Sound is used in thriller films to create suspense in the film. It leads to a build up of tension as the audience waits on what is going to happen next. Sound is used to engage the audience by creating thrill for them. Different uses of sound can either make a scene happy or scary and this is used a lot in thriller films as long pauses and silent scenes can build up to something bad happening. As well as that, low background music is used to portray that there is a killer around and this leads the audience into suspense as to when something sudden is going to happen. Sound is also used to exaggerate a scene and make something more thrilling that it actually is. Sound portrays each of the characters and builds up excitement within the audience.
In the film "Scream 4", a scene takes place in a girls bedroom and two girls Jill and Kirby receive a phone call from someone who isn't Trevor, who is Jill's boyfriend. Another girl, Olivia, is in the house opposite and suddenly the grim reaper come out of no where and kills her while the two other girls watch from the house opposite.
Scream uses sound as in the scene off screen sound is used when the phone rings and a voice speaks that isn't Trevor. When the phone says, Trevor, the audience relax a little bit but the are kept in suspense when they find out the voice isn't Trevor. This is conventional as it builds up tension because the audience don't know who it is on the phone.
The audience automatically start to worry for the girls as they know that something bad is going to happen because the voice is unknown and so creates an unknown figure. This is convent
ional to thriller films as there is always an unknown killer which makes the audience wonder who it is throughout the film. Thriller films contain a lot of characters which are mysterious as it makes scenes unexpected whenever the unknown person attacks. This engages the audience because the audience would want to know who is ringing up and they would automatically think that something bad is going to happen because the voice is low and scary which portrays a killers voice. The audience are left in suspense as to what is going to happen next. 0.02 - 0.47
The scene also uses non-diegetic sound. This is used when the low music is played when the unknown voice on the phone says that hes in the closet. This is conventional as the music builds suspense because the low music suggests a much serious mood than before. The low music also represents the killer is around which makes the audience more on edge as to whether the killer is actually in the closet. The low music also makes the scene seem a lot less happy than it was before and the audience soon realise that it isn't a joke anymore. This engages the audience because the music creates thrill for the audience as they would want to know whether someone is in the closet. The audience would be intrigued to watch the rest of the scene as suspense has built up to whether the girls are going to open the closet. 1.13 - 1.23
Parallel sound is used when the music gets louder and lower as Kirby makes her way towards the closet. The music getting louder and lower suggests that the girls are getting close to the killer and the low music portrays the killer while the more happier music before portrayed the girls. By making the music get louder is builds up a lot of suspense as it suggests that death is getting closer. This is conventional as in thriller films, music is meant to build up suspense as a character is about to die. The high pitch music in the background suggests the vulnerability of the girl as the low music is overpowering the high music which shows that the killer can easily murder her. It also shows the audience that she is going to die and this is conventional because the vulnerable characters always die. This engages the audience as the audience think that someone is going to die and that someone is in the closet and this gets the audience ready to jump because they think that someone is in there. The music makes the audience feel worried for the characters because they know that someone is in there and they know whats coming and so it creates thrill for the audience. 1.26 - 1.45
The scene also includes silence and this is shown when Kirby opens the closet and no one is in there. This automatically makes the audience wonder where the killer is and creates more suspense as to whether the killer is in the room or not. This is conventional as it builds up suspense for the audience however no one was there and so the audience start to relax. This is used a lot in thriller films as they want t o create suspense and then make the audience relaxed so they think that nothing is going to happen. However the killer then shows up unexpected which suprises and scares the audience. The silence is used as it shows that the killer is about to strike but keeps it unexpected as the music has stopped which makes the audience think that nothing is going to happen however it just builds up more suspense as the audience don't know when the killer is going to strike. This engages the audience as the it leads them into the unknown as what is going to happen next and this makes the audience nervous for the characters because they don't know when the killer is going to attack. The audience also are left in tension as to whether the killer is in the room or not.1.46 - 1.51
To conclude, sound is used to build up suspense as the audience know when something bad is going to happen as the music gets louder. Sound also shows when the killer is about as the music gets lower which portrays the killer while the high pitch sounds shows that its the victim. The high pitch sound can also make a scene seem happy but also show the innocence and vulnerability of the victim. Sound is played over scenes to make them seem more thrilling and the audience are left in suspension when silence occurs as they don't know when the killer is going to attack. The killer strikes unexpectedly and this makes the audience jump. The sounds used also keep the audience on edge as the sound is what makes the film scary and jumpy. Thriller films always use sound as a way to engage the audience as it keeps them in suspense but also scares them when they least expect it. In my sequence i would like to use non diegetic sound to create a dark atmosphere this is because non diegetic sound builds suspense towards the audience as they are waiting to find out what is going to happen next. I would also add silence to add create tension as the audience have already expected something bad to happen but the silence suggests that the killer hasn't murdered the victim yet and so this builds up tension within the audience to find out when the killer is going to strike. I am also going to use parallel sound as this implies to the audience that something sudden is going to happen and so they are left in suspense as to what is going to happen. It also creates a sinister effect which makes the movie even more thrilling and scary.
Mise-en-scene is split up into 5 categories, setting and iconography, lighting and colour, costume hair and makeup, facial expressions and body language and positioning of characters. Mise-en-scene is used to provoke certain meanings that the audience might not of seen. It is also used focus on certain things in the clip for instance an object that the audience might not pick up on or a character that could be seen as unimportant.
In the film, "Insidious" a scene is shown where Quinn Brenner, who is the girl that notices strange things, is sitting in her room texting a boy. During the scene, she knocks on the wall and there is a knock back. She texts the boy, who is her next door neighbour but soon finds out that he isn't at home and she finds it stranger that she heard a knock back.
The audience see the girl turn the light off and suddenly a pair of hands come down and touch her.
In the clip, low key lighting is constantly used and this is shown when the girl is sitting in her room. The only lighting is coming from her lamp and her phone, but the rest of the room is dark. This is conventional to a thriller film because it creates a dark atmosphere and makes the audience wonder if there is anything or anyone else in her room. It also creates suspension as the lighting makes it hard to see the room and so it leads the audience wondering what is going to happen next. This engages the audience as low lighting shows that something bad is going to happen to the girl and so they are left in suspense for when something unexpected is going to happen. The audience can also relate to the character as both the characters and the audience don't know if someone is in the room or not and they both at the moment think that she is alone, however the low key lighting makes the audience have doubts whether the girl is actually alone or not. The key light in this scene is the lamp next to her bed and this creates the main source of light to make sure the audience can see the person on the screen. The back light is the fairy lights on her bed which helps creates shadows around the room and makes the room seem dark and mysterious and the filler lights is the lamp right at the back of the room which helps balance out the lighting as a whole. This makes sure the audience focus on the main person however it also shows what is at the back of the room and creates tension as to who is in the room. Using these types of lighting makes the room seem dark and makes it hard for the audience to see the room however the lighting also is focused on the girl in the room so that the audience can see her facial expressions and see how she reacts to the situation.
The facial expressions used in the scene shows the girl looking flirtatious. In the scene, the girl is texting her next door neighbour who is a boy. When she is texting the boy, the facial expressions on the girls face sh
ows that she may like him as she is acting flirty, however when she finds out the boy isn't next door, her facial expression changes to more of a shocked face. This shows that she thinks something is wrong and that the situation is no longer a joke but it is actually serious. This is conventional to a thriller film as the facial expressions are meant to be shocked and scared as the characters in a thriller film don't know what is going on and so are scared for what is going to happen next. Her shocked facial expression engages the audience as the audience now know that she is scared and so they also feel scared for her because they know that something bad is going to happen and so it leads the audience into suspension as to who is banging on the wall. The audience can also tell that the girl is no longer joking around and so this builds up tension because the situation has changed to serious.
Quinn is positioned in the middle of the screen throughout the whole time in the scene and this shows that he is the main character. It also makes the audience focus on her instead of anything else in her room. It is conventional to have the main character in the middle of the screen in a thriller film as the audience would automatically think that something bad is going to happen to them and they could be the one that gets hurt or could die. It is also conventional as the film would revolve around them and the audience would know who to look at. This engages the audience as they concentrate on the main character and they can feel worried for her as they know that something bad is going to happen to her. It also means that the audience can focus on her facial expressions and her body language which builds up tension as when the character feels scared then the audience would feel scared. Quinn is shown to be in the whole image on the camera and so this creates tension because the audience are so focused on her that they don't know when the demon is going to attack and where it could come from and so when it does attack then this creates an element of surprise as it was unexpected. For example, in this scene, the demons hands come down and grab her from the ceiling, however Quinn takes up the whole shot and so the audience were surprised when the hands came down and grabbed her as they didn't expect it. This creates a thrill but also makes the audience jump.
Iconography is also used in this scene as Quinn is on her phone texting a boy. The phone is key to this scene because it gives away that t
he boy isn't actually next door but instead someone else was banging on the wall. This is conventional as it creates suspense for the audience as to who is next
door. The phone is also conventional because it leads the audience into the fear of the unknown as to who might actually be behind the screen and whether there is someone in the room. This engages the audience because they are worried for the girl and it keeps them intrigued in the film as they would want to know if something happens to the girl. when the boy says hes not next door, the audience are automatically drawn more towards the film as this creates tension because it leads them guessing whose responding to the girl and this creates a thrill for the audience.
The setting of the scene is in Quinn's room which is shown to be dark. The room is conventional because it shows a naturalistic place for a thriller scene to be set as bedrooms are realistic. The bedroom also gives a sense that the girl is alone which makes the girl more vulnerable and gives the killer more access to her. By setting the scene in the bedroom is means that the audience wonder if she is really alone and the low lighting of the room creates more suspense as the audience can't se
e around the room. The audience feel as though someone is in the room as the shadows in the room make it seem like shes not alone. The girl seems vulnerable as she is on her own and the door is shut which makes the exit seem even harder to get out of which also creates the feel that someone is in the room. This is conventional as the bedroom makes it seem like a no exit room which is what the killer wants. In thriller films, the victim usually finds it hard to get out of a room which is where the killer can strike. The room is also conventional as the darkness and the shadows make the room seem creepy to the audience and the audience know that someone is in there, while Quinn doesn't and this makes the audience scared for her. This engages the audience as they audience would want to find out what happens during the scene.
Costume is also used in this scene as Quinn is wearing white pj's. This makes the scene more realistic as the scene is set at night in her bedroom and so the clothing makes the scene seem more real. The clothing is also white, the colour white symbolises purity and innocence and that makes the girl seem more vulnerable to getting killed. The girl is shown to be pure which suggests she is the victim but also innocent which tells the audience that she doesn't know what is happening during the scene. The colour white is conventional to a thriller film as the victim is usually dressed in white to show innocence and vulnerability while the killer is usually dressed in black to hide identity and to show mystery to its character and this gets the audience engaged as they would want to know who the killer is. Costume engages the audience because the colour represent what is going to happen in the film. Quinn is wearing white and so the audience would automatically assume she is the victim and so would want to watch the scene to find out what happens.
To conclude, Mise-en-scene is used in thriller films is to create emotions at certain points of the film and make the audience feel tense or nervous. The point of mise-en-scene is to get a feel of what the characters might be feeling and this is used throughout the scene as the audience is constantly left not knowing what is gong to happen next just like the characters in the scene don't know what is going to happen. It is also used to outline certain things in the scene which could be a key element of the scene. The scene is used to thrill the audience and to build suspense for them and mise-en-scene is used to create this as certain aspects make the scene more scarier than it is for example lighting which is a key element when making thriller films. Mise-en-scene builds up both tension and thrill as the audience are left to find out what happens next. Mise-en-scene is used to create the three elements of surprise, shock and suspense and this is shown throughout the clip of insidious as the audience felt suspense during the scene as to what was going to happen during the scene. There was also an element of shock when the boy texted back saying he wasn't next door and this straight away makes the audience feel worried for the character.
Camera angles in thriller films are used to create suspense and make the audience focus on certain things in the film. The camera angles make the film more dramatic as they point things out that maybe the audience wouldn't of noticed. They also create tense scenes as they blur images out and then make them reappear when the audience least expect it. This is very conventional for thriller films as the aim is to make the audience jump and be scared and camera angles do this by using different techniques to build up suspension. Close ups can be used to show the expression of a face and this creates suspension as the close up could be of the killers face or of the victims face. Other techniques could be used to show the power of a character or show the weakness of a character and this is used to show the audience who are the higher status characters or which characters are vulnerable. This would create suspension as the audience was automatically think that the vulnerable characters would be seen as the victims.
An example of a thriller film is Final Destination. This film was released in 2000 and became very popular for its thrilling scenes. In the film, Shallow focus is used when the gymnast, Candice, is shown in the whole image while the rest of the characters are blurred out. This is conventional because the main character is always in the centre of the camera so that the audience are drawn to that character. It also shows that she is the main character in that scene and so the audience aren't focused on other characters but instead they are focusing on her. This is also conventional in thriller films because the main character is usually associated with the one that dies and so the audience would automatically think that something is going to happen to her and not the other characters. By using shallow focus it means that the audience pay attention to the main character and can feel nervous of scared for them if anything does happen. Using shallow focus also engages the audience as the audience would know who to look at and it tells the audience that something bad is about to happen to her as the camera is focusing on her and none of the other characters. The audience become completely focused on the main character and watch every move she does to see if she has done anything wrong which could possibly lead her into something fatal.
High angle is also used in the film and this is shown when the camera looks down on Candice from the ceiling. This shows the girl as vulnerable and that something bad is about to happen to her as she looks less powerful and small. This is conventional to a thriller film because the camera shows the setting around her which makes it seem like something in the room is going to hurt her but the audience don't know what yet and so it creates suspense as to what is actually going to happen to the girl. It also builds suspense as the girl doesn't seem like anything is wrong and so continues to do her gymnast routine but when the camera looks down on her the audience can see how vulnerable she is. This engages the audience because the audience know that something bad is going to happen to her and this leads the audience feeling nervous for her as they don't want her to get hurt. The audience are intrigued to find out what happens next to Candice, and so continue to watch the film to find out what is going to happen.
Close up is also used in the film when the camera shows the powder that Candice puts on her hands before going onto the bars. This is conventional as by using the close up of it, it automatically makes the audience think how that is going to link to something bad happening. It also shows that the powder is very important as it has its own close up which make the audience focus on it more than they would on other things. By using the close up it makes the audience think that somehow the powder might be linked to the death that could take place. This engages the audience as they know that something bad is going to happen with the powder and so it leads them into suspension as what is going to happen next. It also makes the audience feel nervous for the girl as they know that the powder is bad for her but she has already put it on and so the audience feel tense as they don't know what is going to happen.
Tilt is used in the film when the camera moves up Candice's body and stops at her hands where she is playing with the elastic band. The elastic band snaps and her facial expression changes to shocked. This shows that something sudden it going to happen as the elastic band broke suddenly. This is conventional so a thriller film as it shows that the girl is vulnerable because the elastic band is a symbol of her life and how it is going to end suddenly The elastic band could also symbolise death or something snapping as the elastic band snapped.The moving of the camera up her body also shows her fragile looks and shows how she is delicate and fragile which could mean that she could easily get hurt. This is conventional as in thriller films a lot of the time someone gets hurt of injured and so pain is associated with a thriller film. This engages the audience as the audience would automatically think that something serious is going to happen and the facial expression on Candice also gives the audience the impression that she knows that where she is is dangerous. The audience are engaged as they would want to find out what happens next to Candice and so continue to watch the film to find out what happens.
Zoom is used in the film when Candice is dancing around the nail, The nail drops from the ceiling and onto the beam in which Candice is doing her routine on. She is doing her routine and as the nail drops, the camera zooms on to where the nail has landed on the beam. This shows that the nail is important as the camera has zoomed on it. It shows the nail as dangerous as there is a close up of the nail which could be linked to Candice's death. This is conventional as an important object has been highlighted which shows that it is linked somehow. It is also conventional as in thriller films, objects are highlighted that the audience might not of noticed but are still a key element towards a death scene. The nail is also shown as dangerous as the sharp bit is pointing upwards which means that Candice could step on it at anytime and this engages the audience as they are left in suspense to see whether Candice will step on the nail. The audience are scared for Candice as they don't want her to step on the nail and so they are left on edge to see if she steps on it or not. The audience also want to see whether the nail could be the cause of something bad that might happen and it leads the audience thinking how the nail could be linked.
To conclude cinematography is used to engage the audience by highlighting things that the audience might not have noticed before. It is used to create suspense as close up shows the dangers of certain things and it is also used to show facial expression whether it shows facial expressions of a vulnerable girl or the facial expressions of a killer. It is also used to highlight the main characters so that the audience are focused on them and no one else in the film. It shows who the main character are and makes the audience think that the main characters are going to be the ones that get killed or could be the killer. It also builds up tension for the audience and makes them feel nervous for the characters in the film.. It is also used to make something seem more dangerous than it is, for instance in the final destination scene, both the powder and the nail were shown as dangerous but the audience didn't know at the time how they could be linked and so this lead the audience into suspension as what was going to happen to Candice. The constant use of close ups in the scene made every little thing seem dangerous and the audience felt suspense as to where Candice was going to step on the nail or not. Cinematography is also used to highlight the status of the characters. In a thriller film, it is conventional to have the girl seen as vulnerable which is shown in final destination through the use of high angle when the camera looks down on her. Thriller films usually have a man as the killer or in this case it was an object. Camera angles are used to intrigue the audience and build up suspense as t what is going to happen during the film and what is going to happen next. It makes the audience wonder what could happen and how certain things which are highlighted throughout the film, are linked together.
The BBFC are an organisation that are highly trained into making sure that films are appropriate for the audience. They protect the public, especially children into making sure that the films they show are suitable for young children to watch. They also empower the public to make informed viewing choices and this is aimed mostly at parents. The BBFC give an appropriate age certificate for each film which allows the audience see what is suitable for them to see but also what is suitable for children to see. The BBFC make these choices with help from the public. Discussions take place and the public decide what they think is age appropriate.
Classifications of the BBFC. - U, PG, 12A, 12, 15, 18.
A U film means that the film is suitable for all ages. U stands for universal and anyone from the age four and over can watch the film without an adult. U films will not contain any bad language, sexual behaviour or references to drugs or any sort of inappropriate scenes that could influence or upset a child. It is hard to predict what should be a U film as many people don't know what could upset a child and so the littlest bit of violence could be a PG instead of a U, so that it doesn't influence young children to behave badly. U films are suitable for pre school years and scary clips may be shown however comical music will be played over the top to make the scene less scary and to make the audience laugh rather than be upset. An example of a U film would be "Finding Nemo" or "Lilo and Stitch" which are both family friendly films and contain no violence or bad language. They are made comical so that any violence or scary parts will be made funny for the audience's pleasure. This film is a U as it contains appropriate scenes. The film is about an alien that comes to earth and a young girl adopts the alien, soon to find out that the other aliens are looking for him. The film contains comedy and is appropriate for the young audience as there is a scene in it where the alien grabs the toy gun and starts shooting at the big alien. This creates comedy as the children find it funny that something so small is trying to hurt something much bigger. The audience laugh at the fact that Stitch is trying to attack a big dummy guy but is failing. Stitch also makes a comment which makes younger children laugh as it is a childish comment but it also humorous for the younger audience. The younger audience laugh at stitch mistakes which makes the film funny but also enjoyable for the audience. The film also contains some sort of galactic gun which intrigues children as they would find it interesting and also would make the film more exciting.
The next rating up is PG. This means Parental Guidance and means that films are still suitable for all children, however children under the age of 8 should definitely have parents with them. The parents decide what is suitable for their children to watch as some scenes could be a little sensitive and may upset some children. The films should not upset children over the age of 8 and so therefore they are allowed to watch the films without adults. PG films consist of mild violence and some bad language. the bad language would be used infrequently and only consist of really mild swear words. Some sexual references could be made but a lot of the children would not understand the reference. Innuendos could be made as long as they are not too obvious for the child to understand. The film could contain some weapons, however the would not be shown off during the film and in the film only the hero or the good guy would get the weapon so that children do not get encouraged to use weapons. If any weapons in the film are used in the wrong way, the film would always state how it is bad to use them and this goes for drugs and alcohol as well. An example of a Pg film would be "Frozen." This is because of the mild violence that it contains which could influence some children and some of the scenes could be insensitive or scary for the children. The ice monster could be scary for little children and weapons are shown in the film and used for the wrong purpose which could upset some children. Frozen was named the top film of the year in 2014, however due to its mild violence and some mild language it was classified as a PG, so that parents can watch the film with children under the age of 8. Frozen is seen as a pg, as the film is about a ice queen that is seen as dangerous however her sister goes to find her but gets struck in the heart with ice. The sister is about to die when the ice queen saves her with love. The film is full of light hearted comedy as there is a character called, Olaf, which is a snowman and he makes funny comments such as when he finally gets a carrot for a nose and he says, "It's like a little baby unicorn" this makes the younger audiences laugh as they find the character funny and so this engages the audience more. There is little violence apart form one scene where the villain gets punched in the face, however this is done for a good reason as it is showing the audience that he is the villain and so the audience take no offence to it. The film is a PG, as it is a comedy which is perfect for little children and the violence is only seen to warn off the villain. The film is age appropriate for children over the age of 8 as the comedy elements over rule the violent scene.
Another classic film which was classified as PG was "Harry Potter" this is because of the mild violence that is in the film which could be misleading for little children. There are also a lot of scary mythical creatures in there which could be very scary for young children and so parents can decide whether the film is appropriate for young children to watch. "Harry Potter" is classified as a PG because young children would be attracted to watch is as it is about witches and wizards which would engage the audience. However because of mild scary scenes and mild language, children under the age of 8 years are advised to watch it with
adults. Adults can also decide whether the film is age appropriate for them. The first Harry Potter film is also seen as a PG, because there are age appropriate scenes. For example in one of the scenes, Ron says to Hermoine, "She needs to sort out her priorities" this creates an element of comedy as one of the male characters are mocking the female characters. Ron is a character that is naturally sarcastic and so the humour creates no offence to the audience and so it is appropriate. The film does create some scary elements such as during the end when the villain takes off his scarf and reveals a monster underneath. This could be scary for some of the younger audience and so parents cam decide whether they should be able to watch it for children under the age of 8.
The next age classification is a 12 and 12A. A 12 film means that people who are 12 years and older can watch the film on their own without an adult. However anyone younger than the age of 12, if they go to the cinema with an adult they will still get rejected. A 12A film is slightly different as if a child under the age of 12 wishes to see the film at the cinema, then an adult can go with them. A 12 film isn't suitable for children under the age of 12 as there is some strong language which is inappropriate for the younger audience. The frequency of the swear words aren't a lot, however the frequency of the swear words depends on whether the film is classified as a 15 or 12. If there is a lot of strong language, the film could be moved to a 15. A 12 or 12A film will not contain any racism or discrimination, however if there is any sort of racism then it will be condemned. There could be some sexual references in the film however it shouldn't go beyond what is suitable for teenagers. Nudity could also be shown but it isn't promoted or shown off a lot. Nudity would be used discreetly so that it is age appropriate for teenagers to watch. Violence could also be used in the film however no gory scenes will be shown. However the film might show a lot of weapons, but weapons which could be an easy access to teenagers, such as knives will not be shown off. Weapons used in fight scenes could be shown but nothing will be glamorised so that teenagers do not get influenced to use the weapons. Violence is used more frequently in 12 films rather than PG because more teenagers would want to watch films that have fight scenes in them rather than less violent films. Teenagers are more attracted to watching fight scenes as it engages them more because it creates more action and thriller for them. Some horror films can be classed as a 12, if the scary scenes are not used frequently and if the suspense isn't to intense for younger teenagers.
An example of a horror film which is classes as a 12 is "The Woman in Black". This is because the film has infrequent jumpy scenes and doesn't contain a lot of graphic content which could frighten young teenagers. The film also doesn't contain any gory scenes which could be unpleasant and disturbing for young children. in the film, there is a scene where the person trying to sell the house sea something strange out of the window and goes to put his hand on the window. As he does this, a hand comes up opposite his and a face screams in the window. This is a very jumpy scene and can frighten the audience therefore this film is not appropriate for anyone under the age of 12 as it can cause distress. The scenes are unexpected and this makes the film scarier and so could be very disturbing for the younger audience. The older audience are more engaged as they would like to get a thrill out of the film and enjoy being scared. This film has elements of suspense and tension which makes the film very unexpected and scary. Young teenagers also like the thrill of watching horror films and so they would enjoy this film as there isn't too many jumpy scenes as they wold become too disturbed but it has enough jumpy scenes to intrigue the audience.
Another sample of a 12 film is "Mean Girls" This is because of some of the inappropriate language that is contained in the films. There are also some sexual references and a lot of sexual innuendos, This is appropriate for 12 years and over, however anyone under the age of 12, it isn't suitable for and so anyone under that age is not permitted to see it at the cinema. A 12A film would be "Pitch Perfect". This is because it doesn't contain a lot of bad language and doesn't contain as much sexual references as "Mean Girls". The films is based on a group of singers who want to win a huge competition. The film is appropriate for 12 years and younger and so children under the age of 12 can see the film in the cinema, providing there is an adult with them. In the film mean girls, there is a bedroom scene, in which a boy wand a girl are kissing on the bed. This could be seen as inappropriate for the younger audience as the girl os wearing a very short skirt which could portray women in a very bad way and younger children could be influenced by the way that these girls dress. In the scene the mum also walks in on them and says, "Do you ant any condoms" the younger children wouldn't understand what this would mean and so it wouldn't appeal to them. This film is not age appropriate for anyone under the age of 12 as the bedroom scene could disturb younger children or encourage them to wear short or right clothing. However it does appeal to younger teenagers purely because they could relate to the girls as they are teenagers as well and so they could relate to the teenage girls drama and so they would find the situations funny and humorous because they can relate. They would also understand the mild sexual language and so they would be able to understand the film and know what is going on in the film. The frequent use of innaproproate clothing throughout the film could inflict younger children and so the BBFC have to make this film a 12 to stop younger children from being influenced by clothing and by the language and sexual content.
15 is the next age certificate and this means that anyone that is younger than 15 are not advised to watch the film. In a 15 film, the audience can expect to see a lot of violence and the portrayal of weapons a lot. Bad language would also be used a lot more frequently than it would in a 12 film. The film could also contain a lot of sexual activity and a lot of nudity however the nudity would be infrequent and wouldn't contain a lot of detail. A lot of violence could be used in 15 films, and disturbing and sensitive topics such as discrimination and racism could be included. However this is only shown to an extent in which teenagers are allowed to watch. Racism and discrimination should not contain too many graphic scenes and should be appropriate for teenagers to watch as it could be upsetting for teenagers to watch. 15 films could also contain drug taking but it will not be glamorised or shown off a lot during scenes. This is so that teenagers do not get inflicted or encouraged to take drugs. Horror films in the 15 category contains some explicit scenes and could be disturbing for the audience to watch. A lot of suspension is shown in the film and could cause distress. Some graphic scenes could be shown and bad language could be used frequently. The scenes which contain gory and graphic content will be shown more frequently than they would in 12 films and so teenagers under the age of 15 are strongly advised not to see 15 films. Horror Films such as "The Conjuring" and "Cabin in the Woods" are a 15 and this is because of there gory and graphic scenes which are disturbing and horrifying. The films both contain strong language and a lot more jumpy parts to the film are shown very frequently which could be upsetting to a lot of young teenagers. "The Conjuring" is about a family that move into a house and supernatural events take place. This then causes people to come to the house and find out whats happening, soon to find out that demons are possessing the house. The family find out about the houses spooky history and understand why the demons are there. However the supernatural events become uncontrollable and the family find themselves in danger.
In one of the scenes from "The Conjuring, there are two girls in the room and they hear mysterious noises. The girls hide in the room and one of them looks up from the dresser and suddenly a demon screams and flies down from the dresser and attacks the girl. This scene is not suitable for younger teenagers because it contains a disturbing clip which could be shocking or frightening for the younger audience. The scene is too scary for anyone under the age of 15 as it is a very jumpy scene and anyone under the age of 15 may become distressed or upset by the events.
Another film that is a 15 is "Bad Teacher". This film contains a lot of frequent strong language which could be offensive towards the audience. The films also contains sexual content which is used through out the film. This isn't suitable for the younger audience as the inappropriate behaviour is used a lot which could encourage younger children to swear or to use violence in the wrong way. A lot of sexual content could be disturbing for the younger audience and so this film isn't appropriate for people under the
age of 15. In the film Bad Teacher, there is a car wash scene in which the female teacher is washing the cars in skimpy clothing and is acting sexy. The scene contains sexual content in which the boys stare and become drawn to her. This scene gives a bad representation for women and so teenagers under the age of 15 might be encouraged to dress and act like this and become inflicted by what she is doing. This scene is especially not suitable for young teenagers as the way the girl is acting is wrong but the younger audience might not know this as the girl is gaining a lot of attention from acting sexy by the boys, therefore the younger audience might think that this is the right thing to do and so might learn from it. The older audience will find this scene funny and see the comedy side to it as they would understand what is happening unlike the younger audience, who might not understand why she is doing this. The older audience will find this funny as they can see that the girl is only joking around and the older audience won't be encouraged to act like her and so the film is appropriate for people of 15 years and over.
The last age classification is an 18. This means that no one under the age of 18 can go to the cinema to watch an 18 or buy or rent an 18 film. 18 films can be highly offensive and disturbing and so should not be seen by anyone under the age limit. An 18 film will contain a high amount of strong language and the strong language will be used continuously throughout the film. the film will also contain a lot of very strong violence which will also be used throughout the whole film. Weapons will be used frequently and the weapons would be shown off a lot unlike 15 and 12 films which weapons are used discreetly and are not glamorised. 18 films will also contain sexual activity. The film will contain very explicit scenes which could be very distressing for the younger audience. Nudity is shown off a lot and is not covered up or shown discreetly. The nudity in the film could be used frequently which is very inappropriate for anyone who is younger than 18. Scenes could contain real sex and anything to do with sex. Drugs are also shown in the film, however same as the other age classifications, the drugs should not be glamorised so the audience do not feel encouraged to use them. 18 films contain very strong violence and a lot of graphic or gory content can be shown. "Texas Chainsaw" is an example of an 18 film which contains a lot o gory content that could be very disturbing for the audience. This film also has a huge amount of violence and bad language which isn't suitable for anyone under the age of 18. Another 18 film is "Asylum" which is about a man who wants to keep his job at an asylum and so he has to interview four of the patients. This film contains a high amount of disturbing scenes which could affect the audience. There is a lot of violence and bad language which could be encouraging for younger teenagers.
In the film "Texas Chainsaw" there is a scene where the chainsaw person is chasing a boy and a girl round a warehouse. They get into a car with another girl but are then encountered once again with the chainsaw person and they end up being stuck in the middle of no where and the chainsaw person comes out of nowhere and tries to kill all of them. This scene is not age appropriate for anyone under the age of 18 as there are a frequent amount of gory scenes and there are constant jumpy scenes that could frighten the audience. "Texas Chainsaw" is seen as very gory and contains very graphic content. However this appeals to the older audience as they would get the thrill of being scared and they would find the graphic content humorous and they wouldn't be disturbed by it. 18 year olds and older would find both "Texas chainsaw" and "Asylum" as engaging and thrilling.
To conclude the BBFC need to carry on adding age certificates so that the audience know what film is appropriate for the younger children. Parents would also want to have the BBFC as they would want to know what would be appropriate for their children to watch or if they need an adult to watch the film. The age certificates would also tell them if there is violence or bad language and then the parents can decide if their child is allowed to watch it. Age certificates are useful because they show what content could be in the film such as violence and explicit scenes. These scenes shouldn't be shown to the younger audience as it could be offensive or disturbing for them. Young children could also be encouraged to use violence or to use weapons.
Thrillers are still popular because they create a tense atmosphere for the audience and create suspension as the audience are lead into the fear of the unknown, The audience get a thrill for not knowing what is going to happen next and find it enjoyable sitting in suspense as the horrifying music is played along with heart pounding scene. As much as many thriller films can be a cliche, the audience still enjoy being scared out of their skin by something that they may know will happen, however the feeling of knowing that something scary might happen also creates a thrill for the audience as they still become scared due to the special effects which make the film even more heart racing. A series of blood curling music and terrifying scenes make the audience become glued to the screen to find out what is going to happen next.
How have horror films changed over the years from the 1930's onwards?
Since the 1930's, horror films have become more developed. This is due to the improvement of technology which have made thriller films a lot scarier because of the wide variety of the special effects. Special effects have become improved, for example in the 1930's a lot of the plots were based upon dolls or witches. The dolls wouldn't be as scary as they are now as make up and special effects have been improved which has made the doll in general look a lot scarier than it would. An example of this would be the famous film "Childs Play" which was based upon a doll which was possessed and would try and kill the family, However this film has a lack of special effects and suspension as the doll itself doesn't look scary. The audience do not get as much of a thrill as they would for the modern day version of "Childs Play" which is "Annabelle." This film has been made to scare anybody that watches it. This is because the special effects have made the film seem so dark and mysterious so that the audience have no clue what is going to happen next. The doll itself is creepy as it seems to have a mind of its own which confuses the audience and makes the audience constantly wonder when it's going to attack.
A famous film made in the 1930's was a film called "Frankenstein." The film isn't entirely scary and doesn't carry much suspension. The cover of the film doesn't catch the audiences eye as scary because the picture looks almost cartoon like which gives the audience a sense that the monster isn't real but instead its just made up. The cover also shows a cartoon like background as the background is just green which doesn't make the film look dark and mysterious at all. The film is about a crazy scientist who makes a monster called "Frankenstein" however the experiment goes wrong and he creates a monster who kills everyone. The director for this film is James Whale who also created many other thriller films such as, "The Invisible Man", "The Old Dark House" and "Waterloo Bridge". James Whale got a thrill from directing thriller films and created lots of them to give the audience something new. He made a lot of thriller films purely for the audiences' entertainment and found out that more people would watch a thriller film than a romance. This was because people liked to be scared and they liked to be kept in suspense and so he made films which built up suspension for the audiences' enjoyment.
In the 1940's a films was released called, "Sorry Wrong Number". This film was released in the late 1940's but became very popular. The film is based upon a woman who hears a phone all between two men who are plotting to kill her. The woman is trying to save herself from getting killed but everything bad keeps happening to her. This film became a huge hit as the audience were constantly left in suspense as to what is going to happen during the film. The film was very dark and mysterious and so lots of people were led into tension as what is going to happen next. The film industry became more advanced as thriller films were made a bit scarier and created more suspension for the audience. The films were made darker so that the audience couldn't see what was going to happen next and plots became more extreme. However for the 1940's, thriller films in that day seemed very scary, but now a days people wont find it as scary due to lack of special effects which make a feel more suspense.
Another film that was released in the 1940's was a film called, "Brighton Rock" This film is about a criminal that is in a gang and murders lots of people. The criminal marries a girl to get an alibi however a woman that was friends with the criminals victim tries to solve the crime herself. This also appeals to the audience as a detective story had been introduced which got the audience excited. The audience was able to feel involved with the movie as they could guess who they think the criminal was and how they think the victim died. It also engaged the audience more as they could feel like they were in the film by trying to work out what is going to happen during the film. The audience enjoyed these type of films as they were led into suspense but also it didn't have many jumpy scenes and so they can be involved with the film more. "Brighton Rock" also seemed realistic a it was set in a real place and the story line seemed natural, this therefore made the audience enjoy it more as they would think it was based on a true story which would scare them but also build up tension as they would think that this story might of actually happened. John Boulting is the director of this film and as well as "Brighton Rock" he also made "Privates Progress" and "Heavens Above". John didn't make a lot of thriller films but "Brighton Rock" was one of the most popular ones due to the plot which made the film a lot more dramatic.
In the 1950's, thriller films scared the audience more than they did in the 1930's. As technology increased, special effects also became improved and a famous thriller film in the 1950's was called "I was a Teenage Wolf" this film seemed more of a thriller film than "Frankenstein" because it was based around teenagers which would attract the audience more because the film is about real life people. This would make the film seem more realistic and so people would become more scared as they would believe the film is based on a true story. The cover also shows a wolf claw scratching the image which gives the audience more of a thrill as they would see the wolf as dangerous and the claw looks like it is coming for the audience. This scares the audience more as they feel more involved in the film and so they are lead into suspension on what is going to happen during the film. However 1950's films still weren't as scary as they could be due to the unrealistic plots such as becoming a teenage wolf which makes the film seem fake and not real. The film is about a teenager who is troubled and seeks a psychologist who tires to help him out. The psychologist conducts a series of experiments on him which transforms him into a werewolf. The film is seen as scary due to the violence and frequent jumpy scenes in the film. The werewolf is portrayed as deadly and dangerous which makes the audience gain suspense as they feel nervous for the other characters in the film when they encounter the werewolf. The directors name is Gene Fowler Jr who created this film in 1960. He also created other films such as "I Married a Monster from Outer Space" and "Showdown at Boot Hill" which are both thriller films. His aim was to surprise and scare the audience and he did this successively by building up tension and creating jumpy scenes in order to get the audience engaged in the film.
Thriller films started to become more advanced and in the 1970's a lot of thriller films were seen as very scary. An example of this is "The Exorcist" which even now still scares a lot of people. This is because the plot seems more realistic and scary than what films were like before hand. People seem to be more scared about demons and people being possessed rather than monsters, vampires and werewolf's which seem a little make believe. The film is based upon real life people and so the film seems more natural rather than cartoons. The film is constantly in low lighting which makes the audience feel scared of not knowing what is going to happen next or not knowing when the demon is going to attack. The lighting also makes it very hard for the audience to see what is going on and so when the demon does attack, it creates an element of surprise and makes the audience jump as it was unexpected. The main girl in "The Exorcist" is just as frightening as the plot itself due to the improvement of make up and costume. This film received a golden globe for its horrifying scenes and
ot an award for best thriller film of the year. "The exorcist" is about a young girl who has been possessed by a demon. The girl needs to be brought back to normality and so a priest thinks he can do this job by performing an exorcism. This film even today is still a terrifying film and has become a huge success. William Friedkin, who is the director of this film made this film purely to scare people. He was also famous for another film called "French Connection" which was released in 1971. He also made "Killer Joe" and "The Hunted" which are also both thriller films. William won the academy award for best director when the film "The Exorcist" was released. "The Exorcist" was one of the most popular films ever made and still today is very popular and William's aim is to build up suspense and lead people into the fear of the unknown. He did this perfectly with "The Exorcist" and showed how people can get scared easily but also build up tension.
The 1990's was a much popular year for thriller films as the film "Seven" was released. The film "Seven" is about the seven deadly sins; greed, lust, sloth, envy, gluttony, pride and wealth. Two detectives go on the search for a serial killer who is killing people who represent the deadly sins. This film was also named one of the top thriller films of all times along side "The Exorcist". "Seven" engages the audience in many different ways, first off the audience feel as though they are in the film because they are trying to work out who the serial killer is just like the detectives. This engages the audience as they would want to know who the killer is and so are intrigued to watch the film. The film "Seven" became a massive hit due to the plot twists in the film and because so many people were engaged to watch a detective story. This film doesn't have a lot of scary parts but instead creates tension by not revealing the killer until right the very end in which the audience have to guess throughout the film, who they think the killer is. The killer is someone who they didn't think was going to be it and so this leads the audience wanting to watch more to find out more about the killer. "Seven" is filmed in low lighting through out the film which makes the scenes a lot more tense as the audience cant see what is happening it also leads the audience into the fear of the unknown which makes the film more surreal. Basing a film on a detective story also engages the audience more as detective stories tend to be based on something that has happened in real life or something that could happen and so this intrigues the audience more and could possibly make them more scared as they know that something like this could happen and so it seems more natural and real. The director for the film "Seven" is David Fincher. He also created the famous films, "Gone Girl" and "Fight Club". These films were and still are very popular, and "Seven" is one of his most popular films he ever made. He also directed another thriller film called "Panic Room" which was released In 2002 and was very popular due to its twisted plots. David won an award for best director of the film "Seven" in 1995.
Another film produced in the 1990's was "Scream" This film has been named one of the scariest thriller films of all time and this is due to its numerous amount of deaths in the film and the amount of plot twists it has. "Scream" was released in 1996 and is about a town which has a murderer in it. The people in the town are being slaughtered to death in the most gruesome way possible. This thriller film was really big with the audience as the frequent amount of deaths in the film intrigued the audience more. The film also contained a lot of suspense scenes where the audience was lead into the unknown of when the murderer was going to attack next. The film also has a frequent amount of jumpy scenes which kept the audience on edge. "Scream" was also one of the first films to include a lot of gory death scenes which the audience had never experienced before. Just like the film "Seven", the audience were kept guessing to who the murderer was as the murderer wore a mask throughout the whole film right until the very end in which the killer finally revealed them self. This kept the audience in suspense as they would want to find out who the killer is and so they would have to watch the film to see who it is. The killer would also be someone who they didn't think would be a killer and so this gave the audience an element of surprise.
The director of this film is Wes Craven who also created the famous "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "The People Under the Stairs". Wes Craven directed a tonne of thriller films and won a lot of awards for them. His most popular thriller films was the "Scream" collection. "Scream" was the most popular because it included a wide variety of unexpected scenes and the audience were completely engaged in the film. Wes Craven made a lot of thriller films because he felt the audience enjoyed them. The audience get a thrill for scary films and enjoy being scared and his film "Scream" fitted the brief perfectly as it was named one of the top thriller films of all time. With "Screams" suspense scenes and frequent murders, the film popular very quickly. Wes Craven is one of the most famous directors for creating such terrifying films.
In the early 2000, The first "Saw" was released in 2004. This film attracted a lot of attention from the audience as the films gruesome scenes was something that the audience had never see before. The film is about a group of people that get trapped in a "game". The game is run by a killer called Jigsaw, whose plan is to kill people in the "game" as gruesome as possible. The people will only make it out if they put them selves through pain and torture. The film throughout is bloody and gory and disturbing for the audience to watch, however this is what attracted the audience so much as not many people had seen thriller films that contained this much amount of blood. "Scream" was the other film that had continuous amount of deaths and compared to "saw" its nothing. "Saw's" psychopathic plot and disturbing scenes made the film very popular however not everyone liked it due to its nasty and horrific scenes which made the film hard to watch. "Saw" advanced thriller films massively as it created a huge amount of suspense towards the audience as the audience waited to see whether each person would make it out of the game or whether they would die a horrible death. "Saw" also helped the film industry create more thriller films which would soon become popular, films such as "The Human Centipede" and "The Conjuring" all had help from the film "Saw" to create a gruesome yet entertaining thriller film. The film contained clips that the audience would never forget and this led to the release of the second "Saw" film which was released in 2005. The gory scenes made the audience to watch more. James Wan is the director of "Saw" and along with this film he also created "Annabelle", "The Conjuring" and "Insidious". These films are also massive thriller films and are very popular within the audience. This is because they all have terrifying plots and they build up a lot of suspension. James Wan also used a lot of deaths in his films and "Saw" in particular is most famous for its gory deaths.
Another film released in the 2000's was "Paranormal Activity" This film was released in 2007 and was also very popular in the film franchise just like "Scream" and "Saw". "Paranormal Activity" was one of the first films to actually understand the term thriller as it was filmed in constant darkness and the audience had no idea what was going to happen next. Since "Frankenstein" the film industry have become more advanced and "Paranormal Activity" shows this through its constant use of special affects which not a lot of films had used before. The film is about a couple that move into a suburban home where they become disturbed by strange events that are happening. They set up cameras to see what is happening but soon find that its not natural events but instead there is a demon also living in their home. The film creates suspension by the way that the scenes are filmed. The audience see whatever the characters see and this creates a point of view affect. This has improved the film industry as before with films such as "Sorry, wrong number" and "scream" they were all filmed head on where as now the audience get to experience thriller films in the characters perspective. This engages the audience as the audience can feel what the characters feel and feel just as scared. The audience don't know what is going to happen during the film as it is all through the characters eyes. Oren Peli directed this film and also directed, "Area 51" and helped direct insidious. Oren Peli won an award for "Paranormal Activity" and was named one of the best directors for thriller films.
To conclude, Thriller films have changed since the 1930's as they have advanced their filming techniques and special effects to create something so plain the simple into something that is seen as one of the most scariest films made. Since the 1930's, thriller films have scared many generations and the psychopathic mind makes thriller films seem even more intense. The use of killers and death scenes is what attracts the audience to watch these films as it gets the mind going on who the killer is or what is going to happen during the film. In the early stages of thriller films, they didn't seem as scary as they are today. However back then it seemed terrifying to watch a film about werewolves and vampires even though it may seem a little make believe. Now a days, the film plots are a lot more psychopathic and include stuff like possessive dolls or bodies which make the audience feel like its real due to the frequent amount of films that include being possessed. The 1930's was one of the first eras to introduce thriller films and this got the audience as they got to experience something new. The plots seem unrealistic to us but in those days it was the most scary thing and the audience felt excited about being scared. As time moved on the film industry improved as music and effects became more established and directors finally found a way to scare the audience properly. This was done by using music to engage the audience and leave them in suspense as to when something is going to attack. The music helped get the audience into the mood and built up suspension until finally something scary would happen when the audience least expect it. This was shown in the movie "Scream" as it contained lots of music to help get the audience into the mood. The film industry also improved by having special effects to create a scary scene. "Paranormal Activity" was an example of a film that used lots of special effects. The film was in complete darkness and the audience could see from all angles what was happening in the film. A great technique that directors used to create a scary scene was to film the scenes at a point of view angle which meant that the audience saw whatever the characters saw and this created a lot of unexpected scary clips which made the audience jump a lot. Even today the film industry is still constantly making thriller films for the audience to enjoy. Thriller films are becoming more and more advanced due to the improvement of technology and effects which make the film more terrifying and mysterious than it actually is. Thriller films will continue to scare the audience and lead them into suspense and more psychopathic plots will continue being made.
Top 10 Thrillers How much they made
- Sixth Sense - $472,806,292
- Seven - $327,311,859 - Silence of the lambs - $272,742,922
- Panic room - $196,397,145
- Paranormal activity - $193,355,800
- Final destination - $112,880,294
- The purge - $110,602,999
- Saw - $103,911,669
- The strangers - $87,941,306
- Psycho - $50,000,000
Sixth sense was named the top 10 thriller film. The film is about a young boy who has a dark secret.
His secret is that he can talk to ghosts and is visited by them regularly. Cole, the young boy, tries to tell people about his problem but find it hard to until a psychologist is able to understand some of the strange things happening. He tries to stop the young boy from talking to them however this doesn't go to well when supernatural events take place. Sixth sense is full of unexpected scenes which make the audience jump. It also engages the audience by making the film very tense which make the audience wonder what is going to happen.
The film uses constant low lighting to make the images hard to see and so when a ghost does come into the scene, it makes the audience jump as it was unexpected. The audience are also lead suspicion in some scenes where the boy comes into contact with a ghost. This is shown in one of the scenes when the boy gets locked in a room full of ghosts and all the audience can hear is screaming from that room. This builds up tension for the audience as they have no idea what is happening to the young boy and they feel sorry for him. This also engages the audience as it makes them wonder whether the boy is okay or whether he is possessed. The audience want the boy to be okay and so continue to watch the film to find out what happens. Sixth sense made the most money because of its frightening scenes and the way it builds up tension. It gets the audience in the mood which makes them enjoy the film even more. Sixth sense builds up the most tension compared to any other film and this is what gets the audience so excited and thrilled about the film as people enjoy being scared and so go to watch a film that makes them jump and sixth sense does this.
Paranormal activity is in the middle of the top ten thriller films and this is due to its scary plot. The film is about a couple that move into a suburban house. However the house makes strange noises and things move in the night, the couple set up a camera in the room to see what i happening and later find out that a demon is also sharing the house. The couple try and stop the demon but supernatural events make it hard to. This film was rated one of the top ten thriller films due to its twisted plot. The events in the film are all supernatural however they seem so realistic that the audience believe in and become more engaged in the film. Just like sixth sense, the clips are filmed in constant low lighting which make the film scarier and make events seem more unexpected which scares the audience more. Some of the scenes are also filmed using the characters point of view which creates suspension within the audience as they have no idea what is going to happen next and they can relate to the characters as they can feel what they are feeling as well. The film didn't make as much money as sixth sense and this could be because there wasn't as many thrilling scenes as sixth sense and this could make the audience lose interest more. It also means that there isn't as much tension in the film as sixth sense and this could have an affect on the audience as they wouldn't be as scared when the supernatural events take place. A lot of the music placed in sixth sense created more suspension than the music played in paranormal activity and this would mean that the film wouldn't make as much money as the audience aren't being led into the unknown and not as much thrill has been created for them. However paranormal activity still made it on the list as the special effects created horrifying scenes which was used for the audience's enjoyment. In one of the scenes, the lady in the film gets dragged down by the stairs by her feet and out of the door. This is thrilling for the audience as the audience can't actually see the demon but they know it is there. The shadows on the door also creates suspension as it makes the audience wonder when the demon is going to strike next and how it is going to strike and this makes the audience feel nervous for the characters because they can see the demon walking towards the characters.
Psycho is at the bottom of the list. This film is about a woman who runs away with her boyfriend however become exhausted after a rainstorm and they stop at a motel. They meet a person who seems polite and is into taxidermy. However it doesn't go to well when they find out he's a psycho. The film was made in 1960 and so doesn't scare the audience as much as films do now a days. This is due to the lack of special effects which make a film more scary. For instance in both Paranormal activity and the sixth sense use low lighting to create suspense for the audience and make them fear what is going to happen next. They both also use music which is played over tense scenes to build up thrill and suspension and make the audience jump when they least expect it. Psycho however still engages the audience as tension is built up during the film. The audience find the film thrilling due to unexpected scenes which make the audience jump. An example of this is the famous shower scene in which the girl is in the shower and the "psycho" comes behind her and tries to kill her. This is shown as a thrilling scene because the audience can see what is going to happen however the character in the film doesn't know what is happening and so this builds up tension as the audience want the girl to be safe and so feel nervous for her as they don't know what is going to happen next. The audience want the girl to be okay and so it leads the audience into the unknown as what is going to happen to the girl. This scene is shown as thrilling due to its build up of tension and that is why the film became so popular despite being made in the 1960 with a lack of special effects. It made a lot of money however not as much money as other films like sixth sense and the strangers as it doesn't include a lot of special effects which make the film even more thrilling. Films now a days are more advanced and so create a wide range of twisted plots and unexpected jumpy scenes and this is what engages the audience. All these films above create suspension and leave the audience wanting to find out what happens next.
Scream uses sound as in the scene off screen sound is used when the phone rings and a voice speaks that isn't Trevor. When the phone says, Trevor, the audience relax a little bit but the are kept in suspense when they find out the voice isn't Trevor. This is conventional as it builds up tension because the audience don't know who it is on the phone.
The scene also uses non-diegetic sound. This is used when the low music is played when the unknown voice on the phone says that hes in the closet. This is conventional as the music builds suspense because the low music suggests a much serious mood than before. The low music also represents the killer is around which makes the audience more on edge as to whether the killer is actually in the closet. The low music also makes the scene seem a lot less happy than it was before and the audience soon realise that it isn't a joke anymore. This engages the audience because the music creates thrill for the audience as they would want to know whether someone is in the closet. The audience would be intrigued to watch the rest of the scene as suspense has built up to whether the girls are going to open the closet. 1.13 - 1.23
The scene also includes silence and this is shown when Kirby opens the closet and no one is in there. This automatically makes the audience wonder where the killer is and creates more suspense as to whether the killer is in the room or not. This is conventional as it builds up suspense for the audience however no one was there and so the audience start to relax. This is used a lot in thriller films as they want t o create suspense and then make the audience relaxed so they think that nothing is going to happen. However the killer then shows up unexpected which suprises and scares the audience. The silence is used as it shows that the killer is about to strike but keeps it unexpected as the music has stopped which makes the audience think that nothing is going to happen however it just builds up more suspense as the audience don't know when the killer is going to strike. This engages the audience as the it leads them into the unknown as what is going to happen next and this makes the audience nervous for the characters because they don't know when the killer is going to attack. The audience also are left in tension as to whether the killer is in the room or not.1.46 - 1.51
