media As evaluation blog post

1. Opening Sequences
What is included and how we applied this

2. Flashbacks
These are typical in opening sequences as
they show key events which have happened
before the present time in the film and give
insight into certain characters background
history and give the audience an idea as to
what they might be like. In our thriller we
use multiple flashbacks to create tension
and give the audience their first clue as to
our antagonists character and his weird
obsession. These are clearly defined as
flashbacks as they’re in colour and this
differs from the rest of the footage which
is black and white. We also added the ‘dip
to white’ transition which is a typical
transition used to show the narrative going
back in time. I think we used these
effectively and it was one of the main
things that people commented on in our
audience feedback, saying were effective
and built tension.

3. Examples of our flashbacks

4. Establishing/Panning shot
• Establishing shots help to set the scene and
inform the audience where the film is taking
place and puts the rest of the film in
perspective in terms of location. We used an
establishing shot in our opening sequence in
the form of a tilt and this helped the audience
that it is a normal location and adds to the
verisimilitude. The tilt establishing shot is also
a smooth shot to open with at it slowly
introduces the location and eases you into the
movie.

5. Title Sequence
• Title sequences often appear at the start of a film whilst the story line is being
set up for the rest of the movie, it lets the audience know who has been a
part in making the film and is informative. As much as giving the audience
information about the cast and crew it gives the people involved in film
credit. We made our titles simple so that they didn’t draw away from the
narrative but they help to distinguish the video as an opening sequence rather
than an extract from any part of the film.

6. Examples of our titles

7. Non-diegetic music
• Non-diegect music is often used in opening sequences to give the audience a
chance to see things like the location and characters before they start talking
or the action starts to happen. It also allows the audience to get a feel for the
mood of the film. We used this in our opening sequence by choosing deep,
eary music and this let the audience know that the mood of the situation was
a sincere one and allowed them to focus on the narrative rather than the
sound as a main focus.

8. Thriller Genre
What is included and how we applied this

9. Characters
• Male actors are usually cast for the main
antagonist of a thriller film and this character
will have a hidden identity that the audience
will uncover as the film progresses. This is a
typical convention of a thriller as males are
usually seen as the more scary gender, adding
to the narrative enigma. We show this in our
opening sequence by not giving too much
about his character away but enough to make
the audience question what is going on.

10. Sound
• The music of a typical thriller film is a very distinguishable type of music. It
reflects the mood of the characters and adds tension. Typically this includes
low, deep, eary tones of music and is at one consistent pitch. The sound that
we have used as our backing music defiantly reflects the mood of the whole
film and I am pleased with how it adds to the narrative enigma. Without the
sound the footage wouldn’t be as easily identified as a thriller film and it
wouldn't be as tense.

11. Mise en scene
• Low key lighting is a typical attribute of a
thriller film and we made sure that this was
a part of ours along side it being black and
white in colour. The actors cast in a thriller
film must have something unusual about
them and to be able to act seriously which
our actor did and did very well, portraying
his character exactly as we’d hoped as
mysterious and creepy.