Steven SpielbergThriller Director Study

Ryan Gooderham

Steven Spielberg - Life

• He was born ‘Steven Allan Spielberg’• Born 18th December 1946• Married to Kate Capshaw• Lives in Los Angeles (California)

Steven Spielberg - Films

• Most famous for films such as E.T and Jurassic Park

• He is still directing today (at the age of 69), and is currently directing Indiana Jones 5

• He has directed many different genres of film and written many thriller films, for example Jaws.

Steven Spielberg - Career• Spielberg is incredibly succesful, and is known for many films• His best thriller work is the famous film, Jaws and he is also

well known for Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones (more of the action adventure genre)

• Awards: Academy Award for Best Director 1999, David di Donatella for Best Foreign Film 2016

• He has had a big impact on modern theatre – Jurassic Park was considered one of the first science fiction adventure films and Spielberg created the concept of blockbuster films, for example, Indiana Jones, that span over many years due to their success

Jaws

Jaws - Details• Released in 1975• Directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the book by Peter

Benchley• Soundtrack produced by John Williams• Budget of $9 million• Made $470.7 million due to the impressive effects, and the

film is still popular today• Ranked as one of the scariest and most suspenseful films of all

time• Fun fact: the shark in Jaws is only on screen for a total of 4

minutes

Jaws – Basic Plot

• A woman is killed one night by a shark, and the beach is closed, for fears of another attack

• There is another shark attack – the shark begins to eat more people

• Local shark hunter (Quint) offers his services as ‘SHARK HUNTER’

• He hunts the shark with three colleagues, but all does not end well for Quint… or the shark...

Jaws – Critics’ Opinions

• Guardian – 5/5 stars – “this is a masterpiece”• Empire – 5/5 stars – “Jaws is one of the

defining moments in his brilliant career. On a sheer cause and effect basis, it could be Spielberg's finest moment”

• Roger Ebert – 4/4 stars – “It has the necessary amount of blood and guts to work -- but none extra. And it's one hell of a good story, brilliantly told”

Jaws – Thriller Genre

• Lots of suspense in the film – sound (music) especially used to heighten emotions and make the audience frightened

• Plot twist – the shark hunter himself in the end gets eaten

• Visual effects – e.g. dark lighting and open waters – these paly on people’s fears

Jaws – Camera, editing, sound, mise-en-scene

• Low angle shots – e.g. when woman sims in the sea (camera looks up at her) giving the audience the idea that someone (or something) is down there watching her

• Pan – also used while watching the woman swim – adds to the idea that something is down under the water watching here and following her while she swims (getting closer and closer)

• Mostly medium length cuts – fast paced editing used in the more action scenes with the shark included

• Theme tune for Jaws – very noticeable, tense, suspenseful – this helps to signal to the audience that something key is going to happen (usually someone being killed by the shark!)

Minority Report

Minority Report - Details

• Directed by Steven Spielberg• Based on book by Philip K. Dick• Music by John Williams (same as Jaws)• Budget of $102 million• Made $258.4 million in the box office• Well-regarded thriller due to its immense plot

and action

Minority Report - Plot

• The film follows an organisation who stops murders before they have even happened

• This is because there are three mutated creatures called Precogs, who can predict future murders

• The main character is believed to murder someone and goes on the run to find out why he must murder someone

• As it happens, he was set up by the head of the organisation who track down murderers, so he exposes the head and gets the organisation shut down

Minority Report – Critics’ Opinions

• Guardian – “fantastically confident and exhilarating thrill-ride”

• Empire – 4/5 stars – “this stands as the best future noir since Blade Runner”

• Roger Ebert – 4/4 stars – “stunning sequences” “ingenious”

Minority Report – Thriller Genre

• Uses ‘whodunnit’ idea along with red herrings to create confusion and mystery for the audience

• Plot twists used (e.g. head of crime organisation has committed murders)

• Props: guns used- often props such as these are used in thriller films

• Over-exposed colour used to created odd feelings for the audience and highlight confusion

Minority Report – camera, editing, mise-en-scene, sound

• Close up – e.g. main character holding the gun, creates feeling of danger and excitement, could also foreshadow what happens later in the film

• Wide angle shots – enable us to see all of the location and helps to let us understand (due to technology) that the film is set in the future

• Over exposed / colour manipulation – sky seems very white and over exposed, making the world seem very different to how we know it, showing a lack of sunshine and so representing perhaps a lack of hope

• Dramatic music used to heighten emotions and mood