Conventions Of A Thriller

Panic Room

Directed by David Fincher

Produced by Ceán Chaffin Judy Hofflund David Koepp Gavin Polone

Starring Jodie Foster Kristen Stewart

Distributed by Columbia Pictures Release date March 29, 2002 Running time 112 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $48 million Box office $196.4 million

Titles

• The titles are centrally framed they grab most of the attention on the screen.

• You are drawn into looking at the titles and these include the cast of the film also.

• The title is in capital letters this helps it to stand out.

• The font is unique and the shadow off the glass show that it is in 3d.

Establishing shots.

• The establishing shots happen as the titles are being displayed on the screen.

• These show that the film is set in New York.

• You can tell that the film is set there because of the iconic yellow taxis that are in the frame. Also times square can also be seen.

• Establishing shots give the audience a setting and get them familiar with the location of the film.

Two person shot

• The two person shot in this frame alerts us that these characters will be in the films a lot.

• They can have a conversation without the camera keep cutting.

Long shot

• The long shot of the characters walking towards man opening door.

• Makes us think what the man is doing and why is he there.

• The shot sets the scene for the viewer which in this case is a New York street.

Close up

• Close up makes the viewer involved in the action used to observe reactions and emotions.

• The main close up on the protagonist looks like she is worrying about something foreshadowing things to come.

Low angled long shot.

• Show the character of the young girl. The peering through the rails foreshadows what happens later on. When robbers watch her through railings.

• The girl is made to be big and this foreshadows that she is the hero at the end. The shot gives perspective on the size of the house also.

Mice en scene • The house is dimly lit could foreshadow that this will

be a dark place in the film. It is quite spooky no artificial light.

• Her facial expression looks like there is something wrong.

• The Samsung poster shows relevance to the time frame and makes it relevant to the period.

• Location of central park New York.

• The costume makes the characters very seem high class and can afford a house like this.

• The prop of the scooter shows the girls childlike feature and that we must remember she is only a child.

Sound

• The sound that is used is non-diegetic. In the opening it is like an opening soundtrack.

• There is a tense undertone of cords of a violin. It creates tension.

• There are diegetic noises of car horns and police sirens. These are the sound of modern day New York.

• The slow into tune hits a flat note when title appears draws you to the title as the music changes.

• Ticking clock noise starts shows that time is ticking. There is a suspense that this film will involve time or lack of it perhaps.

• The two characters involve in dialog in buying a new house.

• You can hear them walking and car horns again diegetic sounds.

• There is then a sound effect as the key opens the door.

Editing

• The inclusion of titles show the titles of the film. These are edited in.

• There's is a fade to black from the production company to the main film.

• Shows that the film is about to start.

• Continuity editing shows them walking and another shot of them reaching the destination. Its showing the impression of continuous filming.

• Match on action show when opening the door on the other side and we see them from both sides. It continues the flow of the scene as well.

• There is editing in this opening which keeps the film flowing. It adds to the suspense and because it is a thriller you wonder what is coming next.

What convections are present?

• The main good characters are discovered.

• You wonder what is going to happen next after they buy the house. The element of suspense.

• The real life situation. Could be a realistic possibility.

• There is the element of time with the ticking clock.

• The suspense which the music at the start creates.

• It is quite fast paced. Although not stereotypically thrilling but the setting of the story takes place quite quickly.

• You have to think what could happen or what might happen.

• The story is still quite mysterious we still don’t know much about the story.

How effective is the film opening?

• It is quite effective. You get an understanding of the point of the story. The opening titles work very well with the sound it helps to set the scene. The sound creates an atmosphere of what the film will be like much later on.

• However , there isn't an event in the opening to suggest that this will be a psychological thriller but there are scuttle hints that things could be wrong i.e. When there is a close up of the women looking like there could be something wrong, this part does make us feel on edge. The thriller opening gives a new dimension that there doesn’t always need to be a big event to happen at the start of the film to make it good and that tactical music can create as much suspense as any other thing.