Thriller Planning: initial soundtrack ideas

Although '28 Days Later' is a horror and not a thriller, there are some thriller aspects to the film, and I particularly liked the eerie effect that the soundtrack gave to parts of the film. I feel something similar to these two tracks could be effective in my own thriller film.



I prefer the first track, as I feel it creates tension and fits the thriller genre better, but I like the electronic, fast pace of the second track, and the fact that it starts off simple and then 'explodes'. I feel the second track would be better if we decide to edit our opening to be fast paced and jumpy, but the first one would be best for a slow paced, tension building sequence.

Dead Man's Shoes: 'elephant man' scene analysis

'Dead Man's Shoes' is a crime thriller produced in 2004, directed by Shane Meadows. It follows the story of an ex soldier who returns to his hometown to get revenge on the thugs who brutalized his mentally-challenged brother. On IMDB, this film has a user rating of 7.7, however having seen the whole film, I would personally give it a higher rating of 8 or 9, because I feel it had a unique storyline, and yet still managed to utilise common thriller conventions. I am going to analyse the scene where Herbie, one of the thugs, sees the 'elephant man'.

The scene begins as Herbie leaves the flat where he has been taking drugs with two of the other thugs. He exits onto a stairway, which, as it is night time, is dimly lit. This creates an eerie mise-en-scene, and adds to the claustrophobic space. Stairways are a generic thriller convention as they are quite small spaces and a character can easily fall up or down them, slowing down any sort of attempt to escape. Also, passing other people on stairs is associated with bad luck, so this could be used in a thriller to forebode a character being faced with bad luck. Herbie stumbles down the stairs, suggesting he is a vulnerable character.

As Herbie gets to the flat platform on the stairs, in line with the camera, a high pitched noise begins. This almost drowns out the diegetic sound, reflecting symptoms of a drug induced state, drawing the viewer further into the character, putting them in his shoes, and increasing their feelings of vulnerability. This in turn adds to the viewers level of tension and fear as the scene develops.

As he reaches the door, the scene cuts to an over shoulder shot of him approaching. Within this shot, there is a reflection in the glass of a face in a gas mask. The mask creates an enigma as you cannot see the characters face; it is devoid of facial features, which makes the figure feel all the more threatening. The fact that this face is reflected creates a transparent look, also allowing the reflection of Herbie to be seen within it. This pre-empts the fact that Herbie is to be 'engulfed' by this character.

The masked character points at Herbie directly, and beckons him forward. This creates the impression that Herbie is being taunted, that the masked figure is in control and is enjoying mocking his fear. The reflection in this shot creates the sense that the masked figure is not only in front of Herbie, but is also behind him. This suggests that Herbie is being hunted and surrounded, with no route of escape.

This cuts to a close up of the masked character, where the audience can clearly see the human eyes behind the mask. This reinforces the fact that this is a real person, and not just a drug induced hallucination. The character then hits the window at head height, and shakes the door as if trying to get in. This further increases Herbie's state of panic, which is also being felt by the audience as, during this scene, they are living vicariously through Herbie.

When the character hits the glass, the sound of the impact reverberates, sounding similar to an explosion. This mirrors the point at which Herbie's 'fight or flight' instinct kicks in, and he decides to run. This, paired with the continual high pitched sound, increases the audiences feelings of rising panic by drowning out even more of the diegetic sound. Herbie calls out while running up the stairs, clearly showing his fear of the masked man.

Next, the scene cuts to Herbie running back into the flat. The mise-en-scene is chaotic, created by both the continual, now louder, sounds and the handheld unsteady movement of the camera. Herbie's dialogue reflects his panic and shock, as he is breathless and stumbles over his words, trying to explain what he has seen. The other thugs' first reaction to this is to pick up a weapon, which connotes their violent nature.

As soon as the three characters get outside, all the non-diegetic sound fades out. This brings the situation back to reality, and also creates an eerie stillness to the mise-en-scene. As the camera is facing at the three thugs, the audience does not yet know if the masked person is there or not. This builds tension as the characters 'disappear' behind the camera, creating a sort of vanishing point.

This then cuts to the final shot from this scene, where the camera shows beyond the vanishing point, revealing the fact that the masked character is no longer there. This creates more suspense, as the audience saw the character themselves so are anticipating its reappearance. As the masked man is not here, the other thugs believe that it is not real, and simply is the effect of Herbie having taken drugs.

This scene creates the sort of enigma that is common in thriller films; the sort of situation where you think you see something and then it disappears. This plays on fears that people have of seeing things in peripheral vision that isn't there. Another thriller film that plays on this fear is 'The Strangers'. In this film, the camera pans a room, and there is a masked figure standing in a corner, then the camera jumps back and it is gone. This creates a constant on-edge feeling, as the audience never knows where the threat is going to come from next.

I feel I could use this technique within the opening to my own thriller film, by creating the villainous character as an enigma, possibly using a hat to cover their face, and by having shadows pass by windows. This will give the subtle impression that someone is there, without
just plainly showing the threatening character.

Thriller Planning: storyboard

Thriller Planning: basic shot list

The scene will begin with an over the shoulder shot of a young girl, of the age of about 17, adjusting settings on a camera. This will establish the main character, and immediately shows a character signifier - the camera itself. This also shows the girl's vulnerability; she is focused on her camera work and so is distracted.
This will then cut to an extreme close up of the camera. The shutter button will be pressed and the camera will flash. This suggests confusion, as flashing lights can often disorientate people. this could also be effective in slow motion, as this would add to the disorientation. Disorientation is often used in thriller films as the feeling can be quite frightening, for example in Donnie Darko, a psychological thriller.
Next, it will cut to a close up of a hole in the wall. Through this, a shadow will appear, and then move away. This gives the impression that the girl is being watched. This is a generic convention of thriller films, as it often feels threatening. This is used in thrillers such as The Strangers, to create the effect of the victims being 'hunted'.
Then, a high angle tilt shot of the girl looking anxious will be used. The high angle of this shot will emphasise the vulnerability of the girl, and the tilt will reflect the disorientation and confusion. This tilting effect is a generic convention of thriller films. It is most famously used in 'The Third Man' when Holly Martins is in a city which he doesn't know. This helps to put the audience in his situation; feeling confused and lost.
After this, it will cut to a point of view shot from the girl looking around the room. Point of view shots allow the audience to see from the characters perspective. This puts them even more into the situation, making it seem more threatening as they feel they are living it vicariously through the character. This shot will end by focusing on a hand sticking out of a doorway.
Next, it will cut to an extreme close up of the girl's face. This will display her expression, which will be confused and scared as she moves towards the hand she has seen. This shot will add tension and suspense to the scene.
Then, it will cut to a point of view shot from the girl, looking around the corner and finding a body. A point of view shot is particularly effective for this part of the scene, as it makes the audience feel as if they are in the girl's situation and have just found the body themselves.
To finish, it will cut to an over the shoulder shot as the girl begins to run out of the door, but will show a threatening figure standing in the doorway. This creates a cliffhanger, making the audience want to know what happens next, and how the rest of the film pans out.

'Heavenly Creatures': murder scene analysis

'Heavenly Creatures' is a crime thriller produced in 1994, directed by Peter Jackson. It tells the story of two girls who have an intense fantasy life and so are separated by their parents, for which they then take revenge. On IMDB, it has a user rating of 7.5 and, although I have not watched the whole film, from the clip I have seen, I would agree with this rating. I am going to analyse the murder scene to examine what aspects of the scene establish the film as a thriller.

Clocks are a particular feature in this sequence, due to the fact the girls are battling against time and also very aware of time as they have premeditated the murder. This is a generic convention of thriller films as thriller plots often involve premeditated murders or time limits.

The location is bright and sunny, which is a contrast to the usual conventions of the genre. Peter Jackson has done this intentionally to challenge thriller conventions. This stark contrast also emphasises the darkness of the act they are committing. The soundtrack throughout this scene is called 'Intermezzo' from Puccini's "Madame Butterfly". This is a well known opera song, and, as "Madame Butterfly" is a tragedy, it acts as an inter-textual reference, foreshadowing the tragic events to come.

As the girls lead the mother down the path into the woods, there is a long shot. This is not often used in thriller films, but in this case it adds to the atmosphere as it reinforces the idea that the three of them are isolated, and the small path that they are on looks like even more of a confined space surrounded by the trees.

As they walk down the path, there is an eerie beauty to the cinematography. The fact that it is in slow motion with no diegetic sound creates this beauty. This also adds to the shock when the murder actually occurs. Many close ups such as this are used throughout this scene as it adds to the tension and anticipation.

The eerie beauty continues in this slow motion scene, added to by the light illuminating the characters from behind. This creates silhouetted figures, which forebodes the premeditated violence from the girls.

The character played by Kate Winslet is quite posh, and feels extremely anxious about the murder they have planned. This is displayed through character traits and signifiers, such as her jewel, and rubbing her hands together - an action often associated with nervousness

Thriller Planning: basic plot of our opening

A sixth form photography student goes to an abandoned house to take pictures for her course. While she is there, she gets a sudden sense of being watched. She finds a body in the house, and after getting over her sense of shock, she turns to run, but someone is standing in the way.