Question 2

Question 1

Thriller Opening Sequence - 'Fugitive'

Final Scene

Through our storyboard and script we were going to have a train station scene to show how the main character was running away from something, however we decided not to do this. We decided not to do this as we felt through the rest of our filming that it was not necessary as emphasis on the character running away from something was shown in our cinematography during the rest of the film. For example we used fast paced editing in which we had quick shots throughout the opening sequence such as close ups to long shots we we felt created the chaos within the thriller. We also decided not to use this last scene as by looking at our audience feedback we thought it would be better to add more to what we already had to emphasise the narrative and therefore the final scene was not necessary. Therefore we instead added more shot such as close ups and establishing shots on mise-en-scene such as props including drugs, clothing and a passport. Overall we felt this would be more successful than having that final scene.

Editing

The editing software we used to compose our thriller film was Corel VideoStudio X8. We used this software because it has a user interface appropriate for a consumer of media who may not have a lot of experience with using editing software whilst still being able to create a high quality final product. Although there are a lot of features available in this editing software we found that its simplicity often limited our creativity as there some effects it did not support. 

When using this editing software we used the cut tool, this meant that we were able to remove any unwanted footage from our film with great ease. Having the cut tool available also meant that were able to create quick and tight shot changes in order to create a sense of tension for our audience.

Another feature that Corel has which added something to our film was the large number of transition effects that we had the choice of applying to our film. We wanted to convey to the audience the passing of time we needed to find the perfect transition. We chose the flashback transition as we felt this was the most professional looking transition available to us.

The timeline meant that we were able to view all the aspects of our thriller film in one place and have a comprehensive view of what had been done and what needed to be done, meaning that we were able to keep the editing organised with the help of video markers to communicate to the other editors anything that needed doing

Finally , there was a feature on Corel that allows you to edit sound to a very basic level. This meant that we could enhance the diagetic sound within the film and also drop background noise out making a more realistic and immersive thriller.

Overall all of the features within Corel VideoStudio Pro X8 meant we had easier control over the creative process of composing our thriller film.

Sound

Using the royalty free music website we searched for a track that would fit in to our thriller film. We needed to make sure that we chose a song that fit in with the pace of our thriller as well as set the mood for the audience. As a group we spent a lot of time searching for the perfect soundtrack to our film and in the end we decided that Intruxx by Glass Animals was the perfect fit. This is an instrumental track with two separate moods to the song which is exactly what we were looking for. In the beginning of our thriller the mood is calm and collected to represent the demeanour of the character this is shown through the music however there is a sense of eerie silence to the music which displaces the audience from their comfort zone as they know that something is about to happen. As time passes for our character he begins to experience distress and downfall which is conveyed through the music we chose. The importance of a good soundtrack when creating a thriller film is vital as a lot of what is felt by the audience depends on audio that is in time with what they should be feeling.

Final Day of Filming & Audience Feedback

After looking over our rough cut we decided to re-film our thriller relating to the comments our audience feedback gave us. These comments included mise-en-scene in terms of props in which we could add drugs or some other type of illegal substance to make the main character more suspicious and have more of a background or possible background that the audience can follow and make a judgement. Other comments in terms of mise-en-scene included the clothing of the main character and that he could be wearing darker clothing such as a suit. Another comment that was suggested was the use of camerawork in terms of setting the scene and more extreme close ups of the props so that the audience could see exactly what the main character is picking up. The establishing shot was suggested to set the scene of the thriller including props such as drugs in the shot to heighten the suspense of the thriller. 

Therefore for this day of filming we re-filmed the thriller using the same cinema verite, long shots, close ups, wide shots and extreme close ups that we had done before. However we also added an establishing of the kitchen in which you can see the props of drugs on the table which then leads over to the main character entering the house. This enabled the audience to see the tension within the thriller and have a judgement on the main character. We also added props of the drugs in which we had a worms eye view and extreme close up of the main characer measuring out drugs and placing a bag of them in his pocket to heighten the suspense of the character and the chaotic scene of the thriller. Also through mise-en-scene the main character wore a dark black suit to emphasise the mood of the sequence as suspensful to follow the conventions of the thriller genre. Therefore we re-filmed the footage with our main character wearing this clothing to follow the thriller codes and conventions better.

What went well during this day of filming is that we managed to finish the footage for our thriller following our audience feedback including more extreme close ups and other types of camera angles, changing mise-en-scene in terms of props and clothing and also heightening the tension within the thriller. What we could have improved upon would be the chaotic nature of the thriller as our main character does not rush around quite as much however the character's mood still emphasises conventions of a thriller.

Overal the filming was successful and the planning was very organised following our script and storyboard