1. Evaluation Question One
AS Level Media Studies
Suzanne Cole

2. Alarm clock
In the establishing shot the only part of a person seen is a hand and little
else is revealed so that the audience are unsure who the person is. Most
people are curious and by making it so that they can't see the person's
face they want to know who the person is, creating a sense of secrecy as it
suggests that the person doesn't want to be seen. This fits with the usual
conventions of a thriller film as it is conventional to convey a sense of
secrecy such as in 'Enemy of the State' or 'Ronin'. The clock is positioned
slightly off of centre to suggest that something isn't quite right; something
exactly in the centre would convey an idea of fitting in yet the clock isn't,
suggesting that the
person whose hand
enters the frame is
disjointed and
unpredictable, not fitting
with society or with what
is usually expected of a
person, prefiguring what
is to happen, causing a
feeling of unease.

3. Beth’s feet
This shot is following a jump cut from one of the glass. By jump cutting from one to the other
it’s jarring signifying that the perspective has altered. This frame is in colour where-as those
before it were in a black and white filter emphasising that this is from a different perspective
from those before it; it is the first indication the audience has that two different lives are being
shown however, I have deliberately made this shot shorter than the others so that the
audience see very little and are kept intrigued by the addition of another person and the
possibility of the two people meeting. The sense of there being an oncoming meeting
between the two people is a usual form of a thriller, a similar technique is used in ‘Ronin’; the
camera ‘searches’ a cityscape first before revealing DeNiro. I decided to instead create a
similar idea by how the frame is initially empty before the girl’s feet enter rather than
searching a landscape as I thought that this better fitted with my plotline.
The most dominant thing in the shot is actually the background to suggest that the girl is
currently of no particular significance as she could be anyone. This subverts thriller
conventions as the protagonist is usually dominant, but I have deliberately done this to cause
the audience to undermine her importance so that at the end of the opening they are left to
question why she is being targeted by the antagonist.

4. Beth’s hands in pockets
Beth is now however the
most dominant thing in the
frame, suggesting that she
currently has a growing
dominance and importance in
the film however, her hands
are in her pockets
undermining this suggested
growing confidence and
importance. It suggests that she is
actually anxious as she feels the need to hide her hands and keep them close to her
body, causing the audience to question why she is anxious. As she walks the
camera also tracks her, keeping her in the center of the shot and so in the focus of
the audience suggesting to the audience that she is the protagonist and should be
trusted, much like is done is ‘Enemy of the State’ when the camera tracks the older
man, not ‘Glasses Man’. I have decided to use this same element of camera
movement to remain true to a usual thriller film and its conventions as it creates an
alliance between the audience and protagonist. I however have developed this by
not showing her face so it's still unclear to the audience whether she is the
antagonist or protagonist.
However by having her in a colour filter and the other girl in black and white it not
only demonstrates that it’s a differing perspective, but also conveys an idea that this
girl (Beth) is open with the audience and more trustworthy than the other as the
black and white filter creates a sense of shadows and darkness. In thrillers lighting is
conventionally darker and includes shadows when showing the antagonist (such as
in ‘Taken’), so I have made this distinction between the two people.

5. Laptop
In this shot I have positioned the camera so that it’s over the shoulder of the antagonist. An
over shoulder shot normally suggests that the person in the frame is trustworthy and in a
position of protecting the audience, yet she is the antagonist. I have done this to challenge
the audience as it creates a conflict of alliances as they don’t know who to trust since they are
still unsure who is the antagonist and protagonist, despite the different filters; this is because I
wanted to intrigue my audience and involve them. I have used this idea from the opening of
‘Ronin’ where there is an on-going conflict of alliance with either De Niro or the woman who is
shown. I used this particular element as it creates more confusion and so a sense of unease,
reminding the audience that anything could happen. I however developed it by showing both
perspectives extensively, allowing the audience to make their own decision of who to trust.
In addition the camera is positioned above her, suggesting an inferiority which conveys an
idea that she is unthreatening in order to cause the audience to undermine her, making it all
the more shocking later in the opening when the axe is revealed. In front of her an open
laptop can be seen which suggests that she is open and honest, as the audience can see
what she sees, suggesting that she has nothing to hide; although this is contradicted by the
fact that her face still hasn’t been revealed, again to cause further conflict. This conflict is
conventional of thrillers and used in the
opening of ‘Enemy of the State’ fulfilling
conventions but, I however decided to not
show my antagonist’s face, subverting
them also as I felt that this better fit my
opening, helping to create an atmosphere
of suspense.

6. Make-up
There is then a series of shots with relatively quick cuts between them to show a
conflict of the two lives of the girls as the shots jump cut between the two
perspectives.
I included this shot of the antagonist as it details her putting on make-up,
suggesting vanity and a sense that it is important to her how she looks to other
people. I have done this since in my first edit I showed too little of her as an
ordinary person which caused it to seem as though she was a psychopath without
reason. But by including shots such as this which detail her doing ordinary,
mundane things it gives her an identity as well, moving my opening thoroughly
away from the horror genre and firmly in the thriller genre. It alters the audience's
perceptions since where they might have once thought her deranged, they now
can see that she too is a person with reason. This is a pastiche from the film
‘Memento’ when two perspectives are shown but from the same point of view, in
one of which a murderer is seen doing usual
tasks. This particular technique I found
effective to use in the beginning of
my opening as it causes the
audience to empathise for the girl before
the opening develops further.

7. Title of Film
Before this shot there had been two
different soundscapes, one for each girl, to
present the two characters differently
reflecting their own differences. The
antagonists soundscape is slow & draw out
creating a sense of foreboding, whilst Beth’s
has a slightly quicker pace with the high
pitched sound of another instrument
suggesting serenity or something harmonious and good juxtaposing the antagonist
soundscape. In this shot however I overlaid both soundscapes to demonstrate a
conflict of the two people as Beth walks up the steps leading to the house. I did this as
it is conventional for the protagonist and antagonist to have a conflict between them of
interests and ideals such as in the ‘James Bond’ franchise and ‘Tinker Tailor Solder
Spy’. I found that this particular convention fitted my opening well as the aim of my
opening is to create suspense, and by having an underlying conflict throughout it built
up an expectation for the meeting of the two characters, achieving this.
I positioned the title in the center of the frame and put it into a white font as it’s
conventional of thriller films (‘Quantum of Solace’, ‘Vertigo’). The font I chose as it’s
reasonably plain and understated although, it’s larger than any other credits in the
opening to emphasise its importance. I have however subverted the usual background
to the title. It is usually plain or very simplistic however, I decided to lay the title over a
shot with several different things in the back as this has connotations of being cluttered
and conveys an idea that there isn’t room for anything extra, suggesting that the arrival
of another person will disrupt the other girl.

8. Jasmine’s feet at the top of the stairs
I deliberately made this shot very quick
so that it is conventional of a thriller as
quick cuts are often used in in thrillers
and other films such as ‘Inception’; I
found that it is particularly effective at this
point as it makes the audience aware of
the fact that the two girls are going to
meet one another to create an
atmosphere of foreboding. This has
particular effect at this point as the beginning has all built up to this point by the use
of the shots already discussed as well as other close-ups of the two girls. The
audience have been aware of the two separate lives of the girls, but the shot before
this details Beth at the bottom of the stairs and, by cutting to this shot of Jasmine’s
feet at the top it links the two girls, exciting the audience.
By quickly cutting away again this sense of excitement becomes more urgent since
it only allows the audience a glimpse of Jasmine. Additionally, as it cuts away to this
shot the sound becomes louder and a much more solemn, shimmering sound is
introduced, reminiscent of a horror film in order to challenge the conventions of a
thriller film and suggest that the opening has reached a pivotal moment and
something much more sinister is going to happen. I have done this to potentially
cause the audience to feel discomforted, indicating what is yet to happen.

9. Axe Reveal
This shot is also a quick cut for similar effect, and is cut just as the glint of an axe
is seen. I cut it away soon after so that it gave a sense of threat and foreboding as
the audience are unable to see the weapon anymore. I positioned the camera so
that the stairs and Jasmine’s feet were central, and the audience’s main focus.
This causes the axe to be slightly off of center and makes it all the more shocking
for the audience when it’s suddenly revealed as there had been no hint prior to this
that the character had such violent intentions. This is my ‘plot twist’ and is
conventional of a thriller and has been used in films such as ‘Batman Begins’ and
‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’. I decided to use a similar technique although
developed it be placing it at the end of the opening rather than in the middle, as I
feel that it leaves a greater impact on the audience.
The axe has connotations of threat and violence, usual themes in thriller
films, since Beth it seems is in jeopardy of the axe being used against her. By
revealing the axe as Jasmine walks down the stairs, it also has connotations of the
threat of violent consequences if
she were to be passed, since she is
on the stairs and so she has made
them to be impassable. This given
threat is conventional, used in
thriller films such as ‘Irresistible’.

10. Extreme close-up of Beth’s eyes
This extreme close-up again brings the audience closer to the protagonist of
the opening, and through the expression of her eyes I have fulfilled the
conventions of a thriller as it suggests that she is vulnerable and/or weak. This
is conventional as it is usual for the protagonist to be flawed; this allows the
audience to identify with them (Also, a protagonist without a flaw is unrealistic
and would probably irritate the audience!). This is evidenced in other thriller
films such as ‘Skyfall’, in which, James Bond is almost too independent,
refusing help form anyone else. By then having the two meet one another it
suggests a conflict between the two; this particular shot is cut to after the
antagonist is shown to be slow and confident. By then cutting to this it
demonstrates a diversity of characters conflicting as the pace is suddenly
changed to one that is quick and urgent.
By then cutting to black it suggests a loss of hope as the light is gone whilst
the heartbeat reflects panic and vulnerability in the protagonist since it’s quick,
conveying that she too s shocked.
This conveys an idea that she was
shocked at the same tie as the
audience and knows as much as
them, causing them to trust her and
dislike the situation she is in.