'Phonebooth' Indipendant Thriller Research - First draft

'Phonebooth' Thriller Research

Director - Joel Schumacher

Release Date - 18th April 2003

User Comments - 'claustrophobic thriller', 'genuinely atmospheric'.

User Rating - Females: 7.2% Males: 7.3%

'Phonebooth' opens with a sound-bridge of barber shop quartet, this suggests naivety and that Stu Shepard's character is in his own little world, and hasn't quite got to grips with the physical and emotion blackmail and danger that awaits him. The title 'Phonebooth' appears with a thin, robotic font; this suggests the numbers on a phone keypad, or perhaps the wires of a phone. In the background of the opening credits, there are clouds; this implies a dream-like quality, again reinforcing Shepard's ignorance, and also implying heaven, and his fate. The clouds fade away, and a sky appears, scattered with stars - this may be suggesting Stu's shattered emotions, and maybe body later on in the film. Obviously this shot is dark and uses noir lighting, and connotes being cold and lost. A telephone satellite zooms in which denotes the plot of the films, and also shows how insignificant one little phone call is.

The next shot is of the satellite, the camera has an extreme close up of it, that it physically turns into a different object. However, I think that this shot is significant because the hexagonal shapes imply looking at the world through a flies eyes, which again reiterates the insignificance of the phone call in the grand scheme of things.

As the first mise-en-scene appears there is a gang of boys in their early twenties, this is the first thriller convention. The camera zooms out and shows the audience the busy, rush hour time of New York. This gives the viewers the idea of one person in a metropolis. The tall buildings in the below shot give the audience the impression that anybody could be watching down on you and you would have no idea. There are many advertising billboards, that use neon lighting, and general electrical use, this reinforces the technological world.

The sound-bridge song that is playing which is a bouncy, friendly song becomes darker as the bass increases, this is the second signifier of 'Phonebooth' being a thriller. The diagetic sound of a phone ringing appears which gives a sense of ambiguity. The close-up below is of dealing of some sort, most probably drug dealing, this is where the true grime, and crime of New York starts to be uncovered.


The mise-en-scene below is full of people on their phones; after all it is an everyday, common thing to do - that is what makes it so scary, as all Shepard does is pick up a ringing phone. The below shot shows the diversity of the population of New York, however most people in the opening five minutes are mostly black middle aged men.


The low-angle shot below makes the characters in the mise-en-scene seem ignorant to what could be happening around them, and the unseen danger surrounding them. The people are just living their normal lives, and this reinforces the fear factor as soon as Shepard begins to receive death threats, as people are not used to such crimes in everyday life. The tall buildings towering over the actors again suggests that there are bigger, and much more powerful people out there that they are unaware of.

The reason that I implemented the shot below was because it illustrates a typical thriller convention of a claustrophobic space, as all of the youths are crowded around the break dancer who takes up most of the shot. This shot connotes entrapment, and not being able to move. It also implies being controlled, and being inferior to somebody.


The next shot displays something that I have seen in thriller movies before. 'Welcome to...' Directors use it for the irony, because actually you don't get a warm welcome, it is usually a grimy, urban area. The use of the gun on the t-shirt also reflects the irony of the text, however it also gives the impression that New York is corrupt and that shooting somebody, or carrying a gun is just a normal thing to do, however in our society and culture carrying a gun is a crime, let alone shooting someone.

Shortly after the above shot is seen, a non-diagetic voice-over appears, with a deep voice; however not a voice to be scared of, but a voice that you don't want to question. The voice-over is the first piece of speech in the first five minutes. The voice-over says "theres an estimated eight million people in the five boroughs of New York' - again this is stating the sheer size of New York, and significance is represented. There is then a panning shot, and the camera spins around really fast, this connotes being dizzy, feeling uncomfortable, and it is a over-whelming sensation. The shot below illustrates the spinning camera I just mentioned. Small squares with people on their phones appears, again showing the amount of people have phones.


The voice-over says that the phonebooth has been burglarised many times, and due to that, it is going to be replaced at 8am the next day, this creates a sense of urgency, and rush; another thriller convention. The shot below opens up on Stu Shepard as he is introduced by the voice over. It reminds me of cartoons and how they open up, perhaps that is suggesting that Shepard is naive, and like many others in the first five miniutes is ignorant.




In conclusion, 'Phonebooth' illustrates many thriller conventions, such as claustrophobic spaces, gangs, eery music, and general lighting, and camera use.

'Thelma and Louise' Thriller Research

'Thelma and Louise' Thriller Research

Institutional Information:Director - Ridley Scott

Release Date - 12th July 1991

User Comments - 'A terrific movie...', 'I don't like it'

User Rating - Males - 7.2% Females - 7.7%

As the film opens western music is played in which contradicts the film genre which is of course actually a thriller. Scott could be doing this to suggest how different things can be to what they appear; i.e the capability of women. The sans serif font that is used suggests how broad the set opinions of women were, and that there was zero flexibility. A beautiful landscape comes onto screen.


This image also contradicts the usual chiaroscuro lit silhouette of a thriller film as it is more feminine and suggests natural beauty. The long shot has been used to incline that a lot is out there. This image pans out across the land until it comes to a halt at a long and thin dirt track which is a vanishing shot into a mountain; Scott could be suggesting that even if you vanish from the police and hide from a crime, you still have to climb a mountain eventually. In addition the camera also lifts as it stops on the dirt track, this could be because control and the person who is supposed to be looking at the shot feels invisible. The vanishing point in the first thriller signifier as is suggests venturing into the unknown. The use of a black and white lens could be to suggest that something is being hidden, but also to suggest corruption.
The credits roll from 2:15 - this is a fairly long time; suggesting a prison sentence perhaps. After the above shot the lens is removed from the camera and the shot is now in colour but with a slightly sepia effect to enhance the 'western' atmosphere. The non-diagetic music also becomes more upbeat, and then all fades into darkness with a completely black screen (thriller convention) perhaps this could be suggesting that happiness doesn't last long. The screen then cuts to a crowded, busy, and claustrophobic cafe with a non-diagetic girly soundtrack that the lyrics say "little honey, are you going out tonight?" which is patronising to women.

99% of the people in this shot are women - this is very unlike a thriller film where the only women featured are femme fatales. The waitress, Thelma goes over and speaks to a customer and doesn't seem to give them her full attention, this is the first sign of her masculine and uncaring side. Then Thelma goes over and speaks to two young girls and says "you girls are too young to be smoking, don't you think?" this is when her motherly side appears. Once again, Thelma goes into the kitchen and her masculine traits show when she lights a cigarette. The non-consistant personality of Thelma suggests that she craves dominance however society can't offer her that at that stage. Thelma then calls Louise (this reflects Thelma's dominance in the relationship) and she highly contrasts with Thelma as she is wearing a floaty nightdress with long, bouncy red hair.

Louise's husband comes onto the screen and automatically you can tell that he does not believe in womens rights, and has a stereotypical view of women as the first words he says are "god dammit Thelma" and "don't holla like that". He then proves himself to be self-absorbed when he starts combing his hair. He then goes on to say 'I may not even make it for dinner, you know how Fridays are" suggesting that he either has a very well paid, busy job, or he is cheating on Louise showing his disrespect for women. "It's a good thing that you're not regional manager, and I am!" when he said this is reminded me of the glass ceiling, and that he obviously beleives that women are not deserving of the top jobs, and that even if they were - they would make a pigs ear of it.

In conclusion, I have noticed that all of the camera shots are fairly level, and not tilted or anything. This suggests secrecy, and that nobody is looking down on them, or up - and that the only people that know what they are about to do is themselves. Thriller conventions are more obvious as the film proceeds and they are minimal in the first five minuites that I have analysed. The few examples are the black and white camera lens, the controlling husband, vanishing shot, dark and smokey rooms, and swearing. As the movie goes on more aspects such as rape, guns, cars, murder and such things appear.

'London To Brighton', Red Road' and 'This is England' Research

'London To Brighton' - "Innocence has nowhere to hide!"

General Information

- 'London to Brighton' was released in the United Kingdom on the 1st December 2006.

- The film was directed by Paul Andrew Williams.

- The genre is crime/thriller/drama.

- The plot of the film is a young girl, (Georgia Groome) who is homeless and finds herself in the centre of child prostitution thanks to a pimp, 'Derek'. This hinders her lifestyle even more than before, and she struggles to cope. Whilst Kelly is looking over her, who is a prostitute.

Production Companies

- Steel Mill Pictures

- Wellington Films

- LTB Films Limited

Distributors

There are over 15 distributors for 'London to Brighton' so I will only name a few.

- Seven Films

- Vertigo Films

- Koch Entertainment

- Paradiso Home Entertainment

Awards

This film won six awards, and nominated for two.

'Red Road'

General Information
- Released on the 27th October 2006
- Directed by Andrea Arnold
- The genre is drama/thriller
- The plot is about a woman who works as a CCTV operator for Glasgow city council. One day a man appears on her moniters that she thought she'd never see again.

Production Companies
- Advanced Party Scheme
- BBC Films
- Glasgow Film Office
- Scottish Screen
- Sigma Films

Distributors
- A-Film Distribution
- Eclipse Pictures
- Frenetic Films
- Tartan
- Verve Pictures

Awards
- 2006 Cannes Jury Prize
- 5 BAFTAS in 2006
- London Film Festival 2006

'This is England'

General Information
- Directed by Shane Meadows
- Released on the 27th April 2007 in the U.K
- The genre is drama
- The plot is about a troubled boy growing up in England in 1983. It shows the problems he faces, and the friends he meets.

Production Companies
- Big Arty Productions
- EM Media
- Film 4
- Optimum Releasing
- Screen Yorkshire

Distributors
- A-Film Distribution
- Arthaus
- IFC Films
- King Record Company
- NonStop Entertainment

Awards
- A BAFTA
- 7 wins, and 14 nominations.

'Essex Boys' Thriller Research

'Essex Boys' Thriller Research

Institutional Information:

Director - Terry Winsor

Release Date - 14th July 2000

User Comments - 'Interesting', 'Brutal and disturbing'.

User Rating - Males - 5.9, Females - 5.9.

Essex Boys was directed by Terry Winsor, and was released on the 14th of July 2000 in the UK.

The opening credits of 'Essex Boys' sets the scene, and gives the audience a fair idea of what to expect of the film. The words 'Inspired by a true event' appear on the screen, this enhances the fear factor. Fingernails down a chalkboard appear, with white font, and white fingernail scratches, whilst the majority of the colour is black. This is binary opposition at it's best, the black suggests the dark soul of Jason.




The shot above is the establishing shot. The chiaroscuro lighting implies that the film is most likely going to be a thriller, and also suggests that there is something to hide. A typical thriller genre convention is a claustrophobic space, this is present in this shot with a cramped garage. This shot is creepy, this makes the audience sense danger.



The cobwebs add a Gothic feel to the shot, and also makes the audience feel that there is a distorted view; perhaps this is implying that Billy is naive and vulnerable. This long shot creates distance between the audience and the character, making the viewer feel uncomfortable with the situation of them not knowing who the mysterious shadowed character is. The claustrophobic space convention continues as the man is slightly bent over. The fact that the credits are still rolling suggests that there is something going on that we as the audience are not yet aware of.

As this shot appears, there is a voice-over; with a cultural Essex accent, which creates a friendly atmosphere which contradicts the usual thriller conventions, however it also connotes a nightmare experience. It also engages the audience as it is direct speech. This shot is denotes Billy cleaning his windscreen as it is thick with dust, grime, and dirt, rather like Jason's emotional wavelength is. Jason stands with his hands in his pockets, relaxed; this suggests that the job of murdering, or seriously injuring somebody, is an everyday routine for Jason. This point of view shot gives the audience an insight into how Billy may be feeling in this circumstance. Noir lighting is used which is a typical thriller convention, and creates a dark, chilling atmosphere.


The shot above is a very interesting shot as a lot can be read from it. One idea that could be read from it is that the beaming lights shining down denote jail bars, and this is predicting both Billy's and Jason's fate if they go through with the deed. Another thought that could be brought from this shot is that the lights that are going across the windscreen represent piano keys, suggesting that Billy is being played by Jason, and that he is naive. Also, the camera shot that is being used suggests that Jason is never going to be out of Billy's life, and that this isn't going to be him 'trying anything once', it is going to be glued to his lifestyle for a long time.


The shot above is called a vanishing shot, as the car in the distance is disapearing into the unknown, perhaps this is a metaphor for Jason's victim. The end of the tunnel is dark and black, this could be signifying a vortex into a lifestyle of crime. The tunnel is a long,thin, domed shape; this could be a metaphor for the barrel of a gun, enhancing the predicted concequinces of Billy and Jason. It could also be suggesting a life of crime, and living by the gun and everytime they face a problem a gun is the solution. The stereotypical thriller convention of a claustrophobic space is used as the tunnel connotes being uncomfortable which is probably how Billy is feeling. The roads are deserted, like a ghost town - this promotes the audience to think that Jason is actually a very lonely person, and has pushed away everybody close to him, also that he has murdered so many people that there physically isn't many people left, finally it could be suggesting that people are trying to avoid crossing paths with Jason.

This low angle shot makes the car seem higher up, this could be reflecting the status of the characters vs the status of the audience or victims. The setting of this shot is really industrial and urban, perhaps this is suggesting the robotic, lack of emotion of Jason and the crimes that he has committed. The tall cemented buildings connote being cold, desparation and being common, once again reflecting the thriller conventions. The floor is wet from the rain, which brings in use of pathetic fallacy; this brings an atmosphere of negativity and the audience are inclined to believe that the film is a thriller.

Just before the above shot, Billy and Jason were in a fish factory picking up the victim is a typical thriller convention 'white van'. In the fish factory there are no women, this backs up the usual type of thriller as men are usually the dominant characters, and alpha males. Jason slowly winds down his window of the van, this is intimidating and typical of a thriller film. Billy waits in the van whilst Billy seriously injures his victim and shoves him in the back of the van. In the shot above Jason Locke's victim jumps out the back of the van in anger and pure fear. He literally dives out the back of the van to try and escape.

In this shot the weather is dark and cloudy - this suggests corruption and a dark soul. This is shot in the Essex marshes therefore it is dirty and grimy, this reiterates Jason's background, and his mind. The long path of mud doesn't end, this could be mirroring Jason's future. There is water on both sides of the long, thin path, this could also be showing that Jason feels trapped and enclosed in his life, and that he can't be free. The shirt that Jason is wearing is very busy and bold which mirrors his personality and always that he is 'messed up'. The way that Jason and his victim are staged shows the social status between them.

As this shot is shown, the voice-over comes back into play and Billy says ' Jason needed a new shirt, the geezer needed a new face'. This again reiterates the social status between them both, as all Jason needed was a new piece of clothing. Jason Locke's victim is half lying in the water, and half lying on the mud, this suggests that he is confused, and helpless.

This is the last shot of the first five minutes. This shot suggests desparation, and lonliness and there is nowhere to go. This could be a point of view shot of Jason's victim looking at the white van in the distance; knowing that he is still there in more ways than one, still there physically, and still there in his mind. The small rocks that are in the cracked ground suggest a broken mind - i.e. Jason.

In conclusion, the first five minutes of 'Essex Boys' portray how the film fits into the thriller genre. The images that are in this essay show the corruption within the film, and also how the director has filmed, edited, and used the script to make the audience feel frightened, and acknowledge the genre, and perhaps even predict what is to come.

'Once Upon a Time in America' research

‘Once Upon a Time In America’ – Thriller

Research

Institutional Information:
Director - Sergio Leonie
Release Date - 1st June 1984
Genre - Crime/Thriller
User Comments - "dirty, gritty...", "majestic for a gangster epic".
User Rating - Males - 8.4%, females - 7.6%



‘Once Upon a Time in America’ (1984) was directed by Sergio Leonie. There are many conventions within the first five minutes of this film that portray the film genre that is crime/thriller.

As the film opens, the music track ‘God Bless America’ is played as a sound bridge. This is ironic as within the first five minutes of the film a woman gets shot, a man gets abused, and three dangerous gangsters come into play. Leonie also may have used this piece, as the film ‘The Deer Hunter’ used it as well and that film was based on the Vietnam War, and America’s involvement. As ‘God Bless America’ fades out, the non-diagetic sound of footsteps appears. This adds tension and suspense as the audience cannot see who is walking, and this creates a sense of danger.

Then there is another non-diagetic sound of a door opening, this is when we see the first image of a silhouette in a doorway. This shot uses noir lighting, and uses a high angle close up of a face. Features such as a pearl necklace become visible, and this connotes vulnerability and a femme fatale. The woman walks over to the lamp, of which the light bulb has been unscrewed, she screws it back up, and a bright white light shines on her face. Here is the shot:

After the woman has turned on the lamp, she senses something is wrong, and looks at the duvet and notices bullet holes on the sheet. She pulls the sheet away to discover bullet holes that have been shot into the shape of a body. This is when she realises her fate, and begins to see that ironically, that is her death bed. The high angle shot shows the audience the image, and the woman’s innocence.

The terrified woman then hears people come into the room, turns around suddenly and three very intimidating men are standing there. They ad d a very bullying atmosphere. This shot uses the rule of three, and each man has a section of the shot. The man in the centre is by far the most intimidating, as he is holding a gun. The man on the lefts eyes are shadowed which connotes danger, and the man on the right is not facing the camera, so an element of secrecy is introduced. The mise en scene in this shot is dark and murky, this suggests the corrupt minds of the gangsters.

The next shot has a cultural signifier that the characters are in a fairly old accommodation – the setting follows a typical thriller convention; the claustrophobic space which is the arch. This makes the viewer think that the woman is at grave danger, almost like she is inside a sharks jaw. The lamp follows her around in the first five minutes of the film, perhaps it is suggesting her vulnerability, and the life left inside of her. The low angle camera shot proposes that the womans spirits are down, and her stomach has 'dropped'. It could also be suggesting that the gangsters are looking down on her, and they don't carry a conscience.

The previous shot shows the woman's in inevitable death, thus the next shot shows a corpse, with all three gangsters looking down on her with pride.
A generic thriller genre convention is used with the smoke from the gun shot. The arch that I mentioned in the above paragraph is closed in here, connoting the actress’s entrapment and closure to her life. The interior decor in this shot emphasises the dark, cold-blooded minds of the gangsters. The gangsters are stood quite far away from the corpse, and use of the high-angle shot reinforces that the gangsters are emotionally detached.

The next shot cuts from the image of the corpse to dead bodies in a really short amount of time, this reflects the gangsters lack of care for their deed, and portrays just how emotionally detached they are. This shot uses chiaroscuro, and noir lighting; this is a typical thriller convention as it shadows the actors and creates an atmosphere of cliffhanger/secrecy. The cold wet streets are also a generic thriller convention as they connote lonely, cold and uncomfortable circumstances. The bodies are laid out like sardines, not like people; this is mirroring the thriller genre of being thoughtless and dark.

The next shot is of a man being seriously assaulted, and covered in blood. The camera angle is a close-up this has connotations of fear and shows that the man is susceptible. The colours in the shot are all very dark and gloomy, which reiterates the harsh reality of crimes that are committed - the only colour that stands out is red of the blood, this is obviously a thriller convention. The camera angle could also be argued to be an over the shoulder shot of the villain and the victim, as you can see the villain holding onto the victims coat which is threatening behavior.

In conclusion, within the first five minutes of 'Once Upon a Time in America' Leonie uses techniques to create suspense, and to make it clear that the film is going to be brutal, and frightening. Leone uses costume, colour, and different camera shots in the mise en scene to imply the situation and the consequences.