Initial ideas

Initial ideas

For our initial ideas my group and I put together a Prezi

https://prezi.com/jl70ywla794i/initial-ideas-for-our-thriller-opening/

Storyboard

 Storyboard

When deciding on ideas for our thriller we originally thought of a stalking storyline, however, we decided to change this due to its stereotypical aspects. After discussion and watching other thrillers, we chose this story line, as we believe it has key elements of a thriller.To begin our thriller, we decided to create a welcoming atmosphere for our audience. This will enable us to single-handily build the tension and overall increase their fear, rather than going straight into an ambiguous scene in which the climax has already occurred. We decided we would do this by starting the scene in an innocent girl's room, this is usually quite stereotypical of a cheesy thriller opening, however, after inspiration from popular thriller movies (such as 'The Call' and 'Taken'), we decided this is the best way to build the climax. Additionally, we are going to have the girl on the phone to one of her friends, who will later guide her safety. In the next scene, we chose a long shot or close-up shot of an intruder standing outside of the window of the homeowner's house. We will cut from the intruder looking into the girl's kitchen to a behind shot of the intruder looking in. We want to incorporate this use of camera shots as it suggests to the audience that he is going to break into the house and therefore, something bad will occur. Next, the intruder will attempt to break in. We will use a close-up shot of the intruder attempting to open the back door. This will be made clear with the use of diegetic sound of the doors rumbling. The scene will then switch to an extreme close-up of the young girl's concerned face. She will tell her friend on the phone that she will return momentarily whilst she investigates the noise. A long shot will then be used to show the young girl at the top of her stairs, this long shot will exemplify her empty surroundings so that the audience is once again reminded that she is alone. Once she is aware of a break-in, non diagetic sound will be employed to build tension as it reflects her panicking. The victim will inform her friend on the phone that she is now not alone in the house and she is told to hide under her bed. The intruder then begins to search for the girl, mid-shots of the man walking past personal expensive possessions in the house shows the reader that he is not there to steal and is instead there to find the girl and kill her. This is important as it provides tension for the thriller as the audience knows there is no escape for the girl. 

The scene will then cut to the intruder looking through wardrobes, closets and other rooms of the house to find the girl. His determination to find the girl builds tension as it increases his anger and makes it seem as if the girl is in more and more danger the longer he has to wait to find her. To trick the intruder, the victims' friend on the phone is going to tell our character to put a ladder outside of the window in order to make the intruder think she has already escaped. As the intruder goes to leave we wanted the girl's phone to read, or perhaps a diegetic sound of the girl making a noise whilst trying to get back under the bed. The girl starts to think she is safe until she is dragged from under the bed. An extreme close-up of the girl's face will be used to express her fear and exemplify her fate.

Analysis of other AS media thrillers

Blanc

The opening titles of the AS thriller opening 'Blanc' were not very eye catching or effective to the audience. The group used small black underlined titles, which made it increasingly harder for the audience to read. This distracts the audience from the tension building non-diegetic background music, as they would be focusing more on reading the writing on the screen. Secondly, I  also noticed that the long shot of the first scene is in a well-lit area, making it less thrilling as more people are likely to be scared of the dark. However, there was a subtle use of props that suggests something bad is going to happen, this is shown by sharp barbed wire being wrapped around a nearby tree- perhaps suggesting this is an area people should not trespass, as barbed wire usually symbolises places such as prisons, in which its purpose is to keep the dangerous prisoners from escaping. To improve this opening scene, the students could of employed a better and more catching background image so that the font of the writing appears more clear to the audience. In contrast, the students show a good use of editing skills by enabling the writing to come out of the trees. This is more effective than using a simple/typical fade technique. I would like my group and I to consider this use of editing as it is unique and would intrigue the audience.

 A common use of the camera within a thriller is using a handheld device. This was incorporated within the first scene and was effective as it usually exempts the characters fear by showing their shaky-hand. However, the climax had not yet built within the story so using a hand-held device wasn't as effective as it would be if the character was being chased. Additionally, the scene is a close-up shot that focuses on the floor, this is ineffective as it doesn't build tension and isn't appealing or exciting. To improve, they could of taken a long shot on the hand-held device of the boys empty surroundings, which would suggest he is alone and therefore vulnerable. Another factor that they could of improved was their use of mise-en-scene, the 'victim' is dressed in all black clothing, similar to his stalker. This ruins the tension as it makes the audience feel as if both characters are bad and possess the same qualities, meaning they would feel no fear or worrisome for the boy. 

A long shot is then adopted to show the stalker coming from behind the tree. This is a good technique as it's similar to the titles of the thriller appearing in the same way, therefore suggesting that the 'thrilling' is about to begin. With the use of props, the AS group use a mask to make the stalker look ambiguous and scary, this suggests he is a stranger and would feel no emotional connection or remorse towards the boy and will therefore do anything sinister to satisfy his sadistic needs. This is a typical convention of thrillers and sends a message to the audience that this is a bad character, thus building tension. One criticism of this however is that it is over-used and the group could of come up with a more unique plot. In contrast, the group might of chosen an already-used idea as they would know what audience it would appeal to and how to carry it out best to make it as thrilling as possible. This is something my group and I will consider doing. Additionally, the group also uses a crow bar to show that the stalker is armed and dangerous.

As the non-diegetic music increases in volume, the group adopts an extreme close-up of the victims eyes, suggesting to the audience that he is not alone in his surroundings. The boy then spots the stalker in the woods, close-up shots of the victims face show his extreme fear, which then cuts to the stalkers mask. This use of camera shots is key in a thriller as it shows the two characters are going to have a fatal confrontation. My group would like to somehow incorporate this into our thriller opening as it is a good way to build tension and cause fear and suspense. The group then uses an editing technique of slow motion to show the victim running away, this could imply to the audience that he is too slow and won't get away from the dangerous stalker. The adoption of editing is good because it shows that the group has a wide variety of skills that they are able to use to make a successful thriller.

Overall  this AS group uses good techniques such as sound, mise-en-scene, camera shots and editing to create a successful thriller opening. The story-line becomes more intriguing towards the end and provides a unique twist to other typical thrillers, making this appealing to the audience. Things that they could improve on would be a better choice of costume for the victim to make him look vulnerable, better lighting to create a more thrilling atmosphere and a more effective font to open the thriller.

Inner Evil

The opening titles of 'Inner Evil', filmed by an AS media group, are quite long and involve a lot of logos and writing. Most members of the audience would most than likely not pay attention to this, therefore it is unnecessarily time consuming. However, this does give the audience an idea of what kind of thriller it's going to be about due to the previous movies LionsGate has released. My group and I would like to consider doing this as it sets the mood for the movie. During the titles, the group uses non-diagetic sound to create suspense and give the audience an idea that the opening is going to be unusual, ambiguous and perhaps scary. The titles of the film are clear and written in thin capital letters, therefore making it easy for the audience to read. Using a clear font is good because the audience would be more intrigued to read them, which could be an important factor to help them understand the story line.

The opening scene begins with what seems to be a murder scene, the group uses a handheld device to film the girls lifeless body on the concrete floor. The use of a dolly shot is significant within a thriller as I feel it makes the events more realistic to the reader. As well as this, crime is one of most watched genre's of thriller movies as the audience are always intrigue to find out what has happened and why. A close-up shot of the lifeless girls face looking at the camera is then employed, this is really effective because it creates a connection between the audience and character,making them want to find out how she died. A close-up shot is then employed again to show the same girl awakening from a dream, telling the audience that this didn't happened. The girls facial expression still seems worried and scared, as if she knows this may be her future, therefore, this continues the suspense throughout the thriller.

The group uses the diegetic sound of heavy breathing, showing that the girl continues to be scared. With the use of editing, the group also employs quick cuts which brings a sense of edge to the thriller as they audience doesn't know what it going to come up on the screen next. In regards to the mise-en-scene, the group employs a key as their main prop. Although this is simple, the key plays a vital role within the thriller as it relates to a flashback or vision of her throat being slit by an unknown individual or entity. As well as this, the girls costume is casual and basic, making the audience wonder why she would be targeted for this crime.This coheres to the conventions of a crime thriller, as it's usually an innocent/unknown civilian that is the victim. 

With the use of editing, the group adopts slow motion to show that someone is walking behind the girl as she walks through the streets. This is an effective technique as it creates suspense for the audience. A slow motion effect could perhaps suggest that the 'thing' following her is not human. This links back to the title of the thriller 'Inner Evil'. This title causes questions for the audience as they begin to wonder if it is perhaps the girl herself that is haunting her, this is a typical convention of a psychological thriller as it reflects real life mental issues such as split personality disorder, depression, anxiety and Bipolar. As the thriller continued, I noticed that the non-diegetic sound had sci-fi aspects to it, such as a noise a robot would make. This also makes the audience question the title, as perhaps this is something extra terrestrial. 

To finish the thriller, the group uses a long shot of the girl walking a long a pathway,she is then seen to be followed by another individual, who looks like another girl. The other individuals costume is all black, this use of mise-en-scene suggests to the audience that this is a bad person/villain/antagonist. It's clear through the use of a behind the shoulder shot that the victim is being followed by this unknown person. This builds tension as it suggests to the audience that something bad is going to happen, such as a murder or further stalking. A close-up shot is then employed to show the antagonists face, it appears to be the same face of the victim. A change in the non-diegetic sound creates increasing suspense as the stalker begins to grin with an evil expression on her face. The stalker then walks out of the shot, showing the audience that this person is unstoppable and dangerous. This is a typical convention of a crime/psychological thriller opening, as this is when they feel their most powerful within the movie.

Overall, the group has used some unique techniques to make the thriller interesting for the audience. From watching this thriller I have decided that I want to include some aspects  of it  into my groups. For instance, the clear titles are effective as the reader is then aware of what's taking place, the constant sound is an important factor in maintaining the suspense and the use of camera shots and editing is useful due to it building a relationship between the audience and character. However, to improve this thriller I would have cut down the opening titles as this isn't as important factor of the thriller. Secondly, I would of had a change in the non-diegtic sound. Although it creates constant suspense, it meant there was no exciting build up to the climax.

Conventions of a thriller movie: The Black Swan

Analysis of a thriller

The American psychological thriller-horror, The Black Swan, directed by Darren Aronofsky, was released in 2010 and starred Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel and Natalie Portman. The plot is based on the production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet performance. 

The opening of the movie uses non-diegetic sounds to create the ambiguous atmosphere for the audience. The opening scene incorporates a close-up camera shot of a female with manicured nails, drawing on a white piece of paper with black chalk. This contrast in colours and close-up shot/high camera angle could have been used as a metaphor for the audience. This scene is paired with non-diagetic sounds which plays the song "Swan Lake". Slowly throughout the scene, the tempo of the music fastens, which creates a tense atmosphere. As the music fastens, the girl starts to put more pressure on the chalk; which ultimately ends in the paper turning black. The title then spells "The Black Swan" in bold white letters. The use of white is perhaps used to imply to the audience that Nina, the main character, starts out innocent at the start of the movie, but then begins her tortured journey as a paranoid schizophrenic.

This use of camera angles, sounds and props could be used to give a brief hint of the narrative to the audience. For instance, the black chalk being held by a well-maintained hand that slowly begins to apply more pressure to the paper, could be used to symbolise how the actress, Nina, is losing her mind; therefore subliminally exemplifying her unstable mental-state. Reflecting the characters frantic emotions creates a dense atmosphere for the audience and sets the mood for the rest of the movie. 

In one particular scene, the audience is finally able to see Nina's utter madness through the use of mise-en-scene. She is costumed in an all black-feathered tutu and a crown that covers her face with black netting. This dark colour is a typical convention of a thriller as it suggests negativity, loneliness and evil. The next use of mise-en-scene is through Nina's makeup. The actresses white face-paint and dark eyes make the audience feel on-edge and almost scared of the character, due to her fierce movements that overall contrast usual delicate ballet performances. Her black eye makeup creates a sense of ambiguity, where although the audience knows who she is, it's as if she becomes a complete different person or entity. This theme is complimented through the use of props such as red contact lenses, is not a common prop that a sane person would wear. It almost suggests stress, anger and tiredness, which ultimately creates a connection between the audience and the character, as they begin to comprehend what devotion Nina put in to be able to play the lead role as 'The Black Swan'. In addition, the red eyes could also imply she is turning into something demonic, however this is in her imagination; overall thrilling the audience rather than scaring them. 

Within the same scene, the mise-en-scene is complimented through the use of non-diagetic sound. As Nina dominates the stage, the audience is able to hear the sound of large wings moving through the air as Nina simultaneously moves her arms in a swan-like way. This makes the performance seem realistic. Although this could be perceived as non-diagetic, some could argue that Nina, in fact, hears this noise too; implying she truly believes she is transitioning into the 'black swan' and is therefore mentally unstable. As the scene comes to an end, Nina begins to grow feathers that pierce through her skin. However, her face seems overwhelmed with joy that such a thing has taken place. This creates suspense, tension and shock for the audience and they may also feel a connection with the paranoid schizophrenic's imagination. This is due to the diagetic sound that continuously get's louder, making the audience feel en-captured to what's taking place; inevitably clearing their own thoughts and beliefs in order to tune into Nina's. This is paired with constant cuts with the use of editing, which disorientates the audiences due to the various changing scenes.

Before the movie ends, Nina goes back to her dressing room to find her enemy, who's played by Mila Kunis. A close-up shot is used to show how Nina walks in crying in a white costume. This use of camera angles and mise-en-sene pairs well together because it shows the questionable and brief innocence of the character she plays, due to white signifying purity and tears showing weakness and vulnerability. Nina's rivalry is shown through a 180 degree rule- behind the shoulder shot, which shows Nina's point of view. This use of editing is key for thrillers because it gives the constant sense of someone watching, which manifests tension for the audience. The dialogue is used to show how Mila threatens Nina by telling her she's going to take her lead role as the black swan. In response to this, Nina strangles and stabs Mila with a shard of glass that is left from the shattered mirror. A low angle shot is used to show how Nina is looking down on Mila whilst she strangles her, this is effective to the audience as it shows the dominance of Nina's alternate personality. Through the use of props, Nina's eyes begin to turn red to express her anger to the audience. This demonic approach cohere's to the thriller genre as it excites, yet scares the audience.

The final scene is of Nina in her final performance as 'The Black Swan'. This scene is extremely important in expressing the thriller genre to the audience as it shows Nina's now demolished mental stability. With the use of mise-en-scene, she starts in a white feathered costume which suggests her now declining, yet still innocent personality. With the use of constant editing through quick cuts, the audience once again would feel disoriented, this is a good technique as it reflects Nina's own disorientated mind. The diagetic sound of the song "Swan Lake" becomes increasingly louder and more daunting. This is paired with the use of red lighting that hits Nina every few seconds, this use of mise-en-scene lighting could show how she switches from sane to insane within seconds, as red is normally perceived as a negative colour. This could also be Nina's way of expressing blood to the audience, as she had just stabbed her rivalry. The finale of the performance ends with an extreme close-up of Nina's face. Her makeup has smeared down her face due to crying, yet she is holding her head high. The use of white spot-lighting could of been used to show how the character was finally free from her paranoid mind as she has perfectly completed her performance. A low angle is then used to show how the dancers crowed around her. In this shot, the audience spots Nina's rivalry, Mila. A high angle shot is then used to show blood seeking through Nina's white costume, it's then clear to the audience that she had stabbed herself instead of Mila in one of her paranoid schizophrenic episodes before the last show. 

It's then suggested that Nina dies, due to the transition of the fading spotlights above her. Although this creates a suspension for the audience, there is also a sense of relief. As if Nina is finally free. From this movie, it's clear that typical thriller conventions are used such as  dark costumes, dark lighting, intriguing props, quick cuts and camera angles and shots to show facial expressions and their surroundings. This overall came together to thrill the audience.

Analysis of an action thriller opening: James Bond- Skyfall

James Bond- Skyfall

Skyfall is the 23rd James Bond film produced by Eon Productions and released in 2012. It features Daniel Craig in his third performance as James Bond, and Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the film's villain. It was directed by Sam Mendes and written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan, and features an Academy Award-winning theme, sung by Adele. It was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and Columbia Pictures.

To open the scene, the directors adopt a few seconds of the James Bond theme song, therefore suggesting to the audience that Bond is present in the room. Sam Mendes uses low lighting through the use of mise-en-scene, to make Bonds figure seem ambiguous. This is also done via a long-shot down a hallway, that's taken through a blurred lens. This is effective because it draws interest and attention to the main character. One typical convention of an action thriller is low key lighting as it makes the audience feel on edge, which is something that the genre aims for. As Bond walks closer towards the camera, Mendes uses the mise-en-scene once again by brightening the lighting that hits the characters face. This suggests to the audience that Bond is someone of significance, and the audience should pay attention to him. 

Instead of using sound to build tension, Mendes takes advantage of the complete silence, this creates suspense as the audience would be hesitantly waiting for a sudden burst of sound to occur. Another typical convention of an action thriller I saw in the first scene was the employment of a close-up shot that was focused on Bonds' face, this is used to allow the audience to see the situation from the perspective of the character, which makes them feel as though they are on the scene, and it encourages the audience to empathise with the character.

Mendes also uses mise-en-scene through the costume of the character. Bond is dressed in a smart, tailored suit, therefore implying he is someone of significance. It could also suggest that he is strong and masculine and will win against any bad guy, this is typical within an action thriller. As the scene continues, Mendes adopts a gun as a prop that Bond uses to search the dark building. This is effective because it causes tension, due to it implying Bond could walk into danger at any given time. It's also unusual for the audience to have easy access or be familiar with guns, due to the strict laws in the UK, therefore making this an exciting prop that makes Bond look increasingly masculine and aspirational. Guns are also a typical prop used within action thrillers as they promote violence, fights and crimes, all of which excite the audience and bring chaos to the scene.

As Bond walks towards a doorway, there is a sense of enigma due to it being a mystery as to what is behind the door. Mendes adopts a hand-held camera shot to makes the audience feel as if they are on the mission with Bond, this is effective as it brings the action thriller to life. Similarly to the start of the video, Mendes uses dim lighting to bring the sense that something bad is behind the door. As bond enters the room there is still complete silence, Mendes employs a mid-shot to show the audience the dead bodies that are lying on the floor. This could be an example of the mise-en-scene as the bodies are used as props to subliminally tell bring an element of suspense, surprise and anxiety, all of which are key characteristics of the action thriller genre.

As the character scans the room for signs of what happened before he arrived, Bond picks up a laptop. He is instructed to see if the hard drive is still intact, this is a common characteristic of the action thriller genre as technology is usually associated with distinguishing the good guys from the bad. It's a common convention of an action thriller for the bad guys to get a hold of a piece of information that they are not supposed to have, and it is up to the good guys to retrieve it. Within this scene, camera shots seem to be less significant and mainly focus on showing Bonds' surroundings to the audience, however, this makes them feel part of the mission. As Bond walks out of the building, fast pace music through non-diegetic sound is adopted to exemplify Bonds chaotic surroundings as he sets off to his next mission, this brings excitement to the audience.

From analysing this opening scene, I have found that all aspects of the mise-en-scene (props, lighting and costume) play important roles in the building suspense, surprise and anxiety for the audience. Additionally, I have also found that neglecting to use sound is often more effective than fast pace music. This is because it builds the tension due to the audience not knowing when something is going to happen, therefore making it a useful element of surprise.

Analysis of a superhero thriller opening: The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero thriller film directed, produced, and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Featuring the DC Comics character Batman, the film is the second part of Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins, starring an ensemble cast including Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman.In the film, Bruce Wayne/Batman (Bale), James Gordon (Oldman) and Harvey Dent (Eckhart) form an alliance to dismantle organised crime in Gotham City, but are menaced by a criminal mastermind known as the Joker (Ledger) who seeks to undermine Batman's influence and create chaos.

To open the scene, Christopher Nolan employs an establishing aerial shot which gives the audience an idea of where the movie is going to be set. Since it pans around an area with high skyscrapers, it implies to the audience that it's taking place in a wealthy area. This could suggest, due to the genre of the film, that the bourgeoisie are going to be the victims, or perhaps they are the antagonists themselves. As well as this, Nolan employs certain aspects of mise-en-scene, such as lighting, to tell the audience that the events are taking place during the day. This is different to other thrillers, which are typically set in the dark, as it creates suspense. Non-diegetic sound then takes place which is a very eery tune produced by Hans Zimmer. This music works well with the mise-en-scene as it brings tension and suspense to the bright and happy atmosphere; ultimately suggesting something bad is going to happen. As the camera gets closer towards the tall building, a glass window shatters. This use of sudden and loud diegetic sound shocks the audience as it's unexpected would make them jump, this is something to aim for in thrillers as it intrigues the audience. A behind-the- shoulder shot is then employed to show a masked man's face with a gun in his hand. 

Through the use of mise-en-scene, Nolan uses props, such as an ambiguous mask and a weapon, to tell the audience that this is a bad person/villain. Ultimately, this suggests to the audience that something bad is going to happen, this also coheres to the superhero thriller genre. Through editing techniques, Nolan adopts quick cuts between different shots to show that events are happening quickly to do with the masked men, this could perhaps suggest they are on a mission in the wealthy city and creates excitement for the audience. Nolan zooms in slowly from a mid-shot to a close-up of a man holding the familiar villain mask in his hand, he then gets into a car abruptly. Nolan creates increasing tension and suspense within the film opening by using quick cuts, mise-en-scene and sound. 

Due to the film being about the never-ending conflict between the Joker and Batman, Nolan uses the clown masks to help the audience distinguish between the good and bad people. This is because the Joker always wears messy makeup on his face. This is also a good technique as a lot of individuals in the audience would be scared of clowns, making the joker seem sadistic enough to try and scare people with his appearance to get a thrill, inevitably, this cohere's to the superhero thriller genre. The dialogue within the next scene works well with the mise-en-scene, as the villains are heard talking about their share of money and who can shoot who. This increases the tension as it sounds like a bank robbery is going to take place, making this a typical convention of the general thriller genre; crime. Nolan adopts a long-shot of the villain's surroundings within a bank. A dolly shot is also employed to move along quickly with the actors, this gives the audience a sense of chaos. Diegetic sound is then employed via gunshots and people screaming. The camera then cuts to close-up shots of the individuals faces in the bank to express their fear to the audience, which suggests to them that something bad is happening. Behind the shoulder shots are used to show how the villains hold up guns to the bank workers faces, this use of camera positioning almost makes the villains look faceless and emotionless, meaning they lack remorse and will do anything to finish their mission. This is a common stereotype of a villain and compliments the genre nicely.

Another technique that was adopted was a hand-held device. Commonly used in thrillers, this use of the camera brings shakiness to the screen, making it look like it's coming from a real person perspective who is present in the room. Because of this, the audience would feel as if they are also there, shaking from the fear of being shot. This is a good technique to build tension as it makes the events seem more realistic for the audience. This is important to create within a thriller as it keeps the scene exciting and thrilling.

Overall, Christopher Nolan employs common techniques used within the thriller genre to ultimately build suspense and intrigue the audience. Some of these techniques include mise-en-scene through props and lighting, camera shots and sound.

Analysis of a horror thriller opening: Saw

SAW

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F2tFCiqOmw

Saw is an American horror franchise distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment and produced by Twisted Pictures that consists of seven feature films and additional media. Saw: Legacy is an upcoming American horror film directed by Michael and Peter Spierig, and written by Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger. It is the eighth instalment in the Saw franchise.

 In the opening of the movie, a man is seen laying on a hard, concrete floor. With the use of mise-en-scene, Spierg makes the lighting of the room extremely dim. This sets the mood for the movie for the audience as dark lighting is typically used in horror-thrillers as it puts the audience on edge and creates a sense of ambiguity. For instance, they don't know what is going to suddenly scare them. Another use of mise-en-scene is via the costume of the character. The confused man on the floor is dressed in casual clothing. However, they are ripped and dirty. This makes it clear to the audience that he doesn't know how he got to that location. This could subconsciously be suggesting to the audience that the character was kidnapped and is there against his will. This referencing to crime is a typical convention of a thriller as this is a good fear factor to engage the audience. With the use of transition shots, the opening scene switches from showing the character, to fading to black to show the opening titles. This use of editing is useful because the titles are sharp and the background is black, meaning it also sets a thriller/horror atmosphere for the audience as dark colours are often interoperated as sinister or imply danger. By employing deep and mysterious non-diegetic sound, the director is able to create tension and suspense. This is a common technique used to build the atmosphere in a thriller as it attracts the audiences undivided attention.

A long shot is then employed to give the audience an idea of the location in which the scenes are filmed in. Within this shot, the audience automatically identifies three dead bodies that are scattered around the room like casual decoration. This coheres to the thriller genre as it's usually closely related to crime, such as murder; this is one of the most typical conventions of a thriller as the audiences feel increasingly interested in the story line. This use of these props also shocks the audience as they then know that something bad is going to happen, this is paired with the use of a close-up shot that shows how the victim is chained to the wall, making him vulnerable and helpless. In the long shot, the audience also identifies a man who is standing  above the victim. With the use of mise-en-scene, the director uses costume to make this man seem powerful and dangerous. For instance, he is costumed in all black clothing which is typically a dominant colour and is similar to the dark thriller titles, these paired together suggests to the audience that this man is the perpetrator in the movie. Thriller movies usually incorporate a perpetrator as its a typical convention of the genre due to it giving the audience a suspect. This intrigues them and would encourage them to watch more. As well as this, Spierig incorporates a 'saw' as a prop. This weapon is shown in a long shot which captures the weapon being thrown across the floor, ultimately implying that the victim has no way of breaking the chain; thus once again making him vulnerable and helpless.

With the use of dialogue, the director prompts the victim character to use constant profanity towards the perpetrator, implying he is frustrated and scared and therefore tries to mask this by expressing dominance through his speech. This is a good way to open a thriller to the audience as it gives them their first hint of the storyline, where the victim will loose no matter what as words are useless. It reflects real life societal problems such as murder and torture, thus thrilling the audience as they are able to comprehend the seriousness and surrealism of the characters situation and their likely fate of death. Intriguingly, Spierig uses a walking stick to make the perpetrator seem weaker than expected. This prop, shown in a long shot, is new to the audience and surprisingly goes against the typical conventions of a thriller as it makes the character seem just as vulnerable as the victim. As he limps across the dingy room, the perpetrator is again shown in a long shot, turning off the lights. A close-up shot is then adopted to express the victims fear and frustration after being abandoned with no recourses for survival. When the scene ends, the perpetrator adopts dialogue by saying "Game Over" as he closes the door, which ultimately leads to blackness. These words suggest to the audience that the victim is going to die, however, the ambiguity still lingers as they are confused about why he is there, how he will die or even how will he escape the 'game'. This creates a similarity between this and other thriller movies as the darkness almost shapes/suggests the frightening, yet ambiguous, fate. 

Through all of these factors, the director is able to give the audience an idea of what the thriller will consist of by employing common themes such as crime, darkness and ambiguity.