Studying AS Level Thrillers

COMPULSIONS:

This thriller made by students of a different college set their film in a large field near a wood and housing estate. They uses the same ending and starting shot to establish that something bad was about to happen, (we were initally planning on using this in our preliminary task, however, we then brain-stormed different ideas for our final.)

The two main protagonists are young girls of our age who are walking home from a shopping trip as this is a shorter route home. The thriller is narrated with a voice-over of one of the two girls, updating the audience on where they have been and also as an opinion to the event that is about to happen. As the two characters are young girls this creates an innocence and vulnerability which is realistic to everyday life as one of the long shots taken sees a man following them further in the distance.

The diegetic music used throughout the film, which gradually fades out towards the build up at the end is an eerie tingling sound. Its repetive, echoeing sound is unnerving however, also is quite childish and happy which juxtaposes the thriller however, also coincides as it links to the narrative speech being cheery.

The man in the distance is used as a red herring throughout the film as he is straight away percieved to be the one who kills the girl who is seen to be dead at the start of the film. However, after the clip of the girl on the floor, the story unwinds to concur that it is in fact the girl's friend who kills her, shocking the audience with this cunning twist and creating a sinister atmosphere.

The use of the narrative is very effective throughout this film as the girls voice projects the childhood innocence. However, the dialogue is quite staged at times which makes it seem unrealistic to the audience. Nevertheless, the way that the voice is fast paced and high pitched adds an element of suspense and fright to the drama. When the action builds up when the girls split up, the voice almost trails away from the audiences awareness as they are focused on what is going on. I like this technqiue as it seems as though an interview after the murder is taking place and adds to the reality of the situation.

Some of the shots are not exactly straight at the start of the film, however, as it is filmed in an open field is is quite different to range shots. There are many close-ups of grass and feet which makes it clautrophobic and also impacts on the vulnerability which is successful to the drama.





CASE 343:

The film was structured as a case study, as though an interview was being recorded by the police attempting to find out who was the murderer earlier that year. The use of type writing font coincides with the investigation, which fades with the transition of black, this is conventional but also is dramatic.

I would say that the narrative craft makes this film successful. I would love to use this technique as the murderers synopsis of his day does not coincide with the action. The group had phrased the dialogue specifically to make it humourous such as 'I moved some things around' and the man was moving the body.

The shots are filmed smoothly and simply around the house. They had thought specifically about the way the camera moved and how the character moved in and out of shots instead of being followed by the camera. This is clever it shows his attempted dominance over the situation, however, as the interview does not match up, he has been caught red handed. Furthermore, by having only shots of below the shoulders (many close-up), this disguises the murderers face which makes it more frightening and gives off a sense of claustrophobia.

I loved the use of the sink near the start of the film, where the water ran red with the blood, this piecing sound of the water drumming on the metal and the stained water adds to the conventions of a thriller, which would have gained them marks.

They used a lot of repeted shots however, they were successful as the actor's state of mind changes when he hears a knock at the door. This helps to contrast his slight sense of dominance and then his panic when he knows someone is around. The use of the mat slipping beneath his feet as he gets up from sitting on the toilet seat helps to mirror how his plan is slipping away, and no longer hidden under the mat.

The last shot of when he eventually opens the front door, is edited using a transition of fade to white. This could symbolise a passage into heaven, or a way to admit his sins.

I liked the way much of the film is silent throughout as its adds to the build up in tension and suspense. However, when the credits emerge a dramatic boom sound if used to shock the audience and again it subtly adds to the build up in events to suggest a horrific ending.