Research and planning task 1

1. Shutter Island
The film starts with the title of the film and the credits.
The film then starts to show the production credits.

2. The opening scene begins with a wide shot of a boat
appearing through the mist on the ocean. It creates a
sense of mystery as all we see is nothing but thick fog,
and then a boat appearing out of nowhere. This start
to the film is intriguing and creates a feeling of anxiety
and uncertainty, and creates disorientation for the
audience as they are not immediately given a sense of
location. This can make the audience want to see what
happens next and grabs their attention.
The next shot is an over the shoulder shot where the camera
has been deliberately positioned to reveal the characters
reflection to the audience. This shot could infer that the
character has connotations of a split personality as the
audience can see him and his reflection. This makes the
audience feel uneasy as the character is now made to be
untrustworthy, even though he is a Marshall who the
audience should be able to trust. The use of a mirror is a
stereotypical prop within a Thriller film.

3. The use of dark lighting creates a tense
atmosphere as the character is seen already as
untrustworthy and this adds to the tension as it
will make the audience wonder why he is pacing
around and acting slightly crazy as in thriller films
there is genuinely always a crazy person.
The use of both of the men's body language here
contrast each other greatly, while one of them has
an open and friendly body language which people
would normally expect from anyone that you first
meet while the other has a unwelcoming body
language that suggests that he does not like
meeting new people and prefers to be closed off
from most people and be on his own.

4. There is no diegetic sound to the clips involving his wife, other
than the sound of the water back in the present day with Teddy
the main character. The non diegetic dramatic music throughout
the clip is a low key, suggesting that what should appears to be
happy memories, are not. This can make the audience feel on
edge, as they are not sure what is happening or what might have
happened to the lady that is making teddy reminisce about her.
Going back to the screenshot of the sea water in present day,
makes the audience wonder if his wife actually died in a fire and
was killed by the smoke, or if her death had something to do with
water or drowning which is why it keeps cutting back to him on
the water.
This makes the audience start to not trust him, as they
don’t understand the significance of the water and why it
has been highlighted during Teddy’s flashbacks of his wife
and why it might link to nay memories that he has with
her or perhaps her death that took place. Also the fast
paced editing to these clips suggest that Teddy doesn’t
want to reveal to much about his wife, creating a sense of
mystery and weariness for the audience as he is not
revelling much about her death and is trying to escape the
memories as her as it keeps cutting to the present day
suggesting that he has something to hide.

5. SE7EN
The opening scene of se7en starts with the
production credits of this film.
The opening sequence does not include any long shots
of the setting which can create disorientation for the
audience as they do not know where the scene is
located, you would assume that the things taking place
are happening in someone’s home, or in an office as
the props are what you would typically find in these
places. However it is not shown therefore creating
tension for the audience.

6. The props used in the opening could be associated
with investigations and detective work. These include
books, photos, files, pens and paper.
It is shown that whoever it is that is doing all of this
remains unknown and is seen to be cutting out
pictures of what looks like experiments on human
bodies. This could create uncertainty for the audience
as they would be unsure as to why someone would
want to keep disturbing pictures such as that, however
as a typically thriller film normally has a killer as some
sort it could be giving hints that whoever is the person
behind this is the killer in the film.

7. The opening is in a montage format, is had lots of clips
that have been put together of things that genuinely a
normal person wouldn’t be looking for in information.
The fact that it isn’t done in an chronological order that
makes sense to the audience gives the idea that this
person is doing many different things to create some
sort of file or investigation.
As all of the shots are close up objects, there are
many shallow focuses that are used. These allow the
audience to focus on what is happening with these
items as it may reflect what could happen as the film
goes on. It also distracts them from seeing who the
person is that is doing these things which creates
tension and we still don’t know who it is or why they
are doing what they are doing.

8. Jaws
The film Jaws opens with the production credits.
Then the title of the film is shows before
anything dramatic in the film happens.

9. The characters in the beginning are sitting around a fire
situated on the beach together. They seem to be having fun
drinking, smoking and playing music. The characters actions are
one of a hippy nature, which can show their young and
carefree personalities. Usually in a thriller film when there is a
group of teenagers it often that the story line is that they get
killed of one by one, this can give the audience a sense of
acknowledgement as they think they know what is going to
happen.
As the audience think that they are ready for an act of violence
to happen in the film, especially when the girl and boy are
running away together far from the safety of the group and out
into the darkness creating a tense atmosphere. The audience
will question the safety of the two young teenagers, as one
they are under the influence of drugs and alcohol and two the
girl is running away naked therefore she is asking for some sort
of confrontation.

10. As the two teenagers have made it to the beach and the boy
stays out of the water unable to stand due to his drunken state
the girl runs into the water. This can cause the audience to
instantly become worried that the girl is about to be harmed or
possibly killed as she is under the influence of alcohol and drugs
and she is in the water alone at night with no one to help her as
all the people that are still on the beach are also under the
influence of drugs and alcohol.
As the girl swims deeper into the water and the boy remains on
the beach it is creating a more tense atmosphere as the audience
can guess that something bad is about to happen.

11. The next shot starts to become a point of view of
what we can only guess to be the sharks point of
view creating a tense atmosphere. A non
diegetic sound tack starts playing that is only
playing when there is about to be a shark attack
creating a tense atmosphere as you can see that
the shark is continuing to get closer and closer to
the women from his point of view.
As the point of view of the shark is starting to get closer
the sound track starts to speed up signifying that a
violent and quick pace scene is about to take place. The
female character is positioned as a venerable object
therefore the audience knows that something is going to
happen to her.

12. As the shark attacks the lady quick pace editing is used
as well as shot reverse shots to help speed up the
scene and helping the audience to feel involved as
they are positioned with camera where the shark
would be.
As the lady is being attacked it goes to a close up
shot of her face which you can clearly see that she
is in a lot of pain, this can create a sense of fear in
the audience as they know that no one is able to
help her and that the lady is going to die because of
the shark.

13. Mocking jay part 1
The first scene that we see is set with a dark surrounding and a
women who is holding her legs in a protective form, this can make
the audience feel some what worried for her as we have no idea
as to why she is feeling as if she need to protect herself from
someone or something. This can also make the audience want to
watch on and captivate them as they will then want to know who
or what she is protecting herself from.
As a light is shone on the women it goes to a close up of her face
which clearly shows that she is fearful for whoever is holding to
the light that is shining on her. As this is a thriller film it creates
a tense atmosphere as the audience might assume that
something violent is a about to occur.

14. The next shot shows the women as well as behind her so that we
can see who is shining the light on her. Dialogue is used in this
scene and it is made clear that people only want to help her and do
not wish to harm her, however, as she is cowering away from them
is can make the audience confused as to why she is scared of
people who only want to help her.
As the light then gets brighter as the people are approaching her
she starts to panic which causes a tense atmosphere as it has the
audience wondering if they really want to help or if they are going
to hurt her which is why she is so scared of them and that is why
she is trying to hide and get away from them.

15. As the people finally get to her they start to grab her which can
cause a very tense and panic atmosphere as we do not know why
they are feeling the need to have to forcefully handle her and not
be careful with her as they said that they are only trying to help
and do not what to harm her. Also, as she starts to struggle and
repeat the words ‘let go of me 'the audience will start to wonder
are they the stereotypical bad guys in this thriller film.
After the previous scene is done it then cuts to a long shot
showing her in abed which seems to be like a hospital. This an
instantly make the audience feel tense as we are wondering why
she has been put in what looks like a hospital making us wonder
did the people actually harm her or was this for her own good and
did they help her like they said they was going to.

16. Then we are shown her room through a door, this dismisses the
idea that she is in a hospital as it looks as if she is in a prison type
of cell as the door has number on them like she is in a pacific
room.
As she walks out of the room it is then showing us her
surroundings which seem to be dark and empty creating a tense
atmosphere. Typically in a thriller film someone often jumps out
when there is no around and it is dark which can cause the
audience to think that there is about to be an attack.

17. As we are shown her walking along as the camera follows her it is
clear that she is confused at to where she is. This can create
confusing for the audience also as she herself is unsure of her
surroundings.
As she arrives at another room we are shown in a over the
shoulder shot that someone else is also in what looks like a
hospital type room and also appears to be injured. This can
create a tense atmosphere as the audience will want to know
why he is also in this place that we are still unsure of where it is
or why they are there.

18. As dialogue is used the technique shot reverse shot is being used
which shows both of their expression, this is helping the audience
to see Cleary that something bad has happened as they both
appear to be very stressed and tense creating the same atmosphere
for the audience.
As it shows a mid shot of the man you can see that he is hooked up
to medical machines which is showing us that something bad could
have happened to him for him to be injured, as he seems
unharmed now and not scared it makes the audience wonder if the
people actually arte just helping them or are they the reason that
both of them are hurt.

19. The last close up of them women shows by her
facial expression that is anger and confused, this
creates tensions as well as curio sty as we want to
then know the full story as to why she is angry.
Also the last close up of the man is showing him to
look some what stressed but also sad about whatever
might be happening. This again creates curiosity as we
want to know why he is sad or stressed.
At the end of the opening scene the title of the movie is
displayed on a black background. This could link as to why
the setting where always dark in the opening and when
the only light was showing it was shining on the women.
This could hint that she is going to do something that will
stop whatever is bad in the film.