Genre Research: Ocean’s 8

     Oceans 8 is a thriller movie that is not scary. It has a lot of suspense because it is a heist movie. It is very intense and keeps viewers on the edge of their seat awaiting the upcoming scenes. Camera angles used often in this film are eye level, high angle, and occasionally low angle. Common camera movements used in this film include tracking shots and tilt shots. Camera shots that were very usual in this film were 2 shots, the range of closeups, 3 shots, wide shots, and establishing shots.
      The costumes in this go along with the events they are attending. For example, if they are out at a nice dinner, the women wear nice and classy dresses. The setting varies a lot in this movie so the costumes also vary. The lighting changes with scenery and can range from using natural light to artificial lighting to create the needed ambiance. The audience for this movie would be anyone who likes to see heist movies, especially when they are led by women. The makeup in this movie is nothing excessive because there are no inhuman characters to portray. There are many props in this movie and the most important ones would be the weapons. Without them the the heist would be a little ridiculous. The editing in this movie contributed to the suspense and made certain scenes seemless. The sounds in this movie also contributed to the mood being created. Music would play in the background and fighting scenes also had emphasized sounds. I really liked how unique the first scene of this movie is. The woman is stealing and the editing makes it seem so easy.

Genre Research: Get out

      The last movie I researched was Get Out. This film is on the borderline between thriller and horror. Some common camera angles used in this film specifically are low angles, high angles, and eye level angles. The angles are very useful in conveying the meanings of the characters action. Common camera movement used in this film include tracking shots, when the characters are traveling in a car; 2-shots, of the couple; and establishing shots, which are in most movies. Shots that were used very often in this film included the range of close-ups, especially extreme close-ups which provided emphasis on the character in the moment and what was happening in that moment.
      The mis-en-scene of this film, along with most films, help convey the story in more detail and with greater clarity. Costumes for the characters in this movie were casual in the beginning and for anyone not at the lake house. The woman’s family were dressed in more formal clothes, which included servants of the house. Women were in dresses and men in suits. The lighting utilized throughout this film was most natural light, or bright fluorescent lights. The makeup in this film was also kept neutral and to a minimum. There were no crazy inhuman characters that needed to be portrayed with excessive makeup. Props used in this film included cell phones, dining wear, vehicles, and many other small yet important things. The setting of this film was at a lake house in the suburbs.
      The sound in this movie was very unique. At one point in the movie, the main character is being hypnotized with the use of a spoon stirring in a ceramic tea cup and the noise of the spoon touching the the ceramic. Digetic and non-digetic sound we’re each very important to this movie. The editing in the movie were mostly jump cuts. No split screens or anything that would take away from the simplicity of the movie. It had many elements that were consistent with other thriller movies. The darkness is used to scare the audience and create suspense. The thing I liked most about this movie was the unique plot and how the plot was portrayed. Overall, it was a great movie and it represented exactly what a typical thriller film is.

Genre Research: Date night

The next movie I research that was apart of the thriller genre was Date Night. Date Night takes a whole new aspect on the thriller genre. This film is more comedic than most thrillers however, it is a good representation of the variety of movies that can be included under the thriller genre. Common camera angles used in this film include low angles, high angles, and eye level. The camera angles help the audience view a character from different view points depending on what the director feels is necessary to best convey the vision for each shot. Common camera movements included tracking shots and over the shoulder shots. These are used throughout the film when the camera is following where the characters are going or when they are speaking to each other. Medium close up, close up, and wide shots are a few examples of the types of shots used in this film.
      The characters in this film are out on a date when things start to go terribly wrong and sporadic. Because they were meant to be on a date, the two leading characters are wearing formal clothes. The female lead is wearing a cocktail dress and heels while the male lead is in a suit. The lighting in this film is not harsh, it is night time for a majority of the movie so it was vital that in each of the scenes where it was dark outside, the main characters were still visible. This movie targeted teenagers and adults because it included kids and a married couple who wanted a nice date night, however, they undergo a huge conflict that is less family oriented and more action packed. The make-up in this movie only extended to what a person would wear on a day-to-day basis. This movie used wine glasses, books, and computers as props. The movie takes place in Manhattan, New York, however, the setting was constantly changing throughout the film because the main characters were always having to escape or search for something all around their city. This movie includes cutaways and cross cutting. The way this film was edited is what makes it a comedic thriller, if scenes weren’t put together correctly, they may have not come across as funny to the audience or shocking to the audience. This movie uses diegetic sounds like music playing in the restaurant they’re at and dialogue between characters.
      This movie went against what most thriller movies do, which is take a comedic look effect. And yet, the movie still followed most of the conventions of a thriller. The movie had many heightening scenes and they appeared numerous times in the film. I liked this take on a thriller movie because it was different yet it kept me on my toes the whole time. There was not much of this film I didn’t like, I think it was a great demonstration of the variety of movies that can fit under a genre.

Genre Research: A simple favor

The first Thriller movie I researched for this project was called A Simple Favor. This movie is a roller coaster of events and takes the audience to many different points. The first thing I will be analyzing is the camera angles, shots, and movements. For camera angles I noticed that the angles went along with what the character was doing. An example of this would be in the beginning of the film one of the main characters is opening her trunk. The scene cuts to a low angle and shows the character along with the inside of the trunk. Some of the common camera shots included in the film were eye level, over the shoulder, and two shots. The over the shoulder and two shots were used numerous times throughout the movie between the two main female characters. Camera Movements used in this film were long shots, close ups, medium close ups, and establishing shot. Long shots were used to capture the characters entire body and the entity of the character. The medium and close up shots were used to show the characters together in a scene but bring more attention to what the character was saying. The establishing shot was used to show the audience where the story was taking place in each setting.
      The costumes used in this movie varied. Stephanie, a lead in the movie, wore bright colors and outfits that were more kid like while the character, Emily, wore suits and luxurious clothes. The costumes represent each character's persona and their outfits in this film definitely reflect on who their character is. It seemed as though the lighting used throughout this film was meant to look natural and like the sun was providing the light in the homes of the characters. This movie targeted an audience older than 18 because it is rated R. This movie would bring interest to people who like mysteries and thrillers. For the make-up used in this movie, there was nothing drastically noticeable other than lipstick and mascara. Props used in this movie include an umbrella, a gun, a painting, and a few other basic props like plates or a bottle of alcohol. The setting of this movie changed a few times, however, the main setting of the movie was Emily's home which was in the woods yet, very expensive and big. Mostly diegetic sound was used in this movie. The editing of this movie is what makes it a thriller. Editing can change the way the audience will perceive the film so it is important the editing stays on track with the thrilling events going on in this movie.

Genre Research: choosing our genre

For our movie we mutually decided to choose the genre thriller. We believe this is the best option for our movie. We ideally want to produce something that will keep our audience entertained and attentive, but at the same time we don't want our film to be too serious. When creating a thriller, it's much easier to leave the film on an open ending rather than a finished one. The thriller genre will help us accomplish that. The genre now helps us make sure our movie is not too serious. We will implement suspenseful parts into our movie so that the audience will feel like they are searching for more after the film is over. 

Genre Research: Thriller & Comedy

       For the Thriller Genre, the common camera movements are, Low angles which are used to display power in a character, high angles are used to show vulnerability, and eye level is used to show tension between two characters. The movements traditionally consist of, panning and zooming because this generates tension during the film. In thrillers close-up shots are mostly used to create more tension, while wide and long shots are avoided because it takes away from the tension of the movie. The common costumes in thriller films are extremely diverse, but many films choose to use deep, dark colors so it can set more of a mood. The lighting is usually darker in thriller films, so low-key lighting is used throughout. The audience for thriller films are usually 18+ because there is violence, blood, mental illnesses, etc. Makeup is usually a minimum but on certain characters like monsters or nuns etc. use a lot of make-up. Props are a big part in thrillers because they can help create more of an eerie mood. In thrillers settings remain the biggest part because, they help create the tension because they use places like forests, old houses, and very dark areas. The editing process in thrillers typically consists of these major edits; jump cuts, elliptical editing, graphic matches, and fast/slow paced editing. Using sound in thriller films help create and set the mood for the audience. sound really does change the way a film is perceived. For example, in a quiet place, the director decided to choose sounds that are mostly diegetic sounds for the purpose of making the film more thrilling.  The elements of thrillers that I like are, the feeling of uncertainty, suspense, and how it makes you always think what's going to happen next. The elements of thrillers that I do not like are the terror scenes, I usually do not like "pop-up scenes" which are parts of a film where an object goes into the frame very fast. 

  

     For the Comedy Genre, the common camera movements are push/in out clips, perspective shots, but also most camera movements are just the most primary ones. The most principal movements that are being used are zooms, tracking shots and tilts. Zooms help show emotion in actors faces, tracking shots (in comedies) are usually running or car scenes and tilts can sometimes show costumes/makeup. The most common costumes in comedies consist of bright, bold colors. For example, in the movie Zoolander, extremely bright and excessively bold colors are used to produce an emotion about the characters. Lighting in comedies helps move the plot along, so using high key lighting is the best option. The audience for comedies is very diverse; some comedies are meant for families, but most comedies are also 18+ due to language, substances and many more. Props are used in many comedies because a lot of directors will use a prob as something that helps move the storyline along. Editing comedies is tricky because you do not want to leave any humor out, multicam editing helps ensure that they get each scene correct. Sounds in comedies are usually non-diegetic sounds, or sounds added into the film so that the audience can thoroughly understand what’s going on. The elements of comedies that I enjoy are, how it makes me happy and the laughter that comes from watching them. The elements I do not enjoy in comedies are that sometimes the storyline is often slow, and most comedies are very similar, just with different actors. 

Genre Research: Drama

This project was to do a power point on a genre picked randomly. My group mates and I got the genre drama. We researched everything there is to learn about the genre. We had to research and identify the common lighting, sound, music, and costumes for films in this genre. Along with the items previously listed, we also had to research the camera angles and movements commonly used in Drama movies. Some examples of drama movies include Jaws and Titanic. This was the first project my class was assigned. I think this project was a good introduction to this class. I still use all of the materials I had to use in the power point so in the end, this project was very beneficial. This project also allowed my group mates and I to be creative.