3. We developed conventions of the thriller genre by calling
our film ‘Trauma’. This is an effective name for a
psychological thriller as it connotes violence, mental illness
and a disturbed perception of reality which are all common
themes in the psychological thriller genre. Most thrillers
tend to have short one or two word names, which our film
conforms to, which links to Barthes enigma theory as it is a
clue which the audience can use to solve the mystery of
the film. The title provides an important clue as to what the
film is about but does not give too much of the mystery
away, which is key in films which want to have dramatic
twists in the psychological thriller genre. Films with similar
names in the genre include ‘primal fear’, ‘breakdown’ and
‘affliction’.
5. We also used conventional settings so the audience can decode that
our film is a thriller by using the common convention of use of dark
or misty settings. This is because it creates a sense of disorientation
and isolation, which is reinforced in our opening sequence by the
use of an extreme long shot. One psychological thriller which uses
mist is ‘Insomnia’, when a detective is looking for a potential
suspect. However we also used other locations, such as inside the
family house. This rather peaceful setting may be considered a
challenge to traditional thriller settings, but we aimed to make even
something as calm and same as the home appear sinister and
threatening. We wanted to create a juxtaposition between the
claustrophobic inside settings and the isolated outside settings.
7. When filming we also used thriller conventions for
thriller directors by using high angle and low
angle shots as well as extreme close-ups. There
may not be many low angle shots, but in our
opening sequence we did use some high angle
shots to signify the innocence and
powerlessness of young Luke and his toys. We
also contrasted extreme close ups such as the
image shown of the mothers feet and shots such
as the burning pictures with extreme long shots
such as that of the policeman and older Luke.
9. We also developed various special effects conventions typical of the
thriller genre such as reverse motion and slow motion. For example
we slowed down the footage of the ball bouncing slightly to add
more impact when it reverses. One influential psychological thriller
film that uses slow motion is ‘The Shining’ during the scene when
blood comes out of the elevator. Psychological thrillers in particular
like to manipulate peoples perception of time, so we used these
effects in an attempt to emulate films in the genre. We were able to
use these effects by using final cut express and have become more
experienced with the technology as a result.
11. We went on to use genre conventions through our
use of titles. We did not want to distract the
audience too much using the titles so we used
black and white to complement the desaturated
and muted colour scheme. The Courier font
looked similar to that of a typewriter which is often
associated with old crime reports, another
semiotic to signify the thriller genre. But we
wanted the titles to have impact so we used jump
cuts instead of fades and overlays of the titles.
The animation for the name of the film was
deliberately made to appear in a random and
discordant manner, to play further into the theme
of perception and madness so often depicted in
films.
13. In order to use conventions of the psychological thriller
genre we applied Barthes enigma theory. We refrained
from having one linear narrative through the sequence
and instead opted to leave many different clues to help
the viewer gain some insight into the plot without giving
too much away to create an enigma which the audience
has to solve. One particular trope we used that is often
used in thriller and revenge films was the burning of
family photos. This is an important semiotic to show the
hatred, rebellion and jealousy which Luke experiences.
15. In order to develop on the thriller conventions and to create
a sense of mystery we made the creative decision to not
show the mother’s face. This is because the audience
would likely not feel as much of an emotional connection
with a character who’s face remains hidden and would
sympathise more with Luke. We slowly reveal more of
the mother during the sequence but we never show her
face. One thriller film which uses anonymity to create
suspense is Watchmen, as at the beginning the
darkness obscures the identity of the murderer.
17. As for editing we used existing thriller
conventions by adding a mix of both jump
cuts to surprise the viewer, as well as
fades to make it smoother and fit the tone
and pace of the music. We also altered
the colours so they were darker and less
vivid to contribute to the overall
atmosphere of sadness and resentment.
Also we decided to keep the editing
relatively simple to not create any
distractions for the viewer which may
break immersion.
19. Finally we used thriller conventions to immediately give the audience a
feeling of unease by using a close up of a rotten rope swing
swinging by itself. This is a powerful semiotic which links to the
central themes of innocence and isolation which are often explored
in thrillers. Another thriller film which also opens with a series of
shots from an abandonned children’s playground is ‘Children of
Men’ where innocence is all but eradicated by war and infertility. To
reinforce these ideas of innocence we used other props such as
toys, a ball and a teddy bear, all neglected and left unused by the
abused child.
