Our mind map consisted of ideas such as; the camera shots angles and positions, the cast, the mise en scene, the sounds and editing. Everything that will have an effect when it comes to the opening sequence to our own thriller.
After Creating a mind Map in order to build our idea of doing a ghost hunt theme, we then looked more closely as to how our opening sequence was going to be structured. In order to do this we put together a storyboard which meant we were able to plan shot by shot and describe what they were to be like, this would then make our filming a lot easier as we would have more of an idea as to what we were to do. It also helped us to come up with how fast or slow we wanted each clip to be and what type of shot each of them were to be. We decided to go for quite a mysterious but fast pace in clips that were to change ever couple of seconds.
Our storyboard consisted of the following;
The first shot will consist of the gates at Tutbury Castle which is the location as to where all our filming will take place, this shot will show a straight shot of the gates, which then slightly jolts. Then there will be a very quick flash of a birds eye view with lots of pairs of hands on a table, which will show them about to do an act called table tipping. The room will be dark, as this will help to create more of a haunted atmosphere. After this there will be a quick flash of the shots which will cut back to the gates in which will be opening, we will then see the camera move through the gates to represent people walking through them into tutbury castle grounds. when it comes to the audio, you will be able to hear footsteps. The shot will then pan left in order to show gravestones, which will again give off a haunted effect. The camera then zooms in on a grave stone making sure that the writing is easily read. This will also add a more haunted atmosphere in order to give off a sense as to what our thriller is to be about. The shot will then pan right across the front of Tutbury Castle.
We will then see a shot of the front of the mansion door, this will be a straight shot. The shot will resume as people enter into the shot and are seen walking through the door. we will then get a quick birds eye view shot of a ouija board, this will help the audience to guess what is going to happen in the rest of the thriller. We will then see the shot go through the door and there will then be a slow panning shot of the first room which you walk into. during this there will be a flash of a glass with two fingertips touching it at the base and it will be moving at a fast speed across the table. And finally we will see a main establishing shot of the castle which will jolt like previously.
Music often is loud, with increasing throughout the opening until reaching a climax, this helps to build suspense.
The lighting is usually dark, and shadows are often used which helps to create mystery for the thriller.
Thriller research- Se7en
'Se7en' was produced in 1995 and was directed by David Fincher. it is based around two detectives as they take part in an investigation of a serial killer using the seven deadly sins as his motive.
Camera shots
In the opening credits to 'se7en' there are a number of different close up shots used, usually in thirllers this would be used to leave the audience guessing as to where they are, creating a sense of mystery, however in this particular opening credits a lot of the close ups are used to focus on someones hands, although it is showing us what the hands are doing, the strageness of it all leaves the audience wondering where they are and why the hands are doing what is shown and also possibly who the hands belong to. Although from what is shown, there are given strange but subtle hints as to what the film is about, the whole mystery created from the close ups helps to build a lot of suspense.Because it is recognised, that it is best to give subtle hints but not give away the story line completely during opening credits, it is regular of thrillers to use close ups in order to help them do this. In this clip a lot of the close ups are used at the leve of the page when the unknown person is writing, and if not then it would be from a birds eye view as if we were seeing it from their point of view whilst they were writing, this encourages the audience to feel more involved as if they were their and to possibly get the subtle hints that are given but from the villains perspective. Also throughout theses close ups, as well as the hands, it also seems to be highly based around the book itself, which suggests that it has a high significance in the film as well as the words that are shown to be highlighted, this leaves the audience to be guessing, building tension. The high angled shots and bird eye view shots are used on a number of occasion again trying to begin the storylin and give the subtle hints from the perspective of perhaps the villain.
Editing
The editing within the opening credits of Se7en has been used to make the clips quick and short, this helps to build the suspense especially when put with the correct sounds, it also allows the clip to give away more subtle hints. They use a lot of straight cuts in order to help build that atmosphere of it being at a fast pace creating suspense. By having so many subtle hints, it leaves the audience intrigued rather than thinnking that they have sussed the storyline out straight away. Th fast pasce, quick shots builds the excitement which is a classic convention with the thriller genre.
A lot of mirroring is used within the clips, in order to let the audience look more closely to what they are watching and help create the sense of mystery by using the clip to give away hints, but manipulating and mirroring it in order to let the audience guess straigh away, it helps to create difficulty for them, leaving them with a challenge.
A lot of the titles are given with black background, and white font, however the onces shown on the blackk backgrounds, expand vertically or shake horizontally, this carries on with the sens of a fast pace in order to build excitment. Although some titles, again shown in white font are put onto the more shadowed parts of some clips, this helps to create the idea that the oening sequence is not structured in anyway, making it all more difficult to figure out, again creating a challenge for the audience.
Sound
The music that is used in the opening sequence of 'se7en' introduces different sounds at random times, this creates the idea of it being unstructered and hard to figure out, leaving the audience with a sense of mystery and challenge. Although there is a repetitive beat used within in it, this is a fast beat, which goes with the idea of it being a fast pace opening sequence, in order to build suspense and excitment, which are two classic conventions of a thriller. We also hear many high pitch sounds which are generaly known to make the audience want to put their fingers in their ears or shock them, this could be used to help represent the un pleasentness of the film itself.
It begins with and continues to use, what seems to be a similar sound as to what it would be like if it were thundering. Thundering is genrally seen as a tye of weather that people would not like, creating a sense of darkness, again this could have the conotations that the film is to be one that also creates a sense of unhappiness and darkness andperhaps scare.
The music ends with the line "you got me closer to god", this is after seeing a clip of the word 'GOD' being cut out of what looks to be like a news paper, this could have the conotations that the film is to based around religion and leaves the opening sequence on a cliffhanger with the audience left thinking.
Mise en scene
We are unable to see what the person is wering as the closeups make sure that we do not get to see them, creating that sense of mystery and the idea that it is the villain who does not want to be identified.
We also see a blade used, this could represent the danger of the person being filmed and their access to dangerous things. The fact that they use in on themselves, suggests that they are not someone who is highly sensitive when it comes to hurting the human body.
We also see the book and pen being used a lot, with words being highlighted or just genrally being jotted down, the connotations of this would be that the person doing so, would be well organised and planned, which could suggest the plot of what the thriller is to be, may be also. This is also seen with the pictures the person in the clip seems to have posseion and the equipment that they have in order to do things with the pictures. This also suggests that they know what they are doing.
Thriller research- Paranormal Activity 2
Directored by Tod Williams, Paranormal Activity 2 is about a family who sets up security cameras around their home after “break in’s”, only to realize that the events unfolding before them are more sinister than they seem.
Camera work
the camera work all seems very natural, this is likely to be because they are trying to make it look as if it were a video camera set up by the actors themselves, in their home, in order to carry out their own investigation. Some of it is also made to look like it is a CCTV camera; this is done by the high angle still shots on their pool, the baby’s bedroom, the kitchen and the sitting room, looking as if it is place in the top corner of the rooms. This is to make the horror all that more realistic, this suggests that with it being a paranormal thriller, everything we see is real, as there is a lack of editing of the camera work that has been done. Night vision is used also to give off the impression that they are doing their own investigation, again giving off the impression that everything that happens is real.
The only real movement of the camera is when something is thrown at it and it is knocked over, usually during filming, this would be considered as a fault and would be deleted however it is all part of creating the feeling of it all being so real and through their own home investigation.
Editing
A lack of editing is used or needed throughout the opening sequence of Paranormal Activity 2, this is because they are trying to give the impression of it being a ‘home video’ or footage off CCTV cameras. They may have altered the footage to be in night vision. Also at the beginning we see the black and white lines on the screen as if to say there is a fault in the camera, this would have been added and used for the effect to symbolise that the camera plays an important role in the film but not all goes well.
The whole purpose of having limited editing is very essential with this thriller as the more realistic it is the better it is.
Sound
At the beginning of the opening sequence to Paranormal Activity, when the black and white lines come on the screen as if to suggest that there is a fault with the camera, we also hear a fuzziness with the sound, as you would if it happened on the tv, this also helps to give off the effect that there is a fault with the camera, symbolising the importance it may have in the thriller and how not everything goes well.
The background sound is generally very difficult to here, this is to carry on giving off that naturalistic effect in order to make everything seem real. However when a person is lifted of the ground the volume dramatically increases twice, once when they are lifted off the ground and another once they hit the wall, the sound is still very relevant, as it is the type of sound that you would expect to hear if that were to happen.
The diegetic sound purposely continues when the shots that are made to look like CCTV shots are used, for example we hear the dog barking, in the kitchen we here the pots banging and in the garden we hear the birds. The fact that all the noise is mainly diegetic suggests it is naturalistic, which helps the audience to see everything that goes on to be more realistic.
Mise en scene
In the opening sequence to Paranormal Activity 2.. All the costumes, aren’t in anyway suprising or different in any way. They are what you would expect each family member to be wearing.
All props are also nothing you would not expect to be in a family home.
All the lighting is light during the day and night vision is used at night yet we can gather it is dark.
The fact that everything is so normal, implies that it is all real, suggesting that everything the goes on is more real. And with it being a paranormal thriller, the more real it all seems, the more thrilling it is!
Introduction to Thriller
Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film and television that includes numerous and often overlapping sub-genres. Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more powerful and better equipped villains.
One of cinema's largest, all-encompassing genres, this type features films whose main ingredient is suspense, excitement and tension. These include such genres as mystery, detective movies, gangster movies, crime, spy films, science fiction, film noir, occult and haunted house horror movies.
