Genre Research: 57 Seconds

 Elements of the Genre in "57 Seconds" for Inspiration:

  Suspenseful Plot:"57 Seconds" captivates audiences with its suspenseful and gripping plot, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.

    Tense Atmosphere: The film skillfully employs a tense atmosphere, heightening the overall sense of thrill and anticipation.

   Intriguing Characters: Characters in the movie contribute to the suspense, with unexpected twists and turns in their personalities and motivations.

2. Liked Elements (Conventions) in "57 Seconds":

 Use of Sound: The film utilizes sound design to perfection, enhancing the suspense and creating a palpable sense of tension.

 Plot Twists: "57 Seconds" impresses with its well-crafted plot twists that keep the audience guessing until the very end.

 Lead Actor Performance The lead actor, Josh Hutcherson, delivers a stellar performance, adding depth to the character and elevating the overall viewing experience.

3. Disliked Elements (Conventions) in "57 Seconds":

 Pacing Issues: While the film excels in building suspense, there are moments where pacing could be improved, preventing certain scenes from feeling dragged out.

 Predictable Moments: Some elements of the plot follow predictable patterns, lessening the impact of certain reveals.

   Character Development: Certain characters lack sufficient development, making it challenging for the audience to connect with their motivations.

Movie Research: Black Swan

  What conventions of the genre that you chose to base your final task on does this movie have?

Black Swan uses many common conventions that we planned on adding to our final task. For example, Black Swan does a good job of effectively using close-ups to show the protagonist's distress throughout the film. On top of this Black Swan features a very dark and shadowy setting to build on the suspenseful feel of the movie, much like we will be doing for our final task. 

• What conventions of the genre did the movie have that you liked?
I really liked the sound design of the film. It uses a lot of high-pitched and unsettled noises to add to creepy and uncomfortable feel of the movie. The sound design mixed with the dark editing and settings combine together to enhance the tension of the film which add to the thriller aspect of the movie.

• What conventions of the genre did the movie have that did not appeal to you and you are thinking of not filming for your final task?
The film includes certain disturbing imagery and distressed acting. While it does fit in well for Black Swan in this project we are looking to have a more mysterious impression on the audience. We do want the audience to see the actors distressed but not to the same extreme as it's shown in Black Swan. 

Movie Research: Smile

What conventions of the genre that you chose to base your final task on does this movie have?

• Similarly to Smile, our final task will also include the conventions of extreme closeups, selective props, and planned settings.   The conventions only are included to drive onto the next plot drafted by the director. These conventions contribute to the goal of keeping the viewers suspenseful as we aim to present in our final task. Our final task would like to include one character voicing their concerns and thoughts, while others brush it off, as displayed in Smile.

What conventions of the the genre did the movie have that you liked?

• I like how the main character would just simply smile to the point where the other characters would go crazy. That same smile would continue throughout the plot to mentally torture characters to the point of tears. Also, the smile inner dialogue truly captivates the characters, as it controls the whole storyline as the director intended. The settings and props are highlighted through scenes to focus on the characters affected by the inner dialogical monster's actions that make the character feel as if they're the only ones affected and chosen to take on the tasks.

What conventions did the movie have that have that did not appeal to you?

• I did not like the jump cut from character to character while one was speaking. Throughout the movie, the main character would still be speaking and a jump cut transition would display then film on another character, while the main character was still speaking. That takes away the severity of the main character's thoughts and actions, as the other character is displaying their reaction on their face.

Genre Conventions Research: Thriller

 Common camera angles, movement, and shots in Thriller

    -Close Up and Extreme close ups. 

    - High angles shots. 

    - Low angle shots.

    - Wide shots. 

    - Panning shots.

    -Dutch angle. 

Common Mis-En-Scene in Thriller

- The setting is usually a dark, abandoned and secluded places that have meaning, keeping lighting low to establish the little hope and happiness that will be portrayed throughout the film.

- The makeup usually consist of a character being portrayed as evil and have injury to create an eerie atmosphere. 

The props usually include a murder weapon and a object with meaning for the viewer to decipher. 

- The acting has to be disturbing to help keep the eerie atmosphere created by the setting and keep the viewer in suspense.

-The clothing must depend on the characteristics and personality that will be developed by the characters.

Common Editing in Thriller

- Jump cuts.

-Obstructive Editing, to increase suspense.

- Fade in/fade outs which also helps keep the viewer on edge to what will happen next. 

- Cross Cutting, to show if there are multiple perspectives. 

Common Sound In Thriller

- Jumpy and Frightening sounds when the characters are about to get into issues. 

- High Pitches sounds 

- Non-digetic sounds which we hear to build suspense.

- Digetic sounds, that the characters produce to put them on edge and the viewer to keep the atmosphere and acting well.

Some examples of thriller movies are...

- Gone Girl

- Black Swan

- The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Some of the elements of Thrillers that intrigue me are the climax's that are complex character developments in these films because they keep viewers intrigued and interested in the plot. Another would be the multiple points of view to the characters and how that ca develop the dread and suspense that comes from this genre.

Some of the elements of Thrillers that I don't enjoy however would be the climax's that are signature to thriller films because it is so foreseeable and commonly used.

What about an Action Film?

  Hey Blog! 

Today I will be researching my short film introduction. I will begin by looking at separate genre movies and their typical conventions. I will begin by analyzing action movies. 

Common Action Camera Angles: 

• Medium Shots 

• Low Angles 

• Long Shots 

• Following Shots 

• Over the Shoulder shots 

• Close-ups 

Common Action Mis•En•Scene: 

• Vehicle Props 

• Special effects makeup to simulate injury 

• Fighting of characters 

• Superhero or solider costumes 

• Low key lighting that later transitions to high key 

• Urban settings 

• Guns and knifes as props 

• Bombs, helicopters, and planes as props 

• 
  

Common Action Editing: 

• Action match cuts 

• Shot Reverse Shots 

• Cross cutting 

• Cut aways 

• Jump Cuts 

 

Common Action Sound: 

• Non-Diegetic Sound 

• Diegetic gunfire, explosions, and screaming 

Examples 

A few examples of this type of movie are: 

• The Sound of Freedom, directed by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde 

• Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan 

• Guardians, directed by Sarik Andreasyan 

• The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves 

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, and Kemp Powers

What I enjoyed 

I really enjoyed how in most action movies the editing consists of action match cuts. I think it is remarkably interesting how the genre possesses its own editing technique to get the viewers adrenaline pumping. 

I dislike the gunfire and explosions, I believe the violence is excessive and disturbing.