Inspiration - Miss Georgiou

Inspiration

We need inspiration before we create something to get many different ideas and gain knowledge to create something to the best of our ability. We can take inspiration from many different thriller films. For inspiration to create a successful thriller sequence I have researched and collected various information about films from the thriller genre. I have looked at various thriller sequences and inspirations. I have taken inspiration from films from the thriller genre such as, Scream, Scream 2, Mama, The Strangers and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 

Mise-en-Scene
In this part of my research, I used the clip from "Mama" where the girls are found in the cabin in the middle of the woods. From watching this clip I have taken inspiration and will adapt them to my opening thriller sequence. One inspiration that I will adapt is the use of low key, dark lighting. However, "Mama" has low key lighting due to the natural light in the background, but i will adapt this technique as we will film when it is slightly dark to give us enough light so the audience can see what is happening. As well as using the technique as low key lighting, I will also take inspiration from the setting as it is in an isolated place. "Mama" was set in a isolated cabin in the middle of the woods. I thought this would be a good use of a technique as this creates suspense and tension for the audience. So I will use this technique as base my thriller opening sequence in the middle of the forest. This will build suspense and tension as it will take a long time for the younger characters to escape from any threat imposed on them. 

Cinematography
From researching the clip in the film "Scream" I have found that I have been inspired by many of the conventional cinematography techniques. Firstly, the use of a shallow focus. Within scream this can be seen when the protagonist Sydney is using the phone to call for the emergency services and you see the antagonist trying to enter her room. This creates a sense of foreboding for the audience as it is unknown whether he will enter the room and is in the back of peoples minds that he could impose danger to Sydney. I will incorporate this idea into my opening thriller sequence as I want to use this when a over the shoulder shot is used when the girls are looking at the dark figure, keeping the dark figure slightly blurred in the background, to show he is around all of the time and can create threat and danger for the protagonists at any time.

Sound
I analysed the sound used within the clip of "Scream 2" when the protagonist is trying to escape from the masked killer by finding places in her house to escape. By researching the sound used within this clip I have taken some inspiration for my thriller opening sequence. The first inspiration that I have taken is the use of non-diegetic, eerie music. Within this scene it is used as the protagonist is walking slowly throughout her house as the killer is getting much closer towards her. I will use this technique when the two protagonists are walking down the long stretch of road towards the forest. This is when the camera is handheld, giving it the effect as though somebody is following them. The music will then begin to build up its tempo as they come closer to the forest, creating a sense of foreboding showing to the audience that something bad is going to happen. Another technique that I will be using is exaggerating diegetic sounds. By exaggerating diegetic sounds this makes more of an impact on the audience. An example of this which I will be using within my opening thriller sequence is the whistling of the wind and footsteps. These are everyday ordinary sounds, but when exaggerated can be interpreted differently. The exaggerated sounds of the wind helps to give an eerie sense to the scene as without this it would be complete silence and would not create an effect. In addition to this, the exaggerated sounds of footsteps help to create the effect that somebody is following the girls, in the scene of them walking down the long stretch of road, which immediately creates suspense and tension as a sense of foreboding is created because we know that the girls are heading towards and isolated setting being followed by an unknown antagonist which could impose threat upon them.

Conventions

I have taken inspiration from the film "The Strangers" to add in conventional aspects to my thriller opening sequence. Firstly, a typical convention of a thriller film that I have been inspired by from "The Strangers"  is an unidentified antagonist. Within this scene the convention is used when the protagonist slides the curtain to the left of the window when a masked figure appears at the window. In this case the antagonist has used a bag/mask to hid his identity. I will be using this convention throughout our thriller opening sequence as the dark figure will always be masked and not revelead. Not only does the mask signify the killer wants to be unknown, it could also create a sense of foreboding as it is unknown to the audience what will happen next to the protagonist. Not only does the hidden identity of the antagonist create suspense, it also creates enigma which helps to make the killer seem mysterious and makes the audience question why he is trying to impose any danger and threat upon the two protagonists. In addition to this the audience will begin to empathize for the protagonist as the reasons are unclear why the unidentified killer is choosing to harm her as it could be an unprovoked attack. Another typical convention that "The Strangers" has inspired me to use, is the use of an isolated/entrapping setting. Within "The Strangers" the protagonist is left alone in an isolated house in the middle of nowhere with nobody to help her and so far away that it would take a very long time for any emergency services to help her to safety. This be used throughout our opening thriller sequence as we will film within an isolated, local forest. This is typical as it creates a sense of foreboding for that character as they have nowhere to go and the audience begin to fear for the protagonists safety as something/someone is clearly out to harm the two protagonists so the audience cant help but watch on to see what will happen next.

Editing

"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" has inspired my thriller opening sequence from the editing techniques that have been used. One editing technique I will be using is the editing of the pace of the scene, increasing the timing of the shot. Within this film this technique is used when the woman has escaped from the man and is now trying to escape by running as fast as possible throughout the field with the man running after her with a chainsaw. Within my thriller opening sequence we will use this when we have a series of montage clips, which are clips all put together, from the leaves and trees, to the girls expressions of seeming worried and frightened, to the dark figure standing alone. Within our opening sequence, the increased pace of the scene could represent the two heartbeat but could also represent their desperation to escape from the situation they are in, in the isolated forest with discovering a boy roped up to the tree. I think that this makes the audience sympathizes for the protagonists as the target audience are of a similar age to the protagonists so can not help and imagine themselves in the situation the two girls are now in. Another editing technique which we will include in our opening thriller sequence is a zooming in shot. Within "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" the zoom in shot is used on the pool of blood in which the woman is laying face down in after her throat has just been slit. This creates an emphasis on the red pool of blood which portrays danger and foreshadows the characters safety throughout the scene. I will use this technique once the girls nave spotted the dark figure and you begin to see the expression on their faces.The audience will begin to empathize for the characters as they can see how worried and terrified they both are.

Target Audience

For my research of target audiences for thriller films I prepared a questionnaire and asked many people to fill out the questionnaire so it could give me an insight of the thriller genre target audience. From this questionnaire I found that many of the people who watch and favour thriller films are aged between 16 and 20. I think is because anybody below the age of 15 may find the films scary and are not usually of the right age to see the film in cinema so are not interested in watching the film as they do not watch them regularly. I also think this age group likes the thriller genre the most because they are old enough to follow and understand the intricate plot.

Altogether I think that by researching and getting inspiration from different thriller films this has enabled myself and my group to develop our ideas further for our opening thriller sequence. It has allowed us to see how other thriller films have used and interpreted different techniques when filming. The inspirations have helped to make our opening sequence better for a number of reasons. The techniques used help to build the three main elements in a typical thriller film, which is shock, surprise and suspense.