Preliminary Thriller Conventions Applied to a Trailer

The Babadook

At the beginning eerie music is played that provides a suspenseful atmosphere. The mother says to her child that "nothing bad will happen", which is quite misleading as later in the trailer we clearly see that the protagonist is in a great deal of danger. The boy mentions that three knocks symbolises that the Babadook is near, which then can be heard later in the trailer, creating a sense of mystery whether he is real or not. "Don't let him in" is repeated by the boy in a very distressed manor, which really builds up the tension of the trailer.

Preliminary Thriller Conventions

The conventions of a good thriller genre include:

- The narrative is revolved around suspense and action such as a crime taking place.
- False paths that mislead the audience to provide a more unexpected shock twist at the end.
- Multiple puzzles and mysteries that are either left unsolved for added interest (to potentially lead onto a sequel).
- Having the wrong person or dopplegangers.
- Manipulation of perspectives such as using optical illusions.
- The protagonist is in some form of danger.
- The right music and lighting to provide suspense and mystery

Camera Elements

Camera elements to consider are:

- Shot size/distance
- Camera angle
- Focus
- Camera movement

Shot size/Distance:

This shows the camera position related to the subject.

Long Shot: This shows the entire object, along with the entire setting around it. Although this gives us a huge amount of detail, given the length of the shot, the characters facial expressions are usually too hard to see. When there is an extreme long shot of the start of a scene it is called the Establishing Shot.

Medium Shot: This shows the characters emotion and surroundings, which gives us a huge amount of information in one frame. This is the most common type of shot used.

Close Up Shot: A close up conforms the viewer into focusing onto something that takes up the entire screen. This enables an emotional emphasis as their facial expressions can be seen much clearer and can add emphasis towards an important object. 

Extreme Close Up Shot: This is when the camera goes incredibly close to an object or person, which is often used in horror films. This creates an dramatic effect. 

Camera Angle:

This is similar to shot size/distance. Angles to consider are High angle, Low angle and Canted angle. 

High Angle: This is when the camera is held above the person or object, usually making them seem a lot smaller than they actually are. Making a character look smaller symbolises weakness and vulnerability. 

Low Angle: The camera is positioned below the subject, often providing a sense of power and dominance in a character with this angle. 

Canted Angle: A horizontal line runs diagonally across the frame as if the camera has been tilted. This gives the impression that the character is unstable or disorientated and is usually shot to dedicate intoxication. 

Focus:

Deep focus and Shallow focus is when an image is sharp and in focus or is shallow which is blurry.

Deep Focus: This is when the foreground and the background are both in focus and are clear.

Shallow Focus: Either the foreground or background is sharp and the other is soft, usually to draw attention to a certain aspect of the frame.

Camera Movements: 

These movements of the camera usually adds a sense of energy.

Dolly Based Movement: This is when a camera is on an object that can often resemble a train like figure and will be pushed or pulled around on tracks to make a movement smooth and controlled. This could be whilst someone is running the dolly will be pushed to keep up with the movement of the character.

Movement around a fixed point: This can be done either handheld or with a tripod, either including a pan or a tilt.

Steadicam: Gives the sense of a floating camera as there is no tripod and minimal hand shaking. As seen in the opening of Boogie Nights.

Handheld: The camera is usually on someones shoulders, but can be proven quite difficult as this is a heavy piece of equipment being held as still as possible, which will often lead to quite an unsteady shot of film. This does give a sense of realism which is why it is often used in filming documentaries. 

Crane: A small crane is placed on set and this gives quite effective shots of the scene as it is able to zoom in from quite a height, as well as move around with little effort. 

Helicopter/Aeriel: This adds emphasis on the narrative environment usually using a helicopter to get a view of the entire setting around the character. 

Propp's Character Roles

• Propp, in the early 20th century studied hundreds of traditional folk tails from across Europe to establish what he called character types. For Propp, types each fulfilled a specific function 
• the most useful types to know are: 
• ~ hero: drives the narrative forward (may not be heroic) - Harry Potter / Ralph
• ~ villain: creates obstacle for hero - Voldemort / King Candy
• ~ dispatcher: sends hero on quest - Dumbledore / Fix it Felix 
• ~ the donor: gives hero a special object or wisdom to enable complete quest - Hagrid / Sargent 
• ~ the princess: reward for hero at narrative resolution - Voldemort dies and he doesn't / That     venelope wins the race to leave the game
• ~ side kick: companion for hero - Hermione and Ron / Penelope
• The villain - This is the character who struggles against the hero. Typically with some sort of scarring. The villain will usually wear dark and mysterious colours, and not very attractive. This is to juxtapose betweeen the hero and the villain; to highlight their differences. A good example would be the Joker, from The Dark Knight, he is someone who is quite an unattractive to look at and does not act in a normal manor ad creates huge difficulties for the hero to overcome. 
  
  
  
  

Todorov Trailer Application - Don't Breathe

Don't Breathe came out in 2016 and was an incredibly good Thriller. A young adult wants to move away with her sister but needs the money to do so, while two friends come up with the idea to steal an large amount of money from a blind man, but he is not as helpless as he seems.

The trailer is a non liner narrative with the Equilibrium showing the two main characters, Rocky and Alex being in pitch black looking terrified. The scene then cuts to Rocky telling her sister they are going to move away together with the scene then cutting to Alex and another friend preparing to rob the blind man. The significant event is when the trio break into the house and meet the blind man who shows that he has a lot of unexpected skills. The Recognition by Hero is when the blind man grabs the third robbers arm and takes his gun, this moment is incredibly intense as he then kills the guy. Attempt to Repair is when the blind man listens out for the two who are left behind, which is Rocky and Alex. He then begins to lock those two inside his house where the duo frantically try to escape and stumble across a third member who is a young women, tied up to the wall which increases the intensity of the trailer. The new Equilibrium is having Rocky and Alex try to escape but the blind man turns off all the lights, making it incredibly difficult for the duo to escape as they now can not see, but that does not stop the blind man as he has ways of getting around the house effortlessly. The trailer then ends with the same scene we see at the beginning, leaving it on a very suspenseful end.  

Todorov Trailer Application - Split

Split came out in 2016 and is based on three girls being kidnapped by a man who is diagnosed with 23 personalities. They must try to escape before the apparent emergence of a frightful 24th personality. It is a very good thriller with a lot of unexpected twists in the story.

The Equilibrium is when the main female character is seen walking towards a car, with a man loading the boot of the car. Then theres a close up the wing mirrors showing the man had fallen and the shopping had then fallen on the floor. The Significant Event is when the other main character (played by James McAvoy) is introduced by being in the car with the girls who then turns around and sprays the three girls in the face. The Recognition by Hero is when the other characters are introduced such as Patricia and Hedwig that introduces the split personalities and presents a new issue in the film. The Attempt to Repair is when we are introduced to the therapist who explains how Kevin is a host for the multiple personalities that he has inside him. The New Equilibrium is to escape were they have been held and stay alive and avoid the 24th personality that is implied to be dangerous.

Narrative Theories

Theory 1: Bordwell - 

• David Bordwell outlines a formalist approach to narrative based on the distinction between story and plot 
• Story is a sequence of events in chronological order
• the plot is a sequence of events in the order that the viewer experiences them 
• according to Bordwell all films function using a cause and effect chain of events
• Cause —> effect —> cause of another effect —> cause of another effect —> cause of another effect 
• film makers can make narratives more mysterious or suspenseful by altering the plot from the story 
• They will do so by either withholding a cause or an effect 
• Story does equal plot —> linear 
• Story does not equal plot  —> non linear 
• Narration is the information flow between story and plot 
• a linear narrative holds no information back from the viewer 
• it is the therefore unrestricted 
• linear narrative = unrestricted narration 
• non linear narrative = restricted narration

Theory 2: Todorov - 

• Todorov, a famous narratologist, argued that all stories share a similar structure, based around the concept of balance/equilibrium 
• equilibrium —> significant event —> recognition of distribution —> attempt to repair —> new equilibrium 

Equilibrium: 

• state of a balance at beginning of a story “once upon a time” 
• into of the characters and the narrative world “the way things are” 
• can be good or bad 

Significant event: 

• an event that occurs that disrupts the equilibrium for the protagonist ~ the balance is thrown 
• Jaws —> shark

Recognition by hero: 

• protagonist realises disruption occurs and the likely consequences 
• wants to restore initial eq

Attempt to repair: 

• protagonist seeks to restore eq by undertaking a series of tasks/obstacles 

New eq:

• equilibrium is restored but it is different to initial eq, usually better

Theory 3: Propp - 

• Propp, in the early 20th century studied hundreds of traditional folk tails from across Europe to establish what he called character types. For Propp, types each fulfilled a specific function 
• the most useful types to know are: 
• ~ hero: drives the narrative forward (may not be heroic) - Harry Potter / Ralph
• ~ villain: creates obstacle for hero - Voldemort / King Candy
• ~ dispatcher: sends hero on quest - Dumbledore / Fix it Felix 
• ~ the donor: gives hero a special object or wisdom to enable complete quest - Hagrid / Sargent 
• ~ the princess: reward for hero at narrative resolution - Voldemort dies and he doesn't / That     venelope wins the race to leave the game
• ~ side kick: companion for hero - Hermione and Ron / Penelope

Theory 4: Levi-Strauss - 

• Claude Levi Strauss argues that within every narrative are “binary oppositions” that reflect the culture from which they emerge
• Binary oppositions are neutral oppositions (without value) that are loaded positivity or negatively in a way in a way that reflects a cultures dormant ideology 
• young <—> old
• tall <—> short 
• thin <—> fat 
• pretty <—> ugly 
• rich <—> poor
• able bodies <—> disabled 
• smart <—> stupid 
• happy <—> successful

Theory 5: Pam Cooke - 

• Pan cock argued that films contained their own kids of narrative 
• filmic/cinematic narratives are defined by: clear, goal orientated characteristics, a cause and a effect narrative trajectory, enigma resolution, high degree of narrative closure 
• Clear set of goals