Audience

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is a highly expert and experienced regulator of the moving image, and also a service provider for new and developing media. The BBFC analyse all films that are brought to the UK and decide upon an age classification for the film depending on the content of the film. There are 6 main catergories for films in the uk; these are Universal(U), Perental Guidance (PG), 12A/12; suitable for 12 years on older, 15; suitable for 15 years and over, 18; suitable for 18 years and over, and R18 which are to be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults of more than 18 years.


                                                    

Thrillers are mainly targeted at men aged between the ages of 15 and 35. People in the C2, D and E social profiling class and also mainstreamers. However, different thriller subgenres may appeal to different age groups. Thrillers often contain disturbing phychological content and sometimes graphic images, this means they would usually be classified as a minimum of 15 by the BBFC, as 15 rated movies can contain mild themes of horror, drugs, nudity, sex, and volience.

Audiences are also attreacted to movies which include contemporary themes they can relate to, and also people from the same age group that they are in. Our thriller will proberbly be targeted at 16 - 25 year olds as we share the same views as others in this age group and they cn therefore relate to us.

From Russia with Love: Opening sequence analysis

An opening sequence is usually used in order to establish the mood of the movie and also to introduce the 'star' of the movie. The sequence begins with  the sudio titles which is MGM in this case, we then have a score over a graphic title; James bond at the end of a 'gun barrel'. From the score played over the graphic title, the audience can connote that this movie will be of the espionage thriller genre. We are then itroduced to the actual opening sequence, this is uninterupted.

The common techniques and conventions of opening sequences include productions titles thatare shown at the beginning whih include the studio name, production company, ad also star cast followed by some other important people and finally ending with Director or Directed by. All opening sequences create enigmas in the audiences mind. Enigmas are used in order to keep the audience wanting o know what happens next in the movie, therefore keeping them interested.

Different approches to opening sequences may have a varied effect on the audience, but all opening sequences conventionally are used in order to set the mood of the movie, create enigma's and also to introduce the protagonist.

The opening sequence begins with the protagonist being followed by another character, during the sequence we hear many synchronous sounds; e.g. a gunshot and footsteps. There is also a score composed of sounds of night such as crickets etc. The score is very low and is used to create a tense mood amoung the audience. As the scene goes on the score gradually gains tempo and continues to until the scene climaxes at the death of the protagonist, a mask is then lifted off the protagonists face, revealing that it is not the protagonist but in fact another person. This is a red herring, this is used in order to create further enigma's in the audiences mind.

Audience

The thriller genre can be drawn to a very wide audience from all ages however, thrillers can sometimes be very disturbing and graphic, and can therefore restrict younger aged people from watching its content. Depending on the age of people within the film, can determine who will be more likely to watch it. For example, an urban thriller with a young teenage girl is more likely to interest teenagers as they may be able to relate to them, whereas an action thriller with middle aged men and women is more likely to appeal to older audiences.

The audience most suitable for my group to target when making our thriller opening sequence would therefore range from around the ages of 16-25 year olds. The people casting a film and who the film is aimed at are usually around the same age as they share similar surroundings. To attract our target audience we will need a sub-genre that contains the themes of young people's lives today. Popular themes in the contemporary young people's culture are gangs, love and drugs, which are possible themes that we could include in our opening thriller sequence.

In the end our group decided to use two of the main features in young peoples culture; love and gangs with a sub-genre of a psychological thriller. We decided to cast people between the ages of 17 and 19 as the characters are more likely to appeal to the audience as they can relate to the situations. A modern score will provide the target audience with aspects of urban day to day life which should also attract a young and modern audience.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) will help determine what kind of content our opening sequence can include:

The 'U' certificate, ensures everything within this film is suitable for people all ages from 4 and above. Any violence, threat or horror have a reassuring counterbalance and therefore will in no way offend or harm the audiences feelings. This certificate rating will not be appropriate for a thriller sequence as the content can potentially have violence and threatening scenes.

The 'PG' certificate, is for general viewing however something may upset someone young which is what the parental guidance is for. This will also not be appropriate for our thriller opening sequence as the content will not be suitable for children aged 8 and above as they may find some scenes disturbing.

The '12' certificate allows more content however the age limit is stillvery young for a thriller to be able to show scenes building on tension and suspense.

A '15' certificate may be more appropriate in showing our thriller sequence as it is close to the age of everyone in the group however, in a full on thriller, this may not be appropriate as some scenes may be too upsetting for this age.

An '18' certificate allows any content as people this age are legally mature enough to make their own decisions, and is an appropriate age to watch contents of a full on thriller however this will limit the amount of audience.

The certificates can only dictate who can and cannot watch the film and therefore the film will not always appeal to the age of the people allowed to watch it as it depends on the theme.

London to Brighton Opening Sequence

London to Brighton is an urban thriller that depicts the unpleasant world of prostitution, paedophiles and perverts which challenges the common themes that usually fall under the thriller genre. The opening sequence begins with the production titles over a plain black screen with no sounds, this is followed by the tableau “London 3:07am” setting the location and time of the scene, continued with no sound. The actual opening sequence then begins which is uninterrupted by any titles however it is sandwiched by the film’s title at the end “London to Brighton” which is again over a plain black background. The use of silence before and after the opening sequence deepens the mood of the audience and allows them to fully concentrate on the events on screen.

The opening sequence forms part of a non-linear narrative to dramatize the films effect on the audience as the beginning automatically creates suspense and enigmas. This narrative structure is a common technique used for thrillers in order to keep the audience interested, the events shown in non-chronological order, lead to a series of unanswered questions which will only become clear if you watch until the end of the film. At the very start of the sequence, the first few questions are who are they? Why does the woman have a black eye? Who are they hiding from? And what are they doing together? Within seconds of watching the opening sequence, the audience are drawn into watching the rest of the film, which is what the opening sequence is for. Close ups and medium close ups are the usual camera shots used in thriller opening sequences when showing the protagonist. They allow the audience to get up close and personal to the main characters which allow the audience to build a relationship between them.

The main images and references in the opening sequence are of violence and prostitution, the use of the little girl makes the audience question her safety and well-being which adds to the suspense. The setting of dirty toilets, graffiti and being in a closed area displays a very repulsive atmosphere, with connotations of trouble and poverty, leads to questions such as, how did they get themselves into their current situation? At the end of the sequence, the title of the film appears on screen with a score of little children screaming, giving under tones of child abuse and makes the audience feel unsettled.

Overall, opening sequences can use different approaches in getting the audience’s attention; however they will all end up having the same effect on its audience as suspense and tension are the main traits of a thriller.

BBFC

The role of the BBFC is simple, to analyse every film that comes in to Britain. They decide what age limit there should be for the audience. They also decide which films even get shown at all.

When a thriller movie of any hybrid genre will normally be rated as a 15. Lower ratings assure of a widespread amount of viewers, the higher the ratings the less amount of viewers. However do not be put off by this. The higher the ratings the more attractive it becomes, teenagers don't want to watch U or PG rated films, they want to go for the 15's and 18's. You also have to remember that a rated film doesn't mean much when you look at it as a way to attract viewers. You could have a "historical  film" such as "Young Victoria"that's rated PG and anyone can really watch it so little kids can watch it but lets be honest not many kids and teenagers would want to see that, they would want to see things like the Bourne Films, the action, violence and the adult humour.

BBFC only applies to the films that come into Britain. So you could get films that are shown here and not in, lets say the USA or the other way around. the point is that each country has their own film organisation that rates films. In communist states for example China they wouldn't let any capitalist films be shown so any films from Hollywood would not be shown in China let alone one that attacks the communist ideology.

For our film we have realised that even though it does restrict some age limits we think that the BBFC would give our film a certificate for 15. This is also pretty normal as that the certificate that is normally given to thrillers.  As a group we have also realised that the BBFC certificate of 15 is also the most popular so the fact that it doesn't get all audience doesn't really bother us. Plus for the ideas that we have come up with I seriously doubt that that is what a family would really watch. 

28 Days Later Church Scene Analysis

The scene starts of with a fade in and we see a cross, its seems to be a close up of the cross. We already know that we are in a church. It is really quiet, it gives a sense of uncertainty, something is not right. (Builds up tension already). Then a mysterious character opens the church doors and as we are still in the same shot it could reflect the fact that this character has just enetered a church, we can also see the cross. The character is on his own, this shows vunerability and insecurity. Its all gloomy and as a viewer I am already expecting to see some action or have a fright. However the fact that we can still see the cross shows us that even though the scene looks dark, gloomy and there is a sense of vunerability there is hope for this particular character. The character could be in a safe place? Or maybe as an audience we will get what we want wether its a fright or action, yet the character might escape? We still don't know but we do know something is about to go down. Also the camara angle puts the character in a weak position, the camara is at a low angle giving this character very little strength in this certain scene, it could even show that he is frightened. But what is he frightened of? Then the character aproches the cross really slowly. We hear alot of amplified sounds (Creeks of the door and the wooden floor. Also the footsteps).

Then we get to the next shot which again doesn't move just like the first one, except here the camara was lower and we see our still mysterious character slowly approach the camara. It's still clear that this character is in the same church as again we see a cross, however the cross is in the shadows and we still have no idea who this man or woman is, his/her face is shadowed. The last few scenes seem to have a dead feeling about them, there is no movement, there is barely any sound and there is only one person in the scenes we have seen. Something is bound to happen, we are bound to see something. Then the man/woman goes up the stairs and the camara shifts a bit and very very slowly so that we are able to see writing on the wall. At this point we know that something is up, why would there be writing on a church wall? The writing is really roughly done, it looks wet and its really untidy. This scene I think builds alot of tension.

We finally realise that this character is a man. He comes out of the mist. Coming out of the mist and the fact that he is a man who looks well built comforts the audience a bit. However the tension bilds as we get a close up of our characters facial expression and the sound of flies shows that something grousome is on it's way and prepares the audience to see a monster or a corps.

We hear a loud church bell. Then the camara zooms out to show us what the character is looking at. A lot of dead corpses in the church. We also hear a screaching sound. All asyncronous just to build up tension and fear to the audience.

Another close up so we can see the actual reaction of our protagonist. He seems shcocked and so he should, he also looks scared. He is breathing very heavily. We get to see the corpses again this time closer and the camara turns so we get the full extent of the tragedy. Then the protagonist speaks. "Hello". And again the piano or church bell asynchronisly sounds and two more unknown characters sprout quickly which shocks us because it is the only quick tempoed part of the scene.

We begin to hear a very loud and quick synchronous sound, getting louder and louder every time. Bang the doors slam open and another mysterious character enters our screens. The character is already stepping back knowing the danger that would soon head towards him. The character makes really loud choking sounds. Our protagonist says father. So now we know that the other character is a priest. However we don't like his presence and neither does our protagonist. The priest spases out of control. I think that we as an audience are more on the edge than our protagonist as he calmly aproaches the situation as he clams the priest down. However we know that this effort is useless as the priest aproaches the protagonist in an agressive way. Our protagonist finally realises that this is no freindly priest. He is scared and is starting to step back rather quickly. The shots speed up and the protagonist finally does what the audience expect, the action. He hits the priest's head almost knocking him out.

He runs whilst the priest is down. The score is played and the tempo speeds up. As the character runs away the way he came from. The wall with the writing. And the cross. We also see alot of the same type of characters as the priest chase after him.

We are now out on the streets. The tension is now at its high point. The chase scene, he is out numbered. There is fire everywhere. The streets are in chaos. And the shots are speeding up. And our protagonist i struggling to even catch his breath. Then out of nowwhere these masked people start throwing molotovs. Burning all these undead zombies, saving our protagonist. Now the good has finally balanced out the evil of the scene. Our protagonist is safe and we are relaxed again. We always enjoy when a bad guy gets defeated. The amplified sound of the smashing molotovs and the fire burning the zombies. The screaming of the burning undead. It's a street battle scene. Yes there is chaos but aslong as our protagonist is safe we relax a bit eventhough the score is playing fast and the shots are speeding up.

We get a close up of our masked friends seting up a trap and telling our protagonist to get down. Then they get the hell back and BOOM!

In a whole it is clear that this scene belongs to a thriller, a scary thriller perhaps. It is given away by the fast editing, the noise (amplified synchronous sounds(footsteps ect) and diagetic (zombie priest)). The scene keeps us at the edge of our seat. The sound of footsteps, the creepy and very slow score at the beginning which speeds up at the end (the chase scene). It can be very hard to describe why something keeps you at the end of your seat, when something gets you in a panic, but when you look at the techniques it becomes obvious. It's just when things go quickly, or when we pick out our protagonist, somehow we just worry for him/her, when our score is loud and has a fast tempo. In this scene it has it all and thats how I know it is a hybrid thriller.

Psycho shower scene

Hitchcock - Psycho (Shower scene)

One of the most famous thriller sequences produced by Hitchcock was the Psycho shower scene. The woman in the film acts as a traditional victim in Hitchcock’s films as she is young, pretty and blonde, however these characters tend to develop a criminal and sexual behaviour when danger is near them. The location of the murder takes places in the bath room which creates a sensual scene but at the same time shows a woman when she is most vulnerable. Hitchcock used this type of character in many of his films which may have been a fantasy of his.

At the start of the Psycho shower scene, the first enigma is made. The pieces of ripped up paper she flushes down the toilet leaves the audience anticipating what she is trying to cover up. An enigma is a narrative technique used to draw in the audience’s attention but at the same time creates suspense to leave them wondering what will happen next this technique is very useful for films created within the thriller genre.

The fast editing made up of close ups and medium close ups of her body is used to disorientate the audience how it sets them up with more anticipation and adds to the build-up of tension, in addition, the use of low key lighting sets the scene as looking mysterious and gloomy. The first red herring is introduced when the woman is in bottom right hand corner of the screen and in the top right is the silhouette of someone behind the shower curtain. This alerts the audience that there is something wrong, and at the same time they are given more information than the character herself as she is unaware of the person inside her bathroom however they are left wondering what is going to happen and why.

The red herring is another narrative technique many thriller producers use to keep their audience involved and interested however sometimes the information given to the audience may not always be correct. For example, in this sequence the person stabbing the young women looks like a woman by the hair and figure, however later the audience discover that it was a man dressed up as a woman. When the woman dies, the quick cut of the montage makes the death hit the audience abruptly.

When the stabbing scene takes place the use of pleonastic sound enhances the actions on scene and dramatizes the reaction, however this is used in many thriller films to give extra resonance and more affect to the audience. Throughout the sequence there is no use of dialogue, this allows the audience to concentrate mostly on the actions although at the same time it leaves the audience with time to think about the victims.

Scores are frequently used in many films; thrillers in particular benefit as it can use sound to change the audience’s mood. In the psycho shower scene the sound starts off mellow and calm however when there’s danger it changes into a more upbeat rhythm which changes the tone of the film completely in a few seconds.

Overall, the main conventions used in this sequence were the common female victims to highlight women's vulnerability and the use of dramatic irony being used which was later revealed to be a red herring helps build suspense. The sequence also contains the common theme in thrillers which is psychological crime.

Thriller History

Film-makers have been combining these elements for almost as long as cinema itself. With the first audiences quickly tiring of the technical marvels of the new-fangled medium, directors sought more inventive ways to thrill their viewers. Borrowing a trick from the hugely popular serial literature of the time, producers began to churn out weekly installments of long-running franchises, each ending with a cliff hanger that sees the hero in mortal danger. The most famous of these was the 1914 series ‘Perils of Pauline’, notorious (and much parodied) for featuring a villainous cad who bound our heroine to rail tracks as a locomotive approached.


'Bulldog Drummond', 1929
The serial format continued into the sound era, but the talkies also allowed the thriller to develop into along more sophisticated lines. The 1930s was the period of the gentleman detective, where a witty one-liner was more likely to get you out of a sticky moment than a deftly landed punch. Films like ‘The Thin Man’ or ‘Bulldog Drummond’ featured suave, debonair heroes, invariably sporting fine suits and pencil-thin moustaches, who were caught up in exotic mysteries and tended to face down all manner of mortal danger with courtly sangfroid.

The best of these was Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 ‘The 39 Steps’. Based on the novel by John Buchan (who is widely credited for inventing the literary thriller), this starred a dashing Robert Donat as an upper-class colonial type unwittingly targeted by a sinister spy-ring and made to flee to the Highlands. Abounding with double-crosses, set-piece chase sequences, and innuendo-laced dialogue between Donat and his leading lady, the film set the template for exotic action-adventure thrillers, which the Bond movies would emulate so spectacularly.

'The Bourne Supremacy', 2004
Unfurling at a breakneck pace and never giving you time to reflect on its many unlikely developments, the film also enshrines one of the principles of good thrillers: an exciting, fast-moving plot is usually more important than matters of plausibility or psychological depth. Look at Paul Greengrass’ 2004 ‘The Bourne Supremacy’, a fine example of the modern Hollywood thriller. Matt Damon’s character remains an cipher throughout; but the emphasis is on the superbly executed action scenes, the car chases, the acrobatic fight sequences and the set-piece pursuits in foreign locations. If it’s a rounded character study you want, then look elsewhere. (Which is why the best thriller filmmakers tend to be master storytellers who eschew showy displays of acting: Hitchcock, John Frankenheimer and Michael Mann being prominent examples).

Not that the thriller must necessarily depend for its excitement on extravagant action scenes. In the late 1940s, the genre toughened up and dressed down, with a string of gloriously bleak urban crime stories that French critics would later label film noirs. In movies like ‘The Big Sleep’, ‘Out of the Past’ and ‘Double Indemnity', fedora-wearing, trench-coated figures would stalk city streets at night, solving mysteries that were as impenetrable as their shadowy surroundings. The plots were dense and convoluted, and the mood was cynical and hard-bitten, perfectly attuned to the weary post-war mood.


'The French Connection', 1971
The film noir sensibility resurfaces intermittently, most notably in ‘70s gritty crime thrillers like ‘The French Connection’, ‘Chinatown’ and ‘The Long Goodbye’, and survives in the work of independent-minded directors like the Coen brothers (whose latest movie ‘No Country for Old Men’ is that rare hybrid: a thriller Western).

But it’s in its glossy, high-concept form that the thriller dominates today. The genre today is the vehicle for filmmakers’ fascination with explosive action sequences, cool new technology and dazzlingly twisty plotting (especially after the popularity of bewilderingly layered espionage TV shows like '24'). The epitome of these tendencies is probably the latest ‘Mission Impossible’ installment and the fact that this bloated, insanely expensive Tom Cruise movie didn’t live up to expectations may suggest the thriller must get back to basics if it’s to prosper.

Sub-genres:

Subgenres, as a means of classification used by producers and audiences, are constantly begin re–negotiated. This is an essential process if a subgenre is to maintain its success and popularity. Audiences and producers constantly attempt to define and re-define the subgenres that are popular at any given time. However, a definitional approach to classification is not a always the most appropriate way of establishing subgenre, as the elements that appear within them tend to be more fluid and not a checklist of conventions. 'Genres... are not discrete systems, consisting of a fixed number of listable items' (Gledhill 1985). One of the main things changing in genres is the subgenres themselves as there is an increase in hybrids.Social, political and cultural issues affect genres and as cross-generic features are combined to meet market forces, hybrids and new subgenres are thus created.

Sub-genres serve to differentiate and categorize media texts. They are essential for producers because it enables them to construct for a segmented audience with predictable responses. They allow them to reutilise actors, sets and props, consequently providing them with financial savings. This then enables them to more easily predict their budgets and provide security for their investors.Subgenres are also advantageous for audiences because they alrea

dy have an idea of what to expect from media products, subsequently making their choices in regards to entertainment, easier. They are also empo-ered to enjoy subtle variations within a foreseeable framework, whilst having a consistent form of release and escapism. Their ability to follow the narratives, recognise plots and characters is also heightened as they can identify these aspects from previous media texts of the same subgenre. Furthermore, audiences can experience a sense of cultural and emotional security.

In the 1990s series such as Hotel and The Airport were a hybrid form of documentary and soap opera, appropriately titled ‘docusoap’ and began to take the prime slots in terrestrial TV channels. These shows were extremely popular for TV producers in that they did not require scripts, actors or expensive sets and yet pulled in a large share of the viewing audience. 

This type of programme became acceptable and desirable to the audience and through this process of negotiation, more subgenres began to develop. Abercombie described this process as where the ‘boundaries are shifting and becoming more permeable’. The early 2000s saw the production of hybrids and subgenres dramatically increase. The most significant of these was Big Brother. Initially marketed as a social experiment, it appealed to it audience on a number of levels. It provided them with entertainment through the comedic exploits of the characters, a means of social interaction as people discussed their antics with their friends and read about them in the tabloids and a sense of information albeit in a pseudo-scientific way.

Subgenres in film have also developed significantly over the years. For example, disaster films are a subgenre of action films. The focus of such films is on a spectacular catastrophe and a small group of individuals in impending danger, and how they must contrive a method of escape. Pressure is developed by focusing on the miraculous means of rescue and whether all the characters have the inner strength to survive the torment. An example of this is ‘2012’, a science fiction disaster directed by Roland Emmerich. Another example is ‘chick flicks’ which are derived from the genre romantic comedies. These movies are pre-dominantly about 

family calamities and emotional catharsis, some traditional tear jerkers and fantasy-action adventures, often with blasphemy and empowered females. They also involve families, mothers, daughters, children, women, and women's issues. These films are often told from the female perspective, and star a female protagonist or heroine. This type of film became very prominent in the mid-80s and into the 90s. An example of this ‘Pretty Women’ directed by Garry Marshall. There are also thrillers which are often hybrids with other genres. The different subgenres include action-thrillers, crime-caper thrillers, western-thrillers, film-noir thrillers and romantic comedy-thrillers. Thriller and suspense films are virtually identical and interchangeable categorizations. These are the types of movies that provide intense excitement, tension, a high level of expectancy, ambiguity and nervousness. An example of an action thriller is 2 Fast 2 Furious directed by John Singleton. The movie is about an ex-cop who returns and teams up with his ex-con friend; they transport a shipment of dirty money for Miami based import-export dealer Verone, whilst working with undercover agent Monica Fuentes to bring him down.

However, some subgenres go out of fashion too and it is essential that they remain fluid in order to remain popular with audiences and thus with producers. Steve Neale describes the concept of genres as being ‘instances of repetition and difference'but it is the innovation in the ‘difference’ that makes the genre attractive to new and existing audiences. In order to remain fashionable, a subgenre has to reach out to new and different audiences. Subgenres that have gone out of fashion may draw in the elements of the genres that are currently in vogue in order to enhance their own popularity. Reality TV could be said to have invigorated other TV genres. For example, the talent show has received an overwhelming facelift in the form of X-Factor and Pop Idol etc, by introducing elements of reality TV. The same could be said for the game show in programmes such as Deal No Deal. All of these programmes work by requiring the audience to ‘get to know’ the real people appearing on them, judge and empathise with them on their journey.

Finally, subgenres have to be able to withstand criticism if it is to remain general popularity. As long as the elements are fluid and re-negotiated to reflect the changing needs of the audience, a subgenre will remain fashionable. Furthermore, the impact the cross-generic features have had on other subgenres is evidence of the ‘process of change’ within them. It could therefore be said that there is no such thing as a subgenre being fashionable, because it is simply a fluid repertoire of elements that change according to audience demand.

Concerning thrillers specifically, there are several sub-genres which are directly incorporated with them.  For instance , film-noir, Super action and detective mystery.

Conventions of a thriller

The purpose of a thriller is to create suspense, excitement, anticipation, anxiety and tension in the audience. For example the movie Phycho, uses music in order to create suspense, tension and anxiety.

Thrillers are often genre hybrids for example action-thrillers like the Bourne Ultimatum, genre hybrids of thrillers include Sci-fi thrillers; e.g minority report, espionage thrillers; e.g James Bond, Erotic thrillers; e.g Basic Instinct, etc.

A thriller along with all types of narritives will always have an antagonist and a protagonist. Common character types in the thriller Genre include, Police or Detectives, or some kind of 'hero', criminals, most commonly kidnappers, stalkers, assassains, and also 'innocent' victims that get caught up in events.

Thrillers may also include a Femme Fatale. these characters are commonly,beautiful and dangerous and have control over the protagonist as they seduce them.  The lead men into trouble and are often mens downfall.
Themes that are commonly seen in thrillers are terrorism, espionage, political conspiracy, pursuits, dangerous obsessions, phychological crime, and oppressive but unseen supernatural occurances.

The most typical shot used in thrillers seems to be the close up, used mostly in the opening sequences in order to build suspense and create enigmas. An classic example of this can be seen in the opening sequence of Kill Bill vol. 1.