Test shots

     In our groups, we have started to film our thriller opening and title sequences. My group are starting to experiment with lighting in different shots. We have focused on creating silhouettes and lots of shadows to convey tension and suspicion for the audience. Low-key lighting is going to be used and we are going to experiment with different camera shots and angles.

Our Thriller Title Sequence

Ideas and Inspiration

For our thriller title sequence, my group and I have decided to do a psychological thriller. We will include lots of shadows and silhouettes to create the tense atmosphere that a thriller creates. The camera shots will we include are CUs, MCUs and some high or low angle shots. Our inspiration comes from films such as:

• Paranormal Activity
• Insidious
• Sinister
• The Woman in Black

These films include lots of shadows and silhouetttes and he music used is very atmospheric and tense, creating that edge-of-your-seat feeling. We would like to create that in our thriller title sequence by using some of the techniques used in these films.

Music

The music we would like to use isn't really music but a soundtrack of a low droning or maybe using silence to make it tense as silence can be very effective. We don't want our music to be over-powering as it would distract from what is happening on the screen.

Editing

We have decided to use slow pace editing to give the audience time to really look at the images on screen. It will be images of shadows and silhouettes because we want to make the audience feel as if there is someone/something always watching you. 

 

Lighting

In our production, we are going to use low-key lighting, as it is common in a thriller as it creates lots of tension and suspense. The low-key lighting will create lots of shadows and silhouettes which is what we want in our thriller.

Creating tension in a Thriller

Cutting:

Cutting scenes can be very important as it can be used to create suspense and tension in a thriller film. Such as when a cut is done between characters to see what each of the characters can see. This technique is used in films such as the 1920's film Nosferatu:






This editing shows that you don't have to film everything and that cutting can create tension.


Music is a very important part in creating tension and suspense in thrillers. The use of instruments such as screeching violins and/or a low droning sound creates this suspense. In Nosferatu, an organ was used, which in the early days of film, was used a lot in thrillers.

Camera sizes such as Close-up/Medium Close-up are used often and sometimes, Extreme Close-up is used. CU/MCU shots shows facial expressions and emotions which is essential in a thriller as it shows how the audience should feel at a particular moment in the film.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991):

The Silence of the Lambs is a very good example of the different techniques used in a thriller:

• Heavy breathing-makes the audience feel scared and feels as if they are actually there.
• POV shot also makes the audience feel as if they are there.
• 'Peaks and Valleys' are used in the film, which is where the music and scene builds up to a peak(crucial point in the film), such as when she opens the door to find the killer but he isn't there, which is a valley (low point in the film).
• Lots of CUs used to show emotion
• There is a scene where the camera is at the POV of the killer and it is dark, the killer is wearing night-vision goggles. This makes the audience feel on the edge-of-the-seat feeling. The thought of not being able to see in the dark is scary but the thought of someone who can see you and you can't see them is even scarier.
• No long shots were used in the extract as they are used more for setting the scene. But LS can be effective if used right. Such as in Nosferatu and for silhouettes.