The document analyzes techniques used in six short films: 1. Behind the Net Curtains uses a red herring, conceals the killer's identity, and close-ups of gruesome details to mislead the audience. 2. Deadline uses a timer, limited dialogue, and focuses on one character to create mystery and tension. 3. The Witness uses disorienting shots, low lighting, and conceals the criminals' faces to seem dark and suspicious. 4. Outspoken reverses the beginning, uses drug indicators and an unexplained location to add confusion. 5. The Therapist uses slow motion, flashbacks, and conceals the killer's face

1. Student Example
Analysis

2. Analyzing the Films

3. Behind the Net Curtains
Use of Red Herring - thinking that the elderly woman would be the killer when actually she was the
victim.
The audience never find out who the killer is, a low angle shot is used of his legs for a second or so, and
that is the only glimpse we see of the killer.
Close up shots were used of the woman's face, particularly when she is cleaning her teeth to show detail
and gruesomeness.
Enhancing the sound of the meat, when the elderly woman is squishing it between her hands.
Over the shoulder shot used when the woman is sitting in her arm chair and drinking something, puts the
audience in the camera’s position.
Concealed Image of the woman’s face until the end - we do not see much of the elderly woman's face until
the very end of the film.
Jump Cuts were used between the woman chopping up one type of food, to chopping another type.
The basis of the film seems very normal (the elderly woman is acting normally) but there are hints that
suggest that she is up to something (eating an animal organ is unusual).

4. Deadline
The timer in the corner makes the audience feel like they are on a time limit aswell and have to
meet the deadline, they will be hurrying the character who has to meet this deadline.
We never find out what happens to the kids and why they have been captured, why they are
going to be killed, which adds mystery.
Tracking shot is used when following the dad of the kids, it makes the audience feel as if they
are in a chase and following the characters every move.
We don’t see the killers face which gives a mysterious atmosphere as it allows the audience to
ask themselves who the killer is and why will they not find out.
There is limited dialogue so this confuses the audience and keeps them on edge and not knowing
what is going on.
Low key lighting is used to create an eery atmosphere and keep a dark and strange mood.
Only one character is really used, we do see the children and the killer but only the man is used
during the course of the ‘deadline’, which creates sympathy for the man as it makes him seem
more alone.

5. The Witness
Video tape style camera is used, makes it feel quite isolated (there is no film crew around and
the character is by themselves).
Shot/reverse shots are used when the two people are talking, fast moving and confusing.
Low key lighting has been used and a lot of colour has been drained from the camera to make
the setting seem dark and eery and suspicious.
Point of view shot is used when the person looks at the criminals, puts the audience in the
characters shoes.
High angle shot is used on the victim to make them feel small and powerless and put the
criminal in authority. The high angle shot shows the power of the criminal and shows this to
the audience.
The criminals costumes is mainly a mask, this is what the audience will notice first about them
and create a mysterious and unusual atmosphere.
The ending is confusing and uses the sound effect of a heartbeat to build suspense and make the
auidence as nervous as the character.

6. Outspoken
Reversing the film and starting from the beginning makes the audience feel as if they have
missed something and leaves them confused.
Over the shoulder shot is used to show the ‘victim’ over the criminals shoulder.
The credits are displayed on crumbled bits of paper, this is effective as it has the set of the film
in the background but the audience do not yet know that the background pictures are related to
the film.
There are indicators of drug use during the first seen which makes the characters seem dodgy
and suspicious and already gives them a mysterious judgement made by the audience.
The main character gets a call and mentions ‘Warehouse 12’, which is somewhere he has to go,
this adds confusion as the audience have no idea what ‘Warehouse 12’ is and will never find out.
A femme fatal is used, she shoots the main character at the start of the film and we see her
laying asleep next to the main character later on which suggests that she has led the main
character to his downfall, femme fatals are a key thriller convention.

7. The Therapist
The use of the slow motion walking at the start shows the audience that the character is going
somewhere, although we don’t know where, it is implied that they are being led to their death
or somewhere else that is unpleasant. The fact that we only see their feet confuses the audience
as we do not know who he/she is (e.g. killer or victim?).
Finally when we see their face we can see that they look quite innocent and as the camera cuts
we see a figure in the background which suggests to the auidence that the innocent man is
about to die.
Flashbacks are used as these are a key thriller convention, however the people in the
flashback are different to who is in the present, which is never fully explained, but it suggests
that the figure in the background has hurt or killed this mans family which has led him to be
the next target of the killer.
We never see the killers face which keeps a concealed image and allows the audience to make
their own judgement as to what they look like but it adds mystery and tension.
Binary opposites are used (the man/the figure in the background), it is obvious to see that the
figure is up to no good and the man is running away which suggests he is the victim.
Another binary opposite is used between the flashbacks and the present day (low key lighting
and bright lighting), which conveys the atmosphere of each time they are in.