Skip to main content
Games Radar
  • Newsarama
  • Total Film
  • Edge
  • Retro Gamer
  • PLAY
  • SFX
Total Film The smarter take on movies
Subscribe
(opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
Gaming Magazines
(opens in new tab)
Gaming Magazines (opens in new tab)
Why subscribe?
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12.99
(opens in new tab)
View (opens in new tab)
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Subscribe
  • Podcast
  • Newsletter
  • Magazines
    • Retro Gamer
    • Play
    • Total Film
    • Edge
    • SFX
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best Netflix Shows

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. Home
  2. Movies

How To Make A Hitchcock Movie

By Dan Goodswen
published 4 August 2009

A checklist for the budding filmmaker...

  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • Comments
Blonde Bombshells

Blonde Bombshells

The Trademark: Hitchcock’s leading ladies are invariably blonde bombshells, and often appear to be prim and proper – a façade which quickly reveals them as thieves, adulterers and kleptomaniacs.

Seen In: Grace Kelly in Rear Window , Kim Novak in Vertigo , Tippi Hedren in The Birds , Ingrid Bergamn in Spellbound etc.

How To Recreate It: Head down your local IKEA, which if we know anything about IKEA should be packed full of Scandinavian beauties.

Find the slightly damaged one who can’t help but steal, and you’re away.

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
Director Cameo

Director Cameo

The Trademark: Hitch couldn’t help but throw himself among the pigeons, turning up at some point in almost every film he ever made, from obscure blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments to long shots.

Seen In: Being bothered by a small boy as he reads a book on the Underground in Blackmail , missing the bus in North By Northwest , boarding the train in Strangers On A Train.

How To Recreate It: Short of resurrecting the chap and being responsible for an awesome undead Hitchcock roaming the earth, a cardboard cut out should suffice.

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
Famous Landmarks

Famous Landmarks

The Trademark: Hitchcock’s finales were finely orchestrated set-pieces often involving famous landmarks.

Seen In: From the domed roof of the British Museum in Blackmail to the Statue of Liberty in Sabotuer , The Royal Albert Hall in The Man Who Knew Too Much to Mount Rushmore in North By Northwest

How To Recreate It: Filming at most major landmarks is going to be tricky. It’s mostly illegal for one, unless you have a permit, which you likely will not.

Best thing to do is get a small handheld camera, pretend you and your actors are tourists and run like buggery if you get caught.

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
Technical Skill

Technical Skill

The Trademark: The Jowel™ was always pushing the boundaries of cinema, constantly striving to develop new techniques and pioneering several.

Seen In: POV shots in Spellbound , using a giant hand and props to keep perspective. Use of the ‘Dolly Zoom’ in Vertigo . Clever editing made Rope appear to be a single take.

How To Recreate It: Get jiggy with your in-camera effects. A dolly zoom can be achieved by walking forwards and zooming out.

An office favourite is the classic ‘click your fingers and disappear’ trick that makes it appear you have teleported.

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
Mommy Issues

Mommy Issues

The Trademark: Characters in Hitchcock films are often involved in highly unusual relationships with their mothers.

Seen In: Roger Thornhill’s abrasive relationship with his mother in North By Northwest . Sebastian’s meddlesome mother in Notorious . Oh, and that lovely Norman Bates in Psycho .

How To Recreate It: Sadly, totalfilm.com don’t need any help in this department, after being maternally disowned for snubbing a decent career in favour of film journalism.

Perhaps you could come work for us, and then yours might hate you too.

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
Ordinary Man In An Extraordinary Situation

Ordinary Man In An Extraordinary Situation

The Trademark: The protagonists in 'Alf’s Joints' are often average middle class types, victims of circumstance, who rise to the occasion and become heroes.

Seen In: Joel McCrea in Foreign Correspondant , Jimmy Stewart in North By Northwest , Leslie Banks and Edna Best in The Man Who Knew Too Much .

How To Recreate It: You need to find the most wholly average person available. Do you have a friend with a bit of Jimmy Stewart/Bogey/Tom Hanks/Shia The Beef about them? Cast them, and the rest will take care of itself. Kinda.

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
Single Location

Single Location

The Trademark: The Cock often set his film in a small space, as a technical challenge as much as a dramatic device of a budgetary concern.

Seen In: The lifeboat in Lifeboat , the apartment in Dial M for Murder , the apartment in Rear Window , the apartment in Rope .

How To Recreate It: Pick a place - preferably a tiny, uncommonly used place - and build your story around that.

A tree house perhaps, one which no-one can leave as there are zombies waiting on the ground, zombies that are never seen… Someone should seriously make this film. Seriously.

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
The MacGuffin

The MacGuffin

The Trademark: An item of value which is of extreme importance to the characters, who all want to possess it.

Seen In: The ‘Top Secret Plans’ in The 39 Steps , the ‘microfilm’ in North By Northwest , Guy’s Lighter in Stranger’s On A Trai n , the stolen $40,000 in Psycho .

How To Recreate It: Look around you right now, wherever you are – and pick the first object you see.

The more trivial the item the better. A stapler for example, which has staples made from a top secret alloy or something.

Or just stick with zombies.

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • (opens in new tab)
  • Comments
Dan Goodswen
Social Links Navigation
0
See comments
Load Comments
Recommended
New games for 2023 and beyond to add to your wishlist
  1. Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro gaming router
    1
    ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 Pro review: "Does exactly what it was designed to do - and more"
  2. 2
    Hi-Fi Rush review: "An undeniably wild ride that shouldn't be ignored"
  3. 3
    Elgato Wave DX review: "An excellent choice for streamers looking for a high-quality dynamic XLR microphone"
  4. 4
    Herman Miller X Logitech Vantum review: "A well-designed and comfy ergonomic chair but one that lives firmly in the shadow of its sibling"
  5. 5
    Season: A Letter to the Future review: "As beautiful as it is quaint"
  1. Knock at the Cabin
    1
    Knock at the Cabin review: "Shyamalan doing what he does best"
  2. 2
    Puss in Boots: The Last Wish review: "The cat's pyjamas"
  3. 3
    The Fabelmans review: "Spielberg's period drama evokes wonder"
  4. 4
    M3GAN review: "A lot of fun but short on frights"
  5. 5
    Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Almost as sharp as the first"
  1. The Last of Us
    1
    The Last of Us episode 3 review: "An early contender for one of 2023's best episodes"
  2. 2
    Poker Face episode 1 review: “Takes the hardboiled detective story to a new level”
  3. 3
    The Last of Us episode 2 review: "A more calculated entry that focuses on Joel and Ellie"
  4. 4
    The Last of Us episode 1 review: "Expands on the games – and often betters them"
  5. 5
    Vikings: Valhalla season 2 review: "Has lost some of its feverish intensity"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab).

  • About Us (opens in new tab)
  • Terms and conditions (opens in new tab)
  • Privacy policy (opens in new tab)
  • Cookies policy (opens in new tab)
  • Advertise with us (opens in new tab)
  • Review guidelines (opens in new tab)
  • Write for us (opens in new tab)
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers (opens in new tab)

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.