This film introduces a mysterious death of a girl found in a stream near a school. The opening leaves many unanswered questions for the audience around who killed the girl and how the main character boy may be involved. Various shots and sounds are used to build tension and anxiety without revealing crucial plot details, confusing the audience and making them want to learn more. Key objects and interactions between characters are shown that may provide clues later in the film, further intriguing viewers about what secrets might be uncovered.

1. Brick Analysis
Thisfilm’sopeningsetsthe plotforthe restof the film, itleavesthe audience wonderingwhokilled
the girl in the streamof waterand howdoesthe boy have anythingto do withthe killing.The
audience hasmetthe maincharacter (the school boy) andhas metthe girl thatgot killed,butnoone
else.Thiskeepsthe audience guessingwhatwill happennext.
The locationof the firstscene isina tunnel withalittle stream, inthe scene there isthe school boy
and the deadblonde girl.Thislocationisderelictwhichenhanceshow the audienceknowsthatthe
girl isdead.For thislocationthere isan establishingshotshowingthe audience wherethe characters
are so,theycan again an understanding.The secondlocationisinaschool by the lockersthere isno
establishingshotof thislocationbut the soundof the school bell helpsthe audience togaina
perspective of the location. The thirdlocationisonthe side of a road where there isa phone box.
Thislocationisquite derelictaswell whichaddsmysteryandvulnerabilitytothe school boy.
The onlycostume yousee properlyisthe school boysclothingwhichis,jeans,fleece andboots.You
vaguelysee the deadgirl’scostume whichisabrownskirt,white jumperandblue bracelets.These
braceletsare keyto hercostume because yousee them2 hoursprior to herdeath.The propsin this
piece are the note that fallsoutof the lockerthisprophelpssetthe plotas, ittellswhere the school
boyshouldgo to meetsomeone.The phone isaprop that helpsthe characterscommunicate
betweeneachother.Also,the cigaretteisaprop as the camera focusesonthis objectandit givesa
clue to the boy whoistryingto workout where thisgirl hasgone and whyshe is introuble.
The stance of the boy at the beginningshowshisfeelingsandregretsof whathashappened.The
audience don’tknowif he haskilledthe girl but,theyknow he issomethingtodowithit.The wayhe
iscrouchingby a wall suggestshe isupsetandsad and he doesn’tmove throughoutthisscene only
the camera does whichcouldsuggesttothe audience thathe is frozeninone positionbecausehe is
startingto panicabout the eventsthathave occurred.Also,hisstance givesalotabout how he is
feelinginthe phone box aswell, because hisfacial expressions andslumpstance makesthe
audience thinkthathe ismissingherandwantsto see the girl on the phone butcannot. Whenthe
camera focusesonthe lockersandthe audience seesthe girl withthe blue braceletsputthe note in
a lockerthe audience knowsit’sthe same lockerwhenthe boyturnsupto go intothislocker,even
thoughthere isno establishingshotsuggestingthatitis the same.The lockeris alsoa way of
characters communicatingtoeachotherand isthe onlyrelationshipbetweenthe charactersatthis
point.
One of the keyshotsto thisfilmisthe pan downthe wall whichthenfocusesonthe feetonthe
ledge of the stone wall.Thisthenturnsintoa close upof the maincharacters face into,an extreme
close upof hiseyes.Then, there isanestablishingshotwhere the audience cangeta sense of a
location andwhat isgoingon inthisshot.However,the audience cannottell if he killedthe girl so,
thisadds excitementandanxietyforthe audience becausetheyare beingkeptinthe darkof how
she has died. Anotherkeyshot sequence iswhenthe camerazoomsinonthe deadgirl’slegsthen
back to the boy’s face in the same positionasbefore enhancinghe isfrozenandscared.Thenit
returnsback to the girlshairin the waterand once again back to hisface.Finally,there isashotof
herarm inthe waterwiththe blue braceletson.Thisshotthenskipsto the lockerscene where you
see the blue braceletsagainona girl. The audience hasnoideaif it isthe same girl or not.Thiskeeps
the audience guessingandonthe edge of theirseatbecause the plotisstill unclearbut,thisisa key

2. conceptto a suspense genre.Asthe boywalkstohislockerall the audience cansee ishisfeetwhich,
keepsthe audience guessingif itisthe same guy. The camera doesn’tmove uptoshow the audience
whothe character is itstays lookingatthe floorbecause the note thatwas put inthe lockerwill fall
out.As the note is a keyfeature of the filmthe camerazoomsinon it so therefore, the audiencecan
readit themselves.Then,thereisamid-shotof the signsbythe meetingplace toenhance thathe is
there waitingforsomethingtohappenorsomeone toappear.Whenhe ison the phone there isa
pan aroundthe phone box to checkif there is anyone aroundthisisdone witha fastpace.The pace
of thispansuggeststo the audience thathe isfeelingunsecure whilstthe audience isanxious
because of thisfastpace. Finally the lastshotthatis keytosettingthe plotto helpthe audience try
and understandwhatisgoingonis the close upof the cigarette andthe arrow on it.Because of the
type of shot usedonthisobjectit suggeststothe audience thatitis keyandwill be referredto again
laterinthe film.However,addingmore keyobjectsjustconfusesthe audience evenmore whilst
creatinganxietywhenpiecingeverythingtogetherwhichisthe wholepurpose of asuspense - thriller
film.
The soundin thistype of genre isreallyvital asthe soundis whatcreatesthe feelingsof the
audience.The firstsoundthatyouhearis a seriesof highpitchedshortnotes.Thishighpitchmusic
buildstensioncreatinganticipation.The musicisrepetitive whichenhancesthatitisona loopand
there isno resolutionatthispoint.The repetitivemusicalsosuggeststhatthe audience ismeantto
be confusedonhowthe girl gotkilledandwhodidit.Whilstthe boywas onthe phone he was
talkingtoa girl,the audience ismade tothinkthatthe girl onthe phone isthe one that isdeadbut
thisisstill unknown. Theyare ledtobelievethisbecause of the dialogue usedas,the girl saidshe
was introuble.Aswell asthat,the deadgirl was wearingblue braceletsandthe girl thatput the note
inthe lockerhadthose braceletsontoobut, the girl on the phone saidshe didn’tputthe note inhis
locker.Thissuggeststothe audience thatthe girl that deliveredthe note isthe one thatisdeaddue
to the braceletshowever,theydonot know andit is still unclear. Whenthey are talkingonthe
phone the audience canunderstandthatthe girl isupsetand hervoice is startingto tremble
suggestingthatshe mightcry due to previousevents.
Whenthe boy entersthe phone box the highpitchedmusicfades inagaincreatinganxiety once
more afterjust backgroundnoise inthe school location.Thismusicismeanttomake the audience
feel onedge,confusedandworriedabout whatisgoingon.Tohelpsetthe scene for the school
location, where youcanonlysee the lockers, the soundof the school bell helpstomake itclearer.
Thisfilmopeningleavesthe audience guessinghow the girl isdead?Whichgirl itis? andwho didit?
However,because there are somanyunansweredquestionsitenhances thatthere mightbe atwist
inthe plotwhichwill confuse the audienceevenmore.Although, the audience mightbelievethere is
a twistthey are still anticipatingwhenitwillhappen.