Animal Kingdom: initial notes

Animal Kingdom is a crime thriller, directed by David Michôd. It is the story of an Australian crime family, and seventeen year old J attempting to survive amongst them.


There were a few moments in the film which I thought were key in establishing this film as a thriller

For example, at the beginning where J's mother has died from a drug overdose, he sits next to her and watches the television. This connotes that this sort of thing is very normal to his every day life, and is not unusual. Drug addicts are generic characters of thriller films, and later on in the film J's uncles take drugs too.

Also, the shot where Poe is carrying J's girlfriend across the driveway is particularly poignant and critical in establishing the film as a thriller. This shot is in slow motion, which adds to the suspense, and there is non-ambient lighting shining through trees, creating patches of shadow which he walks through. This creates sinister shadows over his face.

I particularly liked the shot of J flicking peanuts at the wall near the beginning of the film. I felt this clearly displays his childlike aspects, and connotes that he is vulnerable and isolated. Also, the fact that the director used a close up just showing the hand flicking a peanut was particularly memorable for me, and close up shots such as this build tension so are generic in thriller films.

Essex Boys: opening scene analysis

Within the opening sequence of 'Essex Boys', there are many aspects which establish it as a thriller film.

Firstly, the credits establish the mood of the film, with the black and white colour scheme suggesting a dark mise-en-scene. This could also suggest a tribute to old classics. The soundtrack over the credits is quite mysterious and sinister, with slight sounds of what seems like scratching of metal, reflecting the scratch marks on the screen which look like scratches on a car.

The lighting in the first shot of 'Essex Boys' is non-ambient. It forms a triangular shape; this is called chiaroscuro lighting and is a generic convention of thriller films as it creates shadows. The location is a dimly lit garage - this is also generic of thriller films as it is a claustrophobic space and there are many objects that form sinister looking shadows.

In the same shot, a character opens a garage door, walks in and turns on a brighter non-ambient light. As he does this, the audience sees that it is a dusty, dirty and unglamorous setting. This is a generic signifier as it suggests that the location is isolated. It also foreshadows that the actions in the film will be morally 'dirty', and criminal.

The next shot is a close up shot of the character sat in the drivers seat of the car in the garage. Due to the fact the windows are dirty, there is no way of seeing out of the car, which creates an even more claustrophobic space. This also connotes that the character perhaps cannot see what the future is going to bring. The cobwebs on the steering wheel add to the dirty, unglamorous setting.

This shot is particularly effective at establishing the character of Jason Locke. As it is shot through a dirty window, it connotes that he is a dirty character. His costume suggests a lot about his character also; leather jackets are often associated with thugs, and the flamboyant shirt he is wearing connotes his confidence. Despite this, there is a light shining behind Jason, which suggests that the character in the car idolises him as a god-like figure, possibly due to the fact that "everyone's heard of Jason Locke", as is said in the voiceover.

The next shot shows many generic conventions of thriller films, as well as cultural signifiers. The weather acts as both of these, as grey skies and rain are both generic thriller conventions, as they create a seedy and miserable atmosphere, and England is particularly known for its overcast skies and rain. Also a cultural signifier is the Dartford crossings. The car in the shot is driving into the tunnel, which acts as a vanishing point - another generic convention.

This shot has been composed very well, as the lights from the roof of the tunnel reflect onto the car, creating a sort of bar effect. This looks almost like jail bars, which is where Jason has just come from, and foreshadows that this is where the characters are driving towards. Also, the characters expressions look very unresponsive, connoting that they have accepted that this is their fate.

Films I am considering for Case Studies

1. Donnie Darko (2001) - I am considering this film as a case study, as it is a film that I enjoyed, and I feel it definitely reflects the psychological thriller genre. I would find it interesting to look at this film in more detail and analyse what establishes it as a thriller film.

2. Black Swan (2010) - This is also a psychological thriller film, which I enjoyed. I would like to use this as a case study, as it won and was nominated for a lot of awards for film making and cinematography, as well as acting.

3.Law Abiding Citizen (2009) - I would like to use this film as a case study as it is a crime thriller. This means I could compare it to 'Witness', and look into the similarities and differences between films of that era and films that are more recent.

4. Animal Kingdom (2010) - As this film is an independent film, I think it would be a good case study, as I could then compare it to a more mainstream thriller film with a higher budget, and see what similarities and differences there are in the way they establish the thriller genre.

5.Dead Man's Shoes (2004) - Although I have not yet seen this film, I have seen the trailer and I thought it established the crime thriller genre excellently. I would have to view the whole film before deciding whether or not to carry out this case study.

6.Double Indemnity (1944) - I have not yet seen this film, yet I feel it could be beneficial to use a film noir thriller classic as a case study. It would be useful to examine the differences between thriller films of this era and modern ones. Also, I would like to look at the ways the film noir style is used in modern films.

Possible Thriller Locations

I thought that this building could be quite effective for a thriller film, as it is an abandoned barn, which is falling down. There are lots of places where there are holes in the walls, which I thought would be good as we could shoot through them, someone walking past them or someone looking through them. In the correct lighting and weather, this building would have a much eerier feel.

Near the abandoned barn, there was also a derelict house. I thought this could be another effective location for a thriller, as it looked quite dark and threatening, with smashed windows and graffiti connoting a setting for crime.

I also looked inside the house and found the entrance itself looked quite frightening, as the wood from the door frame was rotting, the paint was chipping and there was rubble on the floor.

I looked closer at the stairs, and found that the walls in the house were similar to the ones in the barn; there were holes in the walls which could be effective for shooting through.

I thought this street in Norwich at night looked quite frightening, and the lighting from the street lamps makes it look shadowy and threatening. The fact that there were hardly any people here also seemed quite eerie; there was just one person walking down the street. Also, there is a vanishing point, as there is a turn in the road.

'Witness': murder scene analysis

'Witness' is a crime thriller, directed by Peter Wier. I am going to analyse the murder scene to identify aspects which establish it as a thriller film. I will start my analysis from the shot where the boy goes towards the vanishing point, as I feel this is an important shot to the scene.

This shot shows the boy leaving his mother and passing through the vanishing point: the door to the bathroom. This point is important to the scene, as it displays the mother's naivety and it gives the impression that something will happen, as the boy is leaving the safety of his mother.

As the boy enters the bathroom, it cuts to a shot of the back of a man's head. This shows that the man is the victim as showing the back of him shows vulnerability; he cannot see who is behind him until he turns around.

The scene then cuts to a point of view shot of the boy, from the man/victim's perspective. This shows the little boy is not a threat, and the victim can relax. This creates a false sense of security for the victim and audience, as both believe there is no threat, yet the killers have not yet entered the scene.

The next shot clearly establishes the set; a dingy, dim lit bathroom. The lighting is non-ambient, which creates the dim, dingy feel. The mise-en-scene has a claustrophobic feel, which can be quite threatening.

The next shot is very effective, and is used through the scene a lot. It shows the face of the boy through a crack in the door. This connotes that the boy can see out of the cubicle, and yet it would be difficult to see him unless specifically looking for him.

Next, the scene cuts to a medium close-up shot of the victim washing his face in the sink, and a person walks past. As this is a medium close-up, you do not see the face of the person walking past. This creates a threatening character.

There is a medium close-up shot of the other killer next, who turns and nods at the first one. This clearly displays that he is in charge of the crime. As this character is a black man, this scene reinforces negative racial stereotypes, which could alienate several audiences.

Next, there is a long shot of the whole bathroom, showing all three characters. Both the killers are either side of the victim, showing they have surrounded him and reflecting the claustrophobic mise-en-scene. The first killer then walks towards the door, then quickly throws his jacket over the victim's head, shocking the audience.

The scene quickly cuts to a close up shot of the victim with a jacket covering his head, and the killers arm around his neck. This and the next few shots are cut very quickly, to show how fast the crime was committed, and to create a sense of panic.

The next shot is a quick but effective shot. It is a close up shot of a knife being flicked out. This is a really threatening shot, as it is the first time the audience is made aware that there is a serious weapon involved in the crime.

There is then an extreme close up shot of the young boy's eye through the crack in the cubicle door. This shows he is watching the crime being committed, reflecting the title of the film, 'Witness', connoting this is an important scene.

The murder scene is then shown through a point of view shot from the boy's perspective. This is done very effectively, as the sides of the door were also shown in the shot, making it seem a lot more realistic. This way of showing the crime definitely displays the witnessing of the murder, as it make the audience feel like they also are witnessing the crime.

'Kill Bill Volume 1': opening scene analysis

There are many key features in the opening scene of 'Kill Bill Volume 1' that establish it as a thriller film.

Firstly, there is a sound bridge, connoting suspense, panic and tension. This anticipates the action in the next sequence, immediately putting the audience on edge and making them wonder what is happening in the scene.

The first shot is a high angle shot of a woman, who has been beaten and is bleeding. She is breathing heavily, which shows she feels threatened and frightened. This shot makes the audience want to know what happened to the woman, why she was beaten and who or what it is that she is threatened by.

During this shot, footsteps are heard on floorboards, seeming to be getting closer. This heightens the anticipation of the scene as the audience is unaware of who the person is, but assumes that they are a threat. Also, the footsteps are quite rhythmical, almost mimicking an increasing heartbeat.

The second shot is a low angle tracking shot of someone's feet walking across floorboards. This connotes a threatening character, as we are not shown the characters face. In fact, in this film, Tarantino creates an enigma, as the audience is not shown Bill's face throughout the whole film. Tarantino also does this in several of his other films, such as not revealing the contents of the briefcase in Pulp Fiction.

The scene then cuts back to the same shot as the first, and the threatening character speaks, saying “Do you find me sadistic?”. This makes the audience immediately aware that this character is the villain.

He wipes blood from the woman's face with a handkerchief with the name 'Bill' on it, signifying the importance of the character and reinforcing that he is the villain of the film. This action also seems quite patronising and degrading, reflecting his words as he speaks of how what he did to her was masochistic rather than sadistic. This also shows how he feels no remorse for what he has done.

There is a surprise element at the end of the opening, as the woman tries to speak for the first time, there is a gun shot and blood is sprayed onto the floorboards behind her head. This shows how Bill has no respect for anyone else. The fact that she says “Bill, its your baby” before he shoots her shows that he can shoot anyone with no remorse, as it is implied that she is the mother of his child.

The whole opening sequence is in black and white. Tarantino has chosen to do this as a tribute to classic thriller films, and also as an indicator of the fact that this scene is a flashback.

Preliminary Task Evaluation

We did not carry out much planning for our filming task, however I feel we did enough to have a good understanding of our storyline and the shots we would use. We made a list of different shots and the effect they would have on our film. We then chose which we would use – the ones which would have the most or best effect. We also wrote a script so we knew the basic storyline.

The 180-degree rule means that the camera cannot cross over a certain point, so that the characters stay on the same side of each other. This is in order to not confuse the audience. We found that this rule was quite difficult to follow, and made several checks and adjustments to ensure we kept to it.

We began our film with a high angle panning shot to show the character as vulnerable and to establish the location. We then used an over-the-shoulder shot as the character walked into the building. This was to make the audience feel as though they were following the character through what she was doing. We used match on action throughout the beginning of our film, as this creates an impression of continuity. For our conversation, we used shot reverse shot, as this gives the impression that the characters are facing each other as they are shot facing in opposite directions. This is where the 180 degree rule was important, as if it was broken the scene would become confusing.

In editing, I learnt how to cut out scenes that were not needed, and how to ensure the film flowed correctly. What made this simple was the linear narrative, however we changed shots a lot, which meant it was quite difficult to match it all up to be continuous.

Preliminary Task Final Cut

Thriller Films I Have Viewed

Donnie Darko (2001)
Directed by Richard Kelly

This film contains:
-suspense
-ultra-heightened expectation
-uncertainty
-menace/danger
-dangerous situation from which escape seems impossible
-a high level of anticipation
-troubled characters
-dimly lit locations



















Black Swan (2010)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky

This film contains:
-intense excitement
-suspense
-a high level of anticipation
-ultra-heightened expectation
-uncertainty
-anxiety
-nerve-wracking tension
-menace/ danger
-a menacing situation
-innocent victim/ phsychotic individual
-people involved in twisted relationships
-greed/ envy/ jealousy
-dimly lit/ shadowy scenes





V for Vendetta (2006)
Directed by James McTeigue

This film contains:
-intense excitement
-suspense
-a high level of anticipation
-ultra-heightened expectation
-uncertainty
-anxiety
-nerve-wracking tension
-menace/ danger
-a menacing situation
-criminals
-characters with dark pasts
-political conspiracy
-dimly lit urban streets/ locations

Camera Angle Stills

Extreme Close up

Close up

Medium Close up

Long Shot

Establishing Shot

Tilt Shot

Low Angle Shot

High Angle Shot

Bird's Eye Shot

Winter's Bone - Trailer

Winter's Bone - IMDb User Review

Neo noir, with a twist of white trash.
1 February 2010 | by dwight ward (United States)

This shockingly diverse film offers numerous delights to the viewer. Beginning with simple title credits, and ending in a beautiful display of foliage. Winter's Bone will grab your attention and never let go.

Based on a novel of the same name, it's the story of a seventeen year old girl who is searching for her missing father. Sound like something you've seen before? Well it's not! The basic premise surrounds itself with remarkably new idea's and situation's. A feeling of noir envelopes the screen and each character and action leads you on a most enjoyable journey. The Actor's and more importantly Actress, are dug so deep into their characters that there isn't a single fake second.

Debra Granik does an amazing job in the director/screenwriter role. Her vision entangles the story together and propels it forward to the unforgettable climax. The world that is shown through this film is one i was unfamiliar with, but after seeing it all i can think about is the life those characters lead. And how different it is from my own.

A film that deserved the grand jury award at Sundance and one which I plan to see again. Winter's Bone is a film for everyone, be you young, old, or in the middle. Just walk into the cinema with an empty plate and you will leave filled.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Official Trailer

Student Questionnaire

My name is Georgia Irving. For my GCSE results, I achieved four A grades, five B grades and two C grades. My hobbies include playing guitar, writing, and designing and making clothes. I enjoy reading magazines, watching films and music videos and listening to music.

Occasionally, I will read articles in the weekend telegraph newspapers as these are purchased by my family. The types of article that would interest me would be headline news, music related items and rugby match reports. In the past, I have purchased the new 'I' newspaper. This appeals to me because it is low cost and concise. I do, however, prefer to use the internet to view news stories as you can be more personally selective about what you want to read.

The type of magazines I choose are fashion and music magazines. These interest me not only because fashion and music are important to me, like most young people, but also I take Textiles as an A level subject and play guitar.

I don't tend to listen to radio media for information, but do listen to Radio 1 and 6 Music for entertainment. My music taste is eclectic, including genres such as indie, folk rock, rap, ska, drum and bass and many others. My CD collection is a minestrone soup of music. I am not part of a band, however I am a self-taught singer/songwriter. I access music on the internet regularly via YouTube, and I have mixed views on the subject of illegal downloading. Whilst I feel the artist and production company should receive recognition and remuneration, as a student struggling with finances the accessibility of free music makes the level of temptation high.

Each music genre has a specific stereotype. Therefore, if you are a follower of a certain genre, you will aspire to replicate that particular 'look'. As I mentioned, I have a varied music taste and I feel my dress sense reflects that as I don't adhere to any specific genre image. In terms of my attitudes and aspirations, I feel the music industry doesn't influence them significantly because my influences come from elsewhere, nevertheless I do recognise and understand how big an influence it can have.

Although I don't play video games regularly, I do play them with friends. I wouldn't say I have a particular favourite game, as I enjoy the social aspect most. I feel the video game market is quite male orientated, and in many cases reinforces negative stereotypes of gender, aiming more domestic-based games towards a female audience. A large majority of video games are constructed on themes of war and violence, which could lead to people believing that conflicts are best solved in these ways.

My generation have grown up with new technologies and almost instant access to information about other countries, other cultures and world news. This means that I have a greater understanding of the wider world, however this also makes me aware of the fact that not everyone has that freedom of information. In terms of communication, technology has provided us with many more platforms to interact through. It has been made a lot easier to contact people worldwide, rather than being limited to our own local areas. The internet has made films, television programmes and music constantly attainable almost effortlessly and other new technologies, such as i-Pods, have made these portable.

My favourite television channel is E4, because it is aimed towards my age group so the programmes it plays appeal to me. In relation to genre, my preference would be comedy, due to its upbeat and optimistic nature. I consider Dr. Who to be a memorable television programme, as it is fast-paced and very well produced, and although it is the longest running science-fiction television show in the world, it has been reinvented for a new generation.

Psychological thrillers would be my preferred film genre. I like the way this genre induces adrenaline and tension, whilst also challenging the mind. Three films which I find outstanding are 'Four Lions', 'Black Swan' and 'Sunshine', because all three of these films surprised me and shocked me in a way that most films wouldn't. I would generally prefer to watch films at the cinema, as I feel this then makes the film become more of an experience, despite mainly consuming films from home via television or computer due to the fact that this is more easily accessed. My favourite cinema within Norwich is Vue Cinema, since it is in the city centre and the prices are reasonable. I prefer to watch films in a group, as I enjoy discussing films with others and sharing opinions on them.

I have contributed to the construction of a short film, helping with the filming of footage, and suggesting appropriate soundtracks to enhance the visuals. I am looking forward to developing these skills and acquiring new skills over the duration of my A level media course.

I have not been offended by any specific media text, however I do feel offended by the over-sexualisation of women in the music industry. An example of this is Christina Aguilera promoting her film 'Burlesque' by appearing on a family entertainment programme at 8pm wearing basque, stockings and suspenders, and performing an overtly sexual dance routine that could be viewed by relatively young children. I feel this could have a negative effect on the way society views women.

As I mentioned previously, the Chris Morris film, 'Four Lions', is a film that I find outstanding. The reason for this is that Morris took an innovative approach in tacking a difficult and controversial subject. The film is a laugh-out-loud comedy, not in a condescending way; it is just genuinely funny. This is what makes the final scene so shocking, as you have invested in the characters and come to like them, despite knowing that what they're doing is wrong. This film has also changed my views on the world by showing the human story behind people who we would instantly judge as malevolent

If I was asked to construct a media text on the condition of England, my community, popular culture or the state of the contemporary world, I would choose to make a documentary film showing young people in a positive light. I feel that the media generally displays young people as criminal, layabout or violent and I would wish to show that there are young people who are valuable to their communities and who generally have a positive attitude.

I have chosen media studies as an A level option because I recognise the power of the media in today's society. Even if I were not to pursue a directly media-related career, I believe that an understanding of the way the media works will be of benefit in any industry. In addition to this, during my GCSE studies, I found it an interesting, stimulating and challenging subject.