Analysis of music in thriller films

James Bond

The music used in James Bond is very unique as it has very high pitched sounds which notify you that you are listening to that soundtrack. The theme is very dynamic as the music is piano ( quiet) at the beginning but begins to crescendo and forte ( loud) so when you get to the end of the theme song it is loud and recognizable for you to notice.


The Hunger Games

The music used in The Hunger Games is very high pitched as it resembles as whistle and at the beginning of the soundtrack it is very quiet as it is recreating an effect before it crescendo's and gets louder to create an impact for the rest of the film. The whistle is significant because when it comes on you instantly know that you are watching The Hunger Games or are listening to The Hunger Games soundtrack.

Barthes Codes

Bathes Codes are using movies to create effect. There are many different codes as the Hermeneutic code which is when the story avoids telling the truth or revealing the facts so that it can drop clues throughout the film to cause mystery. Another code is the Proairetic Code which is when tension is built up and the audience is left wondering what is going to happen next. 

Proairetic code is used in Minority Report when the main character has had an eye transplant and the spiders go to check if he is the thief, we start to wonder whether the eye transplant has worked so they will recognize him or they won't. The Hermeneutic code is used in Minority Report by throughout the opening sequence you don't really have an understanding of what is really happening throughout the film so you are intrigued to watch more as there is a sense of mystery. 

The Proairetic code is used in Inglorious Basterds when you see the black motorbikes driving up the road to the house and you wonder what they are coming towards the house for, you also see the Proairetic code when the Jewish girl runs away form the Nazi's and you wonder what is going to happen to the girl. The Hermeneutic code is used when you see what is going to happen throughout the film as they create mystery by speaking about the Jews and what they expect to happen.     

In our thriller opening  we will be using Hermeneutic code and the Proairetic code to convey a sense of mystery. This means that our thriller opening will not give away too much of the story-line, also having scenes which include dark lighting and clues shows the audience that something important is going to happen, without giving too much of the story-line away. We also use the Proairetic code to build tension up and create an atmosphere which is substantial to our thriller opening, so the audience is constantly left guessing what is going to happen.

Connotations of Dexter

Dexter is a TV show that is based on the life of a killer. These nine still images show his daily routine and how it relates to what he does in his everyday life. The sharpness of these images stand out to you as an viewer as they are so visually aided that you are captivated to carry on watching. The use red is used to show the violence and the passion that main character carries as it shows that you can never really underestimate people. 

The string is significant as it shows that he is very precise in daily routine for the morning and also relates to the way that he could possible kill his victims, that nothing goes wrong and that everything is in order. 

His face is very well structured which shows that he has no remorse for what he does and believes that it is acceptable as he does it as a hobby. The serious looks in his eyes make you distrust him and feel unsafe however the other image contradicts this as he smiles a cheeky grin that makes you rethink his personality and how he is. You believe that you can trust him but yet you do not really know the real him. 

The title frame with the name of the show Dexter shows you that the show is very violent orientated as the red signifies the nature of the show and the violence that will occur. However it can also show the passion of something as well so it is very well appreciated and important. 

Analysis of the Blue Valentine Title Sequence

Blue Valentine is portrayed through these nine still frames of this title sequence as a love that was so strong that nothing could destroy it. Fireworks are exploding over the pictures which show the celebration of their love and how strong it is. How there is also conflict as we have an image of a  hooded person who we would suspect is a threat to their love or complicates their story. However this image is contradicted by the image of a little girl which could relate to the future where they have a child or to her youth that shows that her innocence is lost but is still valued by her love.    

The bright illusion of an firework along with the image of the people kissing shows that their love is passionate and valued as they are a force that is unstoppable with no limitations in their way.

This images contrasts as it is a picture of her at an happy period in her life and is overlapped with fireworks which suggest that she is in a happy period of her life  as she is shown dancing with her boyfriend or husband but it is such an captivating image that it shows an softer side to film.

The use of the word Blue Valentine which is a pale blue and blends into the fireworks so that although it is made to stand out, it always allows the two people underneath to stand out as they are the main characters and are shown in such an affectionate way that you are captivated to know what is happening.



Analysis of Se7en

In Se7en , the title sequence contains several features which are in the form of lighting, editing, camera angles and sound which make this such a amazing thriller opening. The lighting which is used within the opening is very low key, as it creates an mysterious atmosphere to the gain the audiences interest and also to wonder what the character is doing. Majority of the shots are in black and white this suggests that what the main protagonist is doing is unethical or is going against society norms, therefore portraying him as abnormal.The cards that also appear are white and are on a large blackboard, showing that there is a lot of dark scenes that show a certain side to the character and what we appear to know about him. The title cards are also blurry and glitch a lot which shows that maybe this person is not mentally well, as there is also shots of scattered writing.
 


The camera angles that are being used within the title sequence are close ups and extreme close ups which show the character he is, and also expressing what character he might be. The constant use of close ups show what mind frame that the main protagonist is in and also the idea that something is being avoided , which also suggests an alternative motive. This might be because the director might not want us know what is happening in his mind, as well as making it more mysterious and adding more suspense, so we are curious to know more. The camera angles are there to hide the character and allow the audience to feel intrigued and fascinated by this character that they can not see, therefore making him seem as through he might be guilty for something. This intensifies the mysterious nature of the film due to the fact that the character is also developing photos and using x-rays which implies that he is searching or hiding something.This correlates to the idea
of the character removing his fingerprints from the evidence which also leads to the idea that he is hiding something.


The music that is used throughout the Se7en title sequence is very important for them. This is because it is a very high pitched sound which consists throughout most of the sequence as it makes the audience panic and fear for what is going to happen in the  film. The diegetic sound which can also be heard is the screaming which makes the audience feel uncomfortable and also suggests the idea that there is something sinister going on.The music is very distinctive from the beginning as crescendos so that it creates suspense for the audience.

Conventions of a Thriller

Low Key Lighting

Low key lighting is essential in a thriller as it creates suspense and makes the audience wait in anticipation. 

Another factor is:

Shadows

Shadows are used to create an eerie effect that there is someone there when in actually fact there could not be but it makes the audience anxious to know what it is. 

Suspense 

Suspense is used in thrillers to make the audience unsure of what is going to happen during the movie or a certain point in the movie whether it is the beginning, middle or end. 

Enigma

Enigma is used in thriller films to let the audience think of questions that need to be answered within the film.