The Opening Sequence of Memento;

The opening sequence of 'Memento' is effective because it plays backwards. It is a very abrupt beginning and quick paced. There are lots of close ups and varied camera shots and within the first few minutes it shows the protagonist killing a man.  This makes the viewers intrigued and inquisitive to what's going on. This is a good aspect to the film because it builds tension. The story follows a man called Lennie on the hunt for a man who killed his wife. The only problem with this is ever since she dies he can not recall new memories. This gives the movie an Enigma (one of Alfred Hitchcocks techniques) and makes it a good thriller opening. 

Memento Intro

Alfred Hitchcocks techniques;

To many, the director Alfred Hitchcock is known as the master of suspense. He uses different techniques to demonstrate this in his movies. Examples of these are:

A ‘Mac guffin’. This is a plot device used to motivate the characters and advances the story but has little or no relevance to the movie in a whole.

An ‘Enigma’. This refers to a puzzle, something mysterious, inexplicable, a riddle, or a difficult problem. This is usually something that is to be found out by the protagonist.

A ‘Red herring’. This is something that intends to avert the viewers from the truth or possibly an item of greater significance.

A great example of one of Alfred Hitchcock’s films is north by north west:

About Alfred Hitchcock:

Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born in Leytonstone on the 13th of August, 1899. He specialized in psychological thrillers and suspense. 


"Hitchcock said he was sent by his father on numerous occasions to the local police station with a note asking the officer to lock him away for ten minutes as punishment for behaving badly. This idea of being harshly treated or wrongfully accused is frequently reflected in Hitchcock's films."-wikipedia.org 


He directed films from 1921-1976. He died on the 29th April 1980 in Bel Air, Los Angeles. 

No country for old men;

The beginning of ‘no country for old men’ is a powerful display of tension building techniques that incorporate mystery and varying camera movement that keeps viewers on the edge of their seat. The director uses the technique of only showing the back of the villains head at the beginning of the movie. This can confuse the viewer and make them more intrigued into the film. Also, the attention to details through camera shots focussing on different aspects of the set allow the viewer to question and pay attention to what’s going on, to piece together different sections of the movie. The voiceover during the beginning credits builds on the story whilst adding tension as the monotone American accent slows down the beginning sequence, leaving the viewer wanting more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQNvn4eb8LQ

No country for old men;

The start of my research...

To begin my research I put together some ideas of things that thrillers include, types of thrillers and themes that follow through most thrillers making them engaging, tense and thrilling to watch.

Similarities I came across doing my research was mystery, and making people look mysterious. Directors use the effect of silhouettes or only showing parts of people’s bodies, but keeping the faces hidden, to keep the viewers questioning what’s happening on the screen whilst building tension of which the character is going to be or what different settings characters could be at, and so on.

Suspense is also a key aspect to thrillers as they build up to an important part of the film. This can be done through music, pauses and silence. Also, a theme that follows through different thrillers is villains. Whether it is a person, creature or unknown, the villain seems to drive the plot of the movie.

My First Blog (:

Welcome to my brand new media studies blog. On this blog I will be recording my progress as I work in a group of 2-4 to produce an opening scene for a thriller. My brief to produce the thriller no more than two minutes long. I am being assessed on technical competence. For example, how steady the camera is held, camera angles and quality of shots.