Smile

Georgie and I decided on having smiling as a theme for our peice, possibly using the word smile as a title. I've been doing some research, possibly to be used for a voiceover.

This is inspired by watching phone booth (a great example of a thriller) the other day. It starts with a voice over giving facts and figures about phone usage in the world. We wanted a similar thing here, a sort-of detached, scientific babbling to contrast with the tense, psycological aspects.

Smile 
verb, smiled, smil-ing, noun
–verb (used without object)
1. to assume a facial expression indicating pleasure, favor, or amusement, but sometimes derision or scorn, characterized by an upturning of the corners of the mouth.
2. to regard with favor: Luck smiled on us that night.
3. to have a pleasant or agreeable appearance or aspect, as natural scenes, objects, etc.: The landscape smiled in the sunlight.
–verb (used with object)
4. to assume or give (a smile, esp. of a given kind): She smiled a warm and friendly smile.
5. to express by a smile: to smile approval.
6. to bring, put, drive, etc., by or as by smiling: to smile one's tears away. –noun
7. the act or an instance of smiling; a smiling expression of the face.
8. favor or kindly regard: fortune's smile.
9. a pleasant or agreeable appearance, look, or aspect.—Verb phrase
10. smile at,
a. to regard with pleasure or amusement, as with a smile.
b. to regard with mild derision: to smile at someone's affectations.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/smile

In physiology, a smile is a facial expression formed by flexing those muscles most notably near both ends of the mouth. The smile can also be found around the eyes (See 'Duchenne smile' below). Among humans, it is customarily an expression denoting pleasure, happiness, or amusement, but can also be an involuntary expression of anxiety, in which case it can be known as a grimace. There is much evidence that smiling is a normal reaction to certain stimuli as it occurs regardless of culture. Happiness is most often the motivating cause of a smile. Among animals, the exposure of teeth, which may bear a resemblance to a smile, is often used as a threat or warning display - known as a snarl - or a sign of submission. In chimpanzees, it can also be a sign of fear. The study of smiles is a part of gelotology, psychology, and linguistics, comprising various theories of affect, humor, and laughter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smile

Reasons to smile:

1. Smiling makes us attractive.

We are drawn to people who smile. There is an attraction factor. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is so good. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away -- but a smile draws them in.

2. Smiling Changes Our Mood

Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There's a good chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood.

3. Smiling is Contagious

When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them. Smile lots and you will draw people to you.

4. Smiling Relieves Stress

Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you'll be better able to take action.

5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System

Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed. Prevent the flu and colds by smiling.

6. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure

When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home. Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

7. Smiling Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin

Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Smiling is a natural drug.

8. Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger

The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don't go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day -- you'll look younger and feel better.

9. Smiling Makes You Seem Successful

Smiling people appear more confident, are more likely to be promoted, and more likely to be approached. Put on a smile at meetings and appointments and people will react to you differently.

10. Smiling Helps You Stay Positive

Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It's hard. When we smile our body is sending the rest of us a message that "Life is Good!" Stay away from depression, stress and worry by smiling.

http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongbeauty/tp/smiling.htm

In reference to the old adage "It takes 43 muscles to frown and only 17 to smile":

I've been hearing this for years. Supposedly it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown; ergo, you should smile. Happiness, it seems, is the lazy person's emotion. Time to put this platitude to rest. I arrived at the following detailed accounting of the relevant muscles with the aid of David H. Song, MD, FACS, plastic surgeon and assistant professor at the University of Chicago Hospitals. Song, among other things, reconstructs faces--in short, he ought to know. My apologies if this list seems obsessive, but we're going to settle this once and for all. Caveat: Deciding which of the 53 facial muscles are important in smiling or frowning is a bit arbitrary--many make only minor contributions, and depending on the intensity of the expression may not be involved at all. I've listed here the ones Song feels are important, as corroborated by other sources.
Muscles involved in a "zygomatic" (i.e., genuine) smile:
Zygomaticus major and minor. These muscles pull up the corners of the mouth. They're bilateral (one set on either side of the face). Total number of muscles: 4.
Orbicularis oculi. One of these muscles encircles each eye and causes crinkling. Total: 2.
Levator labii superioris. Pulls up corner of lip and nose. Bilateral. Total: 2.
Levator anguli oris. Also helps elevate angle of mouth. Bilateral. Total: 2.
Risorius. Pulls corner of mouth to the side. Bilateral. Total: 2. Grand total for smiling: 12.
Principal muscles involved in a frown:
Orbicularis oculi (again). Total: 2.
Platysma. Pulls down lips and wrinkles skin of lower face. Bilateral (though joined at midline). Total: 2.
Corrugator supercilii (bilateral) and procerus (unilateral). Furrow brow. Total: 3.
Orbicularis oris. Encircles mouth; purses lips. Unilateral. Total: 1.
Mentalis. Depresses lower lip. Unilateral. Total: 1.
Depressor anguli oris. Pulls corner of mouth down. Bilateral. Total: 2. Grand total for frowning: 11.
Despite the fact that smiling uses more muscles, Song believes it takes less effort than frowning--people tend to smile more frequently, so the relevant muscles are in better shape. You may feel this conclusion assumes a rosier view of the human condition than the facts warrant, but I defer to the doctor. Incidentally, a superficial, homecoming-queen smile requires little more than the two risorius muscles. So if your goal in expressing emotion is really to minimize effort, go for insincere.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2489/does-it-take-fewer-muscles-to-smile-than-it-does-to-frown

And I also found an excellent blog page on the subject.

http://anatomynotes.blogspot.com/2006/01/muscles-to-smile-muscles-to-frown.html

Questionaire

If anyone's got some spare time do you think you could just fill this out? Just a bit of research. Thankyou! :) (use the comment thing at the bottom)

1) How often do you watch thriller films?

Once a week
Once a month
Other (please specify)

2) Do you enjoy the thriller genre?

Yes
No

3) What type of thriller do you prefer?

Crime
Horror
Action
Psychological

4) Do you pay alot of attention to the openings of films?

Yes
No

5) Do you like having to think about what's going on in a film?

Yes
No

The Bourne Ultimatum

http://www.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK//video/screenplay/vi2962161945/
The Bourne Ultimatum uses editing techniques such as rapid cuts, particularly in the chase sequences, to create a sense of urgency and panic. This is combined with the steady but fast pace set by the strings and drums during the opening sequence to enhance that atmosphere of a deadline. These musical techniques are particularly prominent in the scene where Noah Vosen is delegating tasks to his team in order to track Bourne and often crescendo as the pace of the chase picks up.

Dialogue such as "you are 9 hours behind the toughest target you have ever tracked' both suggests a deadline and demonstrates how impressive and extensive Bourne's abilities are. (http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2190410009/)

Another technique used to demonstrate how supirior he is, is the use of low angles in the fight scenes, especially when he is throwing the punches.

Following the conventions of thriller, the use of close ups, extreme close ups and telephones are all used to conceal identities and narrative. An example of this would be the scene where Dr. Albert Hirsch is speaking on the phone. Greengrass uses extreme close ups of his mouth and eyes to both conceal his identity and the identity of who hes talking to.

In other conversations, between Simon Ross and Neal Daniels the framing of the shots are dominated by the back of Simon, which give an impression that he's being watched. POV tracking shots, following Bourne, in the opening sequence are also dominated by other objects, making the audience feel as though we're watching or following him. These techniques are used throughout the film.

Moreover, CCTV style shots are used in the opening to follow Bourne. The high angle shot not only used to include the audience in the chase but also to demonstrate Bourne's disadvantage, being wounded.

High Angled Pans of urban city areas are often used as establishing shots by Greengrass to set the scene and show location. Prior to these shots, he uses a black screen with capitalised white writing on saying the place. This writing is accompanied by a typing noise, giving the film an atmosphere of a 'spy thriller'. However, although we hear the typing noise, the writing simply appears in a block instead of letter by letter as would be expected. This is unexpected as it contrasts with the rest of the film, where we usually hear before we see.

In the chase sequence at the beginning we firstly hear the diegetic sirens (which continue as a sound bridge), then see bourne turning to look behind him, and then the follow shot of the actual policemen, giving a sense of realism allowing the audience to immediately sympathise with the main character. Furthermore, this is extensive use of concealment. Other examples include, the use of the name 'BlackBriare' and 'the beginning'. These 'code' names are not explained but frequently used until late in the second half of the film, keeping the audience questioning and feeling as an 'outsider' (causing us to empathise with Bourne). Alienation of the main character is a common feature of Thrillers and is combined with memory loss.
Diegetic enhanced, sometimes off scene, sound is often used by Greengrass throughout the film to create tension and put the audience 'on edge'. Matched by some of the hand held camera work during the opening, this is very effective. Phones ringing off scene, and sound bridges continue the theme of hearing before seeing. Fast, loud, drumming noises whilst Bourne is chasing Desh, elevates the tension. Equally, the silence when Nicky Parsons is hiding from Desh is very effective in creating apprehension. Constantly, the music is used to create a deadline as does the narrative features of a bomb and the attempt to stop Bourne before he got the the training centre.

Mise-en-scene elements often associated with the Thriller genre are the hand Guns (used by almost every character), the police investigations and files, urban/exotic settings eg moscow and the use of lighting to cast shadows or over-expose flashbacks. All of these we would also associate with film noir and 'crime thrillers'.

However, The Bourne Ultimatum contradicts the Thriller conventions when it becomes unrealistic. for example, the motorbike being ridden up stairs, cars turning over, and characters jumping through windows from building to building are particularly exaggerated. This is when it crosses over to an 'action-spy-thriller'.

Student Examples

Third Floor
We liked the use of atmospheric strings in this opening. It matched the slow mo and created tension. Strings may be very effective in our opening.
Also, the use of Black and White flashbacks are very conventional of the genre and worked well in creating confusion and enigmas.
However, we felt it was almost too confusing with almost no continuity. Furthermore, the title at the end seemed rushed an out of place as they didn't match the titles at the beginning, and were in an unconventional order.



Re:Venge
We liked the CCTV style high angle camera work. It was like the main character was being watched. Also, the entire narrative created enigmas such as 'who is the man in the alleyway?'. Furthermore, the use of lighting to create silhouettes was very effect in concealing identity. We would like to try and use this in our film if possible.
However, there were too many shots of the suited man walking up the stairs, making it seem a little repetitive and boring. This was also added to by the repetitive music. Moreover, the unnecessary zooms used when characters were walking towards the camera took away from the professionalism.

Thriller conventions

Settings -

• Exotic eg. foreign cities, deserts, high seas

Characters -

• "Hard men" as hero's accustomed to danger,
• Policemen,
• Spies,
• Soldiers,
• Aviators,
• Ordinary citizens drawn into danger.

Narrative -

• Often overlap with mystery,
• Distinguished by structure of their plots,
• Hero thwarts plans of enemy,
• Grand scale : serial/mass murder, terrorism, assassination, overthrow governments.
• Violent confrontations,
• Hero often has to save their lives and other's,
• Modern films influenced by horror to heighten tension.
• Create a mood of fearful excitement.
• Twists,
• Cross-cutting,
• Flashbacks,
• Narrative retardation,
• Red herrings,
• Chase/pursuit,
• Mysterious characters,
• Principle of concealment,
• Deadlines,
• Morally complex characters,
• Traditionally good triumphs over evil.

Sub-genres -

• Medical thriller,
• Political,
• Psychological,
• Spy,
• Supernatural,
• Techno,
• Action,
• Conspiracy,
• Crime,
• Disaster (natural),
• Drama,
• Eco,
• Erotic,
• Horror,
• Legal.

Technical-

• Tracking (pursuit, subjective),
• POV (watching, immediacy),
• Extreme Close Ups (concealment, expression),
• Reveals,
• Close ups,
• Dramatic angles and framing (audience on edge, unease through strong diagonals),
• Eery/tense/discordant music (build in tempo, volume or pitch, off-scene sounds (concealment),
• Low key lighting and shadows,
• Over exposed lighting on flashbacks,
• Editing pace changes for chase and builds to climax.

Directors -

• Clouzot,
• Hitchcock,
• Friedkin,
• Reed,
• Mann,
• R.Scott,
• Jordon,
• Spielberg,
• Hopkins ect

Examples -

• Phone Booth,
• Double Jeopardy,
• Ronin,
• The Bourne Identity,
• Stranger on a train,
• While she was out,
• Alien,
• The Terminator.

1. The Godfather (1972)
2. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
3. The Dark Knight (2008)
4. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
5. Rear Window (1954)
6. The Usual Suspects (1994)
7. Psycho (1960)
8. Fight Club (1999)
9. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
10. North by Northwest (1959)
11. Memento (2000)
12. The Matrix (1999)
13. Se7en (1995)
14. Léon (1994)
15. Taxi Driver (1976)
16. Vertigo (1958)
17. M (1931)
18. Double Indemnity (1944)
19. The Third Man (1949)
20. Chinatown (1974)
21. The Departed (2006)
22. Alien (1979)
23. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
24. The Shining (1980)
25. L.A. Confidential (1997)
26. Laberinto del fauno, El (2006)
27. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
28. Aliens (1986)
29. Metropolis (1927)
30. A Wednesday (2008)
31. Rebecca (1940)
32. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
33. Touch of Evil (1958)
34. Some Like It Hot (1959)
35. Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)
36. The Great Escape (1963)
37. The Prestige (2006)
38. Salaire de la peur, Le (1953)
39. Strangers on a Train (1951)
40. Sin City (2005)
41. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
42. No Country for Old Men (2007)
43. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
44. Notorious (1946)
45. The Big Sleep (1946)
46. Johnny Gaddaar (2007)
47. Gran Torino (2008)
48. Jaws (1975)
49. Diaboliques, Les (1955)
50. Batman Begins (2005)