AS coursework.

3. Genre Conventions:The clip begins with a wide establishing shot of a dark and dimly lit
corridor with the light focused at the end. This creates the sense of eeriness and
tension as it makes the audience feel nervous as if there is something waiting in the
dark at the end of the corridor. The black contrasted with the red credit connotes blood which is
associated with anger/fear/horror therefore heightening the tone of tension. The credits flicker
rapidly suggesting the theme of being mentally unstable – a convention of a psychological thriller,
indicating to the audience that this might be how the protagonist is.
Opening Conventions: Credits can be seen which is an opening convention as it establishes the
characters and directors, for example this could give away the genre of the movie because of the
association with the directors and what types of movie they direct. It is introducing and setting the
scene which enables the audience to think about what could follow on. An establishing shot is
used, denoting to the audience a location within the film, this is a typical opening convention as it
allows the reader to know where it is set and possibly foreshadows what may happen during the
movie, for example this establishing shot appears to be in a prison and therefore implys to the
audience that this may be a key location in the movie.

4. Genre Conventions: The sequence then rapidly moves on to a swirling staircase which
appears to be revolving, looking like an illusion which possibly infers and reflects mental
states of characters in the movie; they are unstable and possibly out of control and
unpredictable, whilst also causing the viewer to feel disorientated. The colour use of red
credits against the black background highlights that the film is of serious content which the
audience would assume because of the associations of the colours; black to imply fear and
threat whilst red to imply danger or anger. There is a lack of bright, bold, happy colours which
establishes that the film is set to be of dark, mysterious content.
Opening sequence conventions: A key element here of an opening sequence convention is
it is attracting the audience’s attention by being unique and causing suspicion of the movies
content as it is using a shot of a staircase as an illusion which makes the audience question
what a revolving staircase signifys. This then fulfils its job of being an opening sequence
convention as the audience are intrigued due to verisimilitude being created; a typical
convention of Thriller opening sequences.

5. Genre Conventions: The clip then rapidly cuts to a gate, half open, enticing the audience
in, creating enigma and causing them to question what awaits behind it as it appears
something dangerous may be lurking in the dark. Pathetic fallacy is used here as rain can
be seen which possibly foreshadows that something negative is about to happen and
creates a melancholic but eerie atmosphere. Once again, the scene is dimly lit connoting
danger and mystery which is a convention of a thriller film and makes the audience fearful
as tension is being enhanced. The gates could be an alternative to represent prison bars
as they create a look of being trapped implying to the audience that this may be a
dominant theme within the film.
Opening sequence Conventions: Wide shots establishing various locations which are
obviously vital in the movie are shown, denoting to the audience where the film is set,
giving them a clear indication of what to expect as the shots establish what type of location
it is; this shot establishes that one of the locations is empty and deserted creating
verisimilitude as the audience questions as to why this is being shown. Furthermore credits
featuring a deadly, bloody red colour can be seen which is a typical feature which
enhances the mood by being a colour that denotes negative circumstances.

6. Genre Conventions: A genre convention of thriller films is danger, which can be
seen here as what appears to be a dark room is alit with flames, creating a sense of
fear as to why a fire is occurring, that someone is in danger or that perhaps the
antagonist( a key feature of thriller films) has provoked the fire. Fires are associated
with revenge and rebellion which are major themes revolving around plots in Thriller
films; the antagonist normally seeks revenge and the audience question whether this
may be the case of the fire.
Opening Sequence Conventions: Once again, credits can be seen establishing
what actors are in the movie. Due to there being a fire in the background of the shot
tension is created and heightened as a fire is an extremely dangerous hazard which
alarms the audience and entices them in to watching; a key feature of opening
sequences. It is typical in opening sequences to have a key, dramatic event
occurring in order to let the audience know what’s in store for the rest of the movie,
this shot does this by knowing that the audience will be intrigued by the fire and
wonder what the circumstances were for it, allowing them to be gripped from the very
beginning.

7. Genre Conventions: The sequence then cuts to a close up shot of a shoe stepping on
a gun and then slowly dragging it away; a key feature of thriller films is that they
contain harmful weapons, of which a gun can be seen here. By the character slowly
dragging the gun away the audience are left wondering if a crime has been committed
or is intended to be committed as it has created a sense of danger. The character is
not shown so suspense is heightened as the audience are left intrigued by who the
character is and why they are in association with harmful weapons. The shot still
consists of dim lighting which implies danger and the tone of being unsafe.
Opening sequence Conventions: Credits can be seen establishing who is in the
movie. However, the credits are no longer in red but have changed to white, obviously
to create an effect. This leaves the audience wondering as to why the credits have
been changed in colour and what this is supposed to foreshadow and think of the
contrast between the black and white colours and what this could alternatively
connote.

8. Genre conventions: A low angle shot consisting of a prison cell can be seen, implying to the
audience the location of the sequence and establishing that characters in the movie may be
dangerous to society which is typical in thriller films; normally the antagonist is. As this shot
infers that the location is in a prison the audience make associations and are caused to think
about other features of thriller films. For example, now this has been established that there is a
prison the audience engage with thought revolving around weapons; knifes and guns which are
convention mise-en-scene in thriller films and are also typical of why people may be in prison.
The shot uses dim lighting to enhance the eerie tone whilst there is a lack of people in the shot
which further enhances the eerie tone as mystery is created as to why there is no one there and
makes the audience fearful. Due to a low angle shot being used an inferior tone is created and
possibly foreshadows the status of some of the characters in the movie.
Opening Sequence Conventions: The shot establishes the location and so implies the plot of the
movie to the audience, opening sequences normally let the viewer gather thoughts and interpret
events for themselves whilst also hinting at what is to come. This is done by the prison being
established and thus therefore letting the viewer know that this will be where the film takes place
but also allows them to collect thoughts on as to why it is set in a prison.

9. Genre Conventions: Within thriller films a dominant convention is danger. This shot consists of
showing someone literally ‘playing with fire’ and striking a match whilst not showing the individual
who is doing this. This foreshadows to the audience that there is a character within the movie
who is dangerous and should not be messed with due to the serious nature of them striking a
match like it is nothing. It appears that the individual may be committing arson, a serious offence,
possibly denoting that they are involved with crime, which the antagonist normally is within thriller
films. The shot is only lit up by the flame of the match which could alternatively represent that the
movie is dominated and overpowered by crime and danger.
Opening Sequence Conventions: Within an opening sequence, an event normally happens that
denotes to the audience danger and normally entices them to want to watch on. This is used
here by an unknown character striking a match and appearing to be dangerous as it is a simple
procedure but creates fear within the audience due to the earlier shot in the sequence of a room
in flames. This causes the audiences thoughts to connect with the earlier shot and heightens
them wanting to watch it as tension is strengthened by still not showing the characters face.

11. Genre Conventions: The font of the opening credits denotes to the audience what type of genre the
film may be; different genres have different typefaces and fonts that are associated with particular
ideas. For example this font type denotes thriller film as it appears eerie as it as if it is writing that
has been scrawled and fits to the convention of a psychological thriller film, it is extremely unlikely
that this type of font would be used in an action or romcom film. Therefore this establishes to the
audience straight away that the genre is thriller and causes them to make associations with what
may occur in the film due to the use of the font type used and what it could alternatively connote.
Furthermore, the shot consists of a book being flicked through but does not show what is inside
the book or who it is flicking through it; this creates mystery, a typical convention of thriller films,
as it makes the audience consider who the person is and why they are not being shown and what
is so important about the book.
Opening Sequence comventions: The name of the production company can be seen and
immediately causes the audience to form associations; by the company being stated the audience
can collect thoughts on the film based on other films the company may have produced. New Line
Cinema is a company that has frequently made thriller films and so therefore establishes the type
of film inthe beginning shot, a common convention of an opening sequence.

12. Genre Conventions: Dim lighting is used here to create an eerie, mysterious atmosphere
whilst the shot focuses on a pair of crippled, wrinkled hands; denoting a sense of eeriness to
the audience as the shot appears creepy and unusual. It may be considered weird to have a
picture of old, wrinkled hands stuck into a book so the audience question as to why this may
be, drawing them in into the unusual but creepy atmosphere that has been created.
Furthermore the hands appear to be old and discoloured which could possibly foreshadow
death which is a key occurrence in Thriller films. The shot is a canted angle and so creates the
feeling of disorientation, letting the reader know what possibly lies ahead in the rest of the film
with thoughts revolving around instability.
Opening Sequence Conventions: Titles of who the film is produced by can be seen, this
allows the audience to have expectations of the film due to the associations with the people
featured in the titles. The credit is in white and in contrast to a black background and is rapidly
flickering; this causes the audience to have thoughts to do with mental instability as the
flickering credits have been used to place thoughts in the audience’s mind.

13. Genre Conventions: Double vision is used here to distort and confuse the audiences view
whilst making the shot appear similar to a dream as the vision is blurred and hazy which
occurs sometimes within dreams. This makes the audience question what they’re watching
as they are confused and inquisitive as to why this double vision is being used to alter their
perception of reality. The writer’s face cannot be seen and leaves the audience wondering
who they are, what they are writing, and why they’re not being shown causing them to
create their own interpretation of why this may be. Within psychological thrillers the
protagonist or antagonist normally appears to have an unhealthy mind state which this shot
supports as it appears they may be anxious as they are writing extremely quickly, which is
further supported by the feature of serial killers writing down their thoughts or plotting
things.
Opening sequence conventions: Once again, credits of people within the movie can be
seen, establishing to the audience the tone of the film as they form associations to what
they may have seen them in before. Normally, in opening sequences the film company
display the famous actors in a bold font and with colour, however this is not the case here
as ‘Richard Roundtree is in a white contrasting colour to the black background and in a
small font which creates a different feel and thus lets the audience know that the film may
be full of surprises.

14. Genre Conventions: In thriller films a key element to show the genre of the film is mise-
en-scene of props; in thriller films this is through the use of weapons. A sharp, long, knife
can be scene here denoting to the audience that whoever possesses it may be
dangerous as normally the antagonist in thriller films owns a knife or a gun and in some
cases threatens to do harm with it. This causes the audience to already fear the unknown
character whilst making them intrigued as to who it is and what they could potentially do
with the weapon as it makes them appear powerful over others as they own something
that other characters may not, creating suspense. The character appears to intensely cut
a strip of film reel. In psychological thrillers a convention is being mentally unstable which
leads to stalking an individual, this convention is associated with this type of movie,
causing the audience to wonder if this is the case and if the character is cutting up photos
of another individual. Once again, the individual is still unknown and creates mystery
enticing the audience to watch on and want to find out why they are doing these actions.
Opening sequence conventions: An aspect of opening sequences is making the
audience want to carry on watching the rest of the film which is done here through the
use of hiding the individuals face combined with dim lighting to create an eerie tone.

15. Genre Conventions: The background of this shot is black which is a typical colour used within
thrillers; they lack bold, bright colours and instead use colours of black, white or red to show that the
movie is of serious content whilst creating alternative connotations. For example, the colour black
could represent fear or death and so leaves the audience wondering if these colours have been
used to represent that and whether these are dominant emotions within the film. However, the white
credits contrast to this and give a bright, positive look with connotations of purity and innocence and
again, makes the audience question if this has been used to represent them themes. However,
these two themes juxtapose each other creating mystery. Furthermore, an image of a males face
with his eyes crossed out can be seen, this is normally associated with killers crossing out their
victim, this creates a tone of empathy towards the victim and a tone of hatred for the killer as they
seem to have no sense of remorse for their victim as they are establishing they are dead with no
pause and in a sinister way. There is also an overlay of writing which appears scrawled and
appears like it has been scratched out with a knife creating a tone of instability as it appears
someone mentally unstable has scratched out the writing.
Opening sequence conventions: A typical convention of opening sequences is shots of things
which the audience do yet know know about in order to entice them in to the rest of the film which is
done through the image of the male who the audience do not know of and why he is supposedly
dead.

16. Genre conventions A shot with a colour other than black, grey or white in it is used here
for the first time, a noticeable difference to the audience, causing them to wonder why the
change has occurred. Red connotates anger, fear or even simply blood which could
further denote death all of which are major features in thriller movies. A split shot is used
between a hand picking up what appears to be another photograph whilst the other shot
is of a pen being scrawled across a piece of paper. This creates the interpretation that
there is a significant contrast between the two as they are being opposed to one another
to create an effect on the reader and think of what they are suggesting and why they link
to each other. The shot is slightly blurred distorting the audiences view and perception of
reality which supports the contrasting split shot which also does this.
Opening sequence conventions: Credits can be seen establishing who composed/did
the music within the film in a minimal, simplistic font. Due to the credits being miniscule
instead of being bold and dominant a relaxed approach to the film is created in contrast
to what can be seen in the shot.

17. Genre Conventions: As in the previous slide, the theme of the individual collecting
photographs and sticking them in a book is carried out heightening the eerie and creepy
toned created and confirming to the audience that the unknown individual is mentally
unstable as they seem obsessed with other individuals; a typical convention of the genre of
thrillers. This is furthermore clarified by the photograph of the male having what appears to
be a sharp object stuck into his head, this is extremely disturbing and the fact that the
unknown individual glorifies this establishes they are dangerous, normally an attribute of the
protagonist in thriller films. The shot has a sepia effect added to it, which adds to the shot
being of a book; the effect creates the impression that the book is yellowed and
alternatively has been in use for sometime which heightens the creepiness. Typically, within
thriller films the protagonist/victim is normally a female and the antagonist a male but in this
shot there are photographs of both genders showing that both may have been victimised
and are equal in this sense; gender equality is not typical in thriller films.
Opening sequence conventions: Information about a character within the movie is being
given away through these shots by informing the audience of their mental state and
characteristics but still prolongs the anticipation of them being revealed creating suspense
and urging the viewer to watch on; normally done in opening sequences to entice the
audience in.

19. Genre Conventions: This shot doesn’t give any information away about the type of genre
the film is. The colours of the production company logo are bold, bright and eye-catching
creating a bright, positive approach, however this could lull the audience into a false
sense of security so their emotions will be heightened later on in the film due to the false
start at the beginning. However, the audience being lulled into false security is dominant
within thriller films in order to create suspense and tension throughout, so a genre
convention is used here.
Opening Sequence Conventions: The first shot within a production’s opening sequence is
typically the production companies logo and so this stereotypical convention is followed
here, stating that it is extremely important as it is the first shot the audience lay their eyes
upon. The audience are caused to engage with whom the production company is as it is
stated so dominantly and straight away that they are caused to think about who the
production company is and what type of films they have made before and how good they
are, giving them an outlook on what the production may be like.

20. Genre Conventions: The font of the titles resembles an old typewriter which
creates quite a creepy tone as it appears slightly sinister. The black
background with the font in white is effective; the two colours both have
connotations which contrast eachother; black represents fear, danger and
death whilst the colour white signifies purity and innocence. The use of these
contrasting meanings could signify that these are dominant within the
sequence and so have caused the viewer to engage with these themes
before the sequence has already starting, perhaps suggesting what may be
in store.
Opening Sequence Conventions: Stating the actors names first in the
sequence is a common convention. This allows the audience to assume what
the characters within the film will be like if the viewer has seen them in
previous films which allows them to judge beforehand what the film may be
like.

21. Genre Conventions: This shot gradually fades in, slowly making the audience
anticipate what is going to be revealed within the shot whilst also building up
tension as the slow gradual pace creates suspense and makes the audience
fearful. A eerie atmosphere is created here through a typical convention of
thriller films which is dim lighting. Dim lighting creates the impression of
danger or as if there is something lurking in the dark and makes the audience
question the setting as it appears mysterious due to the lack of light. The
black background denotes mystery as it isn’t possible for the audience to see
anything. There is also an absence of sound which heightens the eerie
atmosphere as it appears disturbingly silent.
Opening Sequence Conventions: Enigma is typically created within opening
sequences to entertain the audience, this is created here through the use of
only showing part of the setting and concealing the rest through darkness.

22. Genre Conventions: A hand-held point of view shot is used here in order for
the audience to empathise with the emotions of the character and what
they’re seeing. The character of the point of view shot is walking slowly as if
they are scared and thus makes the audience take on this emotion too due to
the slow pace of the shot creating suspense and connoting this emotion. By
creating this sense of involvement for the audience it allows them to be more
emotionally attached and therefore more affected by the film.
Opening Sequence Conventions: By using this angled shot it allows the
audience to meet the character at the same time as the persons whose view
point gives us a clear understanding of what is happening in the scene and
so makes the audience want to carry on watching as they will be familiar with
this character.

23. Genre Conventions: Mise-en-scene elements of weapons are normally used in
thriller films in association with the antagonist to entitle the audience to know
that they are dangerous and not to be messed with. In this shot a male can be
seen looking severely stressed and pointing a gun to his head. This lets the
audience know that he may be mentally unstable and ruthless which are two
characteristics that are normally typical of the antagonist in thriller films. The
gun denotes crime and danger which is also frequently apparent in the genre of
thriller. The shot also consists of one side being lit and one side being in the
dark; this could be alternatively suggesting that the male character shown may
be this way and have two sides to his personality, foreshadowing the content of
the movie.
Opening Sequence Conventions: The quick change in the camera angle from
the last shot combined with the loud music grips the audience and intensifies
the mood, making them intrigued and thus gripped which is what an opening
sequence intends to do.

24. Genre Conventions: The use of the aerial shot creates the impression that the
character shown is being watched by, for example the supernatural, which is
what the film’s topic surrounds, establishing this to the viewer. This creates a
uncomfortable tone for the audience. Dim lighting is also used to heighten the
eeriness of the shot whilst making the character appear vulnerable. The dim
lighting combined with the type of shot makes it seem as if the character is
inferior making the audience sympathetic as if it seems something is
overpowering him as the shot focuses down on him.
Opening Sequence Conventions: The audience gaining sympathy for the
character is an essential factor is determining whether the viewer watches
the rest of the film; if they feel connected then thus they will want to carry on
watching. By introducing a character within the opening sequence then the
audience are able to connect with this character right away and want to see
how they progress in the rest of the film.