BBFC

The British Board of Film Classification view and rate films according to their content. At their offices, they view films and compare the content according to a set of guidelines to determine if they are suitable for release in the United Kingdom. Each certification has a list of content attached to it, and for a film to meet a certification it must comply with the allowed content.

 



The BBFC uses the following Classifications:
Uc: Universal and suitable for children.
U: Suitable for a Universal audience.
PG: Parental Guidance, suitable for most children.
12A: In cinemas, people under 12 can see with an adult.
12: Over 12 years old only. May contain violence and swearing.
15: Over 15s only. May contain violence, drug use, sexual content, swearing.
18: Over 18s only. Will probably contain the above but in extreme amounts.
R18: Can only be sold by licensed sex shop or shown in Adult cinemas.



Thrillers are most likely to be rated either 15 or 18 because a common way to move the story on would be using violence and horror to create a sense of threat and a tense atmosphere. The fact that the movie is backed by these themes, pushes it into a more selective audience, mainly people from 15 onwards.

Many thrillers are certified as 15s or 18s however some are rated as 12s because of their setting. The film Inception is a thriller regarding a man who enters dreams to steal or place information. The film contains moderate violence, with gunfights and blood when people get shot, fast paced and brutal fight scenes and scenes of suicide (which include people being laid on train tracks, and jumping off buildings) yet these things do not warrant the certification of a 15, as the action is distanced by the fact that it takes place in a dream world. It is allowed to be rated as a 12 as the injuries in the film are not dwelled upon and there are no scenes of graphic injury. The film has mild swearing as well.

A thriller film classified as a 15 would be Shutter Island. It is a psychological thriller with horror elements centred around a US Marshall investigating a mental asylum on Shutter Island. The film was said to have over 20 uses of strong language and moderate language throughout requiring it to be a 15 rating. Dark, brutal and bloody images are seen through flashbacks which involve the execution of surrendering German Soldiers, a Nazi Commandant with a fatal wound on his face, bleeding to death and a scene with 3 dead children floating in the lake. Along with this unsettling images of dead bodies piled up at a Nazi death camp, this film has some dark tones to it, however because it does not dwell on the injuries, it can be accepted as a 15.

For our thriller "film" we would aim for a 15 certificate for a few reasons:
- Opens up to a wider audience
- Is not distasteful or has too much "gore for the sake of gore" etc.
- Can work on a deeper level then what you see. (On a psychological level for example).

Thriller Opening Analysis: LEON

This first extreme close up from the opening of the thriller film LEON, helps to establish an air of mystery in the scene. The reflection helps us vaguely see the other man partaking in the conversation but keeps both characters shrouded in mystery as throughout this scene, the faces are hidden throughout. The close up of the man’s face makes the viewers feel uncomfortable, which helps to build an unsettling atmosphere. The fact that the dialogue in this scene is quite slow and that there is a significant delay between each line helps to build the tension and also paints the characters in the scene as cold and calculating. The setting of this shot takes place in a blacked out room with a well lit table in the middle that is the only thing visible in the reflection, which helps to create a mysterious and dangerous atmosphere.

 This is a reverse shot of the previous extreme close up. In this shot, more detail on the face is visible, which sets this character up as a more approachable man whose identity is less secret. The close up of the face is unnerving to the audience, and this is most probably used to help reinforce the setting and the characters as a place you would not want to be and with people you would not want to know. This helps to reinforce the feel of the film, which is based around assassins, and has an overall gritty and ruthless feel to it.

This shot is from the same opening scene. Leon has just drunk a glass and placed it on the table, which makes a loud bang, breaking the silence of the opening. The bang symbolises the fact that the “job” has been accepted and helps to give the impression that the character is determined and will not be put off his objective. This helps to set up the film as a gritty, and relentless thriller centred on someone who is equally relentless. The lack of sound in this scene overall has created a tense atmosphere that is shattered by the bang of the glass, which has an impact on the audience which helps to show the audience what route the film might be taking.

This shot is from the scene directly after the opening. The Character in the centre of this medium/long shot, is silhouetted which helps to disguise his identity, giving the impression to the audience that the man important and feels that he is untouchable. The fact that he is in the centre and that people are focused on him, gives him a sense of importance and tells viewers that he is a character that the story will focus on at the current point. The background music is very low and dark, and very subtle which references the type of character the assassin Leon is (hiding in the shadows etc). This helps to set up the scene and to create tension surrounding the central character. His costume helps to set the character up as a serious business man who takes his work seriously, and the fact that he has suited men aiding him gives us the impression that the character is important in his line of work.

This shot is a long shot, mixed with an over the shoulder shot. It shows the seemingly never ending staircase and helps to give the impression that the people at the top of the tower are isolated and vulnerable. This helps to build the tension as it turns the tables, making the strong people look weak. It is very effective, and helps to pitch the scene as a thrilling and surprising encounter. The fact that the music is still low and quiet, gives the scene a creepy sense as the rest of the scene is silent, and because the music doesn’t speed up, the scene feels like it is being pulled towards a thrilling conclusion.

Preliminary Task: Evaluation

After reviewing the Preliminary Task I noticed some things that worked really well, and some things which could be improved on.

Positive elements:
-Continuity: Overall costumes and positions were continuous.
-Effects: The effects used on the video helped to give it a mysterious and Noir feel.
-Freeze frames: Helped to give the short a retro, very stylised and unique feel.
-Fades: The use of fades in the beginning section helped to give the impression of time passing and worked well for the clip being of an Interrogation.
-Editing: Generally the editing was very smooth and the piece flowed well.

Things that could be improved:
-Continuity: There's a door which closes by itself on the last shot, where it was open when the two interrogators entered.
-Editing: There is one shot which goes on for too long, before the code to the door is typed in. The following shot's delayed start also should have been trimmed off, so the action flows more fluidly.
-Audio: The drop in the music's volume is too sudden and disrupts the atmosphere in that section of the video.

The things which have been highlighted as improvable will be noted down, and whilst filming and editing our thriller piece, these points will be looked at to make sure the mistakes do not happen again.

The Interrogation! (AS Media Prelim task)

Prelim: Shots and Script

The Script and shot types for our Prelim piece.

Preliminary Task: Camera Plan

For the Preliminary Task, I have teamed up with Niall Mason and Samm James.
My group's PRELIM TASK is being based off a police interrogation scene in which a Good Cop and a Bad Cop try to pin a crime on a criminal (as played by in house Irishman Josh Squibb). The scene is having some visual effects applied to give the task an overall Noir feel.

This image shows a plan of the "set" (featuring a stairwell, corridor and room) and shows locations in which main shots will be filmed.

In hindsight, the next plan is going to be more detailed.

Psycho Shower Scene Analysis

The thriller film Psycho contains the infamous shower scene in which a young woman is murdered in the shower, in a motel bathroom. The scene opens up with the woman walking into the bathroom and throwing some paper into the toilet, which creates a sense of mystery, as we are not directly told what the contents of the paper are. The scene continues quite slowly as she gets undressed and steps into the clinically white and clean shower, a safe, private place which is very personal.

 

 The first shot in the shower is this Point of View shot looking up at the shower head. The showerhead is central in this shot and the water has been captured to spread out and surround the camera. This helps to add to the sense of vulnerability of the scene as the woman is completely exposed and is cleaning herself, an act which is normally undertaken in complete privacy, and symbolises the idea of purity. The clinically white like bathroom, contrasts heavily to the dark, badly lit motel room she stepped out moments ago. With its sharp white light, the bathroom is given a harsh, unwelcoming feel which gives the audience the impression that the woman is completely isolated, alone and vulnerable. This helps create tension in the scene as the audience is in the dark about what will happen next. The only audio present at this point is the sound of the water running, which seems to drag on, giving this section of the scene a surreal and slightly abnormal feel.

 The scene moves on and for a long time the woman is just shown washing herself. However after a short time this shot appears, and as she still is showering the camera slowly pans to the left to reveal an obscured shape of a mysterious figure appear behind the patterned see-through shower curtain. The pan helps to add suspense and tension to the scene as the shape moving behind the curtain is intruding, menacingly, upon the privacy on this woman. The setting (clean white etc) gives us the impression that the woman is isolated and lonely, which suggests she is vulnerable. Her lack of clothing also gives us the impression that she is vulnerable and exposed, which helps to add a feeling of terror to the audience who know that the oblivious woman is is danger. The running water is constantly running, which helps to build atmosphere and further tension. The golden mean runs through this shot, drawing attention to the shape behind the curtain and the vulnerable victim.

The curtain is suddenly drawn back to reveal a mysterious, threatening figure, standing poised to murder. The figure’s face is darkened to add a secretive element that leaves the audience hanging with questions. This gives the scene a very dark theme, as a murderous figure has invaded the privacy of the woman, and what was once seen as a pure place of cleanliness has been tainted by a dark, gritty, dirty murder. The importance of the water in this shot is great, as not only does it hide the face of the attacker but also contrasts to the appearance of the scruffy, quite dirty attacker. The dramatic sound of the shower curtain being pulled back sets up this close up shot in which the golden mean rule is applied, drawing attention to the knife, and the darkness that hides the face. The clothing worn by the killer, is like an old nightgown and the hair is obviously a wig, which adds to the psychopathic feeling of the film.

 

 As the murder takes place a very distinguished soundtrack piece is played over the top to signify the brutality and chaos of the murder. The dramatic cutaway to the chaotic, stormy weather helps to draw parallels between the murder and the uncontrolled weather. The sound of the water is still present through this shot as digetic sound from the shower scene continues with thunder added along with the music as non digetic music. The shot of the clouds is done in timelapse, which gives the impression that her life is reaching a brutal end and after she dies in this degrading way, life will still go on. The Dark clouds help to link the cutaway with the darkness of the killing in the contrasting white bathroom.

 

This final close up of the plug symbolises the woman’s life draining away. At this point the only sound is the water swirling down the plug hole which helps to tie into the idea of the woman’s life draining away. The circular shape of the drain is a visual match to the two shots of the eye, and all of these shots link together to show how helpless the woman was, and that even though she is dead, the water will keep running and life will continue. The use of the blood in the water helps to add to the horror of the scene, and helps to sum up the overall brutality of the movie.

Thriller Notes

What is the Purpose of an Opening?

• It can be used establish/ introduce/ develop certain plot elements.
• Can introduce Characters, Settings, some Narrative elements and the Genre.
• Can make effective use of Camera shots, angles, composition, editing, sound and mise en scene.

Thrillers can take many forms and because of this the Genre has been split up!

• Conspiracy
• Crime
• Disaster
• Medical
• Mystery
• Political
• Psychological
• Religious
• Supernatural

Most Thriller films abide to certain theories to drive the story!

• CODES: Enigma code: Puzzle
• CODES: Action code: The solving of the puzzle
• BINARY OPPOSITION: Good vs Evil, Rich vs Poor etc.
• EQUILIBRIUMS: Peace-Problem-New Equilibrium

Use of Characters in Thrillers can help to enhance the impact of the film. 

• Stereotypically, Victims are Women, killers are Psychopathic men (in a psycho thriller)
• Setting, can take place in woods to give the impression of isolation, or in a safe place, such as a home (effective because somewhere safe and secure has been turned into exactly the opposite)
• Mise en scene, use of shadows and lighting to create a sense of mystery, props such as knives, guns, bare hands to give a sense of brutality.
• Music will be used to support emotion.

Media ISL: Glossary

Glossary of Camera Shots, Camera Movements, Editing Techniques and Filming Techniques and Terms.

Camera Shots:

Extreme Long Shot: 

• Can show scale and give a sense of place.
• Shows a subject's surroundings and can establish location.
• Can capture lots of action at once, in a war movie for example.

Longshot:

• Subject takes up most of the frame.
• For example, a man would have his head and feet in frame.

Midshot:

• Used in conversation, as it is what we would see if we looked at someone.
• Allows more details to be revealed as it shows part of the subject.
• Focuses on characters.

Medium close up:

• Can show face comfortably.
• Commonly used in conversations and details.

Close Up:

• Feature/part is the main focus.
• Shows detail and draws attention to it.
• Can help to portray emotions.

Extreme Close Up:

• Draws attention to details and emotions.
• Uncomfortable for audience so used sparingly.

Cut Away:

• Helps to show a relationship between two things, and adds interest/tension/information to the scene.
• Tension/relationship e.g. car chase, shots change between the drivers.

Two Shot:

• Establishes relationship between the 2 subjects.
• Can be used for action, without distraction by surroundings.
• Shows equality in a news show.

Over the Shoulder:

• Can be used in conversations and reversed.
• Can show speaking and reactions.
• Person occupies a third of the frame.

Noddy Shot:

• Used as a cheat in editing if footage is missing.
• Interviews. Nodding. Etc.

POV Shot:

• Shows perspective and establishes a relationship.
• Can create an exhilarating feel.

Camera Movement:

Low angle/high angle:

• Low angles can give a sense of scale to a building, and/or can create menace.
• High angles can show something is small and has a lack of power.

Pan:

• Can create action, speed and excitement etc.
• Used in chases to feel like you are a bystander/witness.

Tracking Shot:

• Camera is placed on a dolly.
• Creates excitement and is used to follow action and the subject.
• Helps to give a feel of motion and speed.

Tilt:

• Can be used to create a sense of scale and/or awe.

Canted/Dutch:

• The camera is slanted to give a sense of the abnormal/ insanity.
• Can be used to create chaos, in a horror movie for example.

Zoom in/Zoom out:

• Can create a sense of movement.
• Can highlight detail/important information.
• Can give a sense of scale.

Crane Shot:

• Can help to show size and scale.
• I have a crane. I win...

Aerial Shot:

• ELS/high angled.
• Unfortunately I do not own a helicopter.

Filming Techniques:

Rule of thirds:

• Basically, draw and Naughts and Crosses grid and where the lines meet, points of interest should appear.

Golden Mean:

• Basically, again, draw a diagonal line across the frame and the points of interest match on that line.

Transitions:

Dissolve:

• Where a shot fades into another.
• Can help show time passing.
• Helps continuity by moving from one location to the next.

Fade in/Fade out:

• Can help to show time has passed.
• Montage? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQvNu8LoTo0 (Perfect Example)
• Peaceful if at the end of a scene, for example.

Fade to black/white:

• Can be used for flashbacks if used quickly.
• Can also  show time passing.

Cross Cutting:

• Can show parallels and contrasts
• Used to merge two action scenes together in Quantum of Solace for example.

Wipe:

• Line moves across the scene from one shot to another. 
• Can show change of location.

Jumpcut:

• Dramatic and can begin/ end action

Match on Action:

• Cuts match action!
• Example! Goes to get a glass...
• Close up on getting the glass...
• IT FLOWS!

Sound:

Digetic Sound:

• Heard on location and recorded on set. Includes some speech and some background noise.

Non-Digetic:

• Added after filming, so includes soundtrack, sound effects and anything else added.

THE OUTLAW!

Fake movie poster for a cliche Western film staring Clint with his poncho.