Thriller 5 - Hostage

Film Title: Hostage
Director: Florent Siri
Title Designer:
Technique Effect (Analysis)
Camera – distance, angle, movement… Camera pans, tracks and zooms out, constantly moving, never stopping, this is to signify that the policemen shown are looking for who ever is kept hostage and that they do not stop looking for them. Additionally, it shows a long shot of housing and shots where the camera is on the ground inbetween two cars, showing that they are looking high and low. By using panning and tracking in the title sequence – this links to the sub genre in which it comes under – action thriller. This flow of action always being shown keeps the build up of intensity going linking in with the music and editing.
Editing – speed, style… Editing is at quite a fast paced, to go with the music and also the camera actions as this goes with the fast paced action of them looking for the hostage, which creates an intense atmosphere. Fast editing is typical in action thirllers as this keeps up the build up of intense and suspense for the viewer and signifies the action happening later on in the film - this links to the mise en scene to introduce the characters and the happenings of the film.
Sound – effects, musical score… Music played to help with the pace of the narrative – keeping with the fast pace search – also uses a police siren when the name hostage appears – signifying again that the police are handling it. Intense music that builds up the tension is typical in an action thriller, this will keep the audience watching and keeps to the pace of the film.
Mise-en-scene – props, costume, setting, lighting, colour… Black buildings wth a red sky are used, makes the town look deserted, like everyones dead.In the long shot of some houses in that street, there’s a red house in the middle, signifying that that is where the hostage is being kept and that the other houses have nothing to do with it. Houses also are surrounded in barbed wire and gates, relating to the title of hostage as these are used to keep people out – to protect whatever is inside the house. This is emphasised further when there is a shot being inside a house with bars on the window, again showing that someone is trapped. Mise en scene is extrememly important as when looking closely it gives out clues to what will happen in the rest of the film, showing policemen looking for the hostage and having a red house signifies that the person that put the other person into hostage will be caught ‘red handed’.
Special Effects – CGI, animation… All of the title sequence is made as an animation, but looks very realistic, this creates a 3D view and is able to let the camera track or pan into different places to let the viewer get used to the surroundings at different angles, therefore showing where the hostage is not. Using animation lets the camera go to their key points to give off clues to what will happen in the rest of the film – this then also sets the scene to which the action happens – showing all angles to the town also shows how hard it is for them to find the person in hostage.
Titles – font, colour, placement, over black / over clip… Names are put onto the buildings in the town, all in white, except Bruce Willis, who half of his name is white on one building, half his name black on another signifying that he could have a split personality in the film, that there is confusion about what he needs to do. Titles seem unimportant, but again can signify what will happen in the film and what the characters and their roles are in the film. Helps set the scene for the film also – making it a thriller with confusions of what he feels and the use of colour to signify stereotypical means, example white being innocent.