Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was given the title of England's best director and producer after pioneering many techniques in the psychological thriller genre. After directing more than fifty films, he was regarded as the most influential filmmaker of all time that shaped modern cinema. He had a distinctive and recognisable style of directing which gained him a renowned position in the film industry. He was known as the 'Master of Suspense' due to his ability to put the viewers on edge through his use of characterisation, symbolism, surprise endings and twists. He was also known for the movement of the camera that reflected a character's gaze as well as many other techniques of editing.

Hitchcock’s films usually focus on murder with a frequent use of deception and mistaken identities that enliven the plot. Many of his plots involve a mistakenly suspected or accused of crime innocent man who must then clear his name. A few of his films also involve psychopathic murderers whose identity is not revealed instantly such as in 'Psycho', 'Shadow of a Doubt' and 'Rope'.

In order to create tension, he would use a variety of different shots such as the character's point of view alternating with long shots showing the character. The use of shadows can also be seen in his films 'Suspicion' and 'Saboteur' which then became a convention of thrillers by providing the audience with unsettling suspense. The characterisation seen in his films tends to be strong and effective, often able to  make the audience empathise with both the protagonist as well as the antagonist in scenes where the antagonist is in danger of being caught.

Hitchcock became a credible director due to his innovative camera viewpoints,editing techniques and effectual soundtrack music. However, his greatest ability was to evoke human emotions that gave his psychological thrillers great impact while maintaining their believability.His directing style is conveyed by  'There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it' which is what he once stated. This illustrates how he believed the build up of tension in thrillers is more effective than the climax. This idea was then developed and can be noticed in the current thriller genre where the suspense build up is prolonged throughout the entire film, keeping the audience on edge.

Researching a renowned director of the thriller-making industry allowed me gain information regarding the content of  a successful thriller.By learning about the techniques used by Alfred Hitch-cock, I was then able to use this when making my own production. Not only was this inspiring but it was also helpful when writing the narrative as I was aware of what was required i.e. putting viewers on edge. Analysing a thriller created by Hitchcock such as 'Psycho' also provided me with ideas such as a hidden identity of the psycho which is conventional of the thriller genre as it generates suspense. 

Individual Storyboard

The individual story board consisted of personal ideas that were then combined with the ideas of the other group members in order to create the group storyboard. Creating this required an in-depth understanding of the narrative. Therefore every frame had to be discussed in detail. This was achieved out by an evaluation of every member's individual storyboard which enabled sharing of ideas. The individual storyboard shown below outlines the camera shot,location,lighting,actors,dialogue,sound and editing. As well as textual evidence of having planned each scene, images have been used to prevent misinterpretation of the ideas.

In order to combine ideas, the individual storyboards were rotated round giving all members a chance to develop an understanding of each other's narrative ideas. Then decisions were made regarding if any specific frames were effective, if frames should be combined or if it was necessary to come up with a completely new idea for that frame instead. This involved a critical analysis of all the frames as well as positive feedback that allowed a selection of frames to be moderated and then included in the group storyboard.

Opening scene narration

The beginning of the opening scene will be inter weaved with credits of the production company through the use of a laptop. The credits overlaying a blank black screen will reflect the screen of the laptop; almost being typed by the character. The shots will then alternate between credits and a mid shot of the character. The character being Grace Davies who plays the role of the victim will be seen and heard talking on the phone while typing on the keyboard. Her conversation however will be interrupted by a sudden noise from outside the bedroom. Associating the sound with her mum having forgotten something, she will call out to check. Without a response, Grace will reassure herself that the sound meant nothing. She will be proved wrong when the laptop screen turns off and the mobile phone disconnects simultaneously; cutting off all connection which is suggestive of the obessor's presence.

Affected by the events, a tracking shot will be used to follow the main character that will check for anyone’s presence before entering the bathroom. The next shot will be situated in the bathroom when Grace enters and the light is switched on. A medium close-up shot of Grace will then be shown as she splashes water over her face; her make-up running down her face. Shaken up, she will attempt to call her mum yet the number will not be recognised and so the call will fail.

The camera will then follow the main character as she rushes back back to the bedroom; focusing on her hand pushing the door open through the use of a close-up.The fast pace editing will be used to build up tension within the atmosphere. Grace will be seen walking back into the bedroom, her shadow on the wall. The outline of her will be positioned in the centre of the frame as a shadow of a hand reaches from behind and grabs her. This will cause her to drastically turn around and gasps, creating the illusion of the shadow being the antagonist. Although his presence will be suggested, his identity will remain unrevealed. This next shot will be of credits that display the name of the director followed by the title of the thriller film.

A soundtrack will be overlaying the actions seen in the opening of the thriller. This will be used to effectively build tension as well as to reflect the emotions felt by the victim. Non-diegetic sounds will also be used to exaggerate the sounds that may be inconspicuous. Diegetic sound effects will simply support the occurrences  in the scene. The sounds that will be used are outlined in detail on the post named 'planning of sound'.

'Prom night' opening scene M-E-S

Mise-en-scene refers to everything in the scene. It consists of five elements; settings and iconography, costume, hair and make up, facial expressions,body language,lighting and colour as well as the positioning of characters and objects within the frame. 

In the above sequence of prom night, a variety of mise-en-scene has been used. The scene is set in a ball room which gives the false impression of a calm environment in a location where danger is not expected. This is used to mislead the audience, preventing them from predicting the events. Although this may not be seen as a conventional location of the thriller genre, it is a real-life situation. Therefore it has an essence of realism; the theme being a common fear of many individuals. This is conventional as the audience is able to relate to the fear felt by the character.

Significant iconography has been used seen with examples such as the envelope that held the results stating who was going to be crowned prom king and queen.This shows how iconography has an emotional impact on the characters as everyone seemed anxious and desperate to find out the results which was prevented by the alarm going off.        

However a more significant element of iconography is the fire extinguisher which the antagonist breaks through the door with. The iconography is bright red which connotes danger that is also associated with the antagonist. The colour red is conventional to the thriller genre as it is sub-consciously associated with blood and potential death.

This connotation is also conveyed with a knife which is yet another example of effective iconography. The knife being held by the antagonist when threatening the victim instantly presents the man as a menacing character. It is sharp and instantly represents pain that the antagonist desires to inflict upon the victim. 

The costumes that are seen throughout the scene are formal suits and dresses which are not associated with the events of the scene;showing the spontaneous way in which the plot unfolds. The antagonist is revealed to be a middle aged man with a rough unshaven appearance. His black casual clothing has a connotation of danger with a baseball hat slightly covering his identity.The look in his eyes instantly illustrates his psychotic approach towards the victim. This contrasts against the blonde hair and nude colour of the victim's clothing that connote innocence and purity. The victim being a fragile and innocent female is a common convention seen in thriller films. Not only in the way the victim is portrayed but also how the thriller portrays the female gender. This convention also applies to the antagonist which also follows the generic conventions i.e. black clothing. 

The lighting used throughout most of the scene is low key as it creates dark shadows which convey a fearful atmosphere. It is also used for greater impact when the antagonist comes into the light from the darkness. Dark lightening is conventional to the thriller genre as it promotes suspense and mystery.It also hides the antagonist's identity and creates an enigma as to who it is. Flickering light is also a feature used to foretell the killer's presence, intensifying the scene. The darkness of scenes is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates a fear of the unknown. Shadowing is also conventional as it prevents the audience from being exposed to everything instantly. Instead, tension is built which allows significant recognition of certain elements. 

The positioning of the characters varies throughout the scene. However, one of the most prominent uses of positioning has been achieved in the hotel suite scene. In this scene, the victim is shown next to the closet where the mirror shows the antagonist behind her. The victim being central in the frame makes her the main focus. The antagonist's hand is seen coming out of the darkness which is conventional as his identity is not revealed instantly. His hand suggests his presence to the audience yet not to the on-screen character which creates tension when viewing the scene.

The facial expressions and body language give an insight into the emotions felt by the characters. When the security alarm goes off, the students seem unaware of the seriousness of the situation and do not act upon instruction instantly. This is shown by their slow movement and lack of action. A more suited reaction can be seen by the victim who is faced with a life-threatening situation. Shock and fear is presented when the victim attempts to escape from the killer.This is conventional of a thriller as it creates tension which is felt by the audience. It allows a connection to be built between the character and audience who are able to empathize with the character's predicament.

This research will assist me when creating my thriller as it has provided me with knowledge concerning all elements of the scene. It has enabled me to understand how mise-en-scene must be planned clearly as it has a great impact on the audience.

Risk assessment

It is  important to consider risks before filming due to basic health and safety rules which should be applied to all members of the group. By assessing each potential risk, the possibility of injury is minimised. This prevents having to stop filming temporarily as a result of someone getting hurt.

The risk assessment will outline the areas that are considered unsafe as well as minimizing the risk of of damaging the equipment.

Hazard	Hazard prevention
Background noise	The filming of the opening scene cannot be disturbed by unwanted sound and so no one apart from the members within the production will be present.
Low battery on camera	The camera will be fully charged before filming but a back-up lead will be available in case of low battery.
Lighting	The sequence must be set in the night so it must be dark yet visible.
Tripod	The tripod will be set evenly on the ground so it does not fall and no damage will be caused.
Household objects	Filming in a house means that all objects need to be moved out of the way so no one trips over while filming.
Loose cables	All cables must be moved out of the way so no one trips over them and equipment does not fall over.

Group Storyboard

After collaborating on the group narrative by interweaving ideas from all individual narratives, a group storyboard was created. Each frame has been illustrated by a basic sketch and its content has been detailed; focusing on location,iconography,camera angle and sound.Although this was fairly time consuming, the planning stage is vital as it organises each scene to make the filming of the opening sequence easier.

FIlming schedule

A filming schedule is a project plan of the shooting required for the production of the opening  sequence. It represents a timeline stating what events happen at what location and at what time. The resources are also stated; mostly involving basic filming equipment used along with a camera.The shot type and its content is also shown so it is clear when filming. This enables the shooting of the sequence to run smoothly as it has been previously organised. The filming schedule can be used alongside the storyboard whilst filming. The scenes have been broken down  into shorter and more manageable sections with all equipment and props outlined in advance. This prevents wasting time on going back to get forgotten items.Each shot is estimated to take fifteen minutes to film however contingency time can be used in case of the scenes taking longer to set up and film.

When filming, the filming schedule was strictly followed however an extra scene had to be added in between scene 12 and 13 to show the main character get from one location to the next. Due to the fast pace of the scene, it was decided that the character should walk rapidly; slowing down before getting to the bedroom door. It is also unknown whether the ending flashbacks will be used due to the two-minute limit of the opening sequence. This will be decided in editing where all scenes will be put together.