Thriller title sequence/ fonts

Fight Club

 

In the opening title sequence of the thriller film Fight Club, the use of fonts convey that the actors and title sequence of the film are important and are almost forced to be looked at due to the bold, sans serif typeface. The typeface is static however, as the background of the title sequence is continuously moving,  the typeface has been directly placed in the center of the screen to reinforce the importance of the names; they’ve also composed the shots so that the typography does not clash with the dynamic fluidity of the background. The choice of a bright white colour for the typography stands out against the dark background which reassures that the text does not get lost in the chaotic background and helps guide the audience’s eyes to the text that wants to be viewed. The use of the white colour for the text contrasts with the background as well as the dark story of the film. The colour white is commonly used to suggest purity, innocence and goodness, which highly contrast with the storyline, which heavily focuses on violence and destruction.

 

The mood and atmosphere that is connoted by the title sequence suggests disorder and mayhem, it also forebodes that the film is going to be intense and unpredictable. This is due to the quick pace of the moving background and the quick fading of one text to the other. The choice of background intrigues the audience because it doesn’t become clear to what it is and what it relates to until the sequence is over, to where you see it’s a microscopic view of the cells and the nerves of the main character in the film. The predominantly dark, cold tones that are used in this title sequence reflect the films melancholic, dark story. 

 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The use of the serif font adds sophistication as well as being irratic, and almost unpredictable because there doesn’t seem to be any order to which letters are sans serif or serif. This may be used to foreshadow the plot of the film and to set the tone. This unpredictable, careless tone is also conveyed by the disjointed placing of the text, which is randomly positioned around the frame of the shot.

 

The choice of using a white coloured font is very effective as it contrasts against the bold, black moving background; therefore making the names read clearly and reinforcing their importance. The title of the film also has a lot of focus on it, even though the colour is no longer white but instead a grey toned which although does not contrast against the black background, the typography is in a bold, detailed 3D effect.  

 

In the opening title sequence, gothic and horror themes are explored suggested by the heavy use of black and dark tones. This is also conveyed by the choice of background, which shows quick flashes of discomforting, horror-esque images. This is used in order to grab the audience’s attention and to set the tone of the film.

Sound in Thrillers

Se7en 

 

In the box-opening scene of the thriller film Se7en there is the diegetic sound of the low rumble of the helicopter propellers and the sound of the flick knife blade, and then the cutting of the box. There’s also the use of ambient sound, such as birds tweeting in the background, which juxtaposes the dark story of the film. Then there’s also the diegetic dialogue of the characters. When the opening of the box happens, there’s a dramatic change of pitch and rhythm when the character played by Morgan Freeman realises the box contains something horrifically unexpected, the head of his accomplice’s pregnant wife. The background noise is non-diegetic, consisting of a single underlying high-pitched, eerie note. The foreground noise is a repetitive thudding chord, with an increasing tempo and volume.  

 

The use of this uncomfortable sound increases the suspense and tension for the audience, keeping them hooked on the events unfolding, and causes them to feel anxious. This foreshadows the climax, and is used to tell the audience how to feel, by building up to the overwhelming end of the film.  

The audience may respond to the soundscape with uncertainty, not knowing what is going to happen next due to the unpredictable sounds and cross cutting– i.e. cutting to the loud sound of the helicopter propellers, back to the dialogue, as well as the use of the low yet prominent thudding contrasting with the high pitched note in the background. The use of the sound conforms to the conventions of a thriller film, because it successfully builds up dramatic tension and uncertainty. The sinister sounds reflect the menacing serial killer and the dark events, which unfold.  

 

Throughout the scene, they’ve used some editing techniques, which are most prominently noticed with the use of cross cutting. There is a clear use of overlaying of sound with the contrasting deep thudding and high-pitched tone. However, it does not include sound bridging because of the jumping of sounds between each scene. Synchronous sounds are used, for example when the character played by Morgan Freeman is showed using the flick knife, there is the clear sound of this as well as when he opens the box. This is used to exaggerate this dramatic climax, and to have the audiences’’ full attention on what is happening in the scene.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1giVzxyoclE 

 

 

 

The Dark Knight Rises  

 

In the opening scene of The Dark Knight Rises, there’s the use of a subtle underscore to slowly build tension as the scene progresses and the diegetic sounds of dialogue between characters and the prominent sounds of weapons and equipment that are being used by the villains. The use of diegetic sound is to inform the audience of what is happening in the scene and to grab the audience’ attention from the start.  

 

The underscore jumps between a harsh prominent, foreboding note to a quick continuous thudding note and then to an occasional singe low note. This underscore becomes more and more erratic and the pace quickens along with the action that is happening in the scene. In certain parts of the scene where the dialogue is important, the underscore is decreasing in tempo and sound so the audience can clearly hear what is happening in the scene.  

 

The use of sound is synchronous, it mimics what is happening in the scene and there are specific moments when the tension is high, so the underscore has replicated the sound of an increasing heartbeat to create tension for the audience. It also prepares the audience for what is about to happen, when the underscore’s tone and pitch is noticeably increasing and then is quickly decreased, it tells the audience that something dramatic and unexpected is about to happen.  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yqvbv-SB4bg 

 

Reservoir Dogs  

 

The use of sound in a particular scene in Reservoir Dogs is very effectively used to create a reaction out of the audience. The scene starts off with a guy strapped to a chair and another guy who is about to proceed to torture him. The sound of the scene begins as synchronous with only diegetic sounds, like the use of dialogue, footsteps, heavy breathing from the victim and the sound of the villain playing around with various torturing weapons. This use of sound slowly starts to build up suspense and clearly shows to the audience what is about to happen.  

 

The scene then proceeds to take an unexpected turn in the use of sound; the torturer of the scene begins tuning the radio to a specific song known as ‘Stuck in the middle with you’ by Stealers Wheel. As the radio slowly begins to introduce the next track, it is used to build up the wait of the torturer, (this is known as synchronous sound), whilst the villain proceeds to joke around and intimidate the character with the use of his confident attitude. This use of sound is breaking conventions in thriller films by having a contrasting score in comparison to what is happening in the scene.  

 

The use of sound lulls the audience into a false sense of security by using an upbeat score whilst a horrific torturing scene is being carried out. This is an effective way to use sound, because it shows the power and control sound can have on an audience and the manipulation that can be used to change perspectives.  

 

The editing techniques of sound that are used are overlaying, such as when the victim is being tortured you can still hear the groaning and struggling of the character whilst the song is still clearly being played over the top.  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_04Y--Nj50 

 

The Shallows 

The first noticeable sound in this particular scene is the intensified sound of the waves, this use of diegetic sound makes the whole scene feel more intense and suspenseful because it makes the waves seem menacing, unpredictable and threatening to the characters in the scene. There’s also a very subtle underscore that is used underneath the dominating wave sounds, which is a very low quiet note, which just adds to the tension and creates the horror aspect of the film. This note is also increase in tempo as the scene progresses. These non-diegetic sounds are also combined with the diegetic sound of the dialogue. Because the main character in this particular scene is in a complete panic, the dialogue is very loud and has been edited in several places to slow down the pace of the speech, to add to the importance of what she is desperately trying to communicate.  

 

When the audience and the character are unsure of what is happening the sounds abruptly change, the sounds of the waves are no longer heard and the dialogue is cut short. Then there is a sharp, eerie note and then the sound cuts back to just the sound of subtle waves, creating a false sense of security for the characters that are in danger. However, a sharp squawk of a seagull is used to signal that danger is approaching. Then when there are only quiet, subtle sounds, the huge crashing of the shark breaking the surface of the water and the grabbing of the character and his screams create sudden, loud sounds in order to frighten the audience.  

 

 

The sound used conforms to the conventions by having loud, foreboding, erratic sounds when the characters are in panic and by having almost no sound just before a dramatic event is about to happen in order to frighten the audience unexpectedly. The tone created by the sound also coincides with what is being viewed, therefore the use of synchronous sound is evidently used.  

Camerwork in the Babadook

Motifs

The use of the spinning top is an important symbol that is carried throughout the film of Inception. It holds the significance to whether the characters in the film are in reality or a dream. This is known as a motive in a film because it carries a symbolic reference and is repeated throughout.

 

The reason for using the spinning top as the motif connotes the idea that life is being compared to a game. This is because the object is commonly known as being used by children for a game, as a form of entertainment especially in the Victorian time period, where entertainment was limited for children. So this suggests that by choosing a spinning top as the object for the motif, it creates a sense of surrealism and throughout the film the characters use the spinning top  to differentiate between when they are in a dream or reality.

 

 The final scene of Inception shows the main character ‘Cobb’ returning home to see his kids, in the film he has a very distant relationship with his children. When he finally is embraced by the hugs of his children, there is a sense of false reality and the idea of it being too good too be true for the character. This suggests to the audience that he is likely to be dreaming. The only way this concept can be tested is by the use of the spinning top. Therefore, the film chooses the mise-en-scene carefully by cleverly placing the object of the motif in the final scene, however just as it looks as if the spinning top is about to topple over, the shot cuts to a black screen and the film ends. This controversial end to the film, is debated and has a lot of different answers and opinions to whether the spinning top fell or continued to spin and questions to what this means. This is where you can see the significance of a motif in a film. It’s about making a statement, and the clever statement that is suggested by the motif really brings the film together and leaves the audience wanting more answers, which I believe shows the true quality and intelligence of a film.

 

 

 

 

The whole of idea of the ending is to debate the philosophical idea that argues that you cannot know if anything is real. And expresses the idea that all senses of reality are important, due to the reaction of the audience which shows the determination of wanting to know the answer – even though the film itself is a sort of virtual-reality. This therefore shows the importance of all reality.  And does it even matter whether it is reality or not and the most important question of what reality even is?

 

To conclude, from this research of the use of motifs in films, it shows motifs have a purpose to elicit a response from the audience. Whether this is to inspire philosophical questions about reality like in Inception or another psychological thriller like Donnie Darko, or if the motifs purpose is to frighten or spook the audience like the use of motifs in the horror thriller, The Sixth Sense. The way the film approaches the use of the motif can always evoke a response in the audience, which I believe is the most important use of the motif in any film.