Conventions of your chosen genre

I picked a series of shots from well known thriller films and used them as a contact sheet to discuss why I think that these shots are effective, and why I might use something similar to these imaginative shots when creating my own thriller opening sequence. The first shot is taken from the film 'Sweeney Todd.' It's a mid shot of a photo of the Queen placed upon a wall. The picture and the frame are the only props evident, however it is not in the direct of the shot, but is on the right hand side. I think this is because also in the frame there is a title of the main actors name- Johnny Depp. Johnny Depp is incredibly famous and so the director has not made the only prop in the image as the main focus as he wants the audience's attention also on the actors etc. The use of low-key lighting has connotations of a dark and dangerous theme within the film. The picture of the Queen is drenched in blood, this suggests that the role of society and power is reversed in this film, allowing the audience to feel intrigued and anxious.

The second frame is taken from the thriller movie 'Number 23.' It is a close up shot of typed letters on what appears to be an old fashioned writing letter paper. The only props used for this frame is the fake blood used on the top left hand side. However, what I believe is predominate in this frame is what the typed word says. It reads 'Hitler-Kil' as it sort of trails off, as if not allowing the audience to see the sentence finished. This suggests that there are a lot of things left open in the movie for the audience to intepret differently. The word 'Hitler; represents something evil in itself, which could also suggest corruption or self-destruction. The connotations of the word 'Hiter' and the use of blood suggests that there is a powerful force that is going to cause pain and death for the people in the movie, just like Hitler did during the Second World War. Also, it also suggests the fact that anything can happen at any moment, and it doesn't neccessarily have to be good or bad. However, this could also be a representation of how the human mind can physically cause self-destruction or the destruction, as your mentality is a very powerful thing and can cloud your thought between what is wrong and right. There is no location used and the colour choices are pretty bland, except for the connotations of red used to represent blood or anger.

The third image is taken from another thriller movie called 'Panic Room.' I really like this shot as it is a contrast to the actual genre of the movie.An extreme long shot is used, however you could argue that this could be a point of view shot. The shot has been located in a busy park, with varied architecture in the background. Every person in this shot looks really happy and the whole setting looks quite family orientated. The whole frame and the use of the high-key lighting are what are most impressive about this shot, as it represents the unexpectancy of life. One minute a an area could be happy and enjoying their day out, and the next thing they know they might be fighting for their lives. I think that this would be an excellent idea for me and my groups thriller as I suppose it's different to what everybody else might do. However, with minimal time it's a risk as we might not be able to pull it off correctly, and it might appear as if me and my group don't really understand the connotations of a thriller genre.

The last of my four shots I find to be the most interesting, as it interprets the idea of danger in our world differently. This is an extreme long shot of muslims praying in mosk, but what makes this shot so interesting is that there aren't a couple dozen, but there are thousands. This has connotations of desperation, but also of unity aswell. It could suggest that sometimes bad things may benefit us as mankind, as we only seem to come and work together when unnatural forces occur (or so this is portrayed in many thriller/horror movies.) Also, as this shot is taken from 'Dawn of the Dead' which is an American film is could suggest that they want to show what it's like for people who live a different religion and a complete opposite lives as to some americans. Everyone in this shot appears to be almost symmetrical, suggesting that if your strip down our looks and beliefs then we are pretty much all the same, however we only realise this when something bad occurs. The colour choices are quite gloom and dreary, representing the theme of the movie to be negative, demonstrating the unexistent compassion for one another, that there is no life about anyone in this shot, as something bad is taking place.