I looked at two recently released films, one was a Hollywood blockbuster and an Indie film. I discovered how Indie films have a low budget and mainly use original content to base their film and whilst Hollywood blockbusters have millions for their budget and create sequels or remakes.

This helped me understand the process of how a film is made. This will help me make my own thriller as I will be able to follow this process when making it. It will also help me to answer what kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

I have looked at a previous students thriller opening and have analysed aspects of it. This will help me when creating my own thriller as it has given me ideas on aspects like mise-en-scene and the variety of shot distances.

I have created different vine video’s to practice different camera techniques used in filming.

Aerial Shot’s are used to show isolation of a character(s).

Framing is used to direct the audiences attention to a specific person or thing.

Low-angle shot’s is to show dominance within a character, object or area.

Dollying is used to follow a character or to zoom into something.

Tilt’s are used to show all of something to show it’s dominance or it’s significance to a scene/ film.

This is my analysis on of I Am Legend (2007), Iv’e looked at specific features such as music/ sounds, lighting, Mise-en-scene and camera and wrote about how they affect the opening scene of the film. This helped me look deeper into thriller films and helped me use specific details within scenes to make an analysis. I have learnt how to analyse narrative, cinematography and MES of a thriller to grab the audiences attention. I will use a similar costume design in my thriller.

This is my analysis of The Hole (2001), iv’e looked at specific features such as music/ sounds, lighting, Mise-en-scene and camera and wrote about how they affect the opening scene of the film. This helped me look deeper into thriller films and helped me use specific details within scenes to make an analysis. I have learn how to analyse narrative, cinematography and MES of a thriller to grab the audiences attention. I will use similar cinematography in my thriller.

I will be able to use this to know what features I should use in my thriller and I will know how to use these features to their fullest effect.

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When creating this diagram, I chose the two films Gone Girl and the Memento. The spider diagram presented many repertoire of elements (conventions of a thriller) that can be incorporated into my thriller. For instance, the two films presented enigmas that leave the audience asking questions and engages the audience because of this. In the Memento, the main feature of the scene was photograph which is strangely out of place for a scene of a murder. The Gone Girl has enigmas like the writing in the note book which isn’t fully explained; leaving the audience wanting to find out why and what shes writing. As well as this, there are lots of close ups of the actors facial expressions in the Memento which can allow the audience to connect with the character.

The film starts with Marion Crane stealing $40,000 from her employer and runs away from her boss with her boyfriend Sam Loomis. To make sure not to get caught by the police she goes to the Ramshackle Bates Motel for the night, whilst in the shower she is murdered by the owner Norman Bates.

Whilst watching this film I noticed multiple things in the film that made it a thriller:

• A victim (who is normally female).
• A catalyst for the events.
• A killer with a weapon (knife).
• A bloody death scene that isn’t gory.
• The music was high pitched and scary when the murder was happening.

The brief for the preliminary task is:

“A continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue.

This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.”

I have used the following camera techniques

• medium close up
• close up
• mid shot
• over the shoulder
• high angle shot

I used these techniques to create a sense of narrative and mystery as you don’t see a lot expect for a mid shot to show Laura walking in.

I have learnt to use the following continuity editing rules:

• shot reverse shot
• 180 degree rule
• match on action.

I used these rules to make a quick video to make the audience understand what’s going on and not leaving boring parts in.

I have learnt to use the following tools/techniques in Premiere Pro:

• Importing
• exporting
• razor
• the selector tool
• rendering
• key frame in and key frame out
• timeline

I used the razor tools to cut out parts that did not work or the parts where the actors didn’t speak. I rendered the video so it looks smooth. I used key frame in and out to get the parts I needed for the editing. I used import and export to import and export the video.

If I was to do this project again I would do some things differently, I would not break the 180 degree rule by filming the walking part in the same spot, i’ll make sure the actors have all the things they need instead of wasting time watching them putting them on (for example glasses), I will also make sure not to use random zoom’s or random high angle shots.