Research: 3 Thriller Plots (Narrative) (Anna)

Popular Thrillers and their plots:

Inferno (Dan Brown, 2016)

Synopsis: Robert Langdon is in Italy. He wakes up in a hospital with no memory of recent events. He appears to have suffered some head trauma. He's being treated by Dr. Brooks. Suddenly someone dressed as a policeman comes in and starts shooting, trying to get to Langdon. Brooks helps him. Langdon finds he received an email from a friend in Italy who told him that he too is being hunted, and he's gone into hiding with what they took. Of course he has no idea what he is talking about. He finds something in his belongings that reveals the Map of Hell which is inspired by Dante's Inferno. He learns about a man Bertrand Zobrist, a billionaire who believes the world is too overpopulated and that drastic measures are needed. He plans to release a virus which he created to kill most of the planet's population. Evidently he's inspired by Dante so Langdon needs to find out what he is planning, while he's being pursued by people from the World Health Organization, and one of them is someone he knows.

Split(M.Night Shyamalan)                                             

When three girls are kidnapped by a man with 24 different personalities they have to work out which of those personalities will help them escape and which of those personalities will try to stop them. James McAvoy produces a master class performance playing the psychotic kidnapper with 24 personalities

Girl on the Train (Tate Taylor ,2016)

Rachel Watson's life post-divorce. Every day, she takes the train in to work in New York, and every day the train passes by her old house. The house she lived in with her husband, who still lives there, with his new wife and child. As she attempts to not focus on her pain, she starts watching a couple who live a few houses down -- Megan and Scott Hipwell. She creates a wonderful dream life for them in her head, about how they are a perfect happy family. And then one day, as the train passes, she sees something shocking, filling her with rage. The next day, she wakes up with a horrible hangover, various wounds and bruises, and no memory of the night before. She has only a feeling: something bad happened. Then come the TV reports: Megan Hipwell is missing. Rachel becomes invested in the case and trying to find out what happened to Megan, where she is, and what exactly she herself was up to that same night Megan went missing.

Taken(Pierre Morrel ,2008)

Former CIA agent Bryan Mills reluctantly agrees to let his 17 year old daughter Kim go to Paris on a trip. His ex-wife Lenore and her new husband Stuart are all for it and Kim sets off with a friend. On arrival in Paris however, Kim and her friend are kidnapped by mobsters running a slavery-prostitution ring. Bryan's only lead is a short snippet of a conversation from when Kim phoned him in a panic. With that, he's able to identify the origin of the speaker and which criminal gang he's with. Once in Paris, he quickly shows everyone connected with the case that he will stop at nothing to get his daughter back.

Research: 3 Thriller Plots (Narrative) (Keiley)

The Purge: Election Year

• July 1st, 2016
• 105 mins
• R55%

Expanding upon the explosive universe introduced in the sleeper hits that have earned $200 million at the worldwide box office, Universal Pictures’ The Purge 3 reveals the next terrifying chapter of 12 hours of anarchy that is sanctioned annually by the New Founders of America.

The Shallows

• June 24th, 2016
• 87 mins
• PG-1377%

In the taut thriller The Shallows, Nancy (Blake Lively) is surfing alone on a secluded beach when she is attacked by a great white shark and stranded just a short distance from shore. Though she is only 200 yards from her survival, getting there proves the ultimate contest of wills. It’s Jaws for a new generation.

Blood Father

• August 26th, 2016
• 88 mins
• R89%

An ex-con reunites with his estranged wayward 16-year old daughter to protect her from drug dealers who are trying to kill her.

Imperium

• August 19th, 2016
• 109 mins
• R82%

Nate Foster, a young, idealistic FBI agent, goes undercover to take down a radical right-wing terrorist group. The bright up-and-coming analyst must confront the challenge of sticking to a new identity while maintaining his real principles as he navigates the dangerous underworld of white supremacy.

Jason Bourne

• July 29th, 2016
• 123 mins
• PG-1356%

Global superstar Matt Damon returns to his most iconic role as Jason Bourne in the fifth installment of Universal Pictures’ Bourne franchise.  Acclaimed director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, Captain Phillips) also returns for this much-anticipated chapter, and Frank Marshall again produces alongside Jeffrey Weiner for Captivate Entertainment.  Greengrass, Damon, Gregory Goodman and Ben Smith also produce.  The action-thriller is written by Greengrass and Christopher Rouse.

Now You See Me 2

• June 10th, 2016
• 129 mins
• PG-1334%

One year after outwitting the FBI and winning the public’s adulation with their mind-bending spectacles, the Four Horsemen resurface in Now You See Me 2 only to find themselves face to face with a new enemy who enlists them to pull off their most dangerous heist yet. 

The Nice Guys

• May 20th, 2016
• 116 mins
• R91%

Set in 1970s Los Angeles, down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Ryan Gosling) and hired enforcer Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power.

The Neon Demon

• June 24th, 2016
• 104 mins
• R53%

When aspiring model Jesse moves to Los Angeles, her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will take any meansnecessary to get what she has

Green Room

• April 15th, 2016
• 94 mins
• R91%

In the crime thriller Green Room, a young punk rock band find themselves trapped in a secluded venue after stumbling upon a horrific act of violence, fighting for their lives against a gang of white power skinheads intent on eliminating all witnesses.

Criminal

• April 15th, 2016
• 113 mins
• R31%

The memories and skills of a CIA agent are implanted into the brain of a dangerous criminal in order to sto

Research: 3 Thriller Plots (Narrative) (Vince)

10 Cloverfield Lane
A young woman wakes up after a terrible accident to find that she's locked in a cellar with a doomsday prepper, who insists that he saved her life and that the world outside is uninhabitable following an apocalyptic catastrophe. Uncertain what to believe, the woman soon determines that she must escape at any cost.

Inferno
In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history's most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces: Dante's Inferno. When he wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up with Sienna Brooks, a doctor he hopes will help him recover his memories. Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and futuristic science.

Deepwater Horizon
On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, igniting a massive fireball that kills several crew members. Chief electronics technician Mike Williams (Mark Wahlberg) and his colleagues find themselves fighting for survival as the heat and the flames become stifling and overwhelming. Banding together, the co-workers must use their wits to make it out alive amid all the chaos.

Research: 3 Thriller Plots (Narrative) (Anderson)

Jason Bourne is again being hunted by the CIA. It begins when Nicky Parson a former CIA operative who helped Bourne who then went under and now works with a man who's a whistle blower and is out to expose the CIA's black ops. So Nicky hacks into the CIA and downloads everything on all their Black Ops including Treadstone which Bourne was a part of. And Heather Lee, a CIA agent discovers the hack and brings it to the attention of CIA Director Dewey, the man behind the Black Ops. He then orders Parsons be found and hopefully Bourne too.

THE FOUR HORSEMEN (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Lizzy Caplan) return for a second mind-bending adventure, elevating the limits of stage illusion to new heights and taking them around the globe. One year after outwitting the FBI and winning the public's adulation with their Robin Hood-style magic spectacles, the illusionists resurface for a comeback performance in hopes of exposing the unethical practices of a tech magnate. The man behind their vanishing act is none other than WALTER MABRY (Daniel Radcliffe), a tech prodigy who threatens the Horsemen into pulling off their most impossible heist yet. Their only hope is to perform one last unprecedented stunt to clear their names

"The Shallows" is an 87-minute thriller set mostly in a lagoon where an injured surfer is battling a shark. There's not much plot beyond that, and what little the movie tries to add doesn't make it richer. Its situations are primal and often terrifying. The fact that they unfold in a fairly contained space—a stretch of shore-bordered water that looks to be about a kilometre across—intensifies the suspense.

Research: Thriller Opening Analysis (Anna)

Taken 2008 film opening analysis

7. taken opening analysis from Anna Gajda

Research Thriller Opening Analysis (keiley)

Research Thriller Opening Analysis (Anderson)

Inception movie opening 

MISE EN SCENE

• The man in the military uniform pokes the protagonist with the end of his gun through a medium close-up, which shows his authority. 
• The low lighting with a huge table in the middle shows that whoever owns the house is of a higher class than the protagonist. 

CAMERA SHOTS,  ANGLES AND MOVEMENTS

• The film opens with a pan shot of the sea, this is also an establishing shot showing the audience the location in which the scene is set. 
• It starts with an extreme close up on the protagonists face showing him to be confused and tired.
• A low angle shot is used to show to the audience that the soldier has a higher status and is powerful. 
• The use of a pull focus is used here, this is used so the audience look at the protagonist and then are made to look at the villain.
• This extreme wide shot is also an establishing shot which gives the audience a better insight into where the scene has been set.

SOUND 

• The film starts with dramatic, strong bassed music which builds tension and confusion for the viewers, the use of non-diagetic sound is used in the background to help set the scene.
• The diagetic sound of the rough waves crashing against the rocks also helps sets the scene, this fades when the camera cuts to the protagonist lying face down on the shore.
• The diagetic sound of the muffled children's laughter is also heard, which backs up the idea of an hallucination or a dream like state
• The sound of the beach is no longer heard and the location is also a mystery to the audience which drags them further into the storyline. 

EDITING 

• There is a quick cut and the camera focuses on a young boy, the camera then blurs and goes out of focus then returns into focus which represents the protagonists eyes focusing, just like how they do when you just wake up.
• The use of continuity editing makes it seem as if being in real time and causes us to feel as if we are a part of the film

Research: Thriller Opening Analysis (Group work)

Presentation1 from Anna Gajda

Research: Thriller Conventions (Anna)

Research:Film Openings (9 Frames title sequence analysis) (Keiley Dutton)

research: film opening- institutional 

CREED(2015, ran coogler):

The title of the movie "creed" at the start was dirty and warn away which showed that at the beguining of the movie creed the boxer is at his lowest point. This is also made clear as we see him as a child with blood and nurses all over his face. However at the end of the clip the title still has cracks in it maybe showing he is not complete with his ambitions in life but it is still better then before showing he has improved in life. Together with this we see at the end that he is a grown man, built and strong ready to fight with no bruises or blood unlike before.  in the clip there are 17 titles, which all contain the main names of people who help to make produce and distribute the film. also there is the names of the main character as with this being a hollywood blockbuster movie, it has some largely known stars.  There are a number of different still images used through the clip with the titles on top of the images  slowly getting bigger creating a 3D effect, showing a growth of the power of the character they are naming.  In the clip we see the title twice; once at the start and once at the end ; showing that the producers want it to stick in your mind.  The soundtrack( audio line) is shown with one song played from a slow piano at the start then it builds up gradually adding in guitar and a modern beat to make it appealing to young demographics. The audio builds up nearer to the end with vocals being joined in when the woman is shown which highlights her being the singer and empowering the main character as it  intensified when the still of them together is shown.

ELF(2003, Jon Favreau)

Research: Film Openings (9 Frame title sequence analysis) (Anderson)

Research: Film Openings (9 Frames title sequence analysis) (Anna Gajda)

Research: Film openings- Institutional

Creed(2015,Ryan Coogler):

Observations and analysis:

• The title at the start is shown as dirty and damaged which could highlight the character being damaged and hurt but near the end it changes to the title being cleaner and solid which means that he's stronger and not so damaged and tainted.
• The start shows him as a child with a beaten face and then it goes to him being a strong toned man getting ready to fight he's wrapping his arm this is important to show him being stronger.
• 17 titles which show the most important information  which is needed it highlights the main distributors first so the people can have a image or idea of what the film could be about based on the distributors and then it goes to actors and his name is repeated last
• Still image with editing of the words zooming into the audience and the words are white on the dark background showing the power and strength of the character
• The film opening establishes itself through what the audience sees, we as an audience can see the credits from the start informing us who its made by we see the title twice so that it stays in our mind as its the last thing we see.
• The soundtrack( audio line) is shown with one song played from a slow piano at the start then it builds up gradually adding in guitar and a modern beat to make it appealing to young demographics. The audio builds up nearer to the end with vocals being joined in when the woman is shown which highlights her being the singer and empowering the main character as it  intensified when the still of them together is shown.
• The visual line is mainly still images flashing with sound to represent power and the film is made with flashing colours blue, red, green colours which with the images establishes the narrative of the film being a boxing one
• The location is established from the still shots due to the shots being located locally in america and its more focused on inside a fighting ring which also helps to establish the characters through the visual line as we can see the main character having a trainer and a girl which allows us to create a connection between them
• Mise en scene is used in this to create a setting of a boxing ring and the life of a man who trains to be one of the best, he has more modern, street clothes such as Jordans and tracksuits
• The editing of the film creates an gradient of navy blue to create a sense of it being a collection of photos being viewed it also has a blur to create a sense of time being passed.
• Nerve (2016, Jessica Sharzer):

Evaluation/Observation:

• Title is seen at the end of the film, this is purposely placed at the end as its the last thing we see which makes it stick into out minds for longer.
• The editing consisted of modern technology being implemented into the staff names such as emojis, loading buttons, sparkles and in different fonts to make it more modern to younger demographics which the film aims its audience on.
• The institutional line has 20 credits which includes most important names who participated in making the film however In my opinion i think that they have included way to much staff credits and should have included some stills of the film or the characters shown instead of it being mainly names being edited on a black canvas. However they included the names in a creative way of if the name had duty over costume then they would edit the name to look more fashionable like a patterned name or emojis which was used in the case to show how the name linked over that specific job
• Each credit had its own name personalised to the way and the job they had, this is creative and innovative as they had a personal touch added to it which would appeal to the audience. The institutional line work best together when its linked with the Audio line and Visual line but in this case the institutional line works best on its own its has its own personal touch and makes it unique in the way they are portraying their film which appeals to the audience due to it linking modern technology to the names.
• When it gets to Dave Franco and Emma Roberts name they added special effects to it to create a sense of personality out of it, Dave Franco has his name in blue which creates an effect of him being the angel and good one which contrasts with Emma Roberts name which is shown with red with flames highlighting her being the evil and more daredevil.
• The visual line is what the audience sees and throughout the film, we see no images of the actors,setting or even no narrative to whats happening, none of that is shown just editing on the screen. This is where they use the smart idea of adding modern technology to create an image to match their name.
• The audio line has a song which has a catchy beat going along it throughout the trailer and it quiets down the closer it gets to the end of the credits and when the title reveals itself.
• Additionally there are sounds which are added from a soundboard to create more effect such as the first credit had the apple loading icon with was coupled with the loading noise to create verisimilitude this also occurred with the construction icons which had a amplified sound of building materials such as a hammer and a drill being used to create effect, this occurred with the hacking noise, sparkle noise, click sounds, scroll sound and water/fire sounds for the two main actors 

Conclusion:

Film openings allow us as an audience to get a taste of the film, we can see which characters are who, what their situation is and what lead them to that situation. Most trailers which are thriller do well without a narrative but leave it to the credits and institutional line to explain when, where and how the characters got there. Additionally the use of the celebrities names in big writing can intrigue certain audiences as they might watch the film due to the star that is starring in the film which would bring a wider audience to watch .Such credits on screen actually allow us to get to know the producer/director of the films and with the knowledge of the producer next time we see a film by him we will remember the one we have seen before which can give us an  idea on what style the film is. The Film openings also should include the distributors such as Lions gate which allow the audience to have an idea on what the film could be about due to the previous films we have seen with such logo. So for film openings its crucial to have, the directors name at least twice and the name of the film twice to make it the first and last thing they remember, depending on genre there should be characters names besides the character they play in film to establish a connection between them two.

Key things to include in a opening of film:

• Director and producer names-whole staff not needed
• Actors names
• Location
• Narrative
• Audio
• Sound effects
• Some dialogue
• Quick flashy pics of the film
• Title &Credits

Research: Film Openings (9 Frame title sequence analysis) (Vince Santillan)

Deadpool (Tim Miller, 2016)

What conclusions can you draw about film openings from this work, and that completed in groups previously?

• There were only 16 credits within the opening sequence of Deadpool which is quite low as there were no stars credited in within the 16 credits.

• The song is “Angel of the Morning”. The song is a very old, it came out in the 90s and it contrasts the action which is happening within the opening as it is very slow paced whereas, even though it is still image, a lot of action is happening at the start.

• The opening sequence ends with a child's drawing of Deadpool cutting a person's head off, this contrasts the stereotype of a children's drawing as a very violent scene is depicted, this is used to set a comedic and non serious tone.

• As it ends, it zooms out to a vista shot and reveals a car exploding/crashing. This shows that it will be an action film. Along with credits saying "Directed by An Overpaid Tool", this also alludes that it is a comedy since there is satire credits.

Research: Film Openings (9 Frame title sequence analysis) (Vince)