.also it does not have loads and loads of drama at the beginning it is very subtle in the way it is made.
2)effectiveness
This film is effective it has edge music and makes you want to watch more with the questions that it hold like what is in the car and why are they there it also has many other questions and it seems to be really original.
3)use of camera/editing/mise en scene and sound
the use camera work is good because you have a lot of angles like at the beginning you have a 'tilted' shot of the two main people in the film and the 'tilted' shot is a good shot to use in a thriller and it adds to the edginess and suspense and then it starts to straighten up as you see the two people.quite near the end of the opening you get a point of view shot of some one or something in the car but it keeps it secret by using a point of view shot.
Editing is good because you get quick cut shots from present to past maybe something that happened the night before and it seems like a dream or that they don't remember it because it is all blurred which makes it seem like you could be seeing it through there eyes and it is quite distressing.
Mise en scene they are in a city as it looks like a built up area also they are wearing suits that look scruffy as if they have been wearing them for a really long time it is also grey and dismal weather which adds to the effect.
Sound there is a lot of non-diegetic sounds in this like the sound track but there is also a bit of diegetic sound like when the boy was walking around the car park.
36 (Student Thriller - 2007)
1)genre elements Many questions are posed in the first few minutes of this film, for example, why is the filming in black and white? Why are the two boys sleeping in the car, and why does one of them leave the other? 2)effectiveness it is effective because of the questions posed and it looks professional, there is a sense of a story being told which is challenging to follow but that is what thrillers are for 3)use of camera/editing/mise en scene and sound There is a lack of any sound to begin with, forcing the viewer to really listen to what they are seeing. the mise en scene included cities and industrial estates, a seemingly abandoned docks and the interior of a car, the costumes are simple and don't seem interesting in any way. the filming is in black and white, this may be because they intended to create a mystery about the beginning or that this was in the past, and a key point of referral and may help the audience understand the film.
Analysis of Real Thriller Opening Sequence
Salt (2010)
Genre Elements/ Conventions
Main character, Agent Evelyn Salt, is a CIA agent which in itself adds a sense of mystery to the film already and throughout the opening there is a tenseness in the scene. Also during the questioning of the Russian Defector the micro elements included in creating the scene make the atmosphere tense and gives the whole opening a bit of suspense.
Sub-Genre Elements
The film has many sub genres that we can identify as Action, Mystery, Sci- Fi and Detective. We think this due to in the opening sequence there is a lot of action but also when we see the questioning of the Russian there is a lot specialist equipment for example the brain scanning which gives the film a bit of a Sci- Fi feel.
Certification
Salt has been classified as 15. This is due to there being strong language and also strong violence which is shown from the beginning.
Target Audience
Its primarily aimed at men due to the content of film being action/thriller and also due to the main character, Agent Evelyn Salt, being played by Angelina Jolie.
Box Office Information
The budget of Salt was $110,000,000 and as of 24th October 2010 it made up its budget by grossing $118,311,368.
Critical Reception
The receptions from critics and journalists relating to the film was very positive and most of them gave a 10/10 which is very positive for a new film and means that it could go on to be very successful in DVD sales.
Momento, released in 2000, was directed by Christopher Nolan who is a successful film writer and director originating from London. Born on the 30th July 1970 has always been interested in all aspects of film and has studied in many different formats of the profession. He is most famous for directing and writing Thriller genre films and his most well known films are Momento (2000), Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008) and most recently Inception (2010). Nolan has won and has been nominated for many awards. The awards he has ascertained for Momento are, in 2001, the BSFC award for Best Screenplay and the ALFS Award for British Screenwriter of the Year. Also in 2002 he won the AFI Screenwriter of the Year, the Bram Stoker Award for Screenplay, Critics Choice award for Screenplay and an MTV Movie Award for Best New Filmmaker.
In Momento the film starts at the end of the story. We see the main character Leonard, played by Guy Pearce, killing Teddy who turns out to be the murderer of Leonard’s wife “John G”. We are then shown throughout the film how Leonard goes about trying to find who raped and murdered his wife. After we see the death of Teddy, we are introduced to Leonard’s “15 minute memory” and how he uses Polaroid photos, notes and tattoos on his body to remember everything and how he tells everyone about Sammy Jankis who also has the condition. Halfway though a new character, Natalie comes on the scene and we find out that she helps Leonard with his investigation. Later on, however, we find that she is the False Hero of the narrative (following Vladimir Propp’s Theory of Narrative) as she uses Leonard and his disability to manipulate and help her in her own troubles after her husband is missing after being involved with drug dealing. Then it is revealed that Teddy is actually John Gammell who is the murderer of Leonard’s wife. This pulls the film together and connects all the events to the end where we find that Leonard isn’t actually the person we think he is and Sammy Jankis is actually based on him but he has convinced himself that it isn’t. Also we find that he has already killed a John G and that he is re-investigating due to not remembering killing the previous John G.
At the beginning of Momento we are bought into the film with the opening sequence where we are introduced to Leonard, who is to be the main character. The scene is set in an empty hotel room with minimal props and with the frame black and white. Also we find out about Leonard being confused as to why he is in the hotel room which can give you a hint about the film being a thriller due to usually in a thriller the protagonist has an ‘Achilles Heel” which is taken advantage of by the antagonist in the narrative which in this is Natalie/Teddy. Furthermore the phone call that Leonard receives from the unknown caller in the beginning is the start of the complex plot line, which is also another convention of a thriller.
One of the key scenes in the film in my opinion is the opening scene where we are introduced to Leonard and his short term memory problem and then see the death of Teddy as it starts off the whole plot, which turns out to be incredibly complex – sometimes points that the film is a thriller. Especially when we witness Leonard kill Teddy as this can be seen as a convention of a thriller due to it being a murder.
Another key scene in the film is where the whole film comes together towards the end as it opens up the complexity of it and we find out that Leonard has already killed another John G. and the investigation is being completed again during the film.
Christopher Nolan was born in 1970; he studied English Literature at the University College of London while beginning to make his own films at the College Film Society. Christopher has directed other films such as The Dark Knight, Inception and The Prestige. Christopher has a vary of trademarks that he uses in all his films which include beginning all his movies and introduces his main characters with a close up of their hands performing an action, usually starts films with a flashback or a scene from the end of the movie and his main characters are usually men with a goal who face adversity.
Leonard is determined to avenge his wife's murder. However, unable to remember anything that happens day-to-day due to a condition he sustained, short term memory loss, he has to write himself note after note and apply tattoos that still don't mean anything after he falls asleep. He has learned to cope with his memory loss through dealing with a man named Sammy Jankis, a person he investigated professionally who also had short term memory issues. The film contains flashbacks of Leonard dealing with his condition and trying to find his wife’s killer who he believes is a man named John G, a name which is tattooed on his body. Leonard is assisted in this mission by a man named Teddy and a woman named Natalie.
The opening sequence is a man holding a photograph, these objects then get continued into the film as a commonly used prop. The non-diagetic sound in the opening sequence is a main factor which introduces the thriller genre because of its slow and low pitched sounding; the sound gives a sense of misery. Another feature that brings out the thriller genre is the use of blood in the photograph and the scene of a murder on the photograph.
Towards the end of the film is a scene where Leonard kills a man that he mistakes for John G, his wife’s killer. This scene contains violence and senses of torture. The emotions of Leonard are anger and scenes of confusion. Leonard only goes by the photographs he has taken and the tattoos on his body because he has no traces of any memories except the ones before his wife’s death. Leonard uses a gun to force Teddy, his companion, to explain what is going on. Flashbacks are then used to distinguish the truth about his wife and to show the links between himself and Sammy Jankis.
The black and white scene in the film is used to show a major incident that Leonard makes. This colour shows that it is in the past and creates a dark, cautious feeling. He is talking on the phone without even realising that he has a tattoo hidden by bandages telling him never to answer the phone. When Leonard unties the bandage a look of terror and fear appears on his face as well as a high pitch non-diagetic sound which also creates fear and caution to the audience.
In my opinion, I found the film confusing because of the way it was ordered however I did enjoy the storyline and the twist at the end. I feel that the actors were casted well especially Leonard as he made the condition extremely realistic. I would recommend the film to people that like the work of Christopher Nolan.
Daisy Dunnett
Review of christopher nolans film memento
introduction to christopher nolan
christoper nolan was born in london on the 30 july 1970 he has a wife and three children he has been married since 1996 until present day. he first started to make films using his action figures and his dads 8mm camera. he went to the universtiy college of london where he studied english litrature and he graduated and made films involving reall people one of his short films was shown in 1996 at the cambridge film festival many of his films begin with you seeing the main characters hands also most if not all his films are the genre of thriller or they could be put into sub-genres of action thriller etc.
summary of event in the film memento
the main events of the film memento are that it starts of at the begining of the end then goes to the enda and you then go back in the film every fifteen minutes or so to main event of the film like him meating natiel and teddy and going to the hotel you even see him tell everyone about this man he knew called sammy who has a condition alot like his own you also find out a bit about his wife and what happened for him to get this condidtion and write at end of the beginging of the film you find otu a very vital fact and that is that leonard has already avenged his wifes death and killed john d and he lie to himself to keep himself happy.
how does the opening sequence introduce the thriller genre
the opening sequence introduce the thriller convention by leaving you questions. you first of all see a hand holding a photo of a man whos brains have been blowen out at this point you wounder why this person is holding this photo and you also wonder who exatly it is.then the picture starts to fade and that seems strange as it goes and fades more you see a man go and hold the polaroid up to the positon where you would take it out of the camera and it gose in so you see that it is going in revers this whole sequence could give you the idea of what the film is about as it gose back in some ones memory of what has happened . you then see a dead man the one that was on the polaroid time is still going in revers at this point and you still dont actually know who these to are at this point leaving you with questions
Key scene1- thriller convention
this is the scene where leonard finds out that he had tattoed to himself that he should never answer the phone but for many scenes before this you see him answer the phone or at least be on the phone he wrote this message to himself to remind him not to answer the phone because his achellies heal as the protagonists of the film is that he has a fifteen minute memory and he wont be able to know if the person on the other end of the phone is telling the truth also it makes us wonder who it is.
Key scene 2 thriller conventions
in this scene you see leonard and natalie in bed she is a sleep and leonard is there talking about the last thing he can remeber and about his wife and how he misses her and how he is annoyed that he can not rember things so if he can not remeber things that are important how will he heal after the loss of his wife he shows his weakness again as the protagonist with memory loss you also have slow music that is quite in the back ground he then has to go to a picture to remember the girl in the bed with him and remembers that she will help him find his wifes killer forgeting that he has already done so.
opinnions and recomendations
the narrative of this film is a bit teddious and could possibley be improved also there could possible be less flash back in the film so they could of gone a bit futher back in the film and played it up to then point they were at then they could play a little bit further back and play from there to the next point because you would still get the same feel that leonard got in the film from his condition i like other films that christopher nolan has done like the prestige and the dark night and batman begins but this film of his does not appeal to me as much.
by Naomi Wilson
Christopher Nolan was born in London in 1970. He started making films at the age of seven and has been making films ever since then. He has directed a number of famous films including Memento, Inception and The Dark Knight. In most of his films he uses men with a goal who face adversity as the main characters. Another trend in Christopher’s work is that he quite often starts the films with a flashback scene or a scene from the end of the films, in the case of Memento he starts with a scene from the end of the film.
Memento is a film that follows an ex insurance investigator who suffers from short term memory loss but uses photographs and tattoos on his body to remember clues in his investigation to find out who murdered his wife. In this film Christopher has started with a scene from the end of the film and the film goes backwards to show all of the events that have happened.
The opening sequence introduced the thriller genre by leaving the audience with lots of unanswered questions. Other reasons that prove that this film is a thriller is how it’s based on crime and the micro elements add to this. For example, in the opening sequence you see a photograph of a dead man, which is fading away. This makes the audience think that the photograph is important and they want to find out more about the dead man and why the photograph disappeared.
The last scene contains thriller conventions because there is a very panicky atmosphere. The music in the background speeds up and the cut become quicker and more frequent. The micro elements add to this making it look like a thriller even more because of props such as guns and bullets and the man’s blood stained clothes.
Another scene that gives evidence to support the genre of this film is when Natalie walks in with blood on her face. This makes the audience panic and therefore the background music speeds up, the cuts become quicker and the camera angles are closer because in doing this it creates tension and makes the audience want to find out what’s going on.
In my opinion, I liked this film but I think I would need to watch it again to understand because I am unsure about what happened in some parts. I think it’s very clever how Christopher has produced this film because it draws the audience in and catches their attention. I though that the film was quite slow at some parts towards the beginning and it was quite confusing as to what order the scenes went in. However I would recommend this to other people because it’s different and make you really think about the story line. Although I was confused at some points and unsure of what the main character had already done and what he hadn’t, I liked how Christopher has created a film with such a different feel to it.
MEMENTO (113 mins) review Christopher Nolan has redefined the world of thriller with such hits as Dark Knight (2008); Inception (2010) Batman Begins (2005) and Prestige (2006) one of his best films was that of Memento, which came to cinemas in 2000, based on a short story written by Jonathan Nolan called "Memento Mori" in which a man, suffering from short-term memory loss, uses notes and tattoos for the man he thinks killed his wife.
The plot is going in two directions, backwards and forwards, throughout black and white scenes, it shows a forward timeline in which Leonard is explaining over the phone how he came to lose the ability to make new memories and how he lives through repetition and story telling, explaining a similar tale of conman Sammy Jenkins, it is unclear until the very end when in time he is speaking.The backwards order of the films events allows the audience to feel what the main character, Leonard, is feeling, it creates a sense of confusion and loss which goes perfectly with the theme presented throughout and allows the audience to be taken on a journey with the various plot twists.
Leonard, as the protagonist, only has a 15 minute memory, caused by an incident in which he says killed his wife and set the rest of his life searching for revenge. This flaw in memory poses as his main weakness that is exploited by the antagonists, Natalie and or Teddy aka John G, it becomes clear by the end of the movie that there are no certainties in Leonard's life, and some of the questions posed are never answered.
I think the key scenes are; when Natalie goes starts shouting and swearing at Leonard, this lets the audience realise that she is using him for her own gain and doesn't care for his plight, and the last scene, in which the narrated thoughts of Leonard ambiguously ties knots and shows that he had planned this all for himself, to give his life a purpose
The narrative consists of no dialogue or acting sequence, rather a series of close up shots of rough looking fingers processing pictures and making a book and black or dark backgrounds with the credits scratched or carved into the film, this conforms the conventions of thriller openings because the images placed in front of the audience pose a lot of questions, such as are they following the people in the photographs, are they planning to kill them?
We do not see a lot of the character, but the actions shown, for example peeling skin off of fingers or developing photos in a dark room, which looks sinister and allows the audience a window into the mind of the Antagonist.
The narrative shows that the antagonist is crossing out the eyes of photos before crossing out the entire face giving the impression that he's going to blind his victims then kill them. The antagonist is seen shaving his skin off his finger tips, this could be to destroy any chance of under covering any of his fingerprints of any of his victims.
Red can sometimes be seen as a warning of danger so when you see the photos in the container and the lighting is red, this makes you feel uncomfortable about whats about to happen and it also makes you aware of the photos that he's developing.
This was an exercise to help our ability with continuity editing, various camera works, and a little bit of acting to help prepare us for our main Thriller composition.
< Alfred Hitchcock
