Conventions of:
- Invoke the deepest fears of the viewer
- Cause fright and panic. Usually explored through 'Fear of the unknown' and 'Good vs Evil'. Generally, of course, the 'Good' always prevails to overpower the 'Evil' in the end however films within which 'Evil' overpowers the 'Good' are often regarded as having the more powerful emotive effect upon the viewer as it isn't expected and can be unsettling (The Blair Witch Project, Drag Me To Hell).
- Instil a lasting fear within the viewer that will make them remember the film
- Often include a shock / finale with a twist
- Music alone is often the main component for creating and invoking emotions within the viewer
- Dress - Characters within the narrative are casually dressed which is more fitting to their age as, more often than not, they fit within the ages of 18 - 25.
Conventions of:
- Editing plays a substantial part: Quick cuts and angle changes to keep the viewer 'on their toes' and alert so to 'thrill' them. Jump cuts can be used before a certain action is performed (e.g a murder) this is so that the viewer has envision this in their mind which is often more effective than actually portraying it on the screen as their is no real limit on what the viewer can imagine as they are not limited by censorship and the like and take pointers semiotically through the mise-en-scene, whether consciously or not, to construct an image far more powerful than what could have been shown within the narrative.
- Non-diagetic sound. When used correctly (The right moment, the right kind of sounds, not overused etc.) this can direct the viewer into feeling and thinking exactly what the film maker wants them to and therefore sets them up for the consequent action or event in the scene or following scenes.
- A fight of 'Justice Vs. Injustice'. This theme is more obvious and evident in a thriller such as 'Seven' where law enforcers are attempting to catch a murderer.
- An innocent defenceless female who is often threatened / kidnapped by the predominantly male antagonist and subsequently rescued / protected by the lead male protagonist. Said female usually also serves as a form of 'weakness' for the lead male protagonist. However, a thriller film which completely shatters this convention is Kill Bill I wherein the lead protagonist and a majority of the other prominent characters are all strong alpha females with the males being portrayed as defenceless.
- Dress - Characters within the narrative are often smartly dressed with the men in suits or at least shirts. This also is reflective of their age and character - At least late twenties and rapidly ascending the 'career ladder' in their chosen field (Young Detectives etc)
Genre - Found Footage
Conventions of:
- Much faster pace than found in any other film.
- The narrative takes place in 'real time' rather than being set over many days, weeks, months or even years.
- Confusion is created through the use of jump cuts / fast camera movements / 'shaky camera' etc
- One character behind the camera for the duration of the film, as they are controlling what the viewers sees, and only hearing their voice.
- No clear dénouement. The film may just abruptly end with no conclusion or 'happy ending' that is most common in all other genres.
- Suspension of disbelief. This genre can, and does, push the boundaries of suspension of disbelief much harder than other genres as there is always a strong sense of realism consistent throughout in the form of the character controlled footage that will make events seem to be more of a reality.
Conventions of:
- As they are obviously much shorter than feature films the narrative is more condensed and therefore only what is imminently significant and integral to the narrative and protagonist is included.
- Often only one main protagonist and they are almost always in every shot / scene.
- Sound. Sound is used much more heavily in short films than in feature films as it enables the viewer to establish the type of person a character is and how they should feel about events far quicker than dialogue can. The majority of short films I analysed used dialogue sporadically if at all and relied on sound alone to create meaning.
- Budget or lack of. Short films tend to have a minuscule budget which is reflected in the final product. There are no climatic explosions or tense car chases to thrill the viewer much like in feature films, however this acts as a positive as these events are not commonplace in everyday life and thus gives short films a far stronger sense of realism.
- The film is hardly ever left 'open ended' there is little room for interpretation of the ending. All events reach a quick climax and are resolved in a short time.
No comments:
Post a Comment