1. Our thriller opening develops forms of conventions such as suspense, Achilles heel, enigma,
isolation, peril and voyeurism. The thriller convention identity is challenged during the opening of
the film because you are unaware of the characters identity until she is waking up from what
appears to be a dream. Even though you as the audience feel that you are finally aware of her
identity and so unconsciously place her in a type of social group, it changes by the end of the
opening sequence as her identity as a school girl becomes clear.
This still image creates the thriller convention of suspense; a state or feeling of excited or anxious
uncertainly about what may happen. The image is taken from the opening sequence when Ali is
dreaming of her experience at The Thicket. It creates suspense because before the quick cuts, the
flow and pace of the opening sequence was quite slow. When the quick cuts begin, the audience
does not expect it as the pace increases and so wants to know what is about to happen.
This image is from the bathroom scene. It is a great example of Ali’s Achilles heel as later on she
develops an obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Her OCD makes her constantly feel as though the
mud is still on her. It is this very action that causes suspicion among the people closest to her. Her
Achilles heel, meaning a seemingly small but actually crucial weakness, makes the people in her life
notice that something is not right.
This is an image of the very first thing you see when watching our thriller opening sequence. It is a
still image of Ali walking through the Thicket woods. This is an enigma that makes the audience
question: why she is in the woods alone while it is dark? Enigma meaning a person or thing that is
mysterious, puzzling or difficult to understand, like a puzzle or paradox. It is important to have an
enigma in the opening of a thriller film to keep the audience guessing, and wanting to find out more.
Isolation is the process or fact of isolating or being isolated. In our thriller opening the main
character is isolated from her world as she goes to a secluded location on her own. The fact that she
is isolated makes the audience question why: why is she alone and does she intentionally want to
be? The combination of her being isolated and her being in the dark suggests she is purposely
isolating herself to prevent others from seeing her. This then brings out the question: why does she
not want to be seen? Throughout the sequence the character is always isolated however it is self-
inflicted.
This still image is a prime example of the thriller convention peril, meaning the immediate dangers
or difficulties that arise from a particular situation or activity. Because Ali is dragging the shovel
across the ground, it immediately suggests a hazard/risk. This is created through the fact that a
shovel is not normally used in the dark. This also brings forward the question: why is she digging in
the dark and what is she digging?
The whole of woods scene in the opening sequence illustrates the thriller convention of voyeurism.
This is because the audience is taking pleasure in watching something they shouldn’t be. This could
be a possible crime that the antagonist does not want you to witness. The ways in which our
opening sequence has created voyeurism is through the positioning on the camera. The camera is
place behind Ali in order to make the audience feel as though they are almost stalking her. The use
of hand held also adds to the convention of voyeurism as the audience feels like they are watching
her and anticipating on what she is about to do in the woods.