Alfred Hitchcock
By: Nicole, Sierra, & Hannah
Background
Born August 13, 1899 in Leytonstone, London, England.
In the 1920’s Hitchcock began to work in the British film industry and later moved to Hollywood in the late 1930’s.
Hitchcock’s career as a British film director and producer lasted for six decades and featured over fifty films.
Hitchcock was known for his thrillers, suspense driven scenes, and personal appearances on his own television series.
Today, Hitchcock is seen as a director that managed to combine entertainment and art in a way no director could.
Most-studied film director of all time.
Influential Films
Psycho (1960)
Rear Window (1954)
Notorious (1946)
Vertigo (1958)
The Birds (1963)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Television:
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955-62)
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962-65)
Some of his most influential films are:
He also had some tv shows as well called:
Hitchcock’s Top Rated Film: Notorious
Thrilling World War II spy film.
Leading Actress, Ingrid Bergman, is asked to spy on a group of Nazis in South America.
Rich with elegant, effective camera shots.
Notorious Trailer
How Psycho Changed Cinema
Psycho gave birth to the ‘slasher’ genre.
The shower scene launched the film world into quick-cutting.
The scene required 78 shot set-ups, 52 cuts, and filming lasted 7 days.
The musical score during the murder was very influential.
How Psycho Changed Cinema (Continued)
Hitchcock was determined to keep the plot of Psycho secret.
When the original novel by Robert Bloch was released, Hitchcock bought every copy.
Studio executives and theaters were kept in the dark as well.
No moviegoer was permitted in the theater once the film had started.
This created the norm of movie times and showing up to theaters on time.*
His goal was to maintain the suspense.
*In the 1960’s, there wasn’t set movie times. Moviegoers would show up to the theater whenever they wanted, and then would stay for the beginning of the following showing to watch what they had missed.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents was Hitchcock’s first television series that consisted of 25 minutes.
Unrelated short stories about crime, comedy, mystery, horror, and drama.
Check out an episode: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Inventive Techniques
The Birds
There is no music in The Birds, only the sound of birds. Video
Rope
The whole film was shot in 10 long takes. This way, the viewer feels as if they are watching a play or if they are actually in the story.
Psycho
The editing of “the shower scene” is comprised of jarring and disorienting cuts. Video
Vertigo
The dolly zoom was used while James Stewart is climbing the stairs. By using the dolly zoom in this scene, the viewer feels like they are too high. Video
Double Exposure in The Wrong Man
As Henry Fonda’s character prays to the Lord, Hitchcock has the picture dissolve into the murderer’s face lined up next to each other.
This scene presents a lot of layers, it shows two men that live in two different worlds; however, their two worlds are colliding with each other.
One technique that stood out the most was the double exposure in Hitchcock’s The Wrong Man.
Click the video to the right to see how Hitchcock used the technique.
Hitchcock and Mise-en-Scene
Mesmerizing shots that portray the fear of unknown horror.
Patterns of vertical and horizontal shots that bring viewers in.
Rough quick cutting patterns mixed with stabbing motions and blood circling down the drain.
Provides a blueprint for scenes.
Some examples of Hitchcock and Mise-en Scene from his movies include:
Sources
http://www.indiewire.com/2015/08/alfred-hitchcocks-top-25-films-ranked-184715/
https://the.hitchcock.zone/wiki/Alfred_Hitchcock
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2010/06/how-hitchcock-s-psycho-changed-cinema-and-society/345186/
http://www.businessinsider.com/7852-psycho-shower-scene-2017-1
http://variety.com/2017/film/news/alfred-hitchcock-psycho-secret-1202457671/
http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Independent-Film-Road-Movies/Mise-en-sc-ne-HITCHCOCK.html
