Music ,typography & lighting analysis

Music, typography and lighting are some of the main elements when putting a scene together. Each one of them is used in order to create a specific feeling on the audience ,also contributing to the storyline on giving each genre its own characteristics.
I am about to analyse these elements in three different thriller opening scenes below.

                                                                  SE7EN
Music & Sound: The SE7EN opening scene starts with non diegetic loud sound straight away in order to make the audience feel uncomfortable and warn them about the mystery in the movie from the very beginning. The non-diegetic crash that is incorporated into the soundtrack creates an unnerving atmosphere. It sounds like there is diegetic sound of the character's actions mixed with the non-diegetic music that goes along the entire opening scene and that creates some kind of confusion within the viewer. There is non diegetic sound of muffled screams in the background which could suggest another possible character ,not seeing the character adds to the mystery of the sequence. The sound effects used continue through a number of shots which suggests they are all somehow linked. The music during this scene is jumpy just like the transition between shots which adds to the effect on the viewer's feeling of confusion and unawareness of what is going to happen next. However there is non diegetic upbeat music in the background that also predicts an interesting film rather than just creating the feeling of suspense and fear.

Typography: The typography has a great impact on how the viewer perceives the film from the start. In this scene the tittles are unclear and blurry almost difficult to read increasing the theme of mystery for the viewer. The very first actor's name that we see is Brad Pitt which is used on purpose as he is one of the Hollywood most famous and with most influence actor. The movie tittle is small and blurred which makes the viewer work to be able to see it and then immediately jumps out to another cut which creates a sense of disorientation. We would expect the film to emphasise the major Hollywood actors, yet the fonts are small which goes against of what we expect and that further confuses the viewer. Overall the tittles changing size ,moving around the screen and coming in and out of focus puts the audience on the edge.

Lighting: The blurred background immediately introduces the theme of mystery and drags the audience straight away to a mysterious storyline. There is low lighting throughout the entire scene which conveys mystery and fear that fits in with the conventions of the genre. The only colours used up to some point are black and white which interprets a dark mysterious storyline then is jumps to a red shot. The connotation of the colour red would suggest anger, blood and death to the viewer. We can also see many shadows throughout the scene ,which predict danger and interprets to the audience is concealing themselves. The little lighting in all of the shots indicates the action is either taking place at night or in a dark room.



   
                                                                   MISERY
Music & Sound: The scene starts with Non Diegetic sound of a type writer before the scene is in the view which hints the presence of a typewriter on the following scene. The sound eventually turns into diegetic sound , immediately after the scene starts showing a man typing on his typewriter. Throughout most of the scene there is only diegetic sound of the typewriter emphasising the importance of what the man is writing making the audience focus on the scene.Then it goes to non diegetic sound of slow paced music but with a little bit of a strange tone which creates a feeling of confusion within the audience. The sound becomes more distinct when we see the front 'untitled' page , suggesting this piece of work is vital. Then there's diegetic sound when the character pops open the bottle of champagne suggesting celebration for the finished work and the fat that he is celebrating by himself which could suggest that he is a lonely middle aged man.

Typography: The use of typography is not used as much in this opening suggesting a smaller impact of it within the audience. It starts with the name and logos of three production companies ,Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Columbia Pictures and Castle Rock suggesting that they worked together in releasing the film through convergence and synergy. The director is the first individual to be mentioned in the credits showing that this film is being sold more on his name than the actors. The colour of the font is red which is very typical in thriller films, because red is meant to predict danger.

Lighting:

Mood board of the opening scene

Opening scene idea

Presentation1 from rediola leti

Thriller opening analysis

"Borgman" opening scene analysis.

"Borgman" is a Dutch surreal thriller film about domesticity crumbling into violence and even insanity.

The opening scene starts with the quote "And they descended upon the earth to strengthen their ranks", which according to the director was taken from the bible. That's the very first thing that makes you question if the movie is going to have religious elements. Then it cuts immediately to a loud barking dog in a cage. The dog looks like those big hunting dogs that the police uses to chase traces and the barking predicts danger. Also the weather seems to be chilly and the faded colours used from the beginning, like the grey sky, tell a lot about the rest of the movie. The next thing we see is a man getting ready in the morning, which sounds like a normal thing, but the camera angles, the house's old furniture and the medium to low lighting creates that awkwardness within the viewer. The producers have used the sepia effect which is typical when making a thriller. The director employs Barthes' Hermeneutic code by showing us a gun resting on the table, creating an enigma on what the gun will be used for and is the man going to be one the film's antagonists.
Then he goes outside and takes the dog out of the cage, we can see there is only one old small house in a massive field in the middle of a faded fog, again used to create a thriller's atmosphere.
The next thing we see is a priest and this is another clue about the film's religious elements.
Afterwards the camera cuts to a shot of the first man and another man making iron weapons, and one of the characters only nods in sign of a cold greeting. The sound is also one of the things that creates tension as they do everything in silence, the only sounds we can hear are small digetic sounds but no talking at all.
Then the camera cuts to the priest holding a shotgun which is quite unusual makes me believe he is going after something evil and also knowing that priests usually deal with supernatural powers in films makes you question about supernatural elements within the film.
Then the three man get together apparently chasing something evil that lives underground in a wooded area with spears.
In this underground basement, which looks like no place men would normally live in, lives a man which in the first view looks like a homeless harmless man, but the whole situation tells he is no ordinary character in the movie. As the three man find his secret place looks like the man hiding underground manages to escape using dust ,which is one of the settings of this opening scene.

Here's the opening scene ending and the producers managed to already leave the viewer intrigued and interested in watching the rest of the film.

The Barthes' Codes

-The hermeneutic code (HER) is the enigma in a film. It refers to any element that is not revealed or explained ,this way raising questions to the audience that demand explication. Most producers use the HER code in order to keep the viewer interested by building up that suspense and curiosity and also increase the effect of the final revelation of the digetic truths. An example of the usage of the hermeneutic code is the TV series "Pretty Little Liars" ,where the antagonist, self-named as A, is always wearing a "hoddie" and his/her face is never revealed. Therefore the enigma would be "Who is A?"

-The Proairetic code (PRO)  applies to any action that implies a further narrative action. It is also very important in bulding the suspense within the viewer. Suspense isn this case is created by an action rather than by a viewer's wish to have mysteries explained. For example, a character draws his gun on an adversary and we wonder what the resolution of this action will be.

-These to codes tend to keep the viewer interested and make them watch a film from beginning to end. The two codes work together to create the effect that none of them alone would be able to, without the other.

Thriller examples

Here are three thriller films that shouldn't be missed:

Thriller Subgenres

The thriller subgenres are:

Action thriller: In this subgenre there's a mix between action and thriller where the protagonist goes through obstacles and dangerous situations which he/she usually conquers by action setting. Example: Taken.

Conspiracy thriller: In this subgenre the protagonist must confront a large, powerful organization whose threat only he/she sees. Example: Snake eyes.

Crime thriller: This subgenre is a mix of crime and thriller and offers the suspense of a successful or failed crime, and it also focuses on the criminal rather than the policeman. Main topics of this subgenre would be: robberies, murderers and double-crosses. Example: Sev7n.

Horror thriller: In this subgenre there is a mix of thriller and horror genre: focusing on suspense, adrenaline and tension, while having an emphasis of fear and terror. Example: Final Destination.

Legal thriller: This subgenre usually takes place in a courtroom and the main characters are lawyers and their employees. Example: Innocent.

Political thriller: In this subgenre the main character (the hero/heroine) must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. Example: The interpreter.

Psychological thriller: In this subgenre the conflict is more mental rather than physical. The protagonist has been involved in a situation which threatens their own sanity. Characters have to overcome their enemies, - which are usually in their head, - using their mental resources.

Supernatural thriller: In this subgenre there are introduced supernatural elements mixed with tension and plot twists. The antagonist has usually some physic ability and superpowers. Example: Fallen.

Spy thriller: In which the protagonist is usually an agent who must take violent actions against agents of a rival government. This subgenre usually deals with the subject of fictional espionage in a a realistic way. Example: The tourist.