Analysing Thriller film openings

Limitless (2011) - Directed by Neil Burger

How is meaning created in this clip through the use of the micro-elements?

To start off, I drew a mind map and jotted some keywords/ideas as I was watching the opening:

In this opening sequence of the movie Limitless, various of meanings are constructed through the use of the micro-elements: sound, cinematography, mise-en-scene, and editing. We are hinted that the movie is going to about something/someone unordinary as the title of the film is called "Limitless", meaning without end or boundaries.

The audience gets a brief idea that the genre of the film is action-thriller. This is expressed through the horizontal tracking movement of the camera to show dead bodies of men, implying that the main character (speaking) could be in danger, or possibly being hunted down. This idea is reinforced in the shot just before that, showing the broken security camera which also creates enigma to the audience of whether "who is after him and why?". The pounding sound of someone banging the metal door at the beginning also builds up tension as it connotes violence. As we zoom away from the inside of the building, there are sounds of siren, again meaning that the area is unsafe and the police are on their way. The serious soundtrack used in this opening sequence starts to get repetitive towards the end however tension is built through the interference of diegetic sounds such as (again) sirens, people talking, the ambulance, etc.

The opening establishes that the movie is set in the modern period in a large city. We are given this information by the use of establishing shot of the luxurious penthouse in the middle of the city. There is a fast pedestal camera movement showing a tall building which eventually goes up to show the protagonist. The building and city lights show us that this is set in an urban area.

The movie starts off by informing that the main character has incredible abilities and is more superior than the rest. This is shown through the very low angle shot where the protagonist is standing upright in the middle of the highest floor in the building. He is looking down at a very high spot above everyone else therefore suggests that he could be special and different. He is wearing a suit so this could be a connotation that he could be an important businessman. Another shot which hi lights the character's ability is the continuous zooming in effect of the character's perspective as he is looking down to the streets below him. This suggests that the protagonist is able to see beyond other people as we are shown specifically into the inside of a persons brain. 

The main character is perceived as a brave and imperturbable being as he managed to speak in a calm manner despite the violent situation going on behind him. He stands there, unafraid of height and everything else unlike the sound of the muffled man shouting as he tries to get inside. The close up of his shoes leaning out of the building also reinforces this suggestion as he is not terrified of death (and height).

As I was watching I saw something that I thought was interesting. I recognised that although the title refers to being infinite and boundless, there are lots of squares (doors and buildings) especially boxes in the opening which links to the idea of being trapped. I assume that the contrasting ideas could refer to the character having "limitless" abilities but at the same time trapped in something inevitable.

The narrative information provided consists of:

(The main character)

•       Has a 4 Digit IQ
•       Involved in some conflict
•       Could have an impact on the world
•       Could be trying to commit suicide
•       Could have someone trying to kill him

Understanding Thriller Audiences

Within the genre thriller are many sub genres which appeal to different groups of audiences for example:

• Action Thriller - These films are packed with intense action scenes. They usually involve a lot of violence such as explosions, guns, and car chases (etc) where the protagonist is fighting the antagonist. The main target audience for this sub genre are young teenagers stereotypically male teenagers as they tend to be more interested in the action in this sub genre.
  

• Crime Thriller - This sub genre of thriller consists of elements of both crime and thriller films usually focusing on the perspective of criminals rather than the investigator/policemen. It attracts young male audiences as they are very similar to action thriller films.
  

• Political Thriller - Political thriller appeals to older men as the plot usually contains more mature themes relating to politics
  

• Psychological Thriller - This type of thriller normally includes the main character experiencing emotional instability therefore has a hint of horror from the use of exaggerated disturbing images to express this. It appeals to older female audiences (25+) more than male audiences as it is less physical compared to other sub genres of thriller (action thriller). 
  

• Romantic Thriller - This sub genre targets younger girls/women more than men due to the stereotypes of their romantic nature. 
  

In class, we explored audience types using the website YOUGOV profiler to see the patterns of types of audiences for specific sub genres. We found out that:

People who tend to like Argo are:

The majority of people who like The Last King Of Scotland are:

People who enjoyed the movie Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy are: 

Our Conclusions:

Storyboard Test

A storyboard is a graphic organiser which helps illustrate the camera angles, timing, look and action of a film so that we can work efficiently on set as we are able to see shot by shot of what the film is going to turn into.

This is my first attempt in drawing a storyboard of my embarrassing childhood memory:

Zodiac Interview Composition test

We were given the task to recreate the interrogation scene in the film Zodiac where Dave Toschi, Sergeant Jack Mulanax, and Anthony Armstrong interviews Arthur Lee Allen whos the suspect for being the Zodiac. 

   




 

                
      
     

      

      
By doing this we were able to try shooting in different angles and carefully observe the mise en scene and lightings used in this particular scene in order to create intensity.

Conventional Credit Structure

Panic Room credit structure

INSTITUTIONS

1. Studio
2. Production Companies
3. Stars
4. Title
5. Supporting Cast
6. Technical Creative staff
7. Producers
8. Writer
9. Director

e.g: Napoleon Dynamite opening

As soon as the title sequence starts, we know that this is going to be a light-hearted comedy film. The opening suggests that the film is going to be based on teenagers in high school as the credits are playfully written using different sauces on colourful plates. The idea of using food/sauces to write names of casts and the crew suggests immaturity and youth as it is normally children who often play with their food. An ambient lighting is used in this so that the lighting is more natural and teenagers can relate to the situation in real life. 

The main type of shots used is close up so that audience can focus more on small details which hints them about the main character. 

In this shot, the audience briefly gets an idea that they the film is going to be following the life of Napoleon Dynamite, a typical nerdy teenager.

RESEARCHING ABOUT THRILLER SUB GENRES

Today I did some research about sub genres of thriller with May and Prima:

CRIME THRILLER

Based on a crime being solved or prepared and seen from either the detectives or criminals point of view and can sometimes be both.

Codes and conventions:

• Cat-and-mouse
• Chasing
• Mysterious
• Rivalry

Setting:

• Banks
• Crowded cities
• Dark nightclubs/ streets/ alleys

Technical codes:

• Camerawork- close ups to show the frustration from the antagonist or protagonist, long shot/ establishing shot, blocking shots
• Fast paced music to build suspense

PSYCHOLOGICAL

Psychological thriller films contain both genres of horror and thriller. However, it often incorporates elements from the mystery and drama genre as well. The main characters are usually emotionally unstable (or have mental problems), making them not able to differentiate between good/bad and what is real/not real.

Codes and conventions:

• Perception
• Identity
• Reality
• Plot twists
• Scenes of violence

Setting:

• Old, abandoned houses (victorian buildings)
• Hospitals (mental hospitals)
• Dark isolated buildings/ places

Technical codes:

• Mirrors
• Shadows and low lighting
• Flashbacks
• Tension building music
• Quick cuts
• Mixture of slow and fast editing to show the up and downs of someone with a mental illness
• Claustrophobic spaces

ESPIONAGE/SPY/POLITICAL

This sub genre focuses on the protagonist involved in conflict with a large secretive organization (that has bad intentions).

Codes and conventions:

• Secrecy and conspiracy
• Good VS Evil
• Includes working institutions (e.g: police, government, army)
• Fighting/chase scenes
• Possibly plot twist

Setting:

• Urban areas
• Huge modern locations

Technical:

• Dark/dim lighting
• Tension music
• Quick cuts

SUPERNATURAL

Supernatural thriller is a sub genre which consists of the main character having supernatural abilities. The plot usually involves the protagonist fighting a malevolent paranormal force brought by the antagonist.

Codes and conventions:

• Good VS Evil
• Tension and suspense
• Villain/protagonist possess superpowers/psychic ability
• Plot Twists
• Unworldly elements or creatures
• Religious elements

Setting:

• Forest
• Abandoned areas

• Small houses (isolated)

Technical:

• Dark/dim lighting
• Tension music
• Quick cuts
• Diegetic sound of breathing
• Montage of shots

ACTION

The main protagonist is the hero and controls the action, while the villain is often a millionaire or ex-military who sometimes hides his/her identity. The villain may also have an evil companion.

Codes and conventions:

• Black(villian) VS White(hero)
• Guns = danger
• Helicopter chase

Setting:

• small American town(everything appears okay and tranquil providing an equilibrium.)
• city centres (sense of speed can be shown easily this provides a sense of urgency during a disruption)

             

Technical:

• Dark and mysterious lighting is used to show danger, bright lights is used to show happiness.
• Emphasis of power is created by the camera angles
• Tracking shots during chase scenes
• Diegetic sounds are amplified

FILM NOIR (dark film)

The film noir genre generally refers to mystery and crime drama films produced from the early 1940s to the late 1950s.The genre was prevalent mostly in American crime dramas of the post-World War II era.

Codes and conventions:

• Omniscient narrator
• Flashbacks
• Black and white
• Plot twists
• Emphasised narrative gaps

Noir hero:

• hard boiled detective, alienated from society, morally ambiguous
• Tragic flaws -  uncontrollable lust for duplicitous women.

Setting

• Small town, suburbia
• streets in the early morning
• Street lamps with shimmering halos
• Flashing neon signs on seedy taverns
• Diners
• Apartment buildings
• Streams of cigarette smoke wafting in and out of shadows

Technical

• High contrast lighting
• Low & high angles
• Narration
• Flashbacks
• Denouement in the opening scenes
• Audience is cognizant of impending doom
• Sudden noises