Inspirations - Miss Georgiou

Inspirations

Before being able to make my own thriller sequence, it is essential that I think about everything that has inspired me when watching previous clips from thriller films. This will help me to gather my own ideas about what elements to include within my opening and possibly elaborate on these points to ensure that they create the greatest effect. I can take these inspirations from anything, such as; Books, films, pictures, TV programmes and narratives in general such as in a music video. An inspiration can be anything that I would consider to be useful in the creation of my sequence.

I have taken my inspirations mainly from clips that I have previously watched and analysed in class as this is related back to the original task set.

When looking into different sound techniques that I could possibly use, I analysed a clip from Saw called 'Reverse Bear Trap'. The use of Non-Diegetic sound is shown when a high pitched scream can be heard to create elements of confusion and disorientation. This has inspired me to use a similar technique within my own sequence as I would like to not give too much away in order to keep the audience engaged in what they are watching. Having this within my opening sequence will encourage my target audience to watch the entire sequence to find out what will happen to my victim. 

When focusing on the individual narrative of my opening sequence, I felt especially inspired by the inclusion of the identity of the killer being hidden from the audience which is used in the opening sequence of Scream where a masked killer murders an innocent schoolgirl. This will help to engage the audience as they are unaware of who the antagonist is and what they may be capable of doing next. I will use a similar narrative within my opening as I would like to keep the identity of my killer unknown to the audience in order to create an enigma. By including this in my thriller sequence, it will create a response from my audience by heightening their emotions and make them want to watch on further to find out who the killer turns out to be.

When looking into Mise-En-Scene, I identified that low key lighting is also a key element in which I will focus upon when making my own opening sequence to a thriller film. When analysing this in class, I found it to be used in a scene within The Exorcist when the Father is possessed by the demon. This type of lighting casts shadows on one side of the Father's face to capture the exact moment that the demon possesses him and to also show a distinct contrast between good and evil which creates tension within the audience as they are made aware of the demon's power having the ability to jump from body to body and they are also unsure of what will happen now. I will use this style of lighting in order to mirror the overall tone of the scene (dark and disturbing) and use it to build up the tension when leading up to the climax within the opening sequence. This will enable me in keeping my target audience in a great sense of suspense and encourage them to create their own perceptions of what could happen next. When the climax is reached, this creates ideas of shock and surprise which is key in thriller films.

When looking into editing, I analysed the various editing techniques used within a clip from Shutter Island entitled 'My Name is Edward Daniels'. From this, I have concluded that the main styles used are a Jump Cut and Shot Reverse Shot. For example, a Shot Reverse Shot is used when capturing the conversation between two particular characters where the shot alternates to show the other speaking. This is a good way of building tension as a climax can be reached immediately after this conversation in which this captures a normal and realistic situation turning into something that may not be considered as being ordinary. This is shown within the clip when Teddy is being spoken to by one of the doctors at the mental hospital he is working at who are trying to manipulate his emotions and making him believe that he is someone that he is not and he suddenly jumps up and pulls a gun  out on the two doctors. Jump cuts are used to focus the audience's attention on one particular thing again shown by Teddy aiming the gun at the two doctors. These styles have inspired me as I would like to use a Jump Cut in particular to create a focus point for my target audience and also to create a maximum amount of tension leading up to this. In addition to this, it will help me in creating my own thriller sequence as along with my knowledge of other editing styles I know that editing is essential in creating thriller films as they are used to make the individual scenes run smoothly which is something I will aim to do in my own work.

Focusing on Cinematography, I analysed the 'Secret Room' clip from the film, House At The End Of The Street. I have discovered that a specific camera angle/shot can be used in a variety of ways to convey different emotions and help in suggesting possible relationships between characters. For example, within the clip, a close up shot was used when Elissa is staring at the door when checking it out. This particular shot highlights the curiousness and fear on her face as she is weary that something about the room doesn't seem right.