What is the difference between a horror and a thriller film

Horror vs Thriller

Horror and thriller films are two types of genres that have some similarities for instance, primarily, it is expected in both genres that there should be some tension and suspense throughout watching either a horror or a thriller. 


however, there are many differences between thriller films and horror films that make these films differentiate in a variety of ways, although they seem analogous, there are many aspects which justify otherwise. The first element that varies in both themes are that thriller films has more of a psychological twist to it which requires more thorough thinking and exclamation as to what may occur later on in the film whereas in a horror film consists of more blood and carnage. A good example of a thriller is the film 'psycho', this is a psychological thriller and the constant use of enigma could create suspense and tension. In my opinion, this is a key key aspect which makes a thriller different from a horror. A good example of a horror could be 'The Texas chainsaw massacre'- this is essentially a film which contains a plethora of killings with no need to contemplate what might occur and what is happening as the audience watch it. 

Typography analysis

The two films I will be analysing are Zombieland and fringe.

Typography is essentially the art and movement of words.
 A prime example of a film that uses this could be zombieland. They use it in the film to help us understand exactly what is going on- a zombie apocalypse. The person who created this opening title sequence uses specific colours to connote what type of genre this is. The connotations of red are danger and murder- this is the predominant colour used to infer that there will be some form of violence as the film progresses. Also, in this opening title sequence, the words are synchronised with the character or object movement so when ever something for example the spilling of the drink in this sequence, as the beverage empties out and goes down towards the bottom of the screen, the words follow in the same direction. 

The other film that has a innovative use of typography is fringe. In this films opening title sequence there is not much movement with the words however the words in itself used could help us identify the type of genre this film is. The use of typography in the objects however are more explosive in comparison to the words used as it also helps us acknowledge what this film is about. The use of black font doesn't give us information as to the type of genre this is. Finally, the use of algebraic expressions and equations gives us the impression that this is a science related film (science fiction). 

Title sequence

Dexter

In Dexter's title sequence, he starts with his daily routine however with a twist...

This picture shows his name yet it appears to be blood spatter around it. this could suggest some form of killing/ severe injury. This picture also shows that his name is in red and is contrasting with the white background. this could simply imply Dexter is different and contrasts with the world as it is pure (reason why the background is white) and his name is written in luminous red. The connotations of red is passion- he is known for having a desire for killing people.

In this picture, he is seen tightening what the audience believes to be some form of rope however, as the title sequence progresses, he is just beginning flossing his teeth- the camera shot (close up) makes the audience assume that he is plotting something yet all he is doing is his morning routine. Although he is not normal, he still does the regular things a normal person would. This helps us understand how methodical he is. 

 

he is cutting something and due to the camera angle used, the audience presume he is cutting up a body, (this is what he does in the show) however he is just making breakfast- this is a vital picture as it portrays how sadistic this character is. 

 In this picture, it shows blood spatter from Dexter shaving however the camera heavily focuses on blood spatter next to the sink.This is a highly significant picture as it symbolises murder. 

True detective

From this picture, it looks like what appears to be a factory or power station in the far distance however the person who edited this picture didn't want the focal point to be this factory however if you look closely, you an just see a silhouette of a character presumably on this show. As this is the first picture, it is hard to make a link or assumption as to what this show could be about.

This picture shows a high angle view of Louisiana at night time. Also in the picture you can see what seems to be a smoke cloud covering part of the city. The smoke could symbolize the separation or difference in that particular area compared to the rest of the city. This picture could also link to the first picture shown as it has a power station.

I can infer from this picture that this is the protagonist and i can also assume that because part of his face is being shown in this picture, he could be involved in some form of murder and he is attempting to conceal his identity. 

 

From this picture it shows a faded image of a man however the main focal point is the upside down cross. The meaning of an upside down cross could be there is some demonic activity involved. Although there inst any demonic activity involved, there is some murdering involved and people could perceive this as demonic exercise involved. 

This picture simply shows a mans head in flames. As this is the final picture from the title, this could suggest that either the protagonist or someone very important will get killed in this show. Also the connotations of fire from a Christians perspective are linking to hell- if someone has done something wrong and something bad does always occur throughout this drama, you will be condemned for your bad doings.

Analysis of music/ sound in psycho and vertigo

psycho 

In psycho, Alfred Hitchcock's music producer made this music to make the audience feel some form of tension and excitement throughout watching this film. The repetitiveness of the violin using a single note in this piece of music builds up suspense and makes the audience contemplate what is about to occur. the music produce also uses a very disturbingly high pitched sound to make the audience feel tense and unnerved. The dramatic change in octave (becomes lower) demonstrates the darkness in the film. also, towards the end of the piece of music, the notes were stretched out (longer), this could linked to the bathroom scene and how dramatically long the killing took place for. 

vertigo 

At the beginning of the song from the film 'vertigo', it is clear that the producer, Bernard Herrmann, uses a variety of instruments from the string family. The connotations of string instruments are that they create suspense. The use of a 6/4 time signature could imply an uneven feeling toward the film and what may occur as the progresses. Herrmann also uses instruments like trombone from the brass family. the constant use of brass instruments also gives the audience the same unnerving feeling. As the music continues, the key/ of the piece changes from a minor to a major- this symbolises that everything will be okay however there is a drastic change back to a minor note- this shows that there are many bad/alarming occurrences in this film.

Se7en analysis

In this opening title, the key aspects which makes this a thriller are:

• the use of color 
• camera angles 
• sound/music 

There is very few color used in this title sequence and these colors used are primarily black, white and some dark blue. This is highly significant as the connotations of black is mystery- it is typically associated with something negative. it also could suggest how much power the protagonist has in the film. However white is also used and this is important as the connotations of white are mainly purity and innocence. This is compelling as the two colors are shown together which portray a contrast of good and evil. These colours begin to paint a picture of the type of genre this film is.

There aren't any specific camera angles used however the creator of the film focused mainly on quick cuts and extreme close. The constant use of quick cuts cut make the audience feel excited and expecting something to occur.

At the beginning of the title sequence, the music sounds very distorted which could infer to something bad happening throughout the film and as this music progresses, it still has a disoriented feel to it. This is a crucial part to the title sequence as it could give a rough idea of what the genre of the film is.
 

Analysis on barthes codes

Analysis on the Barthes codes

There are many ways which makes an opening of a movie intriguing and captivating for example music- music is a key aspect as it can take various forms and build up emotion, leaving the audience wanting more. another key example could be choice of color. this is important as many colors have many meanings for instance the use of red can infer that there may potentially be some form of violence. This is the predominant reason why red is seen in some title sequences in thrillers. 

Barthes codes are also a vital trait in films, particularly in thriller films. They are used so the audience can have different views/ perceptions of what is occurring or what my occur later on. An example of A Barthes code are the hermeneutic code and the enigma code. 

The hermeneutic code refers to any element in a film which is not fully explained and this appears as an enigma (a puzzle that needs to be solved) for the audience, raising enquirers that demand explanation. Most stories hold back vital information in order to increase the final effect of the truth.  In the minority report, there are various questions which need to be answered (from the audiences perspective) for example we are told that the protagonist is wanted however there this itself raise questions as to why he was wanted. Also in memento, the protagonist doesn't seem sympathetic to the boy that had died however the clip stated that he was the youngest boy in the world yet he claimed to be 18 years of age. The audience could be wondering how the boy had died or why he is the youngest boy in the world but he is eighteen years old. 

these codes are used to create queries by the audience and make them contemplate about the film

Conventions of a thriller

low key lighting- this is a style of lighting for filming. it is a necessary effect. traditional photographic lighting, three point lighting uses a key light, a fill light and a black light for illumination.

shadows- shadows are used to create an effect of someone or something behind you. this effect can be used in thrillers as it creates suspense and tension.

black and white shots-  gives a depressing feeling, could also suggest black and white is equivalent to good and evil. 

Quick cut is an editing technique which refers to several consecutive shots of a brief duration. It can be used to convey a lot of information very quickly or to imply either energy or chaos.

Tension music is used to build suspense if something bad occurs in a film.

 Changes in the angles shot can be used In filming to portray various things for example a birds eye view gives a brief summary of a scene which is taken above the ground. 

Diegetic sounds of breathing is sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film.