Final Feedback

Here is my final feedback from class mates who have watched my film via YouTube or my blog.



“I think this is really well done, the main thing that did it for me was the fact that you have made it look professional, with your camera shots, locations and audio”

“Really well done, you can clearly see that a lot of effort has been put in here, my only negative would be the slight lack of diagetic sound”

“Dead good, I really enjoyed watching this, love the soundtrack and camera shots!”

“Nicely done! Your camera shots look really good, your audio fits in well with what you see on the screen and you really set the mood just from the first few minutes”


I’m really pleased with this feedback, I think that everybody has noticed the aspects which tried especially to implement and particularly I feel that everybody who watched the video generally enjoyed it, which is of course the main purpose. The only negative was about the lack of diagetic sound, which we did have an issue with, so if I were to do this again, I would make that my priority as sound is a major part in any film production.

Final Piece 'The Asylum'

Evaluation

My overall thoughts on our piece were very positive, I thought we tried really hard to create suspense and tension and what we put in, we got out.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Our thriller was filmed after we studied many professional thriller films. Studying these films helped us realise the forms and conventions of thrillers and allowed us to interpret them into our own.
Watching ‘American Gangster’ and ‘The Departed’, personally influenced me to plan ours. It helped me decide how to put across certain messages to the audience and taught me not to make things to obvious.
From the start we used establishing shots to settle the audience down as many good thrillers do, letting them get to grips with there whereabouts of the scene. We wanted to make sure that we gave no indication to the location or time of day; we wanted them to try and work it out for themselves. This is done in many thrillers, we wanted the readers to think about what they are seeing so that they started to think in one direction and then as they are convinced they know what is happening we mislead them.
As the car drives over the top of the camera we cut inside it, we wanted to make sure we didn’t give the audience a clear view of who is in the car so we used low key lighting and used a darkening effect.
The following shot is another one of the vast landscape and then suddenly the same car appears over the brow of the hill, with the slow paced music we made this shot send out a message. That this car is not stopping for anything and as it speeds past the camera it makes the audience ask questions about where the car may be going, who’s inside it, why are they driving so fast?
After another shot of inside of the car, its cuts to it pulling up outside a run down building, the shots of this run down area create an uneasy atmosphere. All the films that we have studied do what we have done; they settle the audience and that start to make them feel uneasy about things.
The next shot is the first clear indication to what is happening as a man drags a young boy out from the car and pulls him toward the entrance of the building. In this clip we didn’t want to use any effects, we wanted the audience too see exactly what is happening.
I studied the opening of ‘The Usual Suspects’, in that opening they never give a clear view of what is going on. Apart form the car scene, in our piece we did the same by using low key lighting, and then using industrial lamps to create shadows, this makes the audience have to really look to see what’s happening.
It then cuts to the tiled room, like all good thrillers they use the protagonist reactions to first give any indication to what is about to be shown. We used Tom’s expression to make the audience think of what he could be looking at and then we cut away to it. A man tied up to a chair with a bag over his head. As it cuts away there is a thud, which was purposely put in to create a little jump.
As the two men and the boy walk towards the victim, we cut back and forth between the two shots to remind the audience what they are seeing.
A lot of the time world class directors use a lot of slow motion to capture emotion, so that is what we did, we had a reaction shot of Tom, reacting to the victim tied up. This also made the audience feel sympathy for the young boy Tom. Which was a key thing to achieve as in all thrillers, you need to have a protagonist who everybody can relate to.
The final scenes we have a tense build up, with any climax in thrillers, they don’t bring the penultimate moment in for a while, so that the audience is on the edge of there seats. With ours we tried to do the same, but I felt we didn’t hold the build up for long enough, we had cutaways shots between the victim and the young boy who is about to shoot him. And then finally pulls the trigger, but like in all good thriller openings, it cuts away before you see whether the gun shot hit him.
The soundtrack we used throughout reflected what we wanted the audience to feel, it pace was just right for the movements although a different track could have been used for the scenes in the building.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Our media piece particular focuses on organised crime run by gangs of white middle aged men. We were influenced by Irish American mob gangs like the ones in ‘The Departed’. The way they go about doing things was our main inspiration, how they are so calm, but brutal. We particularly presented these men to be from a very poor background and to be uneducated, but have learnt the tricks of the trade through former gang members or perhaps family members. Our gang is presented to be quite close. They seem very calm around each other and well organised. I believe that the Irish are considered to be quite a passionate group in today’s society and there are not many like them. Our representation of middle aged men and how they dress was an important one to consider for us. With all of us having fathers we looked to see how they would dress on any normal day and found them to be a good model to base our costumes around. We found that they commonly wore lighter coloured jeans; they rarely are seen to be wearing hoodies as that is seen to be allocated with a younger age. It was more along the lines of puffer jackets or leather jackets. We took all of this into consideration when portraying these groups, so that we could do it in the correct way.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Researching into the different distribution companies and looking specifically at the ones that distributed ‘American Gangster’ and ‘The Departed’ helped us see who might distribute ours. And with our piece running along the same lines as these two films which were distributed by ‘Universal pictures’ and ‘Warner Bros’ we thought that either of these would be ideal for distributing our film. As they are both known to distribute films that run along the criteria of Thrillers and have films that are certificated at 15 which is what our piece was given.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Our audience would be for all of those thriller lovers, who enjoy all the conventions of thriller films. I think that anyone below that certificated age of 15 would not be suitable as it would contain scenes that would not be appropriate for them to see. I think mainly our target audience would be middle aged people. I think that would be the age group that would appreciate the work efforts that we put in, but also they would appreciate the portrayal of gangs and young children. I think particularly they would find the portrayal of Irish American gangs to be interesting.
Also the fact that the film contains a lot of effects and fast shots it would suit this age group, any age group higher would perhaps find it all to much.

How did you attract/address your audience?

We attracted the audience by making sure that our film looked professional, films are anticipated now days to be at such a high quality standard that anything that looks the slightest out of shape, people turn a blind eye to it. I believe it was important to follow the typical thriller techniques, so that we would lure the audience in and settle them down and then begin to give twists or quicken the pace of the film etc. Aspects like this really help to draw the audience in, I think it was also vital to have a good storyline, people sometimes can see how the story is going to go just from the opening, it was important that we did not give any indication to what will happen further on in the film.
I believe that the main way we addressed people was by the common use of allowing the audience to connect with the protagonist. It was important that all our representation of social groups were correct and precise to help them understand the thinking behind these groups.


What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Before our continuity piece a had no experience with editing, especially on Apple Mac’s. But through the continuity I learnt a great deal, which aided me when editing our main piece. I found that editing our main piece was the exercise that taught me the most.
I found that you have to ensure that when filming shots you give enough time at the start and the end of each shot to give you enough film to edit, so that you weren’t cutting off any of it and if you wanted a particular effect you had enough time to apply it etc.
I learnt that lighting played an extremely key role in making our film look professional; it is very easy to not notice the change in light between each shot, so you have to make sure that you check the lighting for every shot, so that it flows nicely. With ours we found it difficult and at some points there was too much change in the light when filming in two separate rooms. But after a while spent testing the contrasting effect on the Mac we resolved the problem.
The most vital aspect of all with the technology used was the audio; it was unquestionable that this had to be spot on, because looking at other AS Media films it was always the audio that let them down. It was either not flowing or the quality of sound was poor and because of this you weren’t able to hear the key things they wanted you to hear. With ours I found it was important to consider sound in every shot, I made sure when filming that we were all completely silent even if we were not going to use the sound from the camera, because then I would still have a choice when it came to edit it all. We also found with the audio hat it was easier to record sound separately and then add it in. The only doubt I had about our piece was the lack of diagetic noise.


Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

I have learnt that organization is key, it is important that we were organized throughout filming, like such things as remembering equipment or props and ensuring that everybody knew the meeting times etc.
Another vital aspect was the planning; I found it reassuring that when we came to film we had a plan. Without the plans we made and storyboards we would have been stuck for ideas a lot more often, but as we had planned, the filming flowed at a good pace.

I feel from the preliminary task to the final product I have learnt a great deal, mainly the best way I have learnt this is through my mistakes which have then amended. I feel a lot more confident when editing, I feel if I were to film again that I would be more prepared and would give myself more time between shots, so that editing became easier. And I generally feel that this experience has made me appreciate the work effort that goes into not only the major movie productions, but the smaller productions like my own.

Feedback

We showed our media class our peice which still had some changes to be made and asked if anyone would like to make any comments or give feedback on it.
Here is some audio feedback.



The overall feedback was good, i think that taking this feedback into consideration will help us improve our piece. We were particular highlighted on our audio, which was a concern before we showed our theiller, so improvements there will be made.

Choosing The Right Soundtrack

I believe that getting the right soundtrack to fit our own thriller piece was the hardest part. The soundtrack can express what you want the audience to feel and it can create moods. For us we wanted a medium paced track which would build and build but without being to over the top, we wanted the audience to sympathise with the young boy who had been taken.
Also the majority of our opening scenes show the gang going somewhere, so we wanted a kind of galloping beat. Our track had to sound serious if we were ever hoping to create a mood, but it also had to fit what you were seeing on the screen.

Marc Streitenfeld- Fire



I finally settled on Marc Streitenfield’s brilliantly composed soundtrack for the film ‘American Gangster’. His use of violin strings brings a fantastic sense of suspense. Also the constant thud of the drum creates the pace that we wanted to have.


Marc Streitenfeld - The Arrival



The second track we used was also from American Gangster and composed by Marc Streitenfield. This track has a quicker pace to it and what we really wanted to do with it was to emphasise the power that the gang of men have over the boy as they push him out the car and through the corridor and I believe with this soundtrack it does that.

Wardrobe

As we were supposed to appear to be a gang of fully grown men we had to make sure we looked like a gang fully grown men, so wearing certain clothes to portray this was key in telling the audience who we are.



We based our outfits from this music video we found, where in the clip it shows gangs of men walking around looking intimidating. This was what we wanted to look like so we watched the video a few times over and managed to get hold of similar outfits to what they wore.



We wore working hardware boots which gave us a lower class look as though we were a rough bunch, working in the shipping docks.



The hats were to make us look all the more threatening as throughout the film you cannot see clearly who the characters are, which makes it quite creepy.



We wore scruffy jeans and large puffer jackets, which we found to give us a more gangster appearance.

Props

We didn’t have to use many props for our piece but the ones we did use were vital. The gun was used throughout the filming, although it is not visible in all scenes we had it on us at all times.

We used Robyn Tolley’s Volvo XC90 for the driving scene, which was a fantastic car to use, as we were meant to be gangsters and we found that commonly big cars are associated in movies as gangster cars, so using this 4x4 was ideal.



For the corridor scene we used huge clear polythene dust sheets to place around the corridor to create an industrial/run down appearance. And we also used industrial lighting and placed these behind the sheets to create shadows.

Locations

We were unsure for a while about where we would film our scenes. We all had an idea of how we would want each scene to look, but realistically didn’t know whether we could find anywhere that would give us what we wanted.
In the end we settled on four locations that we found to suit well with what we had in mind.



Cannock Chase was ideal for the first opening shots, with its vast landscape and extraordinary scenery it was a perfect way to open our thriller. We mainly liked using this location as our opening scene; because it doesn’t scream out that it is anywhere in particular. It could be anywhere in the world and makes the audience question the location they are seeing, so straight away draws the audience in.



The former St Georges physiatric hospital which is currently derilict was just what we wanted for our piece, as we were looking for a run down, creepy and dangerous looking building. And that was exactly what we got with this location. It was ideal because we were only intending to film the outside of the building, as the inside of it was out of bounds. This was the perfect location for ‘The Asylum’.

The third and forth locations were in Walton High School, we used a long corridor in one of the buildings which was useful to use. We had to adapt the corridor though to make it look like a run down building like St Georges, so we put huge dust sheets up and scrap paper all along the floor. We also had big industrial lighting doted around the area to create shadows.

The final location was the Walton High School Changing rooms, where we used the old shower room. This was perfect for our shooting scene as we wanted a plain tiled room to get some great shots of the victim tied up. The shower room really came up well on the final edited piece as it truly looked like a scary, run down place.

Dates & Planning

We had to make sure we were organised, so that we were able to go ahead as planned, I thought it would help if I sent an email to all the lads in my group making them aware of all the dates and props/clothes needed to be brought on the day.

Storyboards

Initial Planning
These are some rough storyboards we sketched to give us an idea of how we will film everything. We also used them as guidelines throughout the filming process so that we always had ideas and a plan to refer back to.



From Left: Media tracking shot with dim lighting, as the boy is dragged down the corridor.

Long shot tracking backwards as the three men enter and then walk down the corridor.



From Left: Over the shoulder shot as the men and boy approach the victim.

Close up of the young boy being pushed forwards towards the victim.



From Left: Medium shot with sharp focus on the gun being loaded and with the victim in a deeper depth of field.

Media shot of the young boy holding the gun. This shot is sustained for 10 seconds and then the gun is fired.



From Left: Low angled medium shot of young boy finding the victim to be his father.

Wider shot which establishes the room and its surroundings.

Rating Our Thriller

We did some research to see, if we had to rate our thriller, what rating it would be, so we looked on the official website of the BBFC and looked at the specification for certificate 12 and 15. We only looked at these certificates because we thought that our piece would not be higher or lower than these even if we were to carry it on.

This is from the officail website of the BBFC

12-Suitable for 12 years and over exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them.

Discrimination
Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned.

Drugs
Any misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised or give instructional detail.

Horror
Moderate physical and psychological threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained.

Imitable behaviour
Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied, or appear pain or harm free. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

Language
Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’) must be infrequent.

Nudity
Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.

Sex
Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.

Theme
Mature themes are acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.

Violence
Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.

15 –Suitable only for 15 years and over No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.

Discrimination
The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.
Drugs
Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.

Horror
Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.
Imitable behaviour
Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

Language
There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.

Nudity
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.
Sex Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behavior, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.

Theme
No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.

Violence
Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification

After reading through the specification of both certificate ratings, we decided that ours would be a 15, because if we further developed our piece it would have aspects of this rating.

What makes a good thriller?

If our thriller was going to be well done and interesting then we needed to know the key aspects of a thriller.

There are so many different components to a thriller that it’s one of the most difficult genres to succeed. If you consider some of the most successful thrillers, their storylines are often quite farfetched yet they must tell the story in such a way that the audience can perceive it to be real and become totally absorbed by it.

Creating a Sense of Danger
A thriller needs to have a central main character (protagonist) who finds themselves in danger. Often, the plot of a thriller will seek to isolate the protagonist from the world around them. To do this successfully, you need to be able to portray their sense of loss, betrayal, feeling as though they are on the edge and that their whole world is at risk of collapse.
The important thing is to get the viewer to actually feel that the problems the protagonist encounters could actually happen to them and to be able to instill a sense of fear, dread and worry into the audience.

The Importance of Pace
You’re thriller needs to ensure that it’s fast paced throughout. Very often, the beginning of a thriller wastes no time in putting the protagonist in a dilemma from the off and this enables the audience to relate to their situation immediately.

The Balance of Power
Another important aspect of thriller writing is to ensure that the villain or antagonist always has the balance of power shifted in their favour for the vast majority of the film. So the audience is certain that the protagonist cannot escape the danger.

Twists and Turns
Good thrillers try to lure the audience in to a false sense of security. They should be written from the point of view of taking the audience on a journey where they’re not sure where they are going. Scenes which build to a point where the audience thinks they know what to expect but then the scene dramatically switches to an unforeseen outcome will maintain the suspense and tension.

Representation

Representation refers to the construction in any medium of aspects of ‘reality’ such as people, places, objects, events, cultural identities and other abstract concepts. Such representations may be in speech or writing as well as still or moving pictures.
The term refers to the processes involved as well as to its products. For instance, in relation to the key markers of identity - Class, Age, Gender and Ethnicity - representation involves not only how identities are represented (or rather constructed) within the text but also how they are constructed in the processes of production and reception by people whose identities are also differentially marked in relation to such demographic factors.

'The Usual Suspects' Opening Analysis

This is a superb opening to a classic thriller; Bryan Singer creates a huge amount of questioning by the audience just from the first few scenes of the film. He does this by not showing any indication into the location or who any of the characters are. He starts with a very subtle title opening and then cuts into the middle of things, with a character named Keaton on a burning ship with several dead men about. He lights a cigarette and starts a fire that will kill him and another man on the ship. But the fire is temporary extinguished by this man standing above Keaton, who pisses on the line of flame. The man then slowly walks down the stairs towards Keaton, at the same time there is a repetitive melody form violin strings which creates tension and suspense. Bryan Singer again forces the audience to ask, ‘who is this character?’ but no indication is given. Singer uses low angled shots to restrict the audiences view on the situation. As the man approaches Keaton it cuts to Keaton’s face and from his expression the audience can see that this man is not a friend. It then cuts and with low key lighting you can barely see what the man is doing, but Singer purposely shows a glimmer of metal. The audience immediately thinks that he has a gun or a knife and then as the music builds, so does the man’s hand which then appears to have a gun in it. This is all still a low angled shot, so your not sure whether he is pointing a Keaton or something else.
It then cuts away to a shot of the ship and all you here are two echoing gun shots. This is brilliantly done by Singer, he is making the audience hold there breath for the climax in which they think there going to see a horrific death, but Singer cleverly cuts away, so that nothing can be seen, but only heard. This also makes the audience ask whether Keaton was shot or did Keaton miraculously shoot the man.
But there question is perhaps answered when it cuts back to a figure standing on the ship, he drops his cigarette onto leaking petrol and the whole ship sets alight. The following shots show the ship burning, but there is a odd focus on some barrels and ropes which Singer makes the audience think whether Keaton is there, but still alive.

Research: Camera Moves

This was key research to make, as learning these camera movements would give our piece a wider range of shots, which would make it overall more interesting to watch.
When the camera changes its position by moving left or right, this is called tracking or trucking. Changing the camera's position by moving it forward or backward is known as dollying. When the camera stays in the same position but turns left or right, this is panning, and when it turns up or down, this is known as tilting. Even when the camera is stationary and not turning it can appear to move closer to or further from its subject; by using a special ring or lever on the lens, the camera person can zoom in or out.
Although these moves are useful to us, we had to make sure not to overuse them or they will lose their effect. Any camera movement must be planned and rehearsed by us so that it will be smooth and in tune with the action.

Research: Camera Shots

Before we started filming, I thought it would be vital to do some research on camera shots. This would enable us to use the correct technological terms when planning and to experiment with a wide variety of shots when filming, which would only give our final piece a more professional appearance.



EWS (Extreme Wide Shot)
The view is so far from the subject that he isn't even visible. Often used as an establishing shot.



VWS (Very Wide Shot)
The subject is visible (barely), but the emphasis is still on placing him in his environment



WS (Wide Shot)
The subject takes up the full frame, or at least as much as comfortably possible. AKA long shot.



MS (Mid Shot)
Shows some part of the subject in more detail while still giving an impression of the whole subject.



MCU (Medium Close Up)
Half way between a MS and a CU.



CU (Close Up)
A certain feature or part of the subject takes up the whole frame



ECU (Extreme Close Up)
The ECU gets right in and shows extreme detail.



Cut-In
Shows some (other) part of the subject in detail.



CA (Cutaway)
A shot of something other than the subject.



Two-Shot
A shot of two people, framed similarly to a mid shot.



OSS) Over-the-Shoulder Shot
Looking from behind a person at the subject.

Research: Camera angles

This research was helpful to do, but camera angles have there limitations as one of the camera angles explained here requires a craned camera which is something we don’t have. Apart from that this researched helped us a lot to position the camera and help us capture and focus on what we wanted the audience to see.

The angle from which a shot is taken is another way to give variety as well as information. A high-angle shot positions the camera above eye-level, looking down on the subject, which consequently appears insignificant, weak, helpless, or small according to how extreme the angle is. At eye-level, the impression is neutral. A low-angle shot has the camera looking up at the subject, which then appears important, powerful, or domineering, again depending on how exaggerated the angle is. Usually the camera looks at the subject, but occasionally the camera shows what the subject is seeing. The is a reverse-angle shot.

Influences

Before we were given any opportunity to start planning our own thrillers, we first studied in class the techniques used by world class directors, by watching a number of thriller films such as:

• Seven-Directed by David Fincher (1995)
• No Country For Old Men-Directed by Ethan Coen and Joel Coen (2007)
• Psycho- Directed by Alfred Hitchcock (1960)
• Mr Brookes-Directed by Bruce A. Evans (2007)
• Memento- Directed by Christopher Nolan (2000)
• Taking Lives- Directed by DJ Caruso (2004)

Films that influenced my thriller piece:

• American Gangster- Directed by Ridley Scott (2007)
• Blood Diamond- Directed by Edward Zwick (2006)
• The Departed- Directed by Martin Scorsese (2006)

Our storyline was influenced by all three of these films, when planning our thriller piece we would always refer back to these films to see how they portrayed certain aspects and take this and try to follow there techniques, but without copying.
We were mainly influenced by the techniques of Ridley Scott in ‘American Gangster’, his portrayal of gangs really gave us ideas with our piece.

'Taking Lives' Analysis

How does ‘Taking Lives’ conform or subvert into the genre of a typical thriller

Taking Lives’ slips into the genre of thriller by creating masses of tension, suspense and confusion, however the important thing is to get the viewer to actually feel that the problems the protagonist encounters could actually happen to them and to be able to force a sense of fear, dread and worry into the audience.
Taking lives does this exactly, by making everything seem realistic, it is more believable to the audience and situations/scenarios are accepted more by the audience in there realism. Also by making the audience relate to the protagonist and question to what actions they would take if they were in any of these terrifying situations the protagonist was in, it makes it all the more frightening.
Angelina Jolie is the protagonist, the central character who finds her self in danger. You are made to feel and see everything she does; most of the shots that are shown are made to put you in her prospective, which creates huge amounts of tension and suspense. There are many points in the film where the music will drop, visually you can see little and you are put in the shoes of Angelina Jolie. Any time where there is a scene where danger is only round the corner, the audience will be put in the prospective of the character to receive any jumps or frights that are about to happen. The audience watching will have knowledge from watching any type of film, that when music drops or it goes quiet and there is a slow build up, that something is about to happen.
In ‘Taking Lives’ any time there is a crime scene to attend to or a dark room to check out, there will be little sound, any noise will be heavily enhanced, and also if any person or object is focused on the camera will tighten slowly causing immense build up. For example, the scene where Angelina Jolie and the Inspector attend to a hotel room that a suspect has been staying in, the music drops and the lighting is very dim, making it hard to pick out what you are seeing. Slow movements by the characters cause a build up of suspense and when Angelina Jolie goes to inspect the ceiling, a buzz or hum is introduced and then drops and at that point a body comes crashing down through the ceiling giving the audience a fright. It’s that long winding build of suspense and tension that are the key aspects to making a good thriller.
Making a thriller film, directors need to ensure that it’s fast paced throughout. Very often, the beginning of a thriller wastes no time in putting the audience in a dilemma from the off, gripping them into questioning why or how this happened. In ‘Taking Lives’, right at the beginning, a huge dilemma is thrown at you, where two young boys are fixing a tire and one of the boys pushes the other into an oncoming vehicle, causing a very brutal and horrific death. As soon as this happens the audience are asking questions and hoping for an answer, so by slow build ups and plots you keep the audience intrigued from beginning to end.
So this brings you to the final and most important aspect of a thriller. ‘Taking Lives’, tries to lure the audience in to a false sense of security. ‘Taking Lives’ is made from the point of view of taking the audience on a journey where they’re not sure where they are going. Scenes which build to a point where the audience thinks they know what to expect but then the scene dramatically switches to an unforeseen outcome, maintains the suspense and tension. As in this film the obvious big twist is the fact that the witness, that has so longingly been perceived as an innocent nobody that happened to be at the scene of the crime, is in fact the serial killer himself.
The ridiculous but classic twist leaves the audience in astonishment, but states that this film does belong in the genre of thriller.

'Waking the Dead' Analysis

To help us understand the concepts of thriller films or programmes, we analysed ‘Waking the Dead’ and other programmes to help us come to terms with the techniques used to create suspense and tension.

Waking the Dead

The opening sequence of Waking the Dead is filled with heavily enhanced noises of chains cross fading as they move in a dark and quiet atmosphere, giving the sense of imprisonment or even torture. As the camera loosens, it is clear to see a man sitting on a swing in a still atmosphere. It then cuts to a woman observing items in bags, which are suspended above a table and an over voice is heard of a man, preferably the one sitting on the swing. Although with a change of scene it is still a very hushed environment. It then cuts back to the man on the swing as he swings in and out of the camera’s view. He has a look of wonder as he stares in to the night and leaves you wandering what has made him so thoughtful. As this is happening, it cuts to still feet in dull light, prompting your mind to think that something has happened to someone, but you are then informed that the person is merely getting out of bed as the feet move and somebody stands up. The next minute that proceeds are shots of two scenes, one of which is the scene with the man sitting on the swing and the other a man heavily breathing and sweating as he moves backwards and forwards. A sexual feel is driven through your mind as this shot is shown. As these shots are happening the noises are still heavily enhanced, as the sounds picked out from the rest are of the heaving breaths from the man and movements of the chains.
The shots that follow show scenes of murder, the camera only shows you the shadows of the actions, but it is clear enough to see what is happening. A man lying in abed is being choked using rope by another man and then a shot of blood pouring from the man’s back is shown.
The camera cuts then to a maid walking along a hotel corridor, brightly lit up, with a trolley, the camera shot is as if it is placed on the trolley. The maid then knocks on a room door and with no answer opens and walks in.
Moving away from this scene, it shows two cockney detectives coming to observe the crime scene, the noises are diagetic, but there is a sense of humour as the two men closely approach the dead body. This shot is followed by a group of people walking down the corridor, one of them being the man who was sat on the swing. The group march down and approach the two cockney detectives, humour plays a part again as the shot is then cut.