Thriller film director study focusing on Steven Spielberg and his films: Jaws and Minority Report

1. Steven SpielbergThriller Director Study
Ryan Gooderham

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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. Jaws

6. 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

7. 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...

8. 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”

9. 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

10. 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!)

11. Minority Report

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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”

15. 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

16. 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