The document summarizes how the opening of a student-made thriller film uses techniques from real thriller films to set up the genre and create mystery. It establishes the genre through shots of a lone car, a character holding a shotgun in a barn, and newspaper clippings. It builds intrigue through obscured views of the character, modern props that seem out of place, and maintained continuity in filming. The opening is inspired by films like "Transporter" and "Se7en" to grab the audience's attention and leave them with questions through visuals and music.

1. 1. In what ways does your media
product use, develop or challenge
forms of real media products?

2. How the intro/opening sets up the
thriller
• The introduction for our thriller was greatly
inspired by the intro for ‘Transporter’ (2002)
directed by Louis Leterrier. Though there are
obvious differences in the scene they follow the
same idea. Both shots are fairly long, and show
the audience a single car, alone in a wide open
space. The shot consists of a slow zoom, to help
create enigma in the initial scene. However
Transporter makes use of a parking lot, we
decided a farm barn would be more relatable for
our peers are we live in a countryside
environment. Both shots feature a car all alone,
and it makes the audience ask questions such as
“Why is there?” “What is it doing?”

3. Misc en Scene
• The misc en scene also quickly dictates the genre that the film
will be. As soon as the audience see the character come on
screen, holding a shotgun they can assume that it will be a
thriller/horror genre. Also, in sync with the shot of the
character, is the soundtrack. The soundtrack we chose consists
of a slow piano and some strings, creating a bleak, sad
atmosphere within the intro, further confirming the genre of
the intro.
• The enigma is also built up further in this scene as the
character is facing away from the camera, and he is wearing a
large coat, so little is revealed, making the audience ask “who
is he?”
• The car is still in the centre of the shot, and due to the fact
that it is clean, and modern, it is contrasted by everything else
in that barn, attracting the audience’s attention further.

4. Content
• Our thriller intro makes use of conventional thriller shots, and
the content seen within those shots, to firmly establish its
genre. Alongside the shot of the armed character and the
parked car, is newspaper articles and shots of cut out pictures.
• This idea was inspired by the intro to ‘Se7en’ (1995) directed
by David Fincher. In the image to the right we can see a still
taken from the Se7en intro, where we see an image of what
we can assume is a target, or a victim. Similarly in our thriller
opening we filmed cut outs of various innocent looking ‘Missing’
females.
• Both introductions show the images in black and white, to
help support the negative atmosphere we find in thrillers, and
both shots are close ups. Along with everything I have
previously talked about so far, these shots continue to build
enigma, as we don’t know who these are pictures of, and why
the unknown individual has these pictures in the first place.
‘Se7en’

5. Continuity Editing
• Throughout the filming and editing of the thriller intro we had to ensure that ‘continuity’
within the opening was maintained. This was ensured by pre-filming storyboarding and then
post – editing analysis. It was crucial that we maintained continuity within our opening to
keep a sense of realism and ensure that the enigma we were trying to create wasn’t broken
down.
• Such things as consistent weather, consistent props, steady camera movements,
synchronised shot transitions and maintaining the 180 degree rule allowed continuity to be
established.

6. Props
Props are essential in all forms of media, in our thriller opening, the
props used help create ambiguity and ensure the genre of the film.
In the first shot a tractor can be This is further
seen, this helps the audience link reiterated
the location to being a farm. through farm
machinery being
in the shot.
Costume can also be
classified as a prop, here
we can notice wellies
The car prop is significant as it
and a big coat, which can
seems out of place and in
also be associated with
contrast to the rest of the
farmers, furthermore we
scene, this also gets the
can see a weapon is
audience asking questions.
being held, creating
ambiguity as a result of
its links with violence
and murder

7. Credits
Credits are very important in media, and are further used in our project to establish
the genre. The film ‘Se7en’ , a successful thriller was the inspiration for our credits. The
same black background with sketchy, free-hand writing was used to create
atmosphere. We varied the positioning of the text within each title to keep the
audience un-settled, similar to the credits in ‘Se7en’.