context and theory research updated

1. CONTEXTUAL AND THEORY
RESEARCH
Chloe Ross

2. CONTEXTUAL

3. DIRECTOR: JAMES WAN
Films:
Saw (2004)
Dead Silence (2007)
Insidious (2011)
The conjuring (2013)
Annabelle (2014)
Furious 7 (2015)
Lights Out (2016)
Aquaman (2018)
Born: 26th February 1977
Age: 43
James Wan is an Australian film producer,
screenwriter and director of Malaysian
Chinese descent. He is widely known for
creating the film ‘Saw’ and creating Billy the
puppet, featured in his movie ‘ Dead Silence’
Quotes:
“The irony has always been that horror may be disregarded by critics, but often they are the best-made movies you're going to
find in terms of craft.”
“I want my audience to experience cinema in its full glory, it’s not just visual, it’s audio as well.”
“I love Carpenter, I love Craven - these are all the classics - the Romeros of the world, but I think the biggest influence on me
as a storyteller and as a filmmaker is actually Steven Spielberg. I love that even though
Steven isn't known for being a horror director, he started out his career making scary movies.”
“I don't think action alone is enough to sustain a film franchise. There are tons of action movies out there that come and go and
people don't care about”
“As a filmmaker, you aspire to want to make movies that can hopefully stand the test of time, but you never know when that
will happen or if that will happen.”
“I like to think if something scares me, then there's a very good chance an audience will feel the same way. The key is creating
scenarios that people can relate to.”
Mini Bio:
James Wan knew by the age of 11that he wanted to be a filmmaker and went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts degree from
the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Melbourne, which lead him to make shorts and music videos. Wan met fellow
aspiring filmmaker Leigh Whannell at school and together they came up with an idea for a horror movie. Whannell wrote the
screenplay, and Wan directed an eight minute sample short on DVD for them to shop around for financing. Producers at the
US film company Evolution saw the DVD and were impressed, they liked Wans style and Whannells acting, and asked them to
make the short into a full length feature.. This lead to the two flying to the states to cast and shoot the film, which soon
became the one of most well known horrors of our time, Saw. After the major success of their first feature length horror, Wan
and Whennell have since collaborated on two screenplays: Dead Silence (2007) and another hit horror film that went on to
make a whole horror franchise like Saw, Insidious (2011). James Wan then went onto directing many other hit films mainly in
his specialised area of genre, Horror. He started off creating a whole universe of horror films starting with the blockbuster hit
The conjuring, which went on to make a sequel the conjuring 2 as well as many spinoffs such as Anabelle (followed with a
prequel and a sequel), The curse of la Llorona, and The Nun. He also directed another blockbuster film outside the genre of
horror called Aquaman which he is currently working on the sequel for as well as finishing off The conjuring 3 which will be the

4. DIRECTOR: JAMES WAN
Saw (2004)
When filming Saw, Wan uses a lot of mid shots to show the characters facial
expressions as well as their movements and setting for the shots. He also uses a lot
of close ups to convey the characters fear and apprehension in each scene. Wan
uses bright lighting at points when they are at a main locations such as the
bathroom scene, so the audience knows the setting. He also occasionally uses red
lighting to connotate an impending danger to the audience. Most of the locations
used in the film are very claustrophobic and all the locations accept from the
victims homes are all grotty and rundown, which expresses the comfort of safety
you have at your home compared to outside. Wan also relies on audio to build up
the suspense in the scene, for example at a climatic point in a scene the ambient
horror music always increases in volume.
The conjuring (2013)
The lighting used in the conjuring is extremely low key lighting, which is a
common lighting method in horror films as it sets the tone and mood of
the scene. The picture seen is the poster for the film, and you can see by
the dark and grey colour gradients the mood set for the film, and you can
immediately tell it’s horror. The same gradient style used in the poster is
also applied to the actual movie which is set by the low key lighting
technique. The lighting in the film also hugely impacts the suspense in the
film, the deep darkness that this sort of lighting brings to the screen helps
build the scene up till at just the right time to help build the suspense and
make the audience jump out of their skin.
Insidious (2011)
In Insidious Wan uses very similar techniques in cinematography as in Saw and The conjuring. He
uses the same lighting techniques such as low key lighting to set up suspense in a scene as well as
natural lighting used from outside to make the film feel more real to the audience. A theme I have
noticed Wan use many times in his films is the key setting for the movie, in Insidious the key setting
is the house as that is where the main haunting is, the majority of the film is set there apart from
when characters are introduced from other settings, or they are investigating. This is the same as
the conjuring, the film takes place in one major setting which is the house and the same with Saw,
the film is set in a mysterious abandoned building which we only leave to either establish the
kidnapping of the characters being brought to that place or to switch perspective of characters such
as the police in the police station.

5. DIRECTOR: JAMES WAN
James Wan Filming techniques
Wan believes that if you can’t scare the audience with a
low budget, then you are probably going to struggle to
find success in the horror genre. He believes that working
with limited resources forces you to be inventive, which is
one of the key skills in a genre like horror that constantly
recycles concepts. One of the techniques Wan uses with
his films is taking a classic horror device and twisting it to
come up with a new and unique way of telling a story.
With Insidious he said “we wanted to tell a haunted
house story that really wasn’t a haunted house story at
all” Wan then goes on to say “With ‘Saw’ it was about
making a small contained horror thriller, but one that
would stand out from the pack of other indie horrors.”
Wan also stressed how important it is to envision big-
picture scenes that the audience will obsess over. Wan
states that “Your set pieces have got to be the kind of stuff
that people talk about around the water cooler the
morning after they’ve seen the movie.” Another technique
Wan uses when developing a movie is he never
undermines the audience, he believes that todays
audiences have been inundated with so many horror
films that they’re much more savvy and educated in the
language of filmmaking than in the previous years. For
this reason directors have to surprise viewers at every
turn to hold their attention from start to finish. To really
bring out the horror elements in a film Wan believes that
you need to appeal to primal human fears, scaring the
audience often comes down to tapping into peoples life
long fears the film ‘Lights out’ for example plays right
into this principle by focusing on a classic fear that lots of
people have which is darkness.
Shots
Wan uses a wide range of camera shots and cuts
to grab the audience and immerse them in a
movie. Wan uses constant close ups on the
characters faces so the audience gets a clear
understanding of the emotions the character is
feeling in that scene. This allows the audience to
emphasise with the character as they can feel
their fright and fear. Other shots Wan uses that I
feel he repeats in his films to capture the horror
is:
-POV shots, which usually comes from the
antagonist watching the protagonists which
shows the audience they are being watched by
an unknown source.
-Medium and low angle shots, this can show the
audience who is in control of the scene.
-Waist level tracking shots, in the conjuring Wan
used this shot when the audience was looking
Bibliography
Winfrey, G. (2016). 5 Rules From James Wan For
Making a Successful Horror Movie in 2016.
Available: https://www.indiewire.com/2016/07/5-
rules-from-james-wan-making-a-successful-
horror-movie-in-2016-1201709025/. Last
accessed 6th Jan 2021
Wikipedia contributers (2018). 100 most popular
new line cinema films. America: Abebooks. 282.
Movie, G. (N/A). James Wan Biography . Available:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1490123/bio. Last
accessed 5th Jan 2021.
Belinkie, M. (2010). The shocking complexity of
the Saw movies. Available:
https://www.overthinkingit.com/2010/10/26/saw
-movies/. Last accessed 5th Jan 2021
Karki, R. (2013). The conjuring analysis.
Available: https://prezi.com/pgzzurvkln0p/the-
conjuring-analysis/. Last accessed 5th Jan 2021
Daly,J. (2014). Analysis of the trailer Insidious . Available:
https://jamesd1814.wixsite.com/jamesdalymediaa2/blank
-c1oz6. Last accessed 5th Jan 2021.

6. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Films:
Memento (2001)
Insomnia (2002)
Batman Begins (2005)
The Prestige (2006)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Ghajini (2008)
Inception (2010)
The dark Knight rises (2012)
Man of Steel (2013)
Interstellar (2014)
Dunkirk (2017)
Tenet (2020)
Born: 30th July 1970
Age: 50
Quotes
“A camera is a camera, a shot is a shot, how you tell a story is the main thing”
“Every film should have its own world, a logic and feel to it that expands beyond the exact image that the audience is
seeing.”
“For me, Batman is the one that can most clearly be taken seriously. He's not from another planet, or filled with
radioactive gunk. I mean, Superman is essentially a god, but Batman is more like Hercules: he's a human being, very
flawed, and bridges the divide.”
“Films are subjective - what you like, what you don't like. But the thing for me that is absolutely unifying is the idea that
every time I go to the cinema and pay my money and sit down and watch a film go up on-screen, I want to feel that the
people who made that film think it's the best movie in the world, that they poured everything into it and they really love
it. Whether or not I agree with what they've done, I want that effort there - I want that sincerity. And when you don't feel
it, that's the only time I feel like I'm wasting my time at the movies.”
“The term 'genre' eventually becomes pejorative because you're referring to something that's so codified and ritualised
that it ceases to have the power and meaning it had when it first started.”
“Movie logistics never really allow you to do anything but shoot the way the budget dictates.
Mini Bio
Christopher Nolan is best known for his cerebral, often nonlinear, storytelling. Over the course of 15 years of filmmaking, Nolan
has gone from low-budget independent films to working on the biggest blockbusters ever made. At 7 years old, Nolan began
making short movies with his father's Super-8 camera. While studying English Literature at University College London, he shot 16-
millimeter films at U.C.L.'s film society, where he learned the guerrilla techniques he would later use to make his first feature,
Following (1998), on a budget of around $6,000. The noir thriller was recognized at a number of international film festivals prior to
its theatrical release and gained Nolan enough credibility that he was able to gather substantial financing for his next film. The
turning point in Nolan's career happened when he was awarded the chance to revive the Batman franchise in 2005. Nolan brought
a realistic, gritty portrayal of the superhero that was praised by audiences and critics alike, this gave him the opportunity to create
the Dark Knight trilogy making two Batman sequels, the second being the most successful bringing a new meaning to superhero
films. His next major successful blockbuster that captivated audiences and critics was the 2010 film “Inception” this film is
considered a masterpiece and had become one of the most discussed and debated films of the year. From then on Nolan had
established himself as one of the greatest filmmakers of our time.

7. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Inception
When filming Inception, Nolan likes to use practical effects rather than digital. For example when he shot the dream
sequence fight Nolan decided to build a 100 foot rotating structure from scratch. The fight scene was shot on wide
angle lens with no shaky cam used to film the fight, in the hall way they made the decision to attach the camera to the
floor, following the rotations of the whole structure. Another camera had to be placed on a crane which, which was
attached to a telescoping arm in order to follow the actors and track the movement of the scene. The lighting in the
hall was another amazing factor that contributed to this scene as well. This is because they couldn’t use the typical
approach to light the scene due to the rotation of the structure, the lights had to be build in to the hallway itself. Every
light that was placed in the hallway was meant for essential illumination of the actors and the hallway. This fight
sequence is only one example of many of Nolan's dedication and perfection of each scene in the film. Inception in
nothing less than a masterpiece in both storytelling and cinematography.
The prestige
To me The Prestige is one of Nolan's most criminally underrated films. The film is all about magic and
trickery but that doesn’t just happen to the characters in the movie but Nolan does it to the audience as
well. He misdirects them but hides the secret obviously in plain sight. The movie is a masterpiece in not
only storytelling but cinematography as well. There is so many twists and turns at every climatic point in
the film, you will find yourself switching sides between the two protagonists ( Hugh Jackman and
Christian Bale) who both have a well developed and backed up rivalry between them that at each
misdirection the two characters take you will find yourself torn between sides until the end. This is film
is majorly underrated and to me it is one of Nolan’s best works.
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight is Nolan's second film in his Batman trilogy, the way he has filmed the movie using as little visual effects as
possible as well as the whole narrative of the film is what sets this trilogy apart from all the other superhero movies. Nolan
makes it feel real not only with the setting and how the film is shot, but also with the character Bruce Wayne. He isn't a self
righteous superhero like Captain America, he is flawed. The set up of Batman's origins gives us a realistic portrayal and build
up of how the vigilante is created, to me this is why I believe marvels films to be flawed when Nolan creates a masterful
narrative throughout the films, characters like the Joker who leaves a massive impact on the audience. I just don’t get that with
Marvel characters or the films because Nolan has created such a well written, realistically portrayed superhero movie it’s hard
to live up to Nolan's standard of narratively driven filmmaking.

8. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN
Christopher Nolan Filming techniques
Nolan believes that when you are making a film you need to
understand every job on set. He states “I’m interested in every
different bit of filmmaking because I had to do every bit of it
myself – from sound recording and ADR to editing and music. I
feel very lucky to be a member of probably the last generation
who cut film on a Steenbeck flatbed, physically taping it
together and dropping out shots. It gave me a really good
grounding in knowing overall what has to go into a film
technically that was very valuable. And it meant that absolutely
everything I did was simply because I was passionate and
wanted to try stuff. You’re never going to learn something as
profoundly as when it’s purely out of curiosity.” I have also
found that in his films he uses as little CGI as possible, opting
to use actual settings as real places add more credibility to the
film and Nolan wants to take the audience on an adventure.
Christopher Nolan believes you need to blend subjective and
objective in writing, “What I try to do is write from the inside out.
I really try to jump into the world of the film and the characters,
try to imagine myself in that world rather than imagining it as a
film I’m watching onscreen. Sometimes, that means I’m
discovering things the way the audience will, with character and
story. Other times, you’re plotting it out with diagrams and
taking a very objective view. Writing, for me, is a combination of
both. You take an objective approach at times to get you
through things, and you take a subjective approach at other
times, and that allows you to find an emotional experience for
the audience.” This shows that when he’s working on his films
he likes to see it as the creator and the audience. He also goes
on explaining that it’s like being God inside the world you have
created, knowing what cannot be known by any one character,
then seeing things through their eyes, then trying on the pupils
of the people who will experience the movie.
Shots
In all of Nolan’s films he makes sure every
shot is perfect and it conveys perfect visual
narrative to the audience, some examples
of my favourite shots in Nolan’s films
comes from his big blockbusters:
- Inception, the wide shot of the cityscape
folding in on itself.
- Memento, close up of Leonards hand
with the words “remember Sammy
Jankis” tattooed on it.
- The dark knight, opening scene with
the Joker with his back to the camera
on the crosswalk, with his clown mask
in one hand and duffle bag over his
shoulder.
These shots are just a few examples of
many of first rate visual storytelling, these
shots come from there sources,
Christopher Nolan, Wally Pfister and Hoyte
Van Hoytema.
Bibliography
Thenolanfan. (N/A). Christopher Nolan Biography
. Available:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0634240/bio#mini
_bio. Last accessed 6th Jan 2021.
Joy, S (2020). The Traumatic Screen The Films of
Christopher Nolan. UK: Intellect books limited . 90.
Osak, J. (2014). Inception Film Analysis. Available:
https://prezi.com/0h0lahpwhhbj/inception-film-
analysis/. Last accessed 6th Jan 2021.
N/A. (2007). The Prestige Analysis. Available:
https://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Prestige-
Analysis-
120098.html#:~:text=The%20analysis%20of%20T
he%20Prestige%20will%20examine%20several,and
%20energy%20for%20a%20successful%20and%20
entertaining%20fi. Last accessed 6th Jan 2021.
Beggs,S. (2012). 6 Filmmaking Tips From
Christopher Nolan. Available:
https://filmschoolrejects.com/6-filmmaking-tips-
from-christopher-nolan-1af8fd7a75cc/. Last
accessed 7th Jan 2021

9. MARTIN SCORSESE
Films
Who’s that knocking at my door (1967)
Mean streets (1973)
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1973)
Taxi driver (1976)
Raging Bull (1980)
The King of Comedy (1982)
The Age of Innocence (1993)
Goodfellas (1990)
Cape Fear (1991)
Kundun (1997)
Bringing out the dead (1999)
Gangs of New York (2002)
The Aviator (2004)
The Departed (2005)
Shutter Island (2010)
Hugo (2011)
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Silence (2016)
The Irishman (2019)
Quotes
“Movies touch our hearts, and awaken our vision, and change the way we see things. They take us to other places.
They open doors and minds. Movies are the memories of our lifetime. We need to keep them alive.”
“Every scene is a lesson. Every shot is a school. Let the learning continue.”
“Now more than ever we need to talk to each other, to listen to each other and understand how we see the world, and
cinema is the best medium for doing this.”
“I always tell the younger filmmakers and students: Do it like the painters used to...Study they old masters. Enrich your
palette. Expand the canvas. There's always so much more to learn.”
“Music and film are inseparable. They always have been and always will be.”
“We’re face to face with images all the time in a way that we never have been before... Young people need to
understand that not all images are there to be consumed like fast food and then forgotten – we need to educate them to
understand the difference between moving images that engage their humanity and their intelligence, and moving images
that are just selling them something.”
Mini Bio
Scorsese was raised in the neighbourhood Little Italy,which later provided the inspiration for several of his films. Scorsese
earned a B.S. degree in film communications in 1964, followed by an M.A. in the same field in 1966 at New York University's
School of Film. During this time he made numerous prize winning short films including the big shave (1967) and directed his
first feature film, who’s that knocking on my door (1967). In 1976, Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, starring Robert Di Niro, was
awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and he followed that film with New York, New York (1977) and the last
waltz (1978). Scorsese also received eight academy award nominations, for the film Raging Bull, the nominations included
best picture and best director, and is hailed as one of the masterpieces of modern cinema. Scorsese then went on to create
many other award winning films, such as the good fellows, Casino and his long cherished project, Gangs of new York earned
numerous critical honours. Scorsese won his first Academy Award for Best Director for The Departed(2006), which was also
honoured with the Director's Guild of America, Golden Globe, New York Film Critics, National Board of Review and Critic's
Choice awards for Best Director, in addition to four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Scorsese's documentary of the
Rolling Stones in concert, Shine a Light (2008), followed, with the successful thriller Shutter Island (2010) two years
later. Scorsese has recently gone onto make more esteemed films recently with his 2019 crime film, The Irishman being
nominated for best picture.
Born: November 17, 1942
Age: 78

10. MARTIN SCORSESE
Shutter Island
Martin Scorsese uses a hug selection of different methods to provide the film with much deeper meaning. Numerous have
been presented to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Scorsese uses lighting strategies and noise to provide an
atmosphere that would create confusion. The storyline is very manipulative to the viewers and it prospers in surprising anyone
who views the movie consistently with plot twists and false clues planted throughout the film. Sound is used throughout the
film to create suspense and create a background of atmosphere that is suited to fit the situation the character is in. Scorsese
also uses another technique with sound when he introduces high pitched piano noises to throw the audiences attention off
and create an uneasy environment. The music used in Shutter Island plays a huge part, giving it a vintage feel and constantly
gives the audience that old fashioned presence. When filming, Scorsese uses lots of close up shots to convey the characters
emotions, he also uses sweeping shots to develop the feeling of knowing exactly what’s going on in the scene.
The wolf of wall street
In the Wolf of Wall Street Scorsese uses high key lighting to help give the natural scenes a more
naturalist and realistic feeling. The high-key lighting technique helped to show the different emotions
and stages as Jordan progressed through his life and throughout his career,, The high-key lighting
made the tone and theme much easier to sense. The lighting used also helped convey the comedic
sense of the movie to audience as well. Scorsese presents Jordan’s life in such a way the audience can
really understand this character and how they got to where they are, he shows his background, his
personal side and how he got to this lavish lifestyle. If this film was presented differently by the director,
I feel like it would be very hard to follow, fortunately Scorsese executes the narrative perfectly and the
character.
Gangs of New York
In Gangs of New York Scorsese successfully achieves in revealing a naked America, a nation built on
violence and racial hate, but nevertheless able to build something important in its evolution. In some of its
traits, the film looks like a canvas painted in a crude way, with its contradictions still open, it’s a movie made
on light and dark emotions and realistically portrays a gritty New York. One clear element of the movie is
the acceptance of violence as a mean to reach a goal, an indispensable attitude for those times, for that
social class. This film is easily one of Scorsese's greatest, the build up between characters and their
relationships are executed perfectly and the symbolisms and political meaning throughout the narrative is
also done masterfully, knowing this film means a lot to Scorsese.

11. MARTIN SCORSESE
Martin Scorsese Filming Techniques
When filming Scorsese says how he likes to shoot things the
way he perceives them from real life. That means he walks
around the world thinking of camera movements that would
generate the same emotions that he feels at that particular
moment. If something is particularly startling, Scorsese will
use a very quick push-in to represent the emotions of the
character. However, this doesn’t mean every camera move is
solely based on emotion, because many can be both tied to
emotion and to some practical decision, like a moving object.
I have also found that Scorsese is attracted to characters that
have deeply human flaws he doesn’t have characters that are
all good or all bad, rather they have a grey area to them like
all humans do. Part of the effect that comes from this is you
connect with the characters much more than you might in
films where the character is never seen as wrong or flawed. If
your hero is constantly fighting a bad guy, you’ll assume
every action they carry out is somehow justified. Scorsese
also doesn’t like to portrayal violence he qualifies the violence
in his own films as “unpleasant” and that the characters in his
films who are violent often “reap what they sow.” In
Scorsese’s films I find that they have very informal and
energetic cuts, everything is informed by the tone and the
story, but the images are sequenced to push the viewer rather
than finesse. Scorsese also believes that camera placement
should more often than not be tied to character. Most of
Scorsese’s best films are intense character studies, so it
makes sense to try and build their emotions into the film. He
also finds it important to immerse the viewer into the culture
of the character, which means showing the environment,
showing the character within a situation, showing the
character in their element. Scorsese believes the intention of
Shots
Martin Scorsese always opens his movies with
memorable shots. Pretty much every single one of
Scorsese’s shots is carefully considered and
meticulously crafted, so he doesn’t slack off when it
comes to the very first one featured in a film. Some of
my favourite opening shots are:
- Casino’s opening tracking shot of the character
walking to his car, He gets into the driver’s seat,
closes the door, turns his key in the ignition, and
the car goes up in flames in an instant, shoving us
into the opening titles.
- Shutter Island, The movie opens with Teddy
arriving on the island, as his boat charges through
thick fog. The wall of fog that fills the frame
symbolically represents Teddy’s mental state. He
can’t see anything clearly, he doesn’t really know
what’s going on, and he doesn’t know what his
psyche is hiding from him.
- Taxi Driver, Scorsese opens the movie with a shot
steam billowing out of the sewers and into the
streets of New York. The Taxi emerges from the
steam in slow motion. It’s a gritty, noir-ish moment
that expertly sets up the movie.
Bibliography
Borges, P. (N/A). Martin Scorsese biography
. Available:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000217/bio. Last
accessed 7th Jan 2021.
LoBrutto, V (2008). Martin Scorsese A Biography.
America : Praeger . 49.
Sherlock,B. (2020). Martin Scorsese's 10 Best Opening
Shots, Ranked. Available:
https://screenrant.com/martin-scorsese-best-opening-
shots-ranked/. Last accessed 7th Jan 2021.
Maffei,L. (2019). Sherlock,B. (2020). Martin Scorsese's
10 Best Opening Shots, Ranked. Available:
https://screenrant.com/martin-scorsese-best-opening-
shots-ranked/. Last accessed 7th Jan 2021.. Available:
https://auralcrave.com/en/2019/02/19/shutter-island-
explained-behind-the-meaning-of-the-movie/. Last
accessed 7th Jan 2021.
Heckmann,C. (2020). The Wolf of Wall Street Long
Take — Director’s Playbook. Available:
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/wolf-of-wall-street-
scene-analysis/. Last accessed 7th Jan 2021.
Gabriele,P. (2019). Beyond the meaning: Martin
Scorsese’s Gangs Of New York. Available:
https://auralcrave.com/en/2019/01/31/beyond-the-
meaning-martin-scorseses-gangs-of-new-york/. Last
accessed 7th Jan 2021.

12. THEORY

13. THRILLER THEORY
Codes and Conventions
In thriller there’s loads of conventions used such as low-key lighting,
this is created by the use of a black light and it represents a dark
atmosphere which can be seen as foreboding or mysterious. The use
of sound within the horror genre is another important element, as
different sounds and music used in thriller films can produce different
moods that effects the audience in different ways. In Alfred
Hitchcock’s film ‘Psycho’ the music is very high pitched, adding
suspense and tension to the film whereas in action thrillers they use
more loud and fast paced music to make the audience feel excited
and to emphasise the fast pace of the film. Camera angles are another
important convention in the thriller genre, they use a wide variety of
different angles within thriller films which helps capture every emotion
present within the movie, making the audience feel much more
involved and like they are observing alongside during the duration of
the film.
Sub-genres
There is numerous sub-genres within thrillers, the term thriller is a
loose term that refers to any film that generates suspense and
excitement as a major part of its narrative. Sub-genres within
thriller such as action thriller, spy thriller, crime thriller, supernatural
thriller etc... Are a few out of many examples of sub-genres within
the genre. However if you get a film that is a horror thriller that is
combining two genres together is called a hybrid genre. This
means the film has the suspense and excitement that thriller has as
well as the frightening and suspenseful aspects that horror has as
well. Having sub-genres helps define the narrative of the film, if it’s
a mystery thriller then the audience knows that the film is about a
character having to solve a major problem in the plot., if it’s
supernatural thriller then we know that there is going to be out of
this world elements within the film.
History of thriller
“Thriller” is a modern term, but thrillers have existed throughout
history mainly in literature including Greek poet Homer’s Odyssey
(725 BCE), German academics’ the Brothers Grimm’s Little Red
Riding Hood (1967), and French Writer Alexandre Dumas’ The Count
of Monte Cristo (1844). The first thriller film ever made was Safety
Last! and it was directed by Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam
Taylor. However one of the most famous thriller director out there is
Alfred Hitchcock, his first thriller film was called “The Lodger” which
is eerily familiar to the story of Jack the Ripper. However, Hitchcock’s
most successful film is the iconic mystery thriller “Psycho”. Over the
years this film has been remade many times, even starting of a hit
prequel series called Bates Motel. Alfred Hitchcock is arguably the
most famous thriller directors out there.
Themes
There are many themes in the thriller genre, however most themes are
dependant on the sub-genre. For example in a psychological thriller I have
found the most common theme is guilt, in Shutter island DiCaprio’s
character is a patient in an intuition as he killed his wife after she drowned
their kids. The overwhelming guilt he had over the crime caused him to
create an elaborate story in his mind that gave him a new identity. It was
the guilt that ultimately caused this. In the film Inception yet again starring
Leonardo DiCaprio, his character is plagued by guilt over his wife deaths
which leads him to complete the mission involving Inception. These were
just a couple of examples out of many of the theme of guilt within
psychological horror. However one theme that I believe applies to every
sub-genre within thriller is that the narrative is designed to put the
audience on the edge of their seat, always keeping them thinking what is
going to happen and why it is happening.

14. MYSTERY THEORY
Codes and Conventions
Mystery films are often set in modern urban cities, going back to
the time of noir films when these reflected the fears and
insecurities of a post war world. Mystery film today still play worries
on the modern world , whether it be political or in our own lives,
mystery films play our sneaking suspicions that under the surface
there’s something dark and evil lurking there. In most mystery films
they often include a protagonist who the audience struggles to
understand and we always feel is up to something, they make the
protagonist borderline into the antagonist in some cases. Mystery
films like these make us mistrust each character and the action
they make which is essential what makes it a mystery film, Knives
out for example every person was a suspect and you never knew
who you could trust which make the audience themselves question
who did it.
Sub-genres
There are many sub genres within mystery however all of them involve one
goal through the narrative which is solving the mystery. Sub genres such as
a caper mystery is a light hearted and comical narrative, the aim of these
films is to allow the audience to relax and have a laugh despite the
circumstances. A similar sub genre to this is a cozy mystery which is a much
lighter tone. Murder is usually involved but not in a gruesome manner. The
most popular films for this genre is often romantic cozy mysteries. A much
more serious sub-genre is the Hardboiled mysteries, this types often has a
detective that takes their job too seriously and are often seen fighting their
own demons. The final example of mystery sub-genres is noir mysteries.
The crime in this particular subgenre isn’t normally heavy with homicide but
includes robberies or kidnappings. The culprits normally aren’t too
competent with whatever they plan and even the detective may not be as
reliable but they all tend to get their individual job done. This is more of the
classical mystery film.
History of mystery
Mystery and crime films as we know them today, did not come into view
until the mid nineteenth century. Actual mystery films were introduced by
Edgar Allan Poe, who was an American writer, editor, and literary critic
who mostly wrote gothic stories. By the 1920s, British mysteries had
become very popular because the style of mystery films stood out to
people. One of the most famous mystery films is Sherlock Holmes who to
this day is still extremely popular, and is one of the most iconic detectives
and character made. The most popular mystery films made was noir films
which created the iconic detective look consisting a trench coat, hat and
flashlight, The name Noir came from French film critics who noticed the
trend of how 'dark', downbeat and black the looks and themes were of
many American crime and detective films released in France to theatres
during and following World War II. Even today noir films are still being
made, the most recent and popular being the Light house.
Themes
The main theme I find in all mystery film is that they need to leave
the audience questioning. It should be able to invite them to solve
the crime without it be completely obvious and predictable which
is a trope I find many mystery films to fail at. Another theme that
is in most mysteries is crime. It is the crime event that fuels the
plot, it creates the central conflict that launches the investigation,
sending the main character on a quest and spurring the narrative
arc. Another theme mysteries have is a sleuth. This the character
that is determined to solve the mystery, the writer of the narrative
can also raise the stakes for the sleuth making them personally
involved in the crime. The character development of the sleuth is
important, they need a backstory that connects them to the crime
or the killer and a motive that explains why solving this crime is
important to them.

15. SLASHER THEORY
Codes and Conventions
Slasher is a sub genre of the horror film genre, and there are many
conventions found inside the slasher genre. The first being a psychotic
masked killer who goes around butchering a bunch of people, the killer is
usually and ordinary person who has suffered some kind of great trauma,
abuse or injustice in their life and their killing streak is a way to get
revenge for the wrongs in their life. The victims are never random but
linked with the killers past. The main prey for the victims are usually the
younger adults and it’s mainly by result of parents either leaving their child
alone at home, or the child rebelling that they get murdered. I have also
found in slasher films that the main survivor is usually the outcast type,
that doesn’t want to fit into stereotypes and ultimately come off as the
most sensible out of the group of victims. Stereotypically the other
characters consist of the Jock, popular girl who comes off as the dumb
character, the nice guy and the nerdy kid and the comedian. Usually out of
this group there is only one survivor left which is the protagonist we get
introduced to at the beginning of the film.
Sub-genres
The slasher films are sub genre to the main genre of horror,
slasher was the most popular sub genre throughout the 1980s the
slasher film generally features explicit violence and gore, usually at
the hands of masked -- and at times unstoppable -- serial killers
and psychopaths. Because slasher is it’s own sub-genre it can’t
have any others however even though it is a sub-genre to horror I
have also found that in most films they have thriller elements to it
as well. This is because the films focus on fear and suspense as
well as action when the characters fight back against the
antagonist, these are themes included in thriller genre,
History of slasher
John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) is often considered the first true slasher
film that gained main stream exposure which lead a standard for all other
slasher films to be judged by. However earlier works set the groundwork
including the 1960’s Peeping Tom and Psycho In 1963 a lesser known film
called Violent Midnight, foreshadowed, in the long run, the mystery killers
in slasher movies. Italian filmmakers such as Mario Bava focused their
narratives on bloody deaths, developing a style known as Giallo. Bava’s
Twitch of the death nerve (1971) forecasted the slasher movement to
come. This film among others incorporated elements that would late be
associated with slashers. However it was the American film Halloween that
put all those slasher elements together into one film and it showed that
the slasher genre could become a powerhouse money maker in the US. Its
success lead to Friday the 13th in 1980, that then opened the door for
thousands of imitators during the 80s.
Themes
As Slasher films are apart of the horror genre the same themes will apply
throughout, for example themes found in horrors are used to scare, thrill
and entertain the audience. Typical horror themes that can also be
associated with Slasher are Revenge, Gore, Serial Killers and a lot of
suspense. The main theme in Slasher films in my opinion is serial killer and
gore. It is one of the most common themes to always have a serial killer in a
slasher film, or else who create the slasher? Films such as Halloween with
Michael Myers, Friday the 13th with Jason and Scream with the ghost masks
are what makes the slasher films iconic they are the main focus of the
narrative and is what drives the plot, they are what the films are based on.
The other theme of gore is is another common trope in slasher films,
whenever the victim is murdered it is presented in a brutal and gory way. It
is the violence of the film that reasons behind people watching it as well as
the plot.

16. N A R R A T I V E T H E O R Y
TODOROV'S NARRATIVE
STRUCTURE
Todorov produced a theory in 1969 that was
believed to be applicable to all films and their
narrative structure, believing that all films
progressed in a linear fashion. Most films follow
the narrative structure of starting the story at the
beginning and then moving it into the middle so it
follows to the end. There are 5 stages the narrative
can progress through:
1. A state of equilibrium
2. A disruption of that order by an event
3. A recognition that the order has occurred
4. An attempt to repair the damage of the
disruption
5. A return or restoration of a new equilibrium
Todorov’s narrative theory suggests that all
narratives follow this structure where they begin
with equilibrium, where the characters are in a
balanced setting before progressing for something
to disrupt equilibrium and finally reach a resolution
before the equilibrium is restored. However not all
films follow Todorov’s narrative structure and
instead use different narratives such as circular and
non linear.
Circular Narrative
Circular narrative is where the story
finishes where it started and throughout
the film the audience learns how the
characters get into the position they are
in at the beginning of the film. Circular
narrative starts and finishes on the same
action, allowing the audience to
understand that they have come back
around to this action which can allow
them to comprehend the story in better
detail. This technique is one of the
hardest narratives to use, as you have to
make sure the beginning and end links
and you need to show the audience how
you get there in a story that makes sense,
This structure is one of the least used
techniques to those who use an open
structure or linear narrative. However,
some films who have successfully used
this techniques well are films such as ‘The
Pen and pad’ and the film ‘Looper’ which
is about characters who travel back in
time to kill their past selves.
Non Linear
A non-linear narrative is when the
structure of the film is in non chronological
order and the story can switch between
different points in time. The opposite
structure to this is a linear narrative where
the film follows a structure of being in
chronological order. One film that does
both Non Linear and linear narratives is
Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban,
throughout the film it follow a linear
narrative up until they travel back in time.
This is when the film follows a non linear
narrative because the scenes occur at the
same time as scenes we have already
watched. When they travel back to the
present, the film resumes it’s linear
storytelling. Another popular film that
follows a non linear narrative all the way
through is Pulp Fiction, with non linear
films the audience sometimes has to watch
it multiple times in order to make sense of
it. Quentin Tarantino who made pulp
fiction has followed the non linear
structure more than once including his film
‘reservoir dogs’.

17. N A R R A T I V E T H E O R Y
Vladimir Propp Narrative Theory
Vladimir Propp based his own narrative theory, which consisted of characters
and actions having their own narrative functions, on fairy tale which he
found to have the same basic structure. Propp found that the characters
function was to provide structure for the text.
Characters in Propp’s theory that performs functions
1. The Hero- A character that seeks something
2. The Villain – Who opposes or actively blocks the hero’s quest
3. The Donor- Who provides an object with magical properties
4. The Dispatcher- Who sends the hero on his/her quest via a message
5. The False Hero- Who disrupts the hero’s success by making false claims
6. The Helper- Who aids the hero
7. The Princess- Acts as the reward for the hero and the object of the
villains plots
8. Her Farther- Who acts to reward the hero for their efforts.
Claude Levi-Strauss’s Theory
Levi Strauss was a French anthropologist in the 1900s. He proposed a
theory of ‘Binary Opposites’ which entails that the majority of
narratives in media forms such as books and films contain opposing
main characters. These binary opposites help to thicken the plot and
further the narrative; and introduce a contrast.
This is shown within through:
1. Good/Bad
2. Male/Female
3. Ability/Disability
4. Love/Hate
5. Black/White
6. Intelligence/Brute force
Importance of a narrative
Narrative structure is important as it allows the audience to understand the story of the film and to a reasoning behind the plot that is conveyed to them. It
helps the audience understand the characters, and sympathise or relate to them with how they act in the situation the narrative puts them in. When using a
narrative you should be able to link up events throughout the film in order for it to make sense, no matter what narrative structure you follow, this include
non linear. The narrative also allows the audience to understand the details in the film this can be seen through visual narrative as well with different camera
angles meaning different things in the story or the mise en scene and how the props or costumes in the scene gives of the personality of the characters to the
audience. The main importance of the narrative is to tell a story and to be able to convey that story to the audience in a given structure that makes sense for
the audience to understand and follow.

18. CONTEXTUAL STATEMENT
FMP project
My ultimate plan for my FMP project is to make a mystery/thriller trailer, along with a poster, DVD covers and if I have time some
merchandise designs. Looking at the directors I have chosen to research has given me a much better understanding of how I can produce
my project, having researched directors in the similar genre I want to produce my FMP in. The plot for my trailer is about a serial killer who
is going around murdering people and leaving them with bags on their heads and a mysterious box in their hands. The serial Killer is
targeting a certain detective to solve the puzzle boxes left at the crimes scene in order to stop the murders. My inspiration for this plot is
mainly from the film Saw, which I have covered the director for in my research, James Wan. Researching James Wan and how he was
motivated to make the films he does as well as how he produces them and what styles and technique he uses has given me further ideas
about how I will go about producing my project. Knowing how it was only Wan and his friend Whannell who originally starred, directed
and produced Saw has given me confidence that I will be able to produce my own project, even with the threat of lockdown. If lockdown
effects my production I will try and keep the plot the same but change the amount of people I originally had planned to star in it.
Christopher Nolan, who is another director I have researched has been a major inspiration as to why I have chose to work in film. Looking
at his works such as the dark night, inception and the prestige and seeing how he came about filming them as well as coming up with the
plots has given me ideas for how I can give a deeper meaning to my project and the characters I plan to introduce. Martin Scorsese is
another inspiration of how I can really focus on the development of the characters, I have researched how he much prefers character driven
narratives than a plot with bland and uninteresting characters. Although I am only making a trailer I can still convey the characters
personalities through visual narrative such as the setup of which my characters live in and subtle cluse as to why they do the things they
do. Overall researching these certain filmmakers in the film industry has given me a finer and clear idea of how I’m going to go about
producing my own project, the plot of it and how I will come about making it if there’s another lockdown. From my theory research I had
focused on genre theory, this has helped a lot because I am doing a mystery thriller I have leant the different themes, sub genres and
history of the genre. For example I know the term for my main character is called a sleuth, and I know that I need to make the character
have a motive behind why they are so desperate to solve this crime and the personal connection they have to it. This helps me get clearer
understanding of how I am going to present my protagonist and how the overall project will feel such as the tone and mood.

19. THEORY BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Dionara,T. (2012). Common Themes in Psychological Thrillers. Available: https://the-
artifice.com/common-themes-in-psychological-thrillers/. Last accessed 8th Jan 2021.
• Harris,M. (2019). The History of Slasher Movies. Available:
https://www.liveabout.com/slasher-movies-1873211. Last accessed 8th Jan 2021.
• Adkins,C. (2012). The history of the genre of murder mystery. Available:
https://www.slideshare.net/ConnorJohnAdkins/the-history-of-the-genre-of-murder-
mystery. Last accessed 8th Jan 2021.
• MasterClass. (2020). Writing 101: What Is the Thriller Genre? Definitions and
Examples of Thriller in Literature. Available:
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-what-is-the-thriller-genre-
definitions-and-examples-of-thriller-in-literature. Last accessed 8th Jan 2021.
• MasterClass. (2020). The10 Essential Elements of a Mystery Story. Available:
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/essential-elements-of-a-mystery-story. Last
accessed 8th Jan 2021.
• Sloper,K. (2018). TODOROV'S NARRATIVE STRUCTURE. Available:
https://kerriejack1.wixsite.com/kerriesloper/single-post/2018/01/23/NARRATIVE-
STRUCTURE. Last accessed 10th feb 2021.