PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA/THRILLER
A Psychological Drama is a thriller story which emphasises the unstable psychological states of its characters.
- Similarities to Gothic and detective fiction
- Dissolving sense of 'reality'
- Moral ambiguity
- Tortured relationships between obsessive and pathological characters.
Psychological dramas often incorporate elements of mystery, drama, action and horror (particularly psychological horror). They tend to involve plot twists.
- 'Quality of reality'
- Characters tend to doubt themselves
- Try to find their 'true identity'
fight club (1999)
D. David Fincher
- Circular/360 degree pan shot
- Glitch/jump cut
- Long tracking/ dolly shot
I tried to recreate these longer lasting tracking shots for the dining table scenes. I wanted to also use the glitch/flash effect but I think I should have made my glitches much faster like the ones used in Fight Club.
I also wanted to include a moment from Fight Club when the main characters boss is talking to him but his speech is muffled as he is not paying attention and this creates an eerie, dreamlike feel. The dialogue is not the main focus of the scene and so the inaudible talk is just background noise to the character and the audience.
I also wanted to include a moment from Fight Club when the main characters boss is talking to him but his speech is muffled as he is not paying attention and this creates an eerie, dreamlike feel. The dialogue is not the main focus of the scene and so the inaudible talk is just background noise to the character and the audience.
BLACK SWAN (2012)
D. Darren Aronofsky
I also looked at various shot types and camera movements from Black Swan.
I also looked at various shot types and camera movements from Black Swan.
- More handheld close ups of protagonists face
- Handheld tracking shot (P.O.V door shot)
I tried to replicate these shaky handheld style close ups to build tension.
other films
I also looked at a few other psychological drama films such as:
- Split (2017) D. M. Night Shyamalan
- Gone Girl (2014) D. David Fincher