Planning sound - Miss Miller

Sound is important when creating a thriller sequence because it sets the thriller genre and creates a sinister atmosphere throughout. Sound is an important element when creating a thriller films because it highlights who is the killer and who is the victim by using various pitches to portray each of the characters. Sound is also used to foreshadow death and show when the victim is about to die. It also makes the killer seem more threatening and itimidating towards the audience as sound makes the killer seem overpowering and capable of murdering someone while the audience feel small just like the victm and they seem helpless and vulnerable. Sound is also used  to create suspense for the audience and build up tension and this is used in all thriller films when the killer is about or when something sinister has happened.

In my opening sequence, I am going to use parallel sound and this is going to be used when the victim is making her way towards the curtain and high pitch music is going to be played. The high pitch music portrays the victim and suggests that she is getting closer to her death. The music gets louder as she gets closer to the curtain and this implies that as she is getting closer to the killer then her life is getting shorter and the killer is going to murder her soon. The parallel sound creates tension for the audience as the audience become worried for the victims life and they feel sympathy for the victim because they know that the victim is going to die soon. The parallel sound also portrays the vulnerability of the victim and shows her innocence and naivety as she is getting closer to the killer. The victim seems helpless because she doesn't know what is going to happen next and this foreshadows her death and represents the killer as overpowering because the killer has a chance of killing her. Parallel sound leaves the audience in suspense as to what is going to happen to the victim and this creates an enigma which intrigues the audience into watching the rest of the sequence to find out what happens next. A relationship is built between the audience and the characters as the audience feel sympathy towards the victim and they are put in the victims shoes as they don't know what is going to happen. The audience have the same reaction as the victim and they become on edge just like the victim which makes the audience feel more included into the film. It also gets the audience scared for the events that are going to take place and they feel small compared to the killer which is strong and overpowering. Parallel sound is conventional to thriller films as it is used to make the audience jump and create a dark atmosphere. The audience feel suspense when parallel sound is  played as they know that something sudden is going to happen. Parallel sound leads the audience into the unknown and makes them jump when they least expect it.

Another sound technique I am going to use is non diegetic sound. This is going to be used when suspenseful and a mixture of high pitch and low pitch music is going to be played over the flashbacks. Non diegetic sound is also used to portray the two characters in the sequence as high pitch beat portrays the victim, while the low beat portrays the killer. The suspenseful music creates tension as it sets the theme of a thriller genre and it already foreshadows that something bad is going to happen. The suspenseful music gets the audience on edge as it creates a dark atmosphere and sets the plot of the film. By playing suspenseful music over the flashbacks, it creates an enigma and makes the audience wonder who the killer is and why they want her. It includes the audience more as they feel like they are part of the film and non diegetic sound gets them engaged and builds up tension. It portrays a death and creates a dark and sinister effect for the audience as they know that something sudden is going to happen. The audience can also build a relationship with the victim as they begin to understand why she was taken into hostage and they feel empathy for her because they know she is weak. The audience also relate to the victim as they can feel her pain and they know how scared she is and so they begin to develop sympathy for her as well. The audience also become scared of the killer because they know what the killer is capable of and so they feel threatened by the girls vulnerability. The audience also become engaged in the film through diegetic sound as the suspenseful music keeps the audience on edge and it leads them into the unknown. The audience know something bad is going to happen but they don't know when and this creates an element of surprise and shock when the unexpected happens. Non diegetic sound is conventional to the thriller genre as it is used typically in all thriller films to build up tension. It defines who the characters are and sets the plot and the genre of the film. It creates a mysterious atmosphere and is used to keep the audience intrigued in the film. It is also used in thriller films to foreshadow sinister events that are going to take place later on in the film.

I am also going to use  is silence and this is going to be used when the victim sees the killer. Silence is used to foreshadow a death and tell the audience when the killer is about. Silence is also used to create suspense as it makes the audience feel on edge and silence lets the audience know that something sinister is going to happen. Silence builds up a lot of tension within the audience and get them ready for events that are going to happen next. It also makes the audience jump when the unexpected happens and the audience wait for something bad to happen. The silence connotes that the victim isn't alone anymore and portrays her vulnerability. It also portrays her weakness and shows how she is helpless. The killer seems overpowering in this sequence even though the killer has not yet been seen however the silence portrays the killer and implies that a death s going to take place. Silence helps build a relationship between the characters and the audience as the audience also feel overpowered by the killer just as the victim does and this creates sympathy for the victim and also puts the audience into the victims shoes which means that the audience can relate to the victim. The audience are also intrigued into the sequence as silence helps to create a sinister effect and makes it seem like something sudden is going to happen. The audience are left on edge as to when the killer is going to appear and this creates an element of surprise and shock for when the killer does appear as it was unexpected and this makes the audience jump. Silence also makes the sequence seem a lot scarier because it creates more of a dramatic effect and foreshadows pain and death which engages the audience. Silence is conventional to the thriller genre as it is used in on thriller films to get the audience engaged and to thrill the audience. Silence is also typically used in thriller films to create a dramatic effect and build up a lot of tension. It is used to scare the audience and make the audience jump when they least expect it. Silence is also used in thriller films to keep the audience on edge and to portray a death of the victim and imply that the victim isn't alone and the killer is waiting to strike.

The last sound technique I am going to use is diegetic sound and this is going to be used when the victim steps on the broken glass of the picture frame. I am going to use this sound technique as it portrays instability of the victim and shows how she is fragile. The broken glass also suggests that something bad has happened and creates an enigma for the audience as to what has happened and what is going to happen next. The sound of the broken glass makes the scene seem more realistic and this gets the audience engaged as they think that what is happening is real. Broken glass also portrays pain and danger which foreshadows to the victim that there is going to be a lot of pain and a death. The glass portrays how the victim is unstable and shows that she is an easy target for the killer. Diegetic sound creates a relationship with the audience and the characters as it shows the victims instability which portrays her as helpless and the audience don't want anything and to happen to her and so they are enticed into the film to find out what is going to happen. The audience also become engaged in the film as an enigma is created which creates a dark atmosphere and keeps the audience on edge. The enigma makes the audience wonder what is going to happen to the victim and whether she is going to die or not as diegetic sound foreshadows her death. The audience feel intimidated by the diegetic sound of the glass as it implies pain and shows something bad is going to happen. Diegetic sound is conventional to thriller films as it creates surprise, shock and suspense for the audience. The sounds used create a sinister effect and set the genre of a thriller. The sounds also portray instability and show the victims weakness which engage the audience more as they know that the victim is going to die. In all thriller films, diegetic sound is used to show when the sequence is set for instance Halloween or on a stormy night and this intrigues the audience as diegetic sound makes the film seem a lot darker.  

To conclude sound is important in a thriller sequence because it engages the audience and keeps them on edge. Sound helps define who is the killer and who is the victim through various pitches, it also helps the audience to understand when a death is going to take place or when something sinister is going to happen and this gets the audience ready to jump. Sound also creates thrill for the audience and they find the sequence more thrilling with sound techniques as they create suspense and build up tension. Sound is important in thriller sequences as it leads the audience into the unknown and creates an enigma for the audience. I think that the four sound techniques that I am going to use in my sequence will engage my audience most as they build up tension and make the audience feel included in the sequence. These sound techniques also help to build a relationship with the characters and the audience as the audience can feel sympathy towards the victim and this is done using parallel sound. Sound techniques such as silence and diegetic sound also make the audience feel intimidated as it makes the killer seem over powering and the audience feel threatened by the killer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Group Narrative - Miss Georgiou

Our group narrative is that a girl is kept hostage and she wakes up from being tied to a chair. The girl struggles to escape but she finally does. She see's a person lying on the floor next to her, covered in blood. She is covered in blood as well and suddenly see's a shadow in the curtain. She makes her way towards the curtain and as she opens it, a face and a hand appears. The girl panics for a bit and as she turns around she see's the killer standing there with a blood covered knife. Throughout the scene, there is constant flashbacks from how she was kidnapped. The flashbacks contain her at home on Facebook and she see's an embarrassing video of herself which has been put up by an anonymous person and she suddenly gets lots of messages from the anonymous person. The messages threaten her and make fun of the video. Constant hurtful messages appear and state she is going to die.
When the girl is in the room, held hostage she sees things on the floor which triggers memories and start the flashback. For instance ripped up photos of her are on the floor and a phone with the messages on the screen is also part of a memory. There is also a photo of the girl with a red circle around her on the wall which shows she is a target to the killer.

Group member 1- John 

John's idea is to have a girl being cyber bullied on Facebook. The girl is watching an embarrassing video of herself that someone else has put up. She then receives an anonymous message from a stranger which warms her that she is going to die soon. Later on in the film, other people die from being cyber bullied and the enigma is who is the killer. John's idea is good because it is unique and different from other thriller films. It isn't the typical psychological film but instead it is more about reality and so makes the sequence seem more realistic. Another strength is that it is fairly easy to do and so it means that it would be possible to film. The location and the plot is ideal as cyber bullying happens every day and it happens on electronic device which means that it can be filmed anywhere. The plot isn't complicated either so it can be made easily. However John's idea doesn't create much of a mystery as a disequllibrium doesn't happen at the beginning of the film. This may not engage the audience as much and they may not be left in suspense as to what is going to happen next. A death doesn't take place at the beginning but instead the girl is getting warned about her death and this doesn't create much tension or build up suspense so the audience aren't intrigued to watch the rest of the film. It doesn't create that many thrilling scenes and so the target audience would range from 12 and over however the older years wouldn't become as thrilled as the younger years and this could be seen as a bit boring to the older years. 

Group member 2 - Ciara 

Ciara's idea for her narrative is about a young girl and her boyfriend who go on holiday to Russia. However she soon realises that since she has been away everything is going wrong back home. The girl is unaware that her boyfriend is part of the Russian Mafia and they want her next. This is the reason why everything back at home is going wrong as they are taking away all of her family and everything she has and so she decides to stay in Russia. The Russian Mafia take young, innocent girls who are shown as vulnerable and naive and will believe anything that the Russians say to them. The strengths of this narrative would be that it creates for the audience as they don't know what is going to happen to the victim. It also gets the audience feeling sorry for the young girl as they know that she is weak and helpless and that the girl cannot be helped. The audience are also left in suspense as to what is going on back home and this creates a dramatic question for the audience. Ciara's opening sequence is creating an Enigma throughout which is another strength; by creating an enigma it means that it is showing the audience that something sudden is going to happen and it foreshadows events that are later going to happen during the film. This is conventional to thriller films as something bad always happens to the victims in thriller films. The weakness of this film is that it would be hard to create as you need a lot of people and the setting isn't ideal. Her plot isn't also that engaging as it doesn't contain any scenes that would intrigue the audience such as a death or a jumpy scene. It doesn't intrigue the audience as they need to get into the film and the opening sequence doesn't set the plot of the film and so the audience could get confused on what is going to happen next.


Group member 3 - Sasha
Sasha's idea for the narrative is so have a hostage scene in which a young girl is kept in hostage by someone. The scene starts off with her waking up and realising she has been kept in hostage. The girl see's someone lying on the floor next to her, dead and covered in blood. She soon realises that she is covered in blood as well and she panics and tries to escape. Eventually she does escape however she see's a shadow in the window and she makes her way towards it, as she opens the curtains she finds a handprint and a face staring at her. The girl panics and as she turns around the killer is standing across the room with a knife covered in blood.
Sasha's idea is good because it is set in a ideal location which can be easy to film in. The opening sequence is set in a house and this is ideal as the scene can be filmed in any house. The plot is also fairly easy to do as there are no major faults which could stop the group from doing this narrative. The narrative also creates suspense for the audience as automatically an enigma is created and this gets the audience intrigued into the film straight away and makes them want to ask questions about why the girl is there and why the killer wants to murder her. Sasha's idea also contains good conventions of a thriller film as a death is involved and the scene uses conventional iconography such as a knife to set a sinister theme. Other conventions such as a female victim and a masked antagonist  make the sequence seem thrilling and intrigue the audience into watching the rest of the film to find out who the killer is. There is an element of surprise, suspense and shock as unexpected clips take place which thrill the audience and tension is built up to keep the audience on edge.
However Sasha's idea is not as unique as it could be as typically in thriller films the female victim is always shown as the target and there is always a hostage scene which makes the girl seem vulnerable and weak. The narrative follows an original baseline from other thriller films which also show a girl being kept hostage and there is always someone wanting to kill her. This makes Sasha's idea not as good because it isn't original. Some scenes in the opening sequence could be hard to film for example point of view as that technique is hard to do and it could result in a camera shot that doesn't look very good and this wouldn't appeal to the audience and wouldn't engage them into watching the rest of the film.

Group member 4 - Luca
My film idea is about a home invasion by a unknown man that is never seen, while the man who owns the house definitely knows someone is there. He is searching the whole of his house trying to find him and as the film goes on there are hints and his family is killed as the killer taunts him and makes him look all around his locked up house. Throughout the opening sequence the man is trying to find out who is inside his house and is not too afraid at the time, he keeps all his family with him and throughout the sequence the antagonist is making noise and putting signs around the house, the sequence ends with the antagonist still not revealed and given a sign to the victim as the antagonist locks the family in their own house with no way to escape.
The strengths of Luca's idea is that it is set in an ideal location which means that it can get filmed easily. The location is in a house which is good because it means that it won't be hard to film in. Another strength is that his narrative is also fairly easy to do as it isn't impossible and it can be easily done. Luca's idea would also have good camera and sound techniques and his narrative is very conventional to a thriller genre. He has created an enigma as the audience constantly wonder what is going to happen to the victims and who is the killer. His narrative is also conventional to the thriller genre because it shows an isolated home and a killer is in the house trying to murder the victims, this is seen typically in a lot of thriller films and so it is a good narrative to have. Another strength is that it engages the audience and intrigues them to watch the rest of the film as an enigma is created which keeps the audience on edge and makes them want to find out what is going to happen next.
However Luca's idea doesn't have a lot of thriller conventions which wouldn't intrigue the audience as much because thriller conventions are what engage the audience into watching the film. His narrative does contain an enigma however it doesn't entice the audience that much as his narrative is very repetitive and this could make the audience become bored. He also may not have enough narrative to fill the 2 minute sequence and so this could become a problem when filming and it would be difficult to add bits on.

Our group has chosen to use Sasha's idea. However within Sasha's idea, we have incorporated John's idea to use the cyber bullying and to use flashbacks. This will help the audience know why she has been held hostage. It also extends the sequence as Sasha's idea wasn't long enough and so by including johns, then it will be. Our group narrative follows the theme of Aristotle because his theme was that there is an antagonist and a protagonist, a dramatic question, an incident and sympathy and empathy. This follows our group narrative as the victim is seen as the protagonist and the killer is the antagonist. The audience are constantly feeling sorry for the victim as they know she is going to die. There is a big dramatic question as to who is the killer and an incident takes place in which the girl is held hostage. This theme is most relatable to our narrative because it demonstrates that the most important thing is isn't characters but the events that take place in the film to intrigue the audience. This is shown with our narrative as we want to engage the audience by creating a dramatic question and by creating an enigma which leaves the audience in suspense.

I didn't think that the other theories followed my narrative completely as Propp, said that narratives were more fairy tale like and that characters was the most important part of the film. He said you needed a villain, hero, princess, false hero and the princess' dad. This didn't apply to my narrative because I only have the victim and the villain which doesn't follow his theme. A princess and a false hero is also not conventional to a thriller film and so we wouldn't add these characters in. In a typical thriller film only the villain and the victim are shown as these are conventional to the thriller genre because they create the most suspense and the audience would typically only expect to see these two characters. A villain is shown in our narrative and this is evident throughout as the killer. We also had a victim which is evident throughout the narrative. Propp's theory is unconventional to our narrative as it doesn't follow the thriller genre and doesn't create a sinister effect. Todorov's theme is about narrative. His is also fairy tale like because he said that all narratives should start of with an equilibrium then go into a disequilibrium and then finally back into a new equilibrium. This also doesn't follow our narrative because our narrative starts off with a disequilibrium as it shows the victim in hostage and and in pain. Our narrative also ends in a disequlibrium as the victim ends up dying. This isn't fairy tale like and doesn't follow his theme of living "Happily ever After." It also ends with a disequilibrium so doesn't follow Todrov's theory of ending with a new equilibrium. Therefore our narrative follows Aristotle's theory because his theory is the most conventional to a thriller film and relates to our narrative. It contains protagonists and antagonists which is evident throughout our scene. It also uses a dramatic question which is always used in thriller films to engage the audience and intrigue them to watch the rest of the sequence. Aristotle also says that empathy and sympathy should be included in films and this is shown throughout our thriller sequence because the victim gains sympathy from the audience as the audience know she is a target and so begin to feel sorry for her. The audience also have sympathy for the victim because they are placed in her shoes and so they get an understanding on how she feels. Aristotle's theory is the most conventional to our opening sequence and is also the most relatable to thriller films because it includes certain aspects that make a thriller film and engage the audience.

Planning an individual narrative - Miss Georgiou

The purpose of a narrative is to set the scene and the plot. It helps the audience to understand what is going to happen during the film and what they might expect. The narrative engages the audience through the story line that is included and by an enigma which is part of the narrative. The audience would want to watch the film to find out what happens during it. The narrative also builds
up suspense for the audience as they don't know what is going to happen during the film and so tension is built up.

My opening sequence is going to be two minutes long and will be about a girl who is kept hostage and tries to escape.  The girl see's someone else lying on the floor next to her and they are both covered in blood. She untangles herself and she see's a shadow in the curtain. She makes her way towards the curtain and as she opens the curtain she puts her face towards the window she sees a face. She then panics and turns around and sees the person standing there with a knife. Throughout the sequence there will be constant flash backs on why she has been kept in hostage. The flashbacks will be of the girl on Facebook getting bullied because of an embarrassing video that someone put up of her. She then gets threatened by an anonymous person and they threaten to kill her. During the opening sequence she see's things that trigger the flashbacks for instance there are ripped up photos of her and her phone is on the floor.

My opening sequence will include low key lighting and this will be used throughout the whole sequence to create a dark and a sinister atmosphere. The low key lighting would also be used to create tension for the audience as it would be harder to see what is in the scene. The audience would be left in suspense as they don't know what is going to happen next and they don't know when the killer is going to strike. The low key lighting also adds to the dark atmosphere as typically in thriller films the lighting is dark to make the audience jump when something unexpected happens. My scene will also contain back lighting and filler lighting which will be the lamps in the background to create shadows and so the audience can actually see the characters. I wouldn't want key lighting as this makes the scene seem more bright and colourful which portrays a more happier scene

I would also want my opening sequence to be set in an isolated house so that it implies that the victim is alone and that there is no escape for her. The isolated house also makes it seem like the victim is helpless and nobody would be able to hear her scream. Setting the sequence in an isolated house will give the killer more chance of murdering the victim as she has no escape and there is no one else around to help her. The actual sequence would be set in one room which creates a more realistic setting. The room would look like its been abandoned and this makes the victim seem weak and vulnerable because she is trapped in the room. This is conventional to a thriller film because they are usually set in a deserted or isolated area so that the killer has more chance of murdering the victim and it also makes it seem like the victim has no escape and this leads the audience into suspense because they become worried for the victim as they know that she is going to die as she is trapped. This builds up suspense for the audience and creates an element of surprise and shock for the audience because the killer can easily murder the victim.

Iconography elements that will be used in my sequence include a knife, a broken picture frame and ripped up photos. The knife is used by the killer when at the end of the sequence when he is standing there looking at the victim. The knife helps to create a sinister atmosphere as it foreshadows events that is going to take place during the sequence. The knife also foreshadows the death of a victim and makes the audience think that the victim is going to die. The knife is also used to show the power of the antagonist and make the victim seem helpless because the victim has no weapon and this also gives the killer more chance of killing her. The knife is conventional to thriller films as the antagonist always carries round a weapon which is used to kill the victim. It is also conventional as it sets the theme of the thriller genre and lets the audience know straight away that there is an antagonist and a victim. It also intrigues the audience instantly as they know a death is going to take place. The audience are engaged as the knife creates an enigma as to why the antagonist has it and what the antagonist is going to do with it. It creates suspense for the audience and makes them intrigued to find out what is going to happen during the film. The other iconography items are used during the flashbacks and engage the audience because they wonder why the photos are ripped up and why there is a broken picture frame. This builds up tension and keeps them watching the rest of the sequence.

My opening sequence will also include the female victim wearing white clothing. The connotation of white suggests purity and innocence and contrasts with the connotation of black which represents death and pain. The killer is going to be wearing black to foreshadow death and to set a dark atmosphere. The colours of the costumes are going to be used to define who the killer is and who the victim is. The white clothing makes the victim seem helpless and naive which shows how she is a perfect target for the killer because she is portrayed to be innocent and weak. The white clothing also stands out from the low key lighting and so the audience are focused on her and they can't see when the killer is approaching as the killer is wearing black. This creates an element of surprise as when the killer does appear, it will be unexpected for the audience and so they will become shocked and will be scared. White and black costumes are conventional as the victim always wears white to show innocence and purity while the killer always wears black to show how the killer is capable of murdering someone. White clothing is also conventional to thriller films as it makes the victim an easy target and when the victim does die, the blood stands out against their clothing to show that the killer has murdered them. This engages the audience as they are left in suspense because the white clothing foreshadows her death and the audience know straight away that she is the victim and so the audience start to worry for the characters life as they know she is going to die.

In my sequence, I am going to have the victim as the main character and put the victim in the center of the screen while the antagonist will always be in the background or behind the victim. I want to have my victim in the center of the shot so that the audience will know straight away who is the main character in the scene. The audience will be more focused on the victim and by having the victim in the center of the shot it means that the audience will notice everything the victim does. It is conventional to have the victim in the middle of the screen as this also foreshadows events and the audience know that something bad is going to happen to her. The audience are left in suspense as to when the killer is going to strike her and this creates an element of shock and surprise for the audience as the killer will appear unexpectedly. This is also conventional as in all thriller films, the victim is always the center of the shot to show the audience that something bad is going to happen to the victim. The antagonist is also always shown to be in the background of the shot as this creates suspense for the audience as they wouldn't of noticed the killer at first because they are focused on the victim however shock is created when the audience finally notice the killer. The audience also begin to feel sorry for the victim because they know the victim can't escape and the killer is going to murder her.

In my opening sequence there is going to be a female and male character. The female character is going to be the victim while the male character is going to be the killer. This is typical to a thriller film as the female is always shown to be the victim as they are shown as the weaker gender and are shown as more naive. This makes a thriller film good because the killer has more of a chance of killing the victim if the victim is portrayed as naive. By having the victim as a female it also means that the victim is shown to be helpless and innocent which means that this is already foreshadowing her death to the audience and letting the audience know straight away that she is going to be the target for the killer. It is also conventional to have a male playing the killer as males are shown to be stronger and overpowering over females. By having a male killer in my sequence it already tells the audience that a death is going to happen as they are seen as powerful and strong which gives the killer an advantage over the victim. In thriller film, the antagonist is mostly male and this is because they are portrayed to be more determined to killer a victim and they are shown to be more manly and stronger than women. The audience will be engaged in my opening sequence as they will instantly be able to relate to the female victim and start to feel sorry for her as the audience know that the killer is determined to kill her. Tension would also be built up as the audience would be left in suspense as to what is going to happen during the sequence.

In my opening sequence I have included thriller conventions which will engage my audience. For instance I have used low key lighting  which is conventional to thriller films as it creates a sinister atmosphere and makes the audience wonder what is going to happen next. The low key lighting is used in all thriller films to set the genre of the film and let the audience know straight away that something sinister is going to happen during the film. The low key lighting makes it hard for the audience to see what is going on in the film and this leads the audience into the unknown. Low key lighting also thrills the audience as something unexpected happens which makes the audience jump.
Another convention is that there is a shadow in the background. This is conventional to thriller films because usually there is a hidden figure which intrigues the audience and creates an enigma as to what the shadow is. The shadow builds up suspense and gets the audience worried for the victim as they know her life is coming to an end and they know she is going to die.
A key convention in my narrative is that there is female victim and an antagonist and this is shown in all typical thriller films as there is always a female victim to make an easier target for the antagonist to kill. There is also an antagonist in my narrative which is a typical thriller convention as there is always someone who wants to kill someone else or cause pain towards other people. This is shown as a major thriller convention because there is always an antagonist where ever there is a victim.
Finally the last thriller convention I have used is that there is weapons and blood. The weapon used in my opening sequence is a knife which is conventional and shown in a lot of thriller films as it is used to kill the victim. The knife is also used by the antagonist to make the antagonist seem stronger and overpowering compared to the victim. The knife also foreshadows events and portrays death. Blood is also conventional to all thriller films as it implies someone has been hurt or has died which is typical for thriller films as a death always takes place. This engages the audience and makes them more intrigued in the film as they want to find out what is going to happen next.

My sequence will appeal to my target audience as it contains typical conventions that the audience expect to see. The audience will be engaged in my narrative because it builds up suspense and the audience build up a relationship between the victim as they feel sorry for the victim because they know the victim is going to die. My narrative will also engage my audience because an enigma is created and this will intrigue my audience because they would want to know what is going to happen next and who the killer is. I will share this with my group by creating a group narrative in which we each discuss our ideas and what changes could be made.

Research into target audience - Miss Miller

A target audience is a group of people that a product is aimed at or made for. I need to have a target audience to create my post as it means that i will know what i am allowed to include and what i'm not allowed to include. I also need to think about target audience when creating my post as I need to know what age my opening sequence should be aimed to and this will help me decide what to put in my post and what appeals to that certain audience. I designed a questionnaire which included 10 questionnaires. I asked 40 people about thriller films and I did this in order to find out what most people like in a thrill film and what they would expect to see. I also got
more information about what to include in my opening sequence for instance what weapon the public would want to see most in a thriller film and how they think a thriller film should end. This is going to help me create my opening sequence as I can gain information from the public and apply it to my opening sequence. It has also helped me create an opening sequence that should be thrilling for a particular audience and get that particular audience engaged.

I need to identify my target audience before I create my opening sequence as I need to know what i can and can't include in my sequence. For instance if my audience was mostly around 12 year old's then I wouldn't be allowed to include a lot of violence or swearing as it wouldn't be appropriate for them. I also wouldn't be allowed to include frequent jumpy scenes as it may distress my audience. However if my audience is mostly 15 and over then I would be able to add more jumpy and gory scenes and I would be able to include more violence and highlight the use of weapons more as the older years would not be encouraged to use a weapon in the wrong way where as the younger years might. I also need to consider what specific target audience would like as if my opening sequence is aimed at 15's and over then I can create more of a dark atmosphere and add more unexpected jumpy scenes.

The first question is about gender and from the 40 people I asked, 65% of the people were male while 35% were female. This shows that when making my opening sequence, I need to aim the thriller sequence to men rather than women. This means that my sequence could contain more violence and more gory scenes as men like watching violent and gory films. From my survey, it tells me that more boys like watching thriller films than girls and so my sequence should be aimed more towards the male gender.

The next question I asked was about age. From my research, I found out that the most popular age was 26+ and the least popular age is 12-14. This shows that more adults tend to watch thriller films and this could be because they are above the age limit for thriller films or because they don't become disturbed or distressed with what they see. 12-14 could be the least popular age because a lot of the thriller films made are for 15's and so they could be too young to see them as they contain too many frequent jumpy scenes or there is too much bad language and violence. The scenes could also be quite distressing for people who are aged between 12-14 and this would have an effect on the amount of young people that go to see thriller films. My research tells me that the older years watch thriller films and this could be because they like being thrilled and they enjoy being scared. I am going to aim my opening thriller sequence to people who are 18 and over because this is the most popular age category. 43% of people that I asked are 26+ and 25% are 19-25. Therefore this suggests that my thriller sequence should be aimed the older years as they are more likely to watch it than people who are younger than 18. It also means that I can include more frequent jumpy scenes and include a lot more violence as the older years won't become inflicted by what they see.

From my next pie chart, I can see that  the most popular choice in thriller film is Saw and the least popular thriller film is The Conjuring. 29% of people said that they liked Saw best and this could be because it has continuous amount of blood scenes and is very gory. Only a small amount of people liked The Conjuring and this could be because it is a typical, cliche thriller film and the audience expect what is going to happen next. Saw is original and is gory which engages the audience as it is something that the audience haven't see before. The constant use of gory scenes thrills the audience where as The Conjuring is a typical psychological film. This has helped me to plan my opening sequence as I know not to make my sequence cliche or psychological as more people like gory scenes and like being disturbed. The second most popular thriller film was Final Destination and this tells me that the audience like being kept in suspense as Final Destination constantly builds up suspense and leaves the audience in tension as to what is going to happen next. This has helped me when creating my sequence as I also know to add lots of tense scenes and to make my audience feel suspense as they would become more engaged in my sequence. I also need to make my sequence intriguing my adding lots of unexpected scenes just like both Saw and Final Destination has and this would help keep my audience watching the whole of the sequence. I am going to create a more psychological narrative so that it thriller the audience more. I am also going to include a narrative that contains a lot of blood and this will be shown when the victim gets killed.

From my research, I found out that the most popular weapon that the audience would like to see in a thriller film is a knife. 45% of the people that I asked said knife while only 8% said axe. The reason why people said knife is because it is a typical weapon that is shown in most thriller films. A knife creates a dark and sinister atmosphere and foreshadows events that are going to happen during the sequence. When the audience see a knife, they instantly think of death and pain and this leads the audience into thinking that the victim in the film is going to die. Knife is the most popular weapon because it thrills the audience as they know that the knife is used to kill people but it also creates a lot of pain and blood and the audience like seeing this. The next most popular weapon is a saw. 32% said that saw was their favourite weapon and this creates the same affect as a knife because it creates a lot of pain to the person who it being killed by the saw and it also creates a lot of blood which both thrills and engages the audience. Saw's and knives are the most popular choices because they create sinister effects and creates an element of surprise and shock towards the audience. My research has helped me to decide what weapon I am going to use in my opening sequence. In my opening sequence I would want to include a knife as this is the audiences first choice and this would keep my audience engaged throughout the sequence. The knife was the most popular choice and so I know that if I include a knife in my opening sequence then a lot of the target audience would be intrigued to watch my film. The knife is going to be shown when the killer is holding it and about to kill the victim.

My next question is where the audience expect to see a thriller film set. The majority of the audience said a house while some people said a forest or basement. The least popular choice was a graveyard with only 10% of the people saying that. 47% people said house and this is because typically in thriller films, the location is always the house and this is because it is usually an abandoned  house, or an isolated house. This makes the victims living in the house seem helpless and makes them an easier target for the killer as the house is isolated which means that nobody can hear them scream. It also creates vulnerability between the victims and shows how there is no escape for them. A house is the most popular choice because it creates a sinister atmosphere and the audience know straight away that something bad is going to happen. A forest is the second most popular choice for a thriller film to be set in and this is also because it makes the victims seem helpless and weak because they are alone and the killer see's the victim as an easy target because of their vulnerability and their naivety. A forest is also a good place to set a thriller film as it is conventional to the thriller genre as there is always a killer hiding in the forest. Setting a thriller film in the forest creates frequent jumpy scenes as the killer appears when the least expected and this puts the audience into the shoes of the vicitm. For my sequence, I am going to set my thriller opening sequence in a house because it shows the victim is alone and makes the victim an easy target. The audience will become intrigued into my opening sequence because the isolated house foreshadows death which will take place later on in the sequence. I am going to include a house shot in our narrative. It is going to be shown at the beginning of the sequence to portray isolation and helplessness.

My next question asks how the audience think a thriller film would end and the most popular answer was victim dies. 70% of people said that the victim dies while 22% said that the antagonist dies. the majority of people said that the victim dies because in typical thriller films, the victim always get murdered by the killer. The victim is seen as a target and during the film the killer's aim is to kill the victim. Most thriller films end with the victim dying which engages the audience as throughout the film they are wondering whether the victim is going to die or not. Some people also said that the antagonist dies and this is also conventional to some thriller films as the victim ends up killing the antagonist. This also engages the audience because the audience have built a relationship with the victim and throughout the film they sympathies and feel sorry for the victim as they are know they are going to die. The audience therefore don't want the victim to die and so instead the antagonist dies. In the survey 0% of people said that no one dies and this is conventional to a thriller film because there is always a death that takes place even if it isn't the pain characters. The death is what creates the enigma and keeps the audience engaged into the rest of the film to find out what happens next. In my opening sequence, I am going to have the victim die so that it creates an enigma as to why the killer wants to kill her. The target audience would watch my sequence as they would know that the victim is going to die but they would be intrigued to find out who killed her and why. In my narrative I am going to include the victim dying as this is what the audience expect to see. It is going to be shown towards the end of the sequence as it creates an enigma throughout the scene.

My survey also told me that 55% of the audience prefer to watch jumpy scenes rather than gory. 45% said gory scenes are better. The audience prefer jumpy scenes as they enjoy being thrilled and they enjoy being scared. Using frequent amount of jumpy scenes engages the audience as they don't expect them to happen. The killer appears when the least expected and this scares the audience but also makes them jump. The audience also like jumpy scenes better than gory as there is a build up of tension before the jump scare takes place. This intrigues the audience as they are left on edge, waiting for something bad to happen and this thrills them but also makes them want to watch the rest of the film. Gory scenes can also be quite disturbing for the audience and cause them distress and the content could be too explicit. In my opening sequence I am going to use jumpy scenes rather than gory scenes because it will engage my target audience more and it will build up suspense more. I also want to include jumpy scenes because more people would be more likely to watch my opening sequence more as jumpy scenes lead the audience into the unknown and scare them when they least expect it. My narrative is going to include more jumpy shots and this is going to be used when the killer appears unexpectedly behind the victim.

The last question of my questionnaire was do you enjoy being thrilled and 97% of the people said yes while the other 3% said no. The majority of the people said yes because they enjoy watching scary films and like the enjoyment of being thrilled. Some of the people may have said no because they may not of liked the frequent amount of jumpy scenes in thriller films or the scenes could be too disturbing for them. This told me that in my opening sequence I should contain typical conventions of a thriller film and contain jumpy scenes to engage and thrill my audience. The majority of my target audience like being thrilled and so this has helped me when planning my opening sequence as I want to thrill my audience and keep them engaged in my opening sequence. I would also want to intrigue my audience into watching the rest of the film and this will be done by using scenes that both scare and thrill my audience.

I filmed some Vox pops of people who took the questionnaire. Vox pops are interviews with the public audience through radio or television. The reason why I filmed them is to get proof that my questionnaire is reliable and true. It gives evidence that I have asked people about thriller films and also lets the viewers see the full description of open answers. In my vox pops, the people getting questioned can give longer and more detailed answers which will then help me when creating my opening sequence as I can see what extra information they have added which can be included in my opening sequence. Vox pops also gave me an insight on what I want to include in my opening sequence for instance the majority of people that took my questionnaire said they would expect to see a female victim or that their favourite weapon was a knife and this makes it easier to plan my opening sequence because it means that I can include these things so that I aim it towards my target audience. Vox pops also help me to understand what the public expect to see in thriller films for example an isolated location or jumpy scenes which means that when creating my opening sequence I can add these things in to engage my audience straight away and intrigue them into watching the rest of the film.

This research has helped me when planning my opening sequence as the questionnaire has been useful because I can see what people like in thriller films and what they would expect to see. This helps me when planning my opening sequence as I would include the things that the audience have said so that when I make my thriller film, it appeals to my target audience. The vox pops have also been useful as when asking open questions, they can give more detailed answers and elaborate on what they are saying. I will incorporate the results of the questionnaire and the vox pop into my own opening sequence as I can see what my target audience like best in a thriller film and what they don't like as much. For instance I would include a knife in my opening sequence because the majority of people prefer seeing knives than saw's or axes. I would also set my location in a house as people like seeing the isolated house and this engages them in the film more because the isolated house foreshadows events that are going to take place. I would also add more jumpy scenes rather than gory because people prefer being scared and jumping at an unexpected scene rather than seeing a scene that contains lots of blood. I know what age to aim my target audience to as the most popular age group was 26+ and so this has helped me when creating my opening sequence as I can include more jumpy scenes and more violence. The research has helped me to apply the results into my own opening sequence and this will appeal more to my target audience because their answers would be in my sequence. If  I carried out another research investigation, I would ask the public more open questions so that I can have more detailed answers which would help me more when creating my opening sequence. 

Planning Cinematography - Miss Miller

Cinematography is important when creating a thriller film as it creates tension for the audience. It portrays who is the antagonist and who is the victim and this is shown with the different angles. Cinematography is also important to a thriller film as it makes the audience focus on the important things in the film which could foreshadow later events that take place. It also makes the film seem more dramatic as it creates a dark and mysterious atmosphere which leads the audience into the unknown and creates tension for them as they don't know what to expect. It uses different shots which engage the audience and make them feel surprise when the unexpected happens. Planning is required to produce good thriller sequences as it saves time but not wondering what shot to use next. Also with different situations our group will know what to use straight away. For instance to make the  victim look vulnerable, I would use a high angle and to make the antagonist look powerful and determined to kill the victim, I would use a low angle. Planning also means that our group will know what shot to use straight away whenever we say what is going to happen next in the sequence and this helps us to be organised and to not waste time.


In my opening sequence I plan to use high angle and this is going to be shown when the victim is held hostage and there is someone dead next to her. This is going to make my victim seem vulnerable and weak and also shows how she is helpless and no one can help her. This gives the killer more of a chance of murdering her and so keeps the audience on edge as to when the killer is going to strike. The victim is shown to be naive and helpless and shows that the victim is going to die because the antagonist is overpowering and always kills the victim. Using the high angle in my opening sequence will show the naivety of the victim and make my victim seem like she has no escape. The high angle sets the scene of the film and show a dangerous situation. The high angle is going to be one of the first shots in my opening sequence and this will automatically create a sinister atmosphere as the audience can see that the victim is held hostage while the other person is dead on the floor, covered in blood. This makes the audience think that the victim is a target and something bad is going to happen to her next. It straight away grabs the audience's attention and makes them wonder why someone is dead and why the other person is tied up and this leads the into suspense as it foreshadows events that are later going to take place. It creates a relationship within the audience as the audience start to feel sympathy for the victim as they know there is a killer about. Using high angle is conventional to thriller films as it is always used to show the vulnerability of the victim and also to portray to the audience straight away who the victim is. The high angle makes the victim look small compared to the house which shows that the house is dangerous and that the victim isn't safe. Typically in thriller films, high angle is used to make the scene seem dangerous and sinister and foreshadows that the killer is going to strike the victim.

I also would use point of view from the victims side of it and this will be used when she looks down to see that she has been held hostage. This instantly creates an enigma  and makes the audience wonder why she is held hostage and who put her there. This creates tension for the audience as they don't know what has happened but they want to watch the rest of the sequence to find out what is going to happen next and the audience question whether the victim is actually alone or not. It creates a relationship with the audience as the audience feel like they are the victim and so they instantly become included in the opening sequence and they can relate to how the victim is feeling. The audience become worried for the victim as they know that something bad is going to happen but they also feel the victims pain because they are watching the sequence from her point of view. Using point of view from the victims eyes makes the opening sequence seem a lot more scarier as the audience don't know if there is a killer about or not and they are watching from the victims eyes and so when the killer does come into view, it scares the audience as they didn't expect it. This creates an element of shock and surprise for the audience. Using point of view from the victims angle is conventional to thriller films because it is typically used to create tension within the audience and it is used to make the audience jump as the killer is shown when the audience least expect it. It also creates a much darker atmosphere and makes the situation seem more dangerous for the victim.

I would also include establishing shot to how the isolated location of the house. I want to include this in my post as it makes the victims once again seem helpless and makes the house seem abandoned. This straight away creates a dark atmosphere and foreshadows events that will take place later on in the sequence. This makes the audience think already that a death is going to happen and shows how the victim has no where to go and nobody will hear her scream. The establishing shot makes the victim straight away seem trapped and implies that she is going to die to the audience. This builds a relationship with the audience as they feel sympathy for her and they want her to escape. The victim is naive and weak which makes the victim seem like an easier target for the killer. This is conventional to thriller films as an isolated location is always used to create an enigma for the audience and make them wonder what is going to happen next. This is also conventional as it straight away keeps the audience in tension and on edge as to if the victim is actually alone. An isolated location means that the victim is never just alone and so this engages to the audience as to when the killer is going to appear. This is also conventional as an establishing shot reveals the killer when they audience least expect it.

I would also want to use shallow focus in my opening sequence and this would be used to focus on the girl in the image. Shallow focus would help to blur out the background image so that the audience focus on the victim. Using shallow focus would also help to hide the killer when the audience aren't supposed to see the killer. For instance if the killer was creeping up on the victim, the killer would be blurred out and the focus would only be on the girl so that the audience can't see the killer in the background. The killer would then be revealed when he is next to the victim and this would make the audience jump as they didn't expect the killer to be there. Using shallow focus also makes the audience focus on the victims facial expressions to show her naivety and to show that the victim is scared and this builds a relationship with the audience as the audience also feel scared because they know the victim is alone and they know her life is coming to an end. Shallow focus is conventional to a thriller film as creates suspense for the audience and keeps them on edge as to when the killer is going to strike. It also creates frequent jumpy scenes which is conventional as the audience would expect to see jumpy scenes. Shallow focus also creates mystery and this is shown as conventional as an enigma is always in a thriller film to keep the audience engaged to what happens next.

 In my opening sequence, close up would be used when it shows the girls facial expressions as she sees the killer in the window. This will create an element of surprise and shock for the audience as they didn't expect it. Using close up will also show that the victim didn't know that the killer was going to be there and it makes the killer seem naive as it shows that she doesn't know what is going on. This creates a relationship with the audience because the audience can relate to the victim as they don't know what is going on either and this creates an enigma which leaves the audience into suspense as to what is going to happen to the victim. Using close up also sets a dark atmosphere as it shows a serious situation and the girl is in trouble. Using close up portrays how scared the victim is and she knows she is going to die. The close up of her scared face makes the audience unsure of what is going to happen next and it also makes the victim seem like an even bigger target as she is shown to be scared and weak instead of strong. This also builds a relationship with the audience as they are just as shocked as her that the killer was outside and they can relate to how the character is feeling but also feel scared for the victim because now they know that she is seen as a target and she is going to get killed by the killer. This is conventional to a thriller film as close ups are always used to show the facial expressions of the victim to show how scared they are and how they are confused on what is going on. Close ups are seen in thriller films to portray how scared the victims are and to make them an easy target for the killer. 

My opening sequence is more effective by using cinematography as it creates emotions and reactions. Cinematography helps to create emotions and reactions as it makes the audience aware of what is happening but also shows the audience how the victim is reacting. It creates emotions as camera shots such as establishing shot and high angle make the victim seem vulnerable and weak which imply that the victim can't escape and that she is a target for the killer. This creates emotions as the audience automatically feel sorry for the victim and they want the victim to survive. The audience also are left in suspense because they know that something sudden is going to happen to the victim and so they begin to worry when the killer is going to strike. Cinematography also creates emotion and reaction as the shots show a sense of instability and isolation which make the victim seem like she is panicking and creates a sense of chaos. This also shows emotion as the audience can see how the victim is feeling and they can relate to her as they feel a sense of urgency as well because they don't want the victim to die and so they are left on edge. Reaction is also shown as the victim is scared and she doesn't know what is happening. Cinematography allows the audience to see what the reaction of the victim is and this also creates reaction for the audience because they are surprised at the events taking place. Cinematography creates more of an effective thriller film as it creates a sinister effect and shows the reaction and emotion of both the characters and the audience. The emotions and reactions shown and felt by the victims are also the same emotions and reactions for the audience as a relationship is built between the victim and the audience. This is conventional to a thriller film as cinematography's purpose is to create a relationship and make the audience feel sorry for the victims and this is done through the camera shots which make the victim seem helpless. 

To conclude in my opening sequence I want to include certain camera shots to create emotion and reaction which will make my opening sequence more effective. These camera shots will imply who the victim is and who the killer is straight away and this will be shown through the angles. Cinematography is important when creating my opening sequence as it creates tension for the audience and builds up suspense as it makes the audience wonder what is going to happen next and it makes them intrigued to find out what happens during the film. Camera shots also foreshadow events that are going to take place, establishing shot and close up are examples of foreshadowing shots which engage the audience. Camera shots are also important as they make my opening sequence more effecitive as they create elements of surprise, shock and suspense for the audience. This is shown through the camera shots, point of view and shallow focus which created unexpected jumpy scenes and scare the audience. Point of view also shows an element of reaction and emotion as the audience see everything from the victims eyes and this makes the scene seem more tense as the audience feel the same way as the victim does and this creates a relationship. Cinematography is conventional to the thriller genre and is needed when creating an opening sequence to a thriller film as it sets the location of an isolated house and sets the theme, plot and narrative. These are all shown with the different shots and create reaction and emotion through the shots. 

Preliminary Task - Miss Miller

For this task I had four members in my group, Me, John, Luca and Ciara. We had to do this task in order to get used to the camera equipment and use different camera angles to film the dialogue taking place.  We had to experiment with different shots and angles and film a conversation between two people while the other two people film what was happening. The conversation had to be under a minute and include 5 different camera angles. This included, over the shoulder shot, mid shot, long shot, close up and panning. We had to quickly film the conversation so that we could edit it and watch the clip over again to see how well we performed the shots and how well we edited them.

During the filming process we had to use the tripod to hold the camera up and to make sure that the shots were steady instead of shaky from being hand held. We also had to use the different camera shots, mid shot, long shot, over the shoulder, panning and close up.
These shots all had to be used within our minute conversation. Our group did particualy well in using close up and the two mid shot and long shot. I think we did well in this because they are reasonably easy shots to do and we used the tripod for all of the shots which meant we had a steady camera shot rather than an unsteady shot. The camera was also easy to set up and fairly easy to use which meant that our group new how to zoom in and create a close up and this helped towards creating a good camera shot. I think our group struggled with creating a panning scene and an over the shoulder shot. This was because a panning shot was hard to create as it involved moving the camera round where as with the other shots the camera was on a tripod and so it was steady and no movement was involved. The panning shot was also a bit unsteady as it was filmed by holding the camera instead of placing it on the tripod.
The over the shoulder shot was also hard to create as it was hard to try and just get the other person rather than the two people in the shot. For instance the person who wasn't getting filmed was still in the shot which made the shot look a bit unprofessional and a bit unsteady. The person who wasn't getting filmed also took up most of the shot and so the person that was getting filmed wasn't really seen. When I create my opening scene I am going to make sure that the camera is always on the tripod so that the shots do not look shaky. If i have to hold the camera for any reason for example a panning shot, I am going to make sure that the shot doesn't look unsteady and I am going to do this by filming the shot over and over again until the shot doesn't look unsteady. When filming the over the shoulder shot I am going to position the tripod slighting away from the person whose not being filmed. That way the shot won't contain the person not being filmed and the focus will be on the other person. When watching my footage back, it helped me to see some mistakes  that i didn't see when filming. For instance the over the shoulder shot which when looking back at it, you can see the person who isn't getting filmed and they are taking the whole shot up. I also noticed mistakes when making the panning shot as the shot wasn't correct and it was very shaky which didn't make the shot look good. It has also helped me see mistakes as when working with the camera, we didn't set up the tripod properly and so this made some of the shots look a bit slanted which we hadn't noticed before.

With regards to the equipment, as a group we did particularly well with filming the close up shots. I also feel like we did particularly well with setting up the tripod and knowing how to actually use the camera straight away without any problems. As a group, we worked well when setting up the equipment because we knew what to do and we were able to set up quickly and carefully. When also using the camera, I felt like our grouped picked up quickly on how to use it and this resulted in good filming and being able to film shots very well without any major problems. We were able to keep the camera steady by using the tripod and we were able to find the zoom button on the camera and apply it to our close up shots.

This task helped me to prepare for filming my opening sequence as i understood how to use the camera which means that our group doesn't waste time trying to set it up. I also know how to use the tripod and how much better the shots look when using the tripod. It has also helped me to understand how to film the different shots and I can apply this in my opening sequence to engage my audience. I also know from filming which shots I need to make better and which shots are the most effective and this has helped when preparing to film my opening sequence. From this task, I have learnt how to use the different camera angles and how to actually use the camera. This task has helped me to understand where to position my camera to get better shots and to create certain effects and has also helped me to make the audience focus on one character within the shot. By doing this task, I have learnt that the camera has to be on the tripod to keep the shot steady unless using an unsteady shot for effect. The camera needs to be kept still so that when filming, the camera isn't shaking about alot which could make the shot look unprofessional and not very neat. I have also learnt that certain shots create certain effects such as close up is used to show facial expressions while panning is used to show movement between the two characters and this will help me for when I am filming my opening sequence as I will know what shots to use in certain points of the sequence. When filming my opening sequence I need to make sure that I keep certain shots the same so that it creates effect within my sequence. However I need to put the camera on the tripod all the time so that the shots aren't shaky and I need to position the camera differently so that the person that is speaking is in the whole of the shot rather and a little bit of it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zZ-jjGJyKc

Inspirations - Miss Georgiou

I need to look at inspirations so that I can get ideas and  information about what makes a good thriller film. The inspirations looked out will help me with creating my opening sequence as they will give me ideas about how certain shots or sounds effect the audience and how the audience become intrigued in the film and want to watch more. The inspirations i found out were typical to a thriller film and this is what creates surprise, suspense and shock as the audience like to be thrilled and this inspirations help to do so. I need to look at inspirations to find out what would be good to put in my opening sequence and what would build up tension and leave the audience in suspense.

An inspiration  that I am going to use is shadow. This is shown in Annabelle when there is a shadow figure in the background. This is inspirational as it makes the audience wonder where the girl is alone or not as there is a figure in the curtains. This has inspired me to add a shadow figure in my opening sequence as I would like to keep the audience in suspense as to who might be there. It would also create tension and build up a suspense element as the shadow figure would create a dark and mysterious atmosphere which would lead the audience into the unknown as to what is going to happen next. I would also want my killer to be hidden so that it creates an enigma and engages my audience more as the audience would want to know who the killer is. It also makes the film seem more mysterious as the killer is unknown which gets the audience worried for the characters. Including a shadowy figure in my opening sequence will engage my audience and make them more intrigued into the sequence as suspense would be created. This is conventional to thriller films as typically in thriller films, the identity of the killer is hidden to build up suspense and make my audience relate to the characters and feel sympathy for them as they are portrayed as weak and helpless. In my post a shadow would be used when the victim see's a mysterious figure in the curtains. My victim will head towards the shadow and this will be when a jump scare takes place. The shadow will also portray the killer and it will show as the victim gets closer to the shadow, she is also getting closer to the killer and her death. I would also want to use a shadow when the victim see's the killer for the first time but not knowing who the killer is. I would like to add a shadow into my individual narrative as it fits into the thriller genre and is conventional to a thriller film. It helps keep the audience engaged and when planning for my individual narrative, it ill be used when the victim see's someone outside the house or in the curtains to make it seem like someone is constantly watching the victim.

I would also like to include linking of shots within my post and this is shown in the strangers when the girl gets stabbed and the camera shows the isolated location. This is has inspired me to include this in my post as using an isolated location makes the victims seem helpless as they are trapped within their own home and this gives the killer more of a chance of murdering them. It also makes the victims weak and vulnerable as nobody can hear them scream and this is implied when the camera shows the isolated area with no one about. Including linking of shots will also show where the killer wants to strike and who they want to strike.
This makes the audience worried for the victims as they know that the victims are going to die and there is nothing the victims can do about it. Including an isolated location and linking of shots gives a realistic view on the setting and makes the audience think that they are actually there and that there is actually a killer about and this would makes them want to watch the rest of the sequence to din out what happens next and to see if the killer is going to strike the victims. The audience would also be left in suspense as they would feel sorry for the victims and the linking of shots creates tension and shows the vulnerability of the characters. This is inspirational as I would want my audience to feel shocked and surprise but the events that had taken place. In my sequence, I am going to show an isolated location when the victim is in danger. The camera will show an abandoned house and an empty street which will show the victims vulnerability and how the victim is shown as helpless and weak. In my individual narrative, I would want to add the location at the beginning of the narrative so that it sets the theme of a thriller film and lets the audience know that they are watching a thriller film as the abandoned road and house already gives the sense of isolation and already creates tension for the audience. I am going to include an isolated area into my individual narrative so that it straight away creates reactions and emotions within the audience and already helps the audience to create a relationship with the characters.

Parallel sound is also inspirational and this is shown in scream 4 when Kirby is making her way towards the wardrobe. This has inspired me to include parallel sound in my opening sequence as it shows the audience that something bad is going to happen. It creates suspense as the audience are getting prepared to see the killer and they know that someone is going to die. By using parallel sound it builds up tension and gets the audience on edge as something sinister is going to happen and the parallel sound represents the life of the victims and shows that their life is coming to an end.

The parallel sound also helps the audience to know when the killer is about as the sound is usually low which portrays the killer while more high pitch sound represents the victims. Including parallel sound within my sequence will intrigue my audience a lot more as they would know when something bad is going to happen and they are getting prepared for what is going to happen next. Usually in parallel sound the beats get louder to show that the killer is getting closer and this is inspirational because it gets the audience on edge and creates an element of suspense and shock. The audience are expecting something bad to happen which makes them nervous for what is going to happen to the victim. The audience are instantly engaged as they know the victims are helpless and there is nothing the victims can do to stop them from being killed. This is typical in thriller films as the victim always dies while the killer gets away with it. In my sequence, parallel sound will be used when the victim is making her way towards the killer. This will portray that the victims life is coming to an end and will show how she has no escape from the killer. I would want to include parallel sound within my individual narrative as the victim comes closer to the killer. By adding parallel sound in my narrative, it means that the audience instantly know when the victim becomes vulnerable and that the victim is going to die. I want to include parallel sound in my narrative so that the audience become intrigued to find out what happens next and so that the audience can build a stronger relationship with the victim as they begin to feel sorry for the victim.,

I would add close up in my opening sequence. An example of a close up is in final destination 2 when the camera focuses on the powder and the nail. This has inspired me to use it in my sequence as I would want to foreshadow events and make my audience feel suspense as to what is going to happen next. Using close up has also inspired me to include this in my sequence as it makes the audience focus on certain objects which could later link to the death.
Close up is also used to show facial expressions and this creates more surprise and shock for the audience as they see the expressions of the characters and it makes the audience feel sorry for them. Including this in my sequence means that my audience are intrigued to find out how the shots are linked. The audience are also led into the unknown as to how the close up might be linked later on in the film. The close up also shows the determination on the antagonists face and shows that the killer is determined to murder the victims. Close up distinguish the two characters by looking at the facial expressions as the victims are shown to be more scared and weak while the killers are more powerful and this creates tension for the audience as they can relate to the characters. Close up would be used in my sequence when the camera focuses on a certain weapon which will foreshadow events that are going to happen in the sequence. It will also be used to show the facial expressions of the victims face when she see's the killer. I want to use close ups constantly when planning my individual narrative and this will be used to show facial expressions of both the killer and the victim and also to show weapons that could be used to kill the victim. I will be adding a lot of close ups to my individual narrative as I think this helps to portray the characters clearly as the victim and the killer as they make the killer look overpowering while making the victim look weak and helpless. Close up's are used throughout thriller films and they are very conventional to the thriller genre as they keep the audience guessing what is going to happen next especially when there is a close up of a weapon which creates a dramatic effect and instantly turns the situation dark and sinister.

A female victim has inspired me to include this in my sequence and this is shown in Insidious 3 when the girl is alone and is shown to be the target for the killer. This has inspired me to include a female victim in my post as they are shown as vulnerable and weak which gives the killer more of a chance to kill them. Female victims are also the most common of gender to be the victim as the audience have more sympathy for a female victim because they see them as weak and helpless.
This makes the audience relate more to them but also makes the audience feel worried for the character. Female victim is conventional to thriller films as they are always shown to be the target for death by the killer. The female victim is shown right at the beginning of every thriller sequence which instantly engages the audience into the film as they would want to know what is going to happen to the female victim. Using a female victim in my opening sequence will engage my audience straight away as they will know that something bad is going to happen to the victim and they know that a death scene could take place. A female victim also creates an element of suspense for the audience as they want the victim to survive but the killer is shown to be more powerful while the female is naive and gets the audience worried for her life. In my sequence, I am going to use a female victim throughout and this will show to the audience that a death scene is going to take place. A female victim also creates an easy target for the killer and shows that the killer is more likely to kill the victim. A female victim is going to be used when planning my individual narrative as when researching other thriller films, most of them use female victims to portray an easy target and instantly leads the audience into believing that a death is going to take place. I am going to use a female victim in my narrative and I am going to use the typical thriller conventions which make my female victim seem even more helpless and vulnerable.

Finally in my opening sequence I would want to include silence and this is used in Shutter Island when the two male characters are walking around down the hallway and the lights are flickering. This has inspired me to use silence in my opening sequence because it creates a very dark and mysterious atmosphere which sets the theme of a thriller film. It also builds up a lot of suspense as the audience are waiting for something bad to happen and are left on the edge of their seats. The silence creates a fear of the unknown in which whatever happens next is unexpected and makes the audience jump as the killer could come out at any point. The silence creates shock and surprise for the audience as the killer comes out when the audience least expect it. Silence is also used to show power of the killer and shows vulnerability of the victims. The victims have no idea what is coming next and the killer has power over them so the killer could strike at anytime and the victims would be helpless. The silence is used to get the audience worried for the characters as they can relate to them and feel suspense for them. The audience know that something sinister is going to happen as the silence represents the lives of the victims and shows that it is coming to an end. The silence foreshadows death and foreshadows that there is a killer there that is going to murder them. I want this to be included in my opening sequence so that it builds up tension within the audience and makes them feel scared for events that are going to take place. In my sequence silence is going to be used before the killer see's the victim and this will keep the audience on edge as to when the killer is going to appear and it also builds up tension for when the killer is going to strike. In my individual narrative, I want to include a lot of shots that contain silence for instance just before the victim gets killed or when the victim is looking for the killer. These moments would have silence in them as they create a sinister effect and leave the audience in tension. They leave the audience on edge and make the audience feel vulnerable because they don't know what is going to happen next and so they are left in suspense. The audience understand how the victim is feeling and feel as though they are the victim because the silence has helped to create a relationship with the characters. Silence will be used for a lot of shots as it is a typical thriller convention which makes the sequence seem more surprising and thrilling.

To conclude, looking at thriller films for inspiration has helped me with planning my own opening sequence as I want to include certain things that make my opening sequence jumpy and keep the audience in suspense. In my opening sequence I would like to include linking of shots within my opening sequence as I think that this would show the setting easily and make the location seem isolated. This would keep my audience in suspense as they know that the victim cannot escape and so they know that a death is going to take place and this keeps the audience intrigued in my sequence as they would want to know who the killer is and if the victim dies or not. I would also want to include lots of non diegetic sounds which create tense music as this builds up to the victim dying. Parallel sound will also be included to show the audience that the victims life is soon coming to an end and to portray that the killer is getting closer. Adding non diegetic sound to my sequence will also create tension for the audience and portray the two characters, the victim and the killer as the killer will have low beat music while the victim will have high pitch music to imply weakness and vulnerability. Inspirations have helped me to understand what makes a good thriller film and what to include to engage my audience. I have also looked at typical conventions to see what is always in thriller films so that I can include them into my opening sequence. I need to look at inspirations to see what my audience would like best and to see what creates the most suspense for my audience.