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.