Psycho- murder of Marion Crane

This famous shower sequence comes from Alfred Hitchcock's powerful yet complex psychological thriller, Psycho.This suspenseful thriller uses themes of corruptibility the deadly effects of money. Hitchcock also guides the audience into identify with the main character who is the luckless Marion Crane and then with that character's murderer Norman Bates.Marion Crane is the generic femme fatale showing deviance who could lead those around her into dangerous situations. Although it is one of the most frightening films ever made it still has elements of dark comedy.

                                           The murder of Marion Crane is one of the most famous murders in thrillers that has inspired other directors because of how well it creates terror and suspense at the same time.This particular location of this murder is rather daring for it's time because it appeared to show Marion Crane nude, but it never actually does which could be deemed provocative for that time.Another aspect of this famous scene that was shocking for it's era was the fact that the leading female character was killed off very early in the film, which was very unexpected.
                                         At the start of the shower scene the audience follows into the bathroom, there is then a medium close up of her undressing which leaves the audience to feel uncomfortable because it is as if we are intruding into this private space. This cuts to an eye level medium shot of her cleansing herself in the shower, like she is washing away her sins and guilt. A low angle shot from Marion's point of view is them shown of the water gushing down, at that moment the only sound heard is the running water which could distract the audience and Marion if someone is nearby.

                                           The brutality of Marion's murder also shocks the audience due to how dramatically the scene changes from her normally having a shower to a slow entrance of a dark figure which suddenly cuts to Marion being horrifically murdered. This quick cut is very effective as it would have taken the audience by surprise and brought the suspense up suddenly to jolt the audience. Also in the mise-en-scene you see a dark figure lurking behind the shower curtain which is the enigma of the scene, the audience won't know whether it is just a shadow or if there's someone else there, this adds tension to everything that's happening. The purpose of this enigma is to add suspense to this film and to also leave the audience tense and feeling rather vulnerable as they are left in fear of the unknown. Diegetic sound is shown throughout this scene of the water gushing out of the shower, the noise of the shower drowns out any other sound meaning that she would be completely unaware of what might happen to her, making the murder more shocking and not expected. 

                                    As she turns in response to the feel and sound of the shower curtain being torn aside you see a look of pure horror erupt in her face. Non-diegetic is played in the background of the violin screech soundtrack which contrasts with the diegetic more subtle sound of the shower. The sound is shocking and sounds as if something horrific is happening repetitively which could therefore symbolise being stabbed a number of times which ironically happens. An extreme close up shot is then shown to draw attention to Marion's first reaction to the murderer, it highlights the sound of her scream and intensify's the terror of the murder. As close up shots enable the audience to get to know the character, this shot leaves the audience in fright as they are close to the character literally so therefore feel the horror of the murder. The consistent use of close ups inject the mise-en-scene with relentless horror.

                                                                     You see the knife slashing into her as if tearing at the screen, ripping the film which leaves the audience feeling vulnerable so therefore intensifying the terror. A series of shots are shown in this sequence which build up the tension to lead to a dramatic moment. The audience are rushed with a series of quick cuts, for example the blur of the shower water, and the hand pulling the shower curtain back. You can only catch a glimpse of the enigma who is the murderer which adds even more suspense as the audience will then identify with him and therefore feel more frightened. Once Marion had been murdered you see shadow of her across the shower curtain fall down, the brightness of the bathroom is almost blinding which could symbolise the shock of what just happened, it is also dream like meaning that surely something that shocking wasn't real. 

       All of these aspects including the location and use of close up shots reinforce generic conventions and add suspense and terror because first of all the close ups enable the audience to notice the emotions of the character and clearly see their distress. An example of a powerful close up shot is once Marion was murdered and she sinks to the floor the final shot from that scene is of her dead eye.Sudden effective shots happen before the final extreme close up, for example it goes from the shower curtain being town down and then you see the transition from the hole of the drainage pipe to Marion Crane's dead eyes. A high angle close up of the plughole is shown, which is sucking up the water and Marion's blood which suggest that her life has gone down the drain. Close up shots enable the audience to see the emotion of that character and this one is terrifying due to the fact all you can see is an extreme close up her lifeless eye. The shower location could be a generic location as the victim is left unknown of what could happen to them which adds tension, and leaves the audience in suspense. The isolated motel is also a generic thriller convention for many other thrillers and horrors.  

Props

First of all the props we decided to use is going to be a mobile phone that the character Peter will use to phone up Tiffany, another mobile phone will be shown next to Tiffany's body ringing loudly. This will create suspense as the loud noise of the phone will contrast to the silence and eerie atmosphere of Tiffany lying on the undergrowth. So, their will be diegetic sound of the Tiffany's phone ringing yet she will be unable to pick up the phone which leaves the audience in suspense.

Another prop used in the thriller is the bracelet that falls off Tiffany's arm, this is significant in the thriller as it shown being clutched by Peter, and by his reactions to finding it this shows it's importance and maybe his relationship towards the character who owns that bracelet. It is a bright coloured bracelet that shows the characters high street style signifying what her age group could be, it also shows up clearly in the snow where it is found. This shows it's significance in the thriller and the importance of it being found.

How do institutions target specific audiences in the industry you have studied?

Institutions use various techniques to target specific audiences as due to new technology, different audiences watch films in other places which aren't in the cinema. Although cinema going is still high, 11.1% of film consumption is new technology enabling recording of film on TV, this has increased film viewing. Audiences from the age of 16-24 years old use online streaming as their way to watch films. This shows how accessible the internet is for the younger generation. However there is also a high percentage for that age group who go the cinema as it is a social activity. 
                          3D films have been brought into the cinema to increase the pleasure of watching a film on a cinema screen, they are also a way of counteracting home viewing as you wouldn't get the same effects if you watched it on a computer screen. This method was proved to be popular as it generated £248.8 million in the UK alone. This shows how cinemas are progressively changing to fit in with that the audience wants, and has been changing vastly from 1999 to 2010. 
                         Another change to cinemas which has increased cinema going and that has targeted specific audiences is multiplex cinemas. 75.4% of screens in 2010 were multiplex, meaning that people want to have a choice of a certain type of film. Particular cinemas target particular audiences, for example Cinema City focuses on a local audiences showing a lot of independent films which aren't as mainstream as some you may see in Vue. However, Vue shows popularity as they show wide releases which are a wide appeal, opening it up to a broader audience. Four quadrant films such as "Shrek" aim to target a family audience as it's a film many ages could enjoy. 
                          'Lovefilm' is Europe's biggest subscription service and targets the audience who might prefer to watch films from the comfort of their own home. It sends DVDs by post and now streams all of Studio canals latest and future releases. It parters with Studio canal and supports UK and German films, widening the audience. Also, including additional distribution support through theatrical, home videos and streaming on-demand releases. 
                         The production of film can increase specific audiences because particular people like to see particular films and there are popular genres that bring in a specific audience. Working title is a company owned by Universal that makes mainly mainstream films which target a wide audience. Universal targets the US/global market with films such as Meet the Parents. However, Studio canal recently financed the independent film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy which appealed to the European market. Although Working title did produce that, it is more known for producing mainstream Rom Coms such as Love Actually, this is a popular genre so therefore brings in a broader audience. Popular actors are also included to entice people to watch the films. Commercial films mean a wide release and as they are from major film companies and distributors they seek a popular audience. An independent film that needs to a appeal to a specific audience is 'Animal Kingdom' uses a strategy to bring in a wider audience. A young cast is used to bring in a younger audience and therefore a wider audience. 
                        Marking strategies used to promote films is highly important in targeting specific audiences. For example the independent film 'Animal Kingdom' relied on social networking via Twitter or Facebook to promote their films. Sony Pictures picked it up for US distribution, widening the audience. Also as social networking sites are more popular now, a younger audience would notice this film and as cinema going for younger people is still high, a lot of them may want to see this film. It aimed to reach a reasonably broad audience although it was just going on over 40 screens, maintaining its independence. 
                      Another independent film called Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy also used social networking to market it. It was financed by Studio canal with 30 million, this was targeted to a European market. Trailers on Youtube also promoted this film as well as a cast of popular A list actors. The rush to target specific audiences shows that the voice of the audience is more loudly heard. Therefore new techniques to market films are important due to technology becoming more and more advanced. 

Characters

Characters 

Blake Haven- Jono Woods
Tiffany Wise- Lyndsey Wise
Peter- Robin Lubach

Our thriller will include three characters, first of all the victim who is the female character who is shown throughout the thriller being dragged across the ground  unconscious and dumped lying in undergrowth. She will be called Tiffany Wise. The next character will be the threatening male character who is dragging the girl, he starts off as the enigmatic character but throughout the opening you slowly start to notice key features on him, he is called Blake Haven. Finally, our last character will be the friend of Tiffany who is called Peter, he is shown finding her bracelet and trying to contact her.
                                          Blake Haven is the name of the male character who is the enigma of the thriller, the meaning of this name is uncertain as it could mean several things. This could signify that this character has an uncertainty to his personality he could be an unpredictable character meaning you never really know what he's going to do next which could explain the fear he gives the other character Tiffany. As it has two opposite meanings which are 'pale blond one' or 'Dark' this could symbolise the two sides to his personality, he's could turn from being a happy and genuinely nice person to suddenly a malicious and threatening person meaning that due to his split personality's he could have a mental health issue triggering them off. Blake Haven is inspired by the character Jason from Essex Boys, due to his violent behaviour and lack of morals as he just dumps a body in a remote location where it won't be found.This is shown in Essex Boys too as Jason beats up a man and dumps him in an isolated locations, showing a lack of empathy.
                                         Our second character in our thriller is called Tiffany Wise, first of all the meaning of Tiffany is "revelation of God", this religious connotation links to her personality as you notice from a certain bracelet she is wearing that she has faith in what she believes in. This could suggest that faith has helped her to get through hard times in her life. This character was inspired by the character of Marion Crane in the classic thriller Psycho as Marion shows a deviant behaviour that led her to dangerous situations. This relates to Tiffany as she may have had deviant behaviour that have led her to where she is in the thriller, laying on an isolated eerie field dead.

                   The third character in our thriller's name is Peter, who will play the part of the friend of Tiffany who then finds her bracelet and tries to contact her.However, you never really see Peter's face clearly  Peter is a masculine given name, which is also a rather commonly used name which could contradict his individual personality, you notice this by what clothes he wears. The character of Peter is inspired by a combination of the characters in Animal Kingdom,the family of criminals.First of all the main character Joshua Cody has inspired our character Peter as he  is caught up in dark secrets which relates to Peter as he is involved in the murder of Tiffany. Also it relates Peter to crime and murder like Joshua was also caught up in. Another character from the film Animal Kingdom that has inspired the character of Peter is Andrew 'pope' Cody due to his psychotic behaviour and two sides to his personality, he also commits serious crimes which relate to the crime that you eventually find Peter to have committed in our thriller. The reason why Peter has been inspired by two very different characters is due to his psychotic personality, when first seeing him in the thriller you wouldn't expect him to have been the murderer.

                             

Intertexuality

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The purpose of intertextuality is to enhance meaning in what you are watching and to give you an idea in your head about what might happen in the film as you are watching it because you may have seen something which has the same aspects in it. So, an example of this is displayed in a few of Quentin Tarentinos films, Kill Bill and Reservoir Dogs particularly. There is a scene in Kill Bill volume 2 where the bride confronts Bill's brother Bud in the hope for revenge but gets shot down by Budd as soon as she opens the door. 

The soundtrack featured when the bride is laying on the floor is an intertextual reference from the western made in 1966, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. One of the most famous endings in cinema history is the duel between the good (Blondie) the bad (Sentenza) and the ugly (Tuco). As well as the soundtrack, there is a reference between these characters and three of the characters in Kill Bill. The Bride being the good, Bill being the bad and his brother Bud being the ugly. First of all the bride has the same qualities as Blondie who is the good guy as she is just set out to kill the bad guys, not only are there intentions similar she has blonde hair which could make you associate her with Blondie. Clint Eastwood plays the character of Blondie which gives that character an iconic status, which in reference to Kill Bill also gives the bride an iconic status. As the bride is referenced to Blondie as the good character you therefore make the assumptions that she will win any fight that comes her way. This scene shows the bad guy Sentenza being shot down by Blondie which tells you when you are watching  Kill Bill that the bad guy (Bill) may die and the good character will be the one to murder him (the bride). 

                                                                                     Another intertextual reference from this scene is the mexican stand off shot where two or more people are pointing a gun at each other, this is also shown in Reservoir Dogs which is also directed by Quentin Tarentino. 

During the scene when the bride is trying to escape from the coffin the soundtrack played also originated from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, as well as the same soundtrack it also is featured in a graveyard. The sound reference tells you if she's getting out or not.

Storyboard

This was our initial storyboard for our thriller, but we decided to change the idea completely seeing as it lacked any tension and was not gripping enough to leave the audience in fear and suspense. So, therefore we changed our idea so there would be more suspense and a storyline that will leave the audience on the edge of their seats. So we added  new shots, for example, tilt shots, low angle shots and point of view shots which give the thriller as much fear as possible.

Jackie Brown analysis

Directed by Quentin Tarentino in 1997 Jackie Brown stirred up controversy filled with particular stereotypes that the main character Jackie Brown changes.When watching this film you notice how it portrays racial stereotypes and how various institutions treat people according to their race. Represented in this film is how the social value of women are directly related to their race. This opening scene begins with a tracking shot of Jackie Brown gliding along the people mover in the airport she works as a airline hostess at. The soundtrack is called Across 110th Street and after researching this song I saw that the lyrics reference to life on the streets, for example pimps and drug pushers, this could signify what may happen in this film. Just by watching this first seen you immediately notice her independence compared to a lot of women in that particular time, she strides along with her head held high walking noticeably faster than the general public around her which could mean she is ahead of everyone else in society. Also it shows that she is different compared to most women and challenges the stereotypes.The shot shown above is a low angle tracking shot of Jackie Brown walking to walk, as it is low angle it makes her seem powerful in the shot and higher than the general public. Also from this angle you see that the people around her are slightly blurred but she isnt and is standing confidently showing her significance. 

Here is the clip of the shooting of Beaumont Livingston featured in Jackie Brown. It begins with an establishing shot of both the characters having a conversation where they then enter the car. Ordell is a very smooth character who is a lethal arms dealer who goes to see a deviant associate, Beaumont. During their conversation you notice the type of language they use, they fit into their racial stereotype that people would put them in.  One minute Ordell is sweet talking his manic friend into climbing into his car trunk the next he casually shoots him when they arrive at a desolate location. This scene is a long shot showing Ordell getting out of the car which enables the audience to see the whole location.Also it is very dark giving the situation an enigmatic feel as the audience don't completely know what's happening but their suspence will be built up due to the ambiguity of the situation. Outrageous comedy is combined with startling violence making everything more frightful and suspence building. This could also symbolise Ordells psychopathic personality as he is having a friendly conversation with Beaumont which suddenly turns into a quick shocking murder.

Also shown in many of Tarentino's films, the trunk and hood point of view shot where the camera is where the boot is and shows the point of view of the boot. This gives the idea that there may be something significant in the boot whether it's an object or a person. This shot is also shown in the thriller Reservoir Dogs where the character Blondie is showing his accomplices the cop that he kidnapped, therefore this shot makes the audience feel vulnerable.

This is a medium close up shot of Ordell putting black leather gloves on which could signify that he is about to commit a grim crime. You can also slightly notice the jewellery he's wearing in this scene showing a flashy gold bracelet and a big gold ring. These both look like quite fake gold which could symbolise the fakeness to his personality, what seems to be him asking Beaumont a favour turns into a deviant way to murder him where no-one will be around.

Here is a slight low angle long shot of the car driving 
away into the distance the car ressembles the vanishing point in this shot so this leaves the audience wondering where he's going to go, its ambigious. Also you only see the lights on the car that Ordell is driving signifiying the importance of this car compared to the others as you can hardly see them and all your attention goes to his car vanishing into the distance, Furthermore,although his is further away you can still notice more than the others, showing it's significance to what will happen next.

Jackie Brown-Mall scene- This is where the male character Louis shoots the other female character Melanie. The location of this murder adds to the tension and fear of it as it is set in an ordinary car park in day light where anyone could come at any time. Also unlike some generic thriller locations it isn't a poorly lit claustrophobic space meaning the fact he just shot her was unexpected and therefore added tension to that scene.

Third Man analysis

This classic film-noir was made in 1949 and has given inspiration for many directors when filming thrillers as very effective thriller conventions are used. The soundtrack is 'The Harry Lime Theme' which is a cultural signifier as it is played with an Austrian instrument, this shows where the film could be set. It also could tell you about the enigma character Harry Lime, maybe is shows he's a mischievous character and the strings to be ironic and symbolise that he pulls strings to get him far in life.
                                                                   Iconic costumes are shown in this noir thriller, including an overcoat and trilby hat which have become a somewhat generic costume for other thrillers, for example it is shown in Once Upon a Time in America worn by one of the main characters.

   This film noir is set in Vienna as shown in the picture the ice is split which could represent that Vienna is broken, it was a world that had physically and morally fallen into pieces. This setting was a great place for Third Man to be filmed to show a story of social and moral corruption. The black market was thriving and it was also packed with refugees at the time which fit perfectly within the story adding realism to the film and making the setting perfect for creating a tense mysterious thriller film. This shot shows a real corpse and a sinking boat which represents Vienna as a place in stress and a city full of corruption. Tilted angle shots were used to reflect the state of the ruined, fractured and dark city.

 Evidence which shows the lack of laws followed is a close up shot showing the black market theme where there are several watches on one of the characters arm.

Effective shots

There is a particularly effective shot in this film where first see the character Holly Martins makes his way to Harry's apartment, he walks under a ladder leaning against the front of the residence. This shows that luck may not be on the cards for Holly as walking under a ladder signifies bad luck. It is a slight low angle shot and it shows Holly craning his neck up to the building showing that he is too caught up in whatever's going on inside his head to notice that he's walking under a ladder.








This next shot now introduces us to the famous character Harry Lime, there is a slight shadow on his face showing that he could have two sides to his personality, maybe one could be a dark side. He is shown here looking dominant yet mysterious as well showing he's a complex character.Chiaroscuro lighting is used here as you the light on Harry's face and the dark shadow behind him.

SECOND INITIAL SHOT LIST

Shot one- Over shoulder shot of Sarah looking at a photo of her and the male character who is called Jon. Diegetic sound of Sarah crying will be shown enabling the audience to feel for the character.
Shot two- Cuts to a close up shot of Sarah crying to establish a sense of drama.
Shot three-Cut to a close up shot of Sarah hand pressing the button on a lift, you see a distinctive bracelet round her wrist. Diegetic sound is played of the lift coming down.
Shot four- Cut to a close up shot of Sarah looking happier, however that happiness slowly deteriorates as the scene goes on.
Shot five- Cut to a long shot of the elevator doors opening and then Sarah walks out of the elevator.
Shot six- Cut to a long shot of Sarah opening a door to enter room.
Shot seven- Cut to a tracking shot of Sarah walking along a corridor in her house, and then she opens a door to the bathroom.
Shot eight-Cut to Sarah turning on a tap in the bath and then she sits down and gets the photo out that she was looking at at the start.
Shot nine- Cut to a point of view shot of Sarah looking at the original picture from earlier.
Shot ten-Cut to a point of view shot of Sarah holding the photo whilst the male character Jon is standing over her, however you only see his body, not his head.