For the location of our thriller, we decided we wanted to film in the 'comfort' of one of our houses. This is because it makes the audience feel as if the victim is in a safe place before the break in, this intrusion will aid in interesting the audience and building suspense as it makes them feel as if they aren't safe anywhere. When putting together our storyboard, we came to a consensus that we wanted our scenes to take place in bedrooms, the kitchen and the garden. We also need props such as beds, a weapon, a wardrobe and ladder; meaning the inside of a home is the best fit for our location choice. Although we finalised this decision, we also primarily discussed filming it at an abandoned warehouse that we are all familiar with, however, we decided against this due to the open roof of the building, meaning we would have to work around weather patterns. As well as this, the warehouse is often vandalised and broken into, meaning we would be interrupted during filming. Another negative of using this building is that it's very unstable and we could easily get hurt during filming, due to holes in the top floor. One positive of using this location would be the dark and creepy mise-en-scene, which would be perfect in creating a tense atmosphere. Another reason to why we chose a house is because we are basing our ideas of existing thriller movies such as Taken and The Call, in these movies the climax builds within the comfort of people's homes, making the audience feel invaded and vulnerable which ultimately creates a thrilling atmosphere. We didn't want to risk changing the location to something that's more unique to the existing movies because we risk displeasing our audience.
When discussing who's house to use we wanted to use one that had an open planned floor space, meaning it would be easier to work with camera angles and shots. As well as this, we also wanted to pick one that would be available at most times so we are able to be flexible with our filming schedule. Another positive factor of using a house is that we can use natural or artificial lighting. This use of mise-en-scene will be helpful in making our thriller the best it can be, as lighting is an important factor in setting the tense atmosphere. ⇒Our first location idea:
The area is dark, scary, but holes in ceiling make it hard to film and are also dangerous.
People breaking in to explore the building means we would be interrupted from filming.
The area is abandoned and creepy, making it perfect for a thriller.
However, it gets dark very easily, meaning we would need to film only during the day. We also found that using artificial lighting doesn't make much of a difference in this dark building and it causes the camera shot to be blurry.
⇒Our second location idea:
This is the floor plan for the house, it has various rooms to choose from, hallways, stairs, a kitchen and is furnished with the props that we will need. This means we will be able to follow our storyboard accurately.
The location means we can use natural or artificial lighting, it will be available at all times to use, it won't be affected by weather conditions and it's also on a quiet street, meaning passing cars won't affect our audio.
When we pitched our initial ideas
to the class, we did not get positive feedback. Many people believed that our
ideas were quite stereotypical and predictable. At the time, we wanted to bring
some elements of horror into our crime thriller, this was because we wanted a
unique aspect to it that was different from the usual crime thriller genre. However, from this feedback we realised that
this would distract us from our main goal and would make it hard for our
audience to identify what kind of thriller they were watching.
In regards to locations, we
initially wanted to film outside. Not only would this be difficult (because of
unpredictable weather),but we also got feedback that this does not relate
properly to the crime thriller. When filming in forests, there are usually dead
bodies found. But because we was filming from before the crime took place, it
meant that this location didn't fit in to our story line. Our audience also
suggested that this is quite a predictable location for a thriller opening, and
so we decided that filming in a house would be more convenient and a bit more unique.
The next aspect of our initial
ideas was sounds. When it came to sound effects, we were very careful as to what ones we wanted to incorporate, as
this often has a significant impact on how successful the genre is
presented/portrayed. At the beginning, we wanted to incorporate screaming sound
effects, but after consideration we decided that this was too similar to the
horror genre and is also over-used and predictable. However, one aspect of sound
that we wanted to use was silence. We used this within the last part of our
thriller opening and it was a good way to build suspense and tension (which I also identified in the thriller, 'The Sixth Sense'). We also
used high pitch sounds in order to scare the audience at times of powerful
shots.(Such as when the intruders face is shown, and when the victim gets
dragged away). When we pitched this idea to our target audience, they believed
that it was too typical and predictable. Although the audience believed we
should change it, we decided to keep it. This is because it is used in many
crime thrillers and we know from our own experience how powerful it is in
building tension. Once our thriller was complete, our audience agreed that this
worked well.
Lastly, our audience primarily
said that the victim hiding inside of a closet is over-used. We agreed with
this and decided to bring in an unexpected twist instead. To do this, we made
it look like our victim had escaped out of a window, and the intruder would
leave the house thinking he had failed his mission. However, we then shocked
the audience by panning the camera underneath the bed, where the victim was
really hiding. The victim then thinks she is safe, before getting dragged away
in a violent manner from under the bed. This made it more unique to other AS crime thrillers.
Overall, although most of our
feedback was negative, we were able to use this to make an even better
thriller. This was done by both changing our ideas, and keeping them the same.
The end result received a lot of positive feedback because of this.
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.
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.
