Arlington Road - Georgia Worsfold

Main character

• The boy seems ordinary apart from his injury, I think this because of the clothing he is wearing.
• He is in a lot of pain, it looks like he is in shock as he only starts screaming when the man finds out what is wrong with him. Realisation of the pain.
• It seems like the boy has something wrong with him because of all of the voices you hear, presumably from his head.
• Because of the voices in his head, you get the feeling that someone made him do it as the voices keep on saying ‘go on do it’ etc.
• As the viewer you could perceive this as the boy is vulnerable, weak, and gullible, also could be that he is desperate for people to notice him.

Camera work

• It starts off with an extremely blurry long shot, this could have been used to confuse the viewer straight away. Also as a shock tactic for when you see how ill the boy looks.
• There is a lot of extreme close ups of the boys eyes, mouth, nose and feet. This helps you understand the state the boy is in and also can help you figure out what has happened to him.
• At first you do not actually see what has happened to him, then you get a median close up of his arm, this also shocks you as you build up an image of what could have happened to him, before you see it.
• Some of the shots are off-set and wobbly this adds to the strange feeling you already have. It results in the boy looking even more unsteady.
• There is a point of view shot, which allows you to see what the world looks like to him in his particular situation. So this also allows you to understand the main character more.
• Because of how they shot this sequence you can tell that there is something wrong straight away.
• There is a shot of the man in the car, and then a shot of the boy again. This works really well to bring the two characters together. So it doesn’t just look like the man has came out of no where.
• When the man runs after the boy, there is a few shots of the boy from behind, this also works as a point of view shot of what the man can see. So you can then see why the man is getting worried when he calls out towards the boy, because you can see that the boy is in pain when walking.

Editing

• The main editing that is used is the blurriness of the shot. It keeps going blurry throughout. This confuses the audience and makes them want to see properly what is happening.
• It could have been used to show how bad the boys sight is, so it puts the audience in the boys shoes.
• The voice over is a significant part as it gives you more possibilities to what could have happened to the boy. If you just saw the boys arm with no voice over, then anything could have happened, but with it you get a better idea.
• At first the cuts are really slow, they dissolve into the next shot, this makes it easy to see what the speed of the boy is. After a while the shots start to get faster especially once the man runs out to him, this indicates the speed of the event, it also makes it look much more fast.

Sound

• The music is very ghostly and spooky sounding, this adds to the strange feeling from all of the camerawork etc.
• The music starts off very slowly and quietly this again shows the speed of the situation at that particular moment, but as it goes on the music starts to get louder and faster, this also starts to show more about the situation, that it is getting more threatening for the boy as it goes on for longer.
• When the man runs up to the boy the music gets much more faster and louder, this makes it more shocking for when you see the boys arm, as the music overwhelms you, with the image you see.

Mise en Scene

• The clothing throughout is nothing out of ordinary, it suits the characters. E.g. in hospital, they are wearing their uniform.
• There is quite a lot of blood, states to what extent the injury is.
• In one shot there is blood that drops onto his shoe and then in the next shot there is no blood on his shoe, this could either be a mistake, or it could have been used to confuse the audience even more. To make them ask questions and think more. Is this really happening, or imagination.
• The lighting is high key outside and also in the hospital, it isn’t the usual low key lighting that is used in thrillers. The high key lighting washes out any colour and drains the boys face, it makes everything pale. You don’t get distracted with anything in the background.

Georgia Worsfold - One hour photo

The main character – what sort of person?

• He comes across as a plain individual, I think this because of the clothes he is wearing and also his facial expressions. But this could just be because of the situation he is in.
• His facial expressions are very minimal, and do not seem to show much emotion. He comes across as quite sinister because of this. You don’t get any initial feelings of why he is in the station when you first see him.
• He also seems like a very calm person even when at the police station.
• I personally think that the main character is a confused individual. I think that there is a lot more about him that we do not know about.

The opening credits

• The opening credits are very effective. If you look into them more then they are telling you a lot about what the film is about.
• Firstly the music is slow, very classical thriller music. It builds up the tension even though it’s just in the credits, it gets slightly louder as the credits go on. Makes you think that’s something big is going to when nothing happens. It’s keeps you on edge, and makes you think more about what is happening in the next scene.
• There is a flash within each piece of writing, a camera flash, which goes nicely with what the film is about.
• After the flash the writing goes a red colour, with the music this makes you think about blood.
• After watching the whole clip the line ‘they’re not very pretty pictures’ comes up.
• Once thinking about the credits more it ties in with what I think the film is about. From what the police man said it makes you think that the photographs are of murders. So the credits in a way show the flash of the main character taking a photograph and then the end product (the writing goes red) of a photograph of a murder scene (blood).

Camera work

• The camera is in the middle of the shot, with a plain background. So you can only focus on the camera and not get distracted by anything else.
• The camera takes a photograph of the main character, and this is the first time you see him. This shot works really well as he is against a plain background for the photo. This allows you to take in what he looks like and not get distracted by things happening in the background.
• In the shot with the TV there was a pan and a slight tilt which lead you to the interrogation room. This was done really effectively as it made you feel that you were in the room watching over the person.
• There were various mid close ups, and close up shots of the main character, these were used for the audience to see his reaction and facial expressions to the questions he was being asked.
• Also there were a few shots of the police man which showed how he was feeling towards the main character when he was asking him the questions.

Sound

• The music is very intense and prolonging which makes you want to know what’s going to happen. As it goes on for so long you start to get used to it, so when the camera takes a photograph, it gives off a little jump effect, which startles you.
• When it’s building up to the flashback there are birds singing, laughing etc (happy sounds). You then want to know what happened to him, from his past seeming so happy and content to where he has ended up now, in the police station.
• The difference to the music in the credits and the flashback is the pitch, the music in the credits is very low and this is what makes it sinister. The music in the flashback is much higher pitched which automatically seems much more friendly than a lower pitch.
• There is no music or sounds playing apart from a grainy noise when the main character and the policeman are talking. This makes it much easier to concentrate on what they are saying to one another. If there was music playing, even quietly it could distract you, then you could miss important information.

The setting and lighting

• Limited colours, they are very cold and not warm like the flashback is. Because of this, it makes it very easy to tell the difference between the present and past
• The police station is very straight forward and official, also clean. They have shown this by having offices etc without people in, so you get a clear sight of what the environment is like.
• Also the lighting has helped with this, there was high key lighting in the interrogation room, this makes the room look much more larger and cleaner, as the light acts like mirrors, as if it is reflecting the rooms walls.
• There was low key lighting in the office which leads to the interrogation room. As the interrogation room is high key, it made it stand out more. So then you can easily follow the camera.

Mise en Scene

• In the flashback you can tell that it is a young boy’s party, you can tell this because of the camera work, as it focuses on a boy. And also because of the props used, such as balloons and hats etc.
• The clothes worn are casual, this makes everything seem normal, and not out of the ordinary.
• Also with the clothing worn by the main character they seen rather normal. This makes it harder for audience to guess what crime he could have committed. He doesn’t look like the ordinary villain.

Cape Fear (Will)

Sound
1) The sound effects of thunder mingled in with the lightning lighting up Phsycho Bob's bloody finger gives off a very sinister look that gives the audience an idea of the intentions of the character, but doesnt actually tell them who it is, keeping the restricted narration for the first opener
2) The non-diegetic music in the background turns very sinister as the scene changes to the prizon, seeming to keep in time with the thunder, causing the effect of chilling the audience
3) The voice over reading the death threats as they are opened gives the effect of informing the intentions of the villain to the audience simply by the tone of his voice.
Camera
1) The camera zooms from the death threats on the table to the prizon which almost makes the audience panic as they know that the person writing the letters is fairly close by, making a good use of unrestricted narration.
2) When in the prizon, the camera cuts to a POV shot from the villains point of veiw, this makes the act more sinister and gives the audience a sense of foreboding, especially when they notice that he is writing 'see you soon Bart'
3) The Birds Eye shot of the table where all of the death threats have been laid out is very poignient as it stressed to the audience just how many death threats there have been, creating a mood of mysterious tension and foreboding.
Mise En Scene
1) The blood used to write the death notes makes the mood drop to a very sinister level as it appeals more to the audience tense mind than a substance such as ink would
2) The lighting tfor the scene oin the prizon cell drops down to soft dark light as the shadows tend to frighten the audience into a sense of insecurity as it is most commonly associated with criminals and darkness
Setting
1) It is set in the normal suburban town where you wouldnt expect anything out of the ordinary to happen, helping to emphasise the shock of whatever may happen later on during the feature
Character
1) Phsycho Bob is established early on as a criminal and probable murderer, proud in what he does for a living and arrogant about his cleverness
2) Bart to me seems like a boy who looks for trouble routinely and can never really seem to understand exactly what he has done wrong when he gets caught
Themes
1) There is definitely a theme of false release for prizoners who should really be locked up as Bob gets himself released for the sole purpose of killing Bart.

Vertigo (Will)

Sound
1) The non diegetic background music is very declaritive as well as provoking an air of mystery and terror to make the audience get an idea as to the goings on of the film they are about to witness
2) The diegetic dub of the dying policemans scream as he falls to the floor, shocks and terrifies the audience as it makes the act seem that bit more brutal and gruesome
Camera
1) We have of course the world famous 'Vertigo shot', the shot that was invented during this film (zooming in on an object whilst backing the camera away from it) this is designed to disoriantate the audience and works very well to scare the audience as it does genuinely make you feel vertigo as though you looking down a sheer drop.
2) The ECU of the womans eyes at the start of the titles gives the audience an ominous feeling as the eyes are shifty, making the audience what they are being shifty about
3) The CU of the wrungs of the ladder before you see 2 hands clenching onto them makes the audience take in the fact that they are high up on the rooftops due to the difference in depth of the wrungs and the scenary of the rooftops
4) The MS of the roof they are jumping onto during the chse emphasises just how dangerous it is as it allows the audience to see each one of the men stuggle to get up the roof in sucsession until of course one of them falls clinging onto the drain pipe
5) The shot of the policeman falling to his death is emphasised by the fact that the hanging policeman is stoill in shot struggling to climb back up
Mise En Scene
1) Typical old fashioned policemans outfits worn by the cunstable and the officor wears an old fashioned suit with smart cufflinks. Giving the audience a firmer idea and helping them beleive the time
2) The pipes emerging out of the roof tops allows the audience to truly beleive that the characters are on a roof instead of it being flat and normal ground level
Character
1) The policeman appears to be the kind to care and always try t help despite the risk, a trait that leads to his downfall.
Setting
1) The setting is on top of the rooves of London, around the time of the great depression. Th old fashioned cockney London shining through
Themes
Editing
1) The title of the film flying out of the womans suddenly paniced eye informs the audience of what they can expect from the film they are about to watch as well as force the audience to wonder what exactly has caused the woman to suddenly panic.

2) The swirling cvortex within the womans eyes gives off an air of disorientation as well as mystery to the audience, acting as an enigma code for the otherwise normal eye

3) The swirling vortex during the opening credits i think is designed to disorientate veiwers straight from the start, giving almost an air of drugs and crazyness to the film.

Misery Analasyse (Will)

Camera
1) The first shot of the sequence is of a half smoked cigarette with the blurred shot in a different depth of the main character typing, this not only reveals something about the main character straight off but it builds something of an enigma code for the audience as they wonder what the significance of the cigarette is
2) The second shot of the character blurred behind a wine glass maybe gives an insight to his past for the audience as they wonder the significance of the wine glass
3) the shot of a champagne bottle implies that there is a reason for the main character to be celebrating and forces the audience to wonder what he must be celebrating

Sound
1) As the main character drives along the background music is what he has on the radio. It is a cheerful tune which makes everything seem as though it is in order and that life is good, lulling the audience into a false sense of security until the car crash occurs.
2) As he has the crash the music seems to not just abruptly end but slowly fade out, giving the crash an almost dream like quality which makes it softer on the audience
3) The first thing we here after the opening title is a typewriter, this sets the scene in the audience's mind as a time of peacefulness and concentration as well as building suspense
4) The audience is scared during the title of the film as not only is it written in the colour of blood but there is a scream to jolt the audiences naval

Mise En Scene
1) The main characters simple clothes seem to tell the audience that he leads a simple yet happy life
2) The obvious organisation of his desk tells the audience that he is a man who likes to keep things ordered in his life

Character
1) The first impression we get of the main character is that he is evidentially intellectual as he seems to be a writer
2) We know that he must have a reason to celebrate as he has a champagne bottle on ice
3)The character seems to want everything in his life to be in order as he makes a very deliberate point about handwriting the words 'THE END' when he has finished typing
4) The main character makes a big deal out of lighting a cigarette making him seem like the sort of person who likes to make sure that everything is done right to his very own specifications
5)the way he seemed to almost subconsciously throw a snowball at a tree implies that he usually does it just to make sure that he still can
6) The way he continues to occasionally touch his bag with his work in it as he drives implies that he very much cares for its well being, this is highlighted when he is crashing and yet he still keeps one hand clutched onto his work making him seem very materialistic

Editing
1) The title of the film flashing up is designed to frighten as there isn't any indication that it is about to happen

Setting
1) The setting appears to be in an almost totally isolated part of the mountains which implies Canada due to the snow.

'One Hour Photo' Jamie Simmons

The Main Character:

• The opening sequence of 'One Hour Photo' allows you to get a very good idea of the main character, what sort of a person he is and how he is portrayed to the audience. The opening shot of him having his photo taken in the police station shows him standing straight with a blank expression on his face. There is a completely blue backdrop behind him which is used to make him stand out and allow the audience to take in his appearance.
• When he is asked to turn to the right his body language is very nervous and he almost turns the wrong way. This gives off an impression of timidness.
• When he is in the interview room the scene starts of with a long shot which appears to be used to show how alone and isolated he is in a completely bright white room. This shot creates an element of empathy for the character.
• His body language whilst sitting down is very closed in, he has his hands together and his legs crossed which again shows him to be a nervous person. However his facial expression and speech appear very calm and collected which casts a quite sinister effect on the character

The opening credits

• The opening credits come into screen as if in a film reel sliding through - This gives you an indictation as to what the film is about.
• Sinister music that you would associate with a thriller movie is played over the top of the credits, this is done in order to set the mood of the film.
• The writing in the opening credits are done in very bright colours and are put up against a black background which stands them out.

The setting

• The interview room is a very bright white and this is consistent in the whole room, allowing the character to stand out and highlight his situation. Also making him appear more sinister thus adding to the thriller element of the film
• Apart from the dialect between charcters there is no sound at all, this emphasises the emptiness of the scene.
• The neutral colour does not really set much of an atmosphere which allows the audience to make up their own mind on the character. The whole setting is completely impartial.
• In contrast, you have the childrens birthday party. This setting is very vibrant and colourful and this colouring is so deliberately contrasting to when they are in the interview room and if anything highlights the sinister atmosphere of the opening more so.

Will's One Hour Photo Analasyse

One Hour Photo

Camera Angles
1) The first close up shot of a ordinary picture camera really starts off the thriller trend as it is a very intimidating shot. This is mainly because it makes the audience feel that they are not simply looking at a shot of a camera but the camera is staring at them, almost judging them. This lulls you into a false sense of security as when the picture is taken and the camera flashes you cant help but jump
Sound
1) During the opening credits to the film, on every single slide that rolls in there is a very deep and dull thud that makes the audience feel tension building as it is a very ominous and sinister sound
2) During the flashback, every sound seems to have an echo effect. The most attention grabbing of these sounds is the children's laughter which has a very poignant sound against the non-diegetic background music
3) The background music for the flashback seems to not exactly be happy as such, more like music you would see in a video tribute to someone who has recently died. This highlights the fact that it is probably a very distant memory and not something that has only just happened.
Mise En Scene
1) The costume of the main character is perfectly done as it seems to play upon the stereotype many people have linked with sexual predators. The bland and plain glasses coupled with the aged look and slick back hair give off a strangely sinister dorky impression. http://www.danheller.com/Movies/OneHourPhoto/OneHourPhoto-3-big.jpg
2) The setting of the interveiwing room gives a sense of seriousness and almost graveness as everything is white, the walls, the table, everything. This i think is a play on the faceless judgement of the law
3) In contrast to the police interviewing room the flashback of the kids party in the garden seems to almost have enhanced colouring, this may seem so simply because the flashback is immediately after the interaction in the plain white interviewing room
Editing
1) The main credits at the beginning are in the form of slightly old fashioned picture slides with the credits blending in with the serial numbers at the top and bottom of the slides. This brings about a certain mysterious and I think ominous sensation to the viewer.

Main Character
To me, the main character seems to be incredibly sinister and foreboding. The way his costume so obviously plays on the stereotype of sex offenders and paedophiles along with the way that he rarely seems to blink and that when he does blink it is done with such a deliberate action it seems to be an almost concious effort for him to do so all add up to a very sinister image of him. I don't know the full story of the film but i can easily imagine what the convicted photo's are of that the policeman is holding when he enters the room.

Opening Credits
The opening credits to this film are cleverly produced as though the viewer is looking at a slide show of pictures through a slightly old fashioned camera. The way there is a thud for every single followed by a flash and a click makes the tension build within the viewer as they now know what the name of the film represents. I think the reason for this clever piece of editing is so that the audience can be lost in the credits, acknowledging the format they are in but wondering what sinister thing the flashes must be taking pictures of.

Police Room and Flashback Comparison
The police interviewing room scene is a very definite and serious one, everything about the place gives off an air of judgement and facelessness, the idea that the main character has been caught and is now being brought to justice, this almost gives him a sinister threatening air. The flashback however I think almost has a sense of envy in it especially as it blends in after the main characters face suddenly seems to turn slightly bitter, marring the plain stare.