Planning Cinematography - Miss Miller

The importance of cinematography within thriller films is to create tension for the audience. As well as this is helps in creating camera techniques, which help to tell the story of the film in the most effective way possible. Also, from the use of different angles it helps in not only focusing on something that could foreshadow something else tat will happen later on in the narrative, but it also helps in portraying to the audience who the antagonist and who the victim are. Planning is required to produce a good sequence as we are then organised before filming and know what we are going to film and so it saves time when we come to film. For example we can plan as a group what types of shots, angles and movements we are going to use and where to create the biggest effect for the audience.

My Groups Cinematography Planning Sheet

The first camera shot i want to use is an over the shoulder shot combined with a shallow focus. This will be used when the male antagonist is getting ready to go out and is looking in the mirror, although he will have a mask on already so his identity is keep hidden to the audience while standing looking into the mirror he will pull his hood up. Additionally, this builds a negative relationship between the audience and the antagonists character as they audience are now know he is the antagonist and they know what his motives are for the victim. As a result of the antagonists identity being hidden it creates and enigma for the audience, which is conventional to the thriller genre and keeps the audience engaged. 

Over The Shoulder/Shallow Focus Example

The next type of shot i will use is a deep focus shot, which is when the foreground, middle-ground and background are all in focus. It will be used when the antagonist is watching the female victim this is because it will portray to the audience that she is the victim. As well as this it will show her vulnerability and weakness. This causes the audience to be scared for her safety, which is conventional to a thriller as it also causes the audience to question what is going to happen next. As they carry on watching hoping for the better outcome that the antagonist won't cause any harm to the girl. 

Deep Focus Shot

A panning shot is often used in films to allow the audience to follow the scene and see more within a shot. In my opening thriller sequence it will be used during a chase scene when the victim is running, trying to escape from the antagonist. It infers to the audience how she is frightened, vulnerable and innocent this makes the audience question the antagonist motives for the victim. Which creates and enigma as well as tension and shock causing the audience to stay focused and engaged as they want to find out why the antagonist has chosen her and his victim. The audience can then relate to how the victim is feeling as they have sympathy for her. As a result this type of shot is conventional to the thriller as it creates suspense for the audience. 

Panning Shot

In the sequence I'm also going to use a close up shot, this type of shot is initially used to focus of facial reactions and emotions. The close up will be used when the victim is running away from the antagonist but then looks back at him, to see where he is. By using a close up shot the audience will be able to see her true facial expressions and will know exactly how she feels at this moment in time. Allowing the audience to then feel sympathy towards her, which is conventional as it creates suspense. This is because the audience do not know what is going to happen next as they do not know if the victim is going to manage to escape from the antagonist. 

Close Up

The last type of camera shot i will use is a high angle combined with a point of view shot. It will be used when the victim falls over when she is running from the antagonist. The antagonist is then looking over her which demonstrates to the audience his power he has over her. This causes the audience to have fear for the victim as they forebode death. Furthermore, this is conventional to a thriller as it creates tension, which keeps the audience engaged as they want to keep watching and find out what happens to the innocent victim. This is because they have now built a relationship with the victims character and they has a lot of sympathy towards how she must be feeling. 

High Angle/Point Of View

Overall, i have found planning my cinematography before starting filming of my opening sequence helpful. This is because it means that we are more organise and know the type of shots and angles we are going to include and when we will include them. If we had not planned out cinematography then we might not of been as aware of what types of shot we was using and might of re-used the same type of shot many times and so we wouldn't have as wide a variety. Therefore, i think it will be more effective now as know what the audience should be feeling in every shot and so it will help the actors portray a particular emotion that will help to create this response. The use of specific cinematography is conventional to thrillers, as the type of shots used help to create tension and suspense for the audience and get a response from them. This response is ten what makes the shots am camera techniques conventional to the genre.