AS level Media Studies - Summer Work Task 1 The thriller genre began it’s life in the 1960s, surprising, scaring and haunting audiences since it’s conception. Throughout it’s life conventions have been made, and despite the audience, technology and cinematography evolving around it, these staples of the genre remain. Setting The buildings and environments of thrillers are generally speaking, easy to predict. They are dark, cold and often ominous, examples being haunted houses, churches or the quiet night time suburbs. Storyline The storyline of a thriller is, at it’s most generic the tale of a person being taken or injured, and a hero type figure going after the aggressor, for revenge, or to save the victim. Although variables around this storyline change, you can count on this basic plot in 9/10 thrillers. Sound A lot of non-diegetic sounds are used to create tension and an almost paranormal atmosphere. And diegetic sounds are often augmented and can create suspense, for example howling wind, barking dogs or footsteps. Task 2 - No Country for Old Men In this still, the deputy is shown to be a weak and unimportant character in a number of ways. Firstly, he is very young, and fair in his hair, presenting him as pure and untainted by negative experiences. His relaxed clothing also shows his inexperience, he looks simply unprofessional and weak. Contrary to the appearance of the man sitting behind him (a convict), his dark clothing and the dark area that he sits in shows him as a villainous, mysterious and strong character. Which is proven to be accurate when he proceeds to kill the Deputy in the minutes after.
Summer Work
Dec 06, 2015
Summer Work
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AS level Media Studies - Summer Work
Task 1The thriller genre began it’s life in the 1960s, surprising, scaring and haunting audiences since it’s conception. Throughout it’s life conventions have been made, and despite the audience, technology and cinematography evolving around it, these staples of the genre remain.
SettingThe buildings and environments of thrillers are generally speaking, easy to predict. They are dark, cold and often ominous, examples being haunted houses, churches or the quiet night time suburbs.
StorylineThe storyline of a thriller is, at it’s most generic the tale of a person being taken or injured, and a hero type figure going after the aggressor, for revenge, or to save the victim. Although variables around this storyline change, you can count on this basic plot in 9/10 thrillers.
SoundA lot of non-diegetic sounds are used to create tension and an almost paranormal atmosphere. And diegetic sounds are often augmented and can create suspense, for example howling wind, barking dogs or footsteps.
Task 2 - No Country for Old Men
In this still, the deputy is shown to be a weak and unimportant character in a number of ways. Firstly, he is very young, and fair in his hair, presenting him as pure and untainted by negative experiences. His relaxed clothing also shows his inexperience, he looks simply unprofessional and weak. Contrary to the appearance of the man sitting behind him (a convict), his dark clothing and the dark area that he sits in shows him as a villainous, mysterious and strong character. Which is proven to be accurate when he proceeds to kill the Deputy in the minutes after.
In this shot, the villain can be seen dragging a can with a very loose grip, this gives him a lawless, careless character. In addition, the camera is below the character (a low shot), which further suggests that the character is strong and powerful, and the only way to see him is from below. The vast landscape in the background shows how few people are around, creating suspense as this confirms that anything could happen in the scene.
In this still frame, the villain can be seen being arrested my an officer, although the officer appears to be in charge, the villain is presented as being a stronger individual even at this moment. He wears darker clothes, stands up straighter and is taller than the arresting officer. Despite this he
calmly conforms, revealing a confidence in his character. The long shadows are highlighted by a low camera, which creates a sense of foreboding.
This still is what happens after the first example I gave, the villain is seen strangling the deputy, the expression on his face and the way he is not looking at his victim shows that he has little respect for the man, or barely sees him as human, the way that the camera centres in on the villain while spinning depicts him as the centre of the scene, and the thus more important.
The very opening shot of this film is a picture of the vast desert, the majority of which is in shadow, this relates to the thriller conventions as suspense is created in darkness. The lack of life within the scene also adds the feeling of suspense, as this makes the environment seem unnatural and volatile. The camera is above the scene in this shot, which makes the area seem dangerous and dirty, further adding to the suspense of the opening moments.
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