2. Location
• Our thriller is set inside an ordinary house, therefore making the location relatable
to our target audience. This also makes the audience more engaged with the
thriller, because they become more aware that this could be happening inside any
house and to anyone.
3. Lighting
• A frequent lighting technique used was chiaroscuro lighting, a generic convention used within
noir thrillers and therefore the audience will be able to identify this and engage with the film.
• We also used ambient back lighting when presenting the male character in the first scenes,
and this was to reinforce his villainous status and to give his character a sense of anonymity.
4. Diegetic and non diegetic sound
• Our soundtrack intensifies the suspense of our thriller, and emphasises the tension and
claustrophobia in the cupboard scene. It builds to a rising climax where the female character
opens her eye, and this is followed by a transition to black and the thriller ends. It is a
modern soundtrack using electronic sounds, and this is in order for the younger audience to
relate and engage to it.
5. Action
• Our film portrays an exchange between the two characters, and is constantly cutting between
the male character walking towards the cupboard and the female character inside the
cupboard. A cliff hanger is created through the suspense of the male character walking
towards the house and then to the cupboard, and the audience feels a sense of panic as they
now know that the male character is moving towards the female character, not knowing
what will happen next. A climax is built towards the end of the film, where the two characters
crouch down on opposing sides of the door and the audience can see them almost looking at
each other. The soundtrack builds as the pace increases, and in turn the shots of the
characters speed up. This confirms that the audience remain fully engaged with the film and
are on edge as to what happens next.
6. Characters
• Our younger female audience may be able to identify with the young female character in the
film, and the way in which she is susceptible to the male’s dominance. This means that the
female audience can relate to the film, and this is a way in which the film attracts the female
audience.
• The male character represents a recognisable figure in which an audience would see in
normal everyday life. This reinforces his cold and menacing character, because he is someone
we wouldn’t expect. This makes him seem uneasy with his vacant expression.
7. Intertextual References
• Psycho
• We used a close up shot of the female characters eye, similarly to the shot used in
Hitchcock's 'Psycho'. This emphasises the fear in character's eye, leaving the audience feeling
tense and uncomfortable.
8. Further intertextual references
• The Third Man
• We used a tilt shot similarly to the one in 'The Third Man', where our male character is
walking into the house. The use of a tilt shot is a generic thriller convention, and so the
audience can identify with this. It also creates a sense of confusion and a warped
atmosphere.
9. Cliff Hangers
• The ending of the film creates a cliff hanger for the audience, and also sustains a sense of
ambiguity. The pace of the soundtrack increases and therefore builds more tension for the
audience, and finally the clip fades to black and the audience are left feeling fearful for the
female character. The fade to black represents lack of hope for the character and her
dooming despair. It is important that the final shot is left ambiguous, in order for the
audience to be attracted to the film and to want to watch on.
