Sound, Camera movement/angles, Location, Lighting and Editing

Sound- A thriller film uses non-digetic sound in order to create mystery, suspense and tension (all feelings which are likely to be released for this particular genre) It is a sound bridge which creates a certain atmosphere, which evidently gives away the category the film genre fits into. Fern and I will ensure that we include a great deal of non-digetic sound to create a dramatic yet luring ambience.  We shall do this by using Garage Band- which is a programme that provides a selection of different sound 

effects.

Camera movement and angles-

Throughout my exploration of thriller film trailers I had particularly focused on observing the use of camera movement and angles that were included. Not only was this useful for the making of Fern and I’s production, but it was interesting to highlight upon the angles/movements which were effective and was able to build tension. Before Fern and I had decided to do a thriller film, we had also studied different genres to widen out knowledge, from doing this I had realised how depending on the genre the camera movement/angles differ.  For instance; a romantic film would be expected to have a series of close up’s to see the emotions of characters faces whereas an action film would be known for a series of establishing shots simply because it enhances the importance of the location that they are set in e.g. in the film Taken, it is significant to understand the location they are in.

A thriller film however would be associated with movement consisting of mainly; panning and tracking. These shots are frequently used because it makes an audience feel involved with the film, almost as though it is their own body tracking the ‘anonymous figure for example. The use of tracking and panning builds anticipation, simply because it is that desire to reach the end of the shot- if the camera is panning up on a figure of someone an audience are keen to just see the final shot which supposedly would be the face of the individual. Obviously, thriller films include all types of shots/movements especially when the footage is more concise and alerting, nevertheless I had found these two techniques extremely frequent.  A common angle that is used is low angles. This is often used to emphasise on those in power, those who are inferior of the person that is higher up to them, and those that have more control. These are commonly used simply because it makes the film seem more powerful, it builds on the ‘terrifying’ aspects that the film contains, and makes an audience feel scared about what will follow this shot. When studying the film Lovely Bones I had realised that low shots were frequently used when the mysterious features were occurring- this would enable an audience to get a brief clue of what the antagonist looked like but the audience aren’t able to build an entire interpretation, as their whole identity isn’t being revealed. Close up shots are often used to show the expressions of the characters face, it may show how terrified the protagonist is for example, and how they are striving to escape. As well as these- long shots and mid shots are often used which again follow the thriller conventions.

Location- Thriller films are known to be set in a dismal location, as it builds on the darkness the overall narrative contains. It would seem odd if the location was set in a location which would give the impression of utopia simply because that wouldn’t be appropriate for the genre. The location in a thriller genre is crucial, it sets the scene allowing the audience to understand the key parts of the footage they need to take note of as it may be a clue for later occurrences of the narrative, for example- we have gathered footage of Annabelle the little girl in the park with her father, yet as the trailer progresses we realise she has been abducted, suggesting that the day she was in the park was the day she was abducted- ultimately reinforcing the idea of how vital the location is. The location of a thriller film is often very mysterious. The location is often associated with forests, woods etc, an area which suggests isolation- which as a result leads to how in thriller film it is difficult for the protagonist to escape the isolated area they are endured in.

Lighting- The lighting of a film again is an important feature; it makes the genre and narrative more clearly to the human eye. Dim lighting and darkness is frequently used in thriller films as it suggests that something bad is soon to occur, it is purposely done in order to make the characters in the film frightened but also the audience, as it creates anxiety, therefore it is used effectively and cleverly as the producing of the film is developing feelings that they want an audience to feel. Darkness is something which many individuals are frightened of, and I feel the media has created this association with darkness leading to scary experiences. I have researched upon the lighting that is often used in thriller films and this is what I had found-

High key lighting- many sources of light are used. It is usually used in order to capture one main feature in a high contrast over the whole scene, so it emphasises on the focal point, making it the element that commands the most attention. High key lighting is used to develop shadows, which obviously again are something that is expected to be seen in a thriller film.

Low Key lighting- Tends to give a high contrast on where one part of the light directs the lighting as part of the scene, evidently making it unbalanced and one sided to the audience’s eyes.

Editing- The editing of a film is the most significant job. It allows the footage to flow, demonstrating high quality effects and transitions.  The cuts in thriller films are often extremely quick, these snaps of sharp scenes allow the suspense to build up, ultimately justifying the importance of the scenes and the seriousness of what has just occurred. The fast cuts are often used in a trailer film as it gives the audience a brief overview of the narrative of the film without revealing too much, this mean an audience will be enticed and feel as though they want to watch the film- which reinforces the idea that the trailer was successful and enticing. Cross dissolves and fades between each scene commonly occur, in takes one scene into another in a way which flow/blends as opposed to there being a huge gap between each other.