EVALUATION 7

Here is our commentary on both our prelim and thriller.

EVALUATION 6

Here is our evaluation on the technology we used:

EVALUATION 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?



The most obviously similar character to ours is Bill Foster, played by Michael Douglas in the film Falling Down (1993, Joel Schumacher). His character is, on the outside, an ordinary man. He carries a briefcase, wears a white shirt and tie, and glasses. The idea being that everyday life (traffic jams in the searing heat, an ex-wife who won't let him see his daughter, irritating shopkeepers, bad burgers, pointless roadworks etc) has ground him down to his breaking point.

The fact that Bill is an ordinary man who is under skilled, and has never held a gun before, let alone shot a man; means that the audience sympathise with him much more than the typical "All American Hero" type character presented in other action films such as Die Hard (1988, John McTiernan). Towards the end of the film Bill says "I'm the bad guy? How did that happen?" which sums up perfectly how his character is presented, as the audience - having witnessed his breakdown - is inclined to agree with him.

The character in our film is similar in many ways. He wears glasses, carries a briefcase, and wears a shirt and tie. He looks like an ordinary man on his way home from work. The difference is, that instead of using this to get the audience to sympathise with him, we used it to shock the audience. This works because the idea that anyone you work with could be an emotionless, sadistic torturer is particularly frightening, and I think we pulled this off to great effect.

All things considered, our character is actually much more similar to the character Patrick Bateman, played by Christian Bale in American Psycho (2000, Mary Harron). Like Bill Foster, Patrick wears a shirt and tie and carries a briefcase; however unlike Bill, his shirt and tie are part of an expensive designer suit, while his briefcase is probably considerably more valuable.

The similarities between our character and Patrick lie in the fact that neither character shows any emotion while killing their victims. This is perfectly summed up by one of Bateman's monologues: "I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip."

The idea that our character shows no emotions on the outside and looks like a normal person, who goes to work every day with people who have no idea what he does in his leisure time, is what we wanted to portray. However, our character is more serious and not as tongue-in-cheek as the character portrayed by Bale.

To an extent, similarities can also be drawn between our character and that of Harry Brown in the film of the same name (2009, Daniel Barber). Although he is a much older character, the principal is the same, of an ordinary person driven to breaking point by the youths on the estate, and the deaths of his wife and friend. Again, however, they differ in the fact that Harry Brown is driven to his emotional breaking point whereas our character shows no emotions and we do not see what has driven him to torture his victims.

Overall, I feel that although we only had 2 minutes in which to portray a character, and a limited choice of actors, we achieved the desired effect through the use of costume and through Tom’s non-verbal-communication and role in the film.

Disposition - The Final Cut

Poster

The post production process

Once filming was finished, we uploaded all of our footage onto the computer. Although the thriller was supposed to be only two minutes, the total footage which we had filmed had come to about an hour, as it included a lot of shots which had been messed up (very common when filming in a public area), as well as lots of alternative shots and multiple takes just to make sure we had everything and there were no mistakes.

My job was to sift through all of this footage and find the most appropriate and effective shots, ignoring duplicated shots and any shots with mistakes. I was extremely glad that we had performed multiple takes of every shot, however; as it meant we did not have to go back and do any filming again.

Our storyboarding played an important role in the editing process as it helped me to put each shot in order without too much hassle. Alongside this, it was also helpful that we had found an appropriate soundtrack for our thriller beforehand. This meant that while editing, I was able to make sure that the stings in the soundtrack coincided with what was happening on screen. This added a lot to the overall atmosphere of the thriller.

We decided that the best way of showing the scenes on public transport without losing the interest of the viewer, was to use fades and dissolves to represent time passing but without having to show every second of him being on the train. We then integrated the credits into the opening minute of the film by fading to black and showing the credits, before fading back to another shot. This creates the illusion of time passing and also adds to the atmosphere of the thriller.

The font used in the credits (courier new) was chosen because it is a regular font similar to that used by a typewriter, for example. This represents the apparant normality of our lead character, which is the idea we were trying to put across with the shots of him getting on the train. We spent a lot of time considering how we should show the credits, as if we had simply slapped some credits over the top without thinking it through, it would have completely ruined the atmosphere of the thriller and made the whole thing look unprofessional.

Continuity is also paramount to creating a believeable scenario within our thriller. Therefore, I had to make sure that Tom's appearance did not change from shot to shot, and also that continuity was maintained with the editing. For example, if there is a cut between two shots where he is walking, it is important that his actions match up so that he doees not appear to 'jump'. Overall, I feel that I achieved this successfully.

Third Day of Filming

Third day of filming

Our third day of filming consisted of shooting at Tom Vales house and at Shenfield station. We shot at the house as it was very deceiving, from the outside it looks well maintained and normal, however the inside contrasts with turned up carpet, abandoned and run down. At the station, we needed shots of him coming out and starting his journey to what the audience should think home.


We left from school early in the morning to have time to film; we had to fit in filming in the house and station. The first shots we got once got to the location were of tom entering the house, however we had some problems with cars and people in the background also when shooting the match on action of the opening of the door, the key kept getting stuck. Apart from this we got a variety of shots to save us from having to come back and re-film, with shots that included panning we got a few takes so that we had a choice to be able to select the best one.

Once inside the house we had to sort out the costumes and placing of the torture scene. We improvised with old phone cables to tie Taylor to a old chandler hook on the ceiling, we then used this to bind his feet and used a tie to gag his mouth. A black plastic bag was placed over his head to give the impression he had been then for a while. To shoot the torture seen we used a mixture of handheld shots, point of view and mid with the tripod. We also had to shoot when Tom entered the room and laid out his torturous devices. We shot this from a different room through a whole in the wall in a low angle shot to show that Tom was in control. We had problems getting this angle as the tripod was to small so we had to improvise and use bits of old tiles and wood to make it higher to tom was in the camera lens.

Once we had completed the shooting at the house we left and made our way to Shenfield station. He we got shots of tom walking through the barriers at the, and then coming out of the station. We again got a variety of shots, changing the angle and the place of shooting to have more to work with. We had to take some multiple shots were work men in bring florescent jackets walked through, this would have been no good as footage as it distracts the viewer away from Tom.




Finally, when all the shooting was completed we made our way back to school, uploaded what we had filmed and started the process of editing.

Second Day of Filming

With the travelling montage complete and edited, we pressed on with the warehouse torture sequence on the 30th March 2010. With all the props summed up together within the briefcase, we travelled to the suburbs of Brentwood to locate the warehouse. With us, was main antagonist actor Tom Vale and torture victim Taylor Gladwin. After a reasonably long walk, we finally located the warehouse, which is positioned within the Brentwood industrial estate.

Informed by others that it was abandoned, we made our way in through a broken window, familiarising ourselves with the surroundings. Primarily, the rooms were excessively dark, making the shooting almost impossible. However, after some time, we found our way into a considerably substantial room, which almost resembled a plane hanger.

Initially, the process was running extremely smooth. High angle establishing shots of the interior had been perfected, and the props we’re fundamentally set out for filming. However, just as Taylor had prepared the costume, law enforcements interrupted the session. They were extremely cooperative and understanding once we had informed them of our perception upon the matter, as well as the job in hand.

They explained to us that under the circumstance of danger, we would not be insured, due to the fact that the establishment was dangerous. They further elaborated by stating that the building was in hiatus of being bought, and if we actually wanted to shoot there, we would have to contact DHL, fill out permission paperwork etc.
Somewhat disheartened about the current situation, our group left the site, along with Tom Vale and Taylor Gladwin, and travelled back to the train station. Under a moment of reflection, we analysed the footage at the warehouse, and decided that the amount of recording was unsatisfactory.

Fundamentally, this dilemma had caused a variety of problems, as we literally had nowhere to shoot the second sequence. Lending us a helping hand once again, Tom Vale offered to lend us his dilapidated house upon Hutton Mount, stating that it was ok to shoot there if we want. So therefore, it appears that we will probably pursue this tangent. Once reflecting upon the matter, it would seem that all the Blog work on warehouses would go to waste, however, as long as the house is spacious and derelict, all the theory work we have done would still be relevant and fundamentally apply.

On the other hand, we could also follow the variable option of contacting DHL and requesting permission for the warehouse usage. However, time is extremely precious. So unless we can extend the deadline, Tom Vale’s house is the only option we have left.

First Day of Filming

Despite the minor hindrance here and there, I feel on the whole that the days shooting was fairly successful. Once sorting out authorization to leave school, the group, as well as Tom Vale (our actor) travelled to Liverpool Street Station, where we planned to shoot the opening minute of our thriller.

Once departing the train, we took our first sequence of shots from the platform, away from the public eye. Encapsulating both examples of match-on-action, and shot reverse shot, the process was running efficiently. Occasionally we did however stray away from our storyboard, as we were lucky enough to catch footage of a train pulling into the platform bay.

However, we reached our first hurdle as the group prepared from a high angle establishing shot of Liverpool Street Station. Before even placing the camera upon the tripod the group was consulted by a Liverpool Street employee, who suggested that we should consult the Liverpool Street information office before shooting. It was here that we were informed that shooting inside Liverpool Street was strictly forbidden, unless prior to the shooting, permission forms were signed. So therefore, we followed a variable tangent, where we took an establishing shot from outside Liverpool Street.

To insure that we had enough footage to stretch out for a complete minute, the group then passed through Stratford Station, merely as a back up in case the Liverpool Street footage was insufficient. We followed the same format to the Liverpool Street storyboard, with slight variations here and there. However, one predominant factor that we faced was the timing for trains. The fact that the vast majority of trains terminate at Liverpool Street meant we could perfect the shot-reverse-shot and match on action. However, the unfortunate train timings at Stratford meant we would have sparse time to take any shot whatsoever, as the platform is more compact, and therefore, more and more people would just walk into the shot.

On our journeys back home, we decided that taking a shot of Tom reading the paper would be an effective idea to ground the thriller and enhance reality. However, thinking that the shot had been taken successfully, it was to our surprise in the editing suite that the sequence had been recorded over, which unfortunately meant that we had to sacrifice a shot.

So, despite the trials and tribulations we faced through our transport montage, I still think we managed to accumulate a reasonable amount of footage in the process. Left now was merely the torture sequence, which proved much more demanding than we hoped…

The Soundtrack

We chose the non diegetic sound extremely carefully. Using the webside www.freeplaymusic.com we listened to many different pieces of music until we found one which suited the mood of our thriller. Eventually, we settled on two separate pieces of music. The first one would be used until the end of the credits and was fairly calm, with stings and changes which could be used to highlight certain points in the film. The second one would be used more as a soundscape to represent a change in mood when our character enters the house, as he suddenly transforms from an ordinary person to a twisted, sadistic torturer.

Here are the two pieces of music we used:

Focus Group

As part of our research, we decided to conduct a focus group, which we filmed. Since we were limited with time, we decided that the best thing to do would be to conduct the focus group with part of our Film Studies class, as well as asking the same questions to people of different age groups outside of school.

Here is the focus group we filmed:

Hybrid 2 Minute Horror/Thriller Storyboard

To Be Continued...

More Character Ideas

As a group, we carefully considered whether our main character should be male or female. Eventually we decided that despite the fact that a female character would go against the conventions of a thriller in a totally original and unique way, it simply wouldn't be believable. We thought that if we used a female, there would be no way that the audience would realistically believe that a female could capture and tie up a large male on her own.

We toyed with the idea of perhaps having men in the background who would have helped capture the person, however we thought that this would spoil the illusion of somebody torturing a person through personal vendetta.

Influenced by the character of Michael Douglas in the film Falling Down (1993, Joel Schumacher), we decided that the character should be an ordinary person, perhaps a businessman. This would be more shocking to the audience to see a regular person - who could represent anybody they may know - living a secret life of sadism, torture and vendetta. The underlying message would be that anybody you may know could be this sick individual.

The most significant thing about the character of Michael Douglas in Falling Down is that he is so ordinary. He's never held a gun in his life, and yet when he is ground down he is driven to a breaking point where he can no longer turn back. Hopefully, we can portray a similar thing in our thriller - the torturer being an ordinary person driven to insanity, using household objects to inflict pain on someone he holds a grudge on.

Location Influences

I was heavily influenced by the film Reservoir Dogs when coming up with our idea. When I heard that a warehouse might be available to film in, I jumped at the idea of using this as our location. Tarantino uses this location extremely effectively in Reservoir Dogs, as is necessary since almost the entire film is set inside it. I thought that using an abandoned warehouse would be an ideal place to create the right ‘feel’ of the thriller through the use of mise-en-scene.

Firstly, a warehouse would provide a large, open space which would create a feeling of isolation from the outside world for the characters – ideal for torture where nobody can hear you scream. Secondly, it would create a sense of gritty realism such as in Reservoir Dogs. Finally, we also thought that it would be a unique setting for our film, as we noticed that a common theme for thrillers created by previous year 12s was to set their thriller either in a forest or in an abandoned and decrepit house. While this may work well, we thought that a warehouse would be a breath of fresh air compared with the clichéd settings of many others.

Plot Influences

I came up with the idea of a torture scene for our thriller while watching the film Marathon Man (1976, John Schlesinger). While I enjoyed the film immensely as it is a classic, the scene which left a lasting impression was the torture scene with the dentist drill. In fact, when asked what makes films such as Marathon Man, Reservoir Dogs (1992, Quentin Tarantino), Hostel (2005, Eli Roth) etc. memorable, people invariably cite the torture scenes.

In particular though, it was the execution of the torture scene in Marathon Man which stuck in my mind. Although no violence or gore is shown graphically, the very suggestion of the pain reaches the audience as the dentist drill is something which is suffered and feared by many. Therefore, the audience can ‘feel’ Dustin Hoffman’s pain.

I also liked the infamous ‘is it safe’ catchphrase used by Szell in the scene. Although we are aiming to use as little dialogue as possible, the psychological effects of the torturer saying something like this is worth bearing in mind when thinking of ideas to improve our thriller.

Part of the genius behind the scene is the slow pace created by the director. This means that when the torture finally begins, it is more shocking to the audience as they are brought out of their comfort zone. Obviously since we only have 2 minutes to make an impact on the audience, we will have to find a different way of creating a memorable scene.

Age Restrictions

During the production of our thriller, we will have to take into consideration the age rating system for films in the UK. We have done some research on this:

Universal - This means that the picture is suitable for all children.

Parental Guidance - This rating is completely advisory and means that there may be scenes which are unsuitable for small children.

12A is for use by cinemas and means that children under the age of 12 are allowed in when accompanied by an adult.

12 - Children under the age of 12 are not allowed to buy 12 rated films. This only applies to films being bought or rented on video or DVD.

15 - Children under the age of 15 are not allowed to see the film, usually because of violence, language or brief nudity.

18 - Nobody under the age of 18 is allowed to see the film usually because of strong violence, language, drug use or sex scenes.

Restricted 18 - Strictly adults only, may only be sold in licensed sex shops or shown in licensed cinemas.

We did some research on thiller ratings using the film website imdb.com. The top 10 thriller films were rated as follows (most recent ratings):

1. The Godfather (1972) Francis Ford Coppola - Rated 15
2. The Godfather: Part II (1974) Francis Ford Coppola - Rated 18
3. Dark Knight (2008) Christopher Nolan - Rated 12A
4. Fight Club (1999) David Fincher - Rated 18
5. Rear Window (1954) Alfred Hitchcock - Rated PG
6. The Usual Suspects (1995) Bryan Singer - Rated 18
7. Psycho (1960) Alfred Hitchcock - Rated 15
8. The Matrix (1999) The Wachowski Brothers - Rated 15
9. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Jonathan Demme - Rated 18
10. Memento (2000) Christopher Nolan - Rated 15

Our main influences were also films such as Saw (2004, James Wan) - Rated 18, Reservoir Dogs (1992, Quentin Tarantino) - Rated 18, Pulp Fiction (2005, Quentin Tarantino) - Rated 18, Marathon Man (1976, John Schlesinger) - Rated 18, Scream (1996, Wes Craven) - Rated 18, The Thing (1982, John Carpenter) - Rated 18, Panic Room (2002, David Fincher) - Rated 15, The Shining (1980, Stanley Kubrick) - Rated 15.

While some are rated 15 - and some of the older thrillers are rated 12 or even PG - most of these films are rated 18. often due to violence and language. Considering our influences (and the fact that our idea involves a torture scene) we decided that should our completed film be shown in cinemas, it would probably be rated 18.

Previous Year 12 Thrillers

From watching last year's year twelve's thrillers, we noticed a few things which we though could be improved or avoided:

Firstly, we discovered that when the thrillers were filmed at night, the cameras were not very good. In many of the thrillers that we watched, they had tried to create a ‘scary’ or 'creepy' atmosphere by shooting at night, however it turned out that when we watched them it was simply difficult to see what was happening.

Some of the thrillers we watched included an isolated location, which is a good way of creating a tense atmosphere; however this is ruined when something which is out of place can be seen on screen. For example there should not be somebody walking a dog in the middle of an 'isolated' forest. Also, we should make sure that our iconography matches the genre, e.g. if a knife is used it should be a sharp butcher knife, rather than a butter knife.

Many of the thrillers included panning shots which were unsteady, somewhat ruining the quality of the film. We will practice panning with the cameras and also do multiple takes to prevent this from happening.

As mentioned in a previous post, when filming we will avoid using too much, if any, dialogue as the cameras are not good at picking up sound.

Another thing which we thought could be improved in many of the videos was the acting and casting. Many of the groups simply acted themselves, however it just doesn’t look right when teenagers are in a thriller, so we will try to use older actors who match the iconography of a thriller film.

"Cape Fear" - Textual Analysis

As the film begins, even before we are shown anything, there is a soundscape of running water. This immediately suggests that most of the film will take place around water - anchored by the images of water, and the fact that the film is called 'Cape Fear'. There is then a sound sting as the non diegetic score begins, which instantly puts the audience on edge.

The water rippling is accompanied by a contrapuntal score, as the water is calm while the music suggests otherwise. This creates many enigmas as the audience is wondering what is going to happen that makes the water significant.

The soundtrack then becomes louder and more dramatic as an eagle flies into view behind the images of the water. Again, enigmas are created as the audience is wondering how the eagle and the water are connected. Eagles also have sinister connotations, as they are birds of prey and fearsome predators, suggesting that the film may centre around a murderer or someone who preys on others.

The water then turns darker, and the music becomes even more dramatic as the title of the film appears. This suggests that the name of the film (which is a place) is important, and that bad things happen there. The text used for the credits also suggests a general feeling that something is not quite right, as they are shown in a slanted font.

An eye then fades into view behind the water, as though the person is in the water. This mysterious person is significant as they may be someone who is murdered and thrown in the water, or they could be the antagonist. who plays a significant role in the film. A shot of a mouth is then shown in the same way, which could be someone screaming. We are then shown the face of the person which becomes clearer. It become evident that the face is of a perosn laughing, which has connotations of evil and villains.

As the non-diegetic score draws out, we as an audience see that the lake turns a murky crimson colour, as if to reflect the suns evening rays. The sense that darkness is imminent revives pre-conceived notions of immediacy to mind, as in any conventional thriller, the darkness is almost an optimum time for misdemeanours to take place. The colour red also works alongside the conventional codes and conventions of Mise En Scene, as red typically signifies danger or a looming threat.

This sense of immediacy is heightened as the water begins to ripple, exposing a burly male who appears to have woken for deep sleep. The fact he is enveloped around darkness, as well as his peculiar NVC ultimately signifies he is a mysterious figure, who is somewhat cold inside, possibly looking for revenge. The audience then begin to ponder over who this mysterious man really is.

As this image fades, we are reintroduced to what appears to be the same man, writhing as the non-diegetic score continues in the distance. The fact the N-D score is repetitive, and the water has a yellowing tinge signifies that this lake has a notorious, lengthy history.

To anchor the notion of pain and danger written of above, the water then impulsively ripples to mirror a heart monitor seen in hospitals. The fact it frantically gets bigger, with red pigments oozing from the top signifies imminent death, or once again a pending doom the audience will have to wait for.

The repetitive non-diegetic soundtrack then builds to an optimum focal point of tension as the camera fades to the silhouette of a man, smothered by green water. The daunting score works alongside the NVC, as the fact he moves closer to the screen almost mirrors him walking towards the audience, which should provoke audience response.

Finally, the lake is completely consumed by a pool of blood, with a mere droplet falling in the background. This is a similar technique seen in Scream, where the white copy turns a blood curdling red as someone screams. Both examples portray to the audience that the circumstance of events have changed for the worst, as the lake is metaphorically consumed by danger and most prominently death.


In the next scene the first shot is a extreme close up of a girls eye’s, the shot fades from red to white In a negative. This infers that maybe what is happening is in the past, and connotation of the colour red perhaps means that she is the victim of what will happen later on. This shot is accompanied by a soft creepy soundtrack as the dialogue begins. The soundtrack then fades completely and the non digetic sound of a river or waterfall starts, this suggests that what will happen later will also have something to do with water.

The camera slowly zooms out to a mid shot of her whilst she is talking in a direct address. The set design of the room she is sitting in is all white, her costume is all white. The whiteness of the room and her could mean that she was the innocent victim or is insane. The connotation of the colour white normally associated with innocence or insanity which is being inferred to the audience here. Her polo shirt is done up to the top, so she could be a bit weird. Again this shows that she may have been through something and has been affected mentally by it.

When she talks she begins with the phrase ‘my reminiscence’, it shows that she used to think the place was a nice place to be and that the name of the lake (cape fear) was misleading. This again reinforces that the horror to come orientates about this place and that she is one of the main characters that has been affected by what has happened there.

The scene has been shot with no editing, and no music soundtrack this helps the audience come up with their own enigmas as it has them more entwined. This scene has used many conations with the colours it uses to create and involve the audience, its use of mise en scene, music and iconography all help the audience create enigmas about what is going to happen.


The camera slowly pans down the prison cell wall, where theirs pictures of malicious leaders of the past. These images instantly create a negative tone towards the film. The pictures automatically tell the audience that this man is the antagonist of the film. Whilst the camera is panning down the wall the loud non-diegetic soundtrack from the credits starts up again, it comes in suddenly to shock the audience and to reinforce the negative tone of the film.

We then see a close up of some books, one of them being the bible, the importance of this is that is tells the audience that he has certain beliefs, creating enigmas for what those beliefs may be. As the scene continues the music softens slightly until we see the man doing press ups. We see he’s a strong, muscularly man making the audience fear him. The fact that the music then becomes louder and turns into a musical sting reinforces the idea that he is the antagonist.

The push up movement that the actor is doing appears in a worshiping manner, as if he is worshiping the leaders on the wall, it makes the audience UN –easy as well as intriguing them. The camera then shows a close up of his back revealing his tattoos; the tattoo is a big, cross with the American style scales on either side, with the words truth under one side and justice under the other. The significance of this is huge as the scales are balanced telling the audience that he believes the truth equals justice. Then as he turns around we see that he is covered in tattoos fitting the stereotype of the classic tough criminal. The non-diegetic soundtrack then decreases in volume as the prison officer say’s to Cady “ok, the moment you’ve been waiting for” this informs the audience that he’s been in there a long time.

Cady then walks out his cell and down the stairs, as this is happening the other prisoners stare in silence giving the impression that they fear him. Another interesting point is that Cady walks in front of the prison officer representing that even the officers fear him. We see all this through a long, panning shot around the prison as Cady walks. The camera then shows a mid shot of Cady and the officer walking out through the gate, where the gate then shuts to end the scene.

The next scene then starts with the outside gate being opened and Cady walking out. As this happens the officer say’s “Anybody coming for you Cady? What about your books?” and Cady replies with “Already read em” this again reinforces that Cady has been there a long time and tells the audience that he has no one, he’s alone. The camera shows a wide, long shot as we see Cady walking out of the prison this is to establish the storm that starts up behind him; this makes the audience think that something bad is going to happen, as if Cady shouldn’t be released. The scene then ends with Cady walking straight towards the camera and the non-diegetic soundtrack building as he goes. Cady then walks straight into the camera blacking out the screen and the soundtrack comes to a sudden stop.

"Saw" - Textual Analysis

As part of my research, I have decided to analyse the opening two minutes of the film 'Saw' (2004, James Wan):

The film begins with a shot of a blue light of some sort floating through the darkness. There is also diegetic soundscape which creates the impression of being underwater. Through the darkness, the face of a person can be seen faintly as the light floats past it. This instantly creates enigmas as the audience is wondering who the person is, why they’re underwater, and what is attached to the light (this proves to be crucial later on in the film). It also sets the tone of the film with low key lighting and cold colours.

The title of the film then fades in. The title is light blue – a cold colour – and twists and distorts before dissolving into the blackness. The way that the title distorts represents the twists later on in the storyline, while the ‘smudged’ font represents the lack of clarity that the main protagonists have in the film as they play Jigsaw’s ‘game’. As the title fades in, a metallic soundscape accompanies it, giving a sense of danger.

We are then shown the blue light again briefly, before cutting to the man’s face underwater. His face can barely be seen. He wakes suddenly, providing a sound sting to make the audience jump. The editing then becomes much quicker, cutting between his face and the light, as the light goes down the plug hole. There is a slight non-diegetic soundscape as this happens - which creates tension - as well as the sound of the man coughing and choking.

The dialogue in the next shot is filmed in one take in the dark. This creates yet more enigmas as both the characters and the audience do not know where they are. The lack of regular shot-reverse-shots also means that the audience does not see the other person at all, and so they instinctively do not trust his voice, especially since he seems to be much calmer, which would not be a normal reaction in that situation.

When the lights are switched on, the audience become aware of their surroundings. However, tension is built in the fact that the characters are blinded by the lights, and the shots are out of focus to represent this.

The iconography of the bathroom which they are in is typical of the psychological thriller/horror thriller genre and is in fact reminiscent of the film ‘Seven’ (David Fincher, 1996), another great psychological thriller. The walls are covered in grime, there are rusty pipes, and of course a dead body on the floor complete with a huge pool of blood.

Just from the first few shots, the film instantly hooks the audience by creating a moody atmosphere, keeping them on the edge of their seats using stings, and creating enigmas which are not resolved until later on in the film. This is what makes a good thriller opening.

Preliminary Task - The Final Cut

Here is our completed Prelim: