Tuesday 11 October 2011

Analysing A 'Thriller'

THRILLERS



I find a great example of a thriller is, 'The Blair Witch Project'. But within this there is one scene that I believe is the most thrilling. I have found a link on YouTube of the end scene from the film. There are a number of factors that make this ending to a film so chilling.

The Blair Witch Project


The camerawork in this sequence isn't what you'd expect to find in a normal film. This part of the film seems as though it has been filmed on a hand held camera. This makes the scene more 'thrilling' because it gives the audience the impression that they're there in the same situation as the protagonist. Making the audience feel involved with this technique can create a much more chilling atmosphere instead of using a more familar technique such as a 'well edited' shot.

In this sequence there is no music, and there are no non-diegetic sounds. This makes the atmosphere a lot more realistic for the audience because in real life, you don't walk around with an orchestra playing a dramatic song behind you! The only sounds avaliable to the audience are the diegetic sounds to the actor.The diegetic sounds are ones of 'wimpering' and 'crying'. These reflect a dark, negative and scary atmosphere to the audience.

There is very little mise-en-scene or editing required for this scene. The characters props, make-up and the background are very limited. The editing is hardly noticeable. I believe the light may have been tweaked the slightest bit possibly and the quality of the film may have been upgraded, but overall very little in comparison to other thriller films to improve it. I believe the realness of this sequence is what makes it the most terrifying.  

The Wave - German Thriller

There are two types of sound in this sequence; diegetic and non-diegetic. A good example of a non-diegetic sound that builds tension in this clip is the heartbeat sound effect. This sound signifies life and how at any point it can stop. The music is also a very low toned, dark and suspenseful creating a more chilling sequence. The diegetic sounds which the actors can hear do less to make the sequence thrilling however they're all quite 'alarming' and 'distressing' sounds.

The editing of this sequence is in time to the sounds so the storyline seems like it is flowing smoother. The titles that are put into this sequence also change in time with the music, making the moment seem more suspenseful and dramatic.

The mise-en-scene of the film seems very stereotypical of a modern day classroom at first, however the scenery and the lighting becomes darker the this makes the storyline seem more suspenseful. The props that the actors have at times would stereotypically be viewed as 'dangerous' or threatening.

The camerawork. In this sequence it is a mix of wide angled shots and close ups. It is what I would expect to find in a high budget well thought out film. There are also point of view shots where the camera moves or is 'running' with the characters which may be done in order to make the character feel as though they're moving with and part of the film.

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