Research into Cinematography- Miss Miller

The clip that I watched from The Conjuring used many different camera angles and camera shots. They all created an eerie and tension building feel to the scene. The audience are led to feel certain emotions towards the scene due to the different camera angles used.

At the beginning of the clip, a high angled shot is used when she is turning on the light and she beings to walk down the stairs. This high angled shot it used to make her look smaller than she is. Because she is by herself and seen to be smaller than she is, she is portrayed to be the victim. The audience begin to feel on edge and scared for her because the high angled shot makes it feel like anything could happen at any time. This ultimately builds a relationship between the characters and the audience as we are led to feel unsafe on her behalf. This is a common feature of the thriller genre because it does make the viewer believe she is unsafe. It can also be used effectively to make a person or an object look small look create fear. 





Another movement in the clip was handheld. This is found when she is falling down the stairs. The movement is very unsteady and and quick and these jerky and unsteady images make the audience feel a sense of chaos. This is conventional to a thriller film because it brings a sense of urgency to the film and making the audience feel on edge and uncomfortable. The handheld movements as well as the images we are seeing build the relationship between the audience and the characters, we feel uncomfortable for the girl and 



Point of view is another shot used, this is seen when she is looking around the basement. We get to see

exactly what the character is seeing. This has an effect on the audience because we are seeing what she is seeing, it gives the audience a clear view of what is going on and  we feel scared for her and then begin to build a relationship with her because we feel as if we are part of the scene and experiencing what she is. Point of view is conventional because it builds tension within the clip and makes the audience engaged.

Towards the end of the clip and she is looking around the room and there is a close up of her. We are only focused on her facial expressions and this is effective because this allows us to feel sorry for her and portrays the fear within her. The audience are allowed to see what she is feeling and therefore our relationship with her increaes. As we can see the emotion she is feeling, we feel sorry for her and want her to stay safe. This is conventional to the thriller genre because its another way of presenting fear to make the audience feel scared, also. 




There is use of a long shot when the girl is sitting on the floor looking around her. We get to see half of her and a large amount of the background. This creates a sense of tension as the audience do not know what may appear in the background and the low key lighting suggests that something may happen. Ultimately, this brings fear to the viewers and makes them sit on edge. Long shots are conventional of the Thriller genre because it builds fear and tension within the scene. Because of the long shot here, the audience are able to build their relationship with the girl as we become scared for her and are also on edge as we unable to know what is going to happen, then, hoping that she stays safe.



Overall, there were few shots and angles in which were used with this clip from The Conjouring to present fear and horror to the audience and most of which are conventional to the Thriller genre. From this analysis, I will be using most of these cinematography elements within my opening sequence in order to engage the audience and present horror.;

Editing styles used within the thriller genre- Miss Georgiou,

In this post I will be look at editing styles used within the shining, the "here's Johnny" scene. I will be explaining what effect it has on the audience and how it is conventional of the thriller genre.


Throughout this clip I noticed that there was use of slow editing, there was never use of quick clips and flashing images. Using these long clips built up the tension and suspense because we are unsure of what may happen to the girl, leaving more for the audiences imagination and allowing us to prepare for what may possibly happen. This makes the audience sit on edge because the mystery and tension make the audience feel uncomfortable. This ultimately makes us build our relationship with the characters as we feel a sense of insecutiry and unsafeness for the girl, we are made to feel sorry for her and therefore hope that she escapes. With use of the setting, in a house, the audience also begin to feel vulnerable as it gives a feel of reality making it seem as if they were involved within the film because it feels extremely realistic and makes the viewers believe that it could happen to them at anytime. . This is conventional of the thriller genre because it increases the shock and surprise elements, also, building the enigma as we are unable to know what may happen to the girl.

In this clip there was also use of jump cuts. I noticed a jump cut when it shows Johnny then shows the girl trying to escape out of the window. Going straight from Johnny to her draws our attention to her trying to escape, presenting how scared she is and highlights the panic on her face. The audience then begin to build a relationship with the character because we worry and feel sorry for her. The audience also feel on edge and tense because we are not to know if the girl will make it out of the window also increasing mystery within the film. Jump cuts are typical of the Thriller genre because we can build relationships with the characters and we can fully engage in the film.

Reaction shots are also used within this clip of The Shining. Reaction shots are any shot in which reacts to the previous shot. We see the boy looking up at the girl who is trying to escape which is shown by the previous frame, hence, making it a reaction shot. With use of the long shot when we are shown the boy, we are given the setting of the scene which appears to be an abandoned house that has been caved in. From this reaction shot that shows the boy, it gives the audience hope that he will get help, however, it is made clear that if help is available, they may not be able to get into the house and therefore not being able to save the girl. In doing this, the audience are able engage within the scene and towards the girl. We are able to feel emotion towards the characters,
 we feel sorry for the little boy and the girl. Yet, mainly feeling on edge for the girl hoping she will be able to escape. The reaction shot is an indication of the Thriller genre and enhances the fear and horror. 

Research into Mise-en-scene- Miss Miller

In this blog I will be analysing a clip from Insidious looking at the visual information that is presented to us infront of the camera in which communicates essential information to the audience. This is called Mise-en-scene. The five elements in which I will be looking at are setting, costumes/hair and makeup, facial expressions/ body language, lighting and colour and the positioning of characters/ objects within the frame. 



Setting

This clip that I watched from Insidious has a setting of within the house, mainly within the bedroom. The iconography used within this scene are typical of the bedroom. Such as, the bed, beside table and the lamp. These make the scene feel more realistic for the audience, as it is based in a family environment and makes it seem anything can happen at anytime. The audience are then led to feel a uncomfortable and a sense of reality, as we don't know what may happen, also building the enigma. It builds up the suspense within the scene, allowing the audience to build a relationship with the characters. As we don't know what may happen next, we feel on edge for the characters and scared on there behalf. The setting also makes us feel as if we are part of the film and that it may happen to us. The setting is conventional to thrillers as if gives a more realistic and suspense building feel.





Facial expressions

Facial expressions play an important role in portraying fear and horror in thriller films. When the loud noise is heard the characters immeadiatley turn their heads to the door. The mans face shows a concerned look which connotes to the audience that he is worried as to what the noise was. This makes the audience feel scared also, we are unaware of what the noise is too therefore the mans face is reflecting what we feel as well. We are then able to build our relationship with the character as we are both feeling the same emotion which is scared and concerned, making it seem we are part of the scene as well. The womens face portrays a stern look towards where the noise came from, this makes the scene more interesting and makes us even more eager to watch and see what happens. It makes the audience feel suspicion to what may happen next.

Colour and lighting

The mise-en-scne elements used within this clip are used to create a dramatic and scary feel throughout. Another key Mise-en-scne element used within the clip is the lighting. The lighting is very low key and very limited and at times quite dark. These dark colours give the scene an eerie feel and therefore build the fear within the clip. The lighting used within the bedroom is again very low key, yet, the iconography in which is the bedside lamp, gives out a light in which makes us focus on the characters in the bed. Because we are focused on the characters, we are led to believe that something bad will eventually happen to them. This builds up the enigma and suspicion within the clip, leading the audience to wonder what may happen to them and ultimately making the audience sit on edge and feel uncomfortable to what may happen. We are also led to build our realtionship with the characters as we are feeling scared for them and apprehensive to the outcome.

Positioning of characters and objects 

The positioning of key characters and objects is a key mise-en-scene element which makes this scene thrilling and scary. At the beginning of the scene when we are introduced to the characters, the man and women are sitting upright with stern facail expressions. With use of both of these things, this connotes to the audience that something has happened and they are both concerned about it. The long shot camera angle, with use of their body language, implies to the viewer that something is disrupted and that something bad could possibly happen. The audience are led to feel a sense of uncertaincy to what has disrupted them and eager to find out more.
Another postitioning of a key character is seen when the women walks into the babies room to find a man standing behind the babies bed. Immeadiately, we are led to feel shocked and scared as to why the man is standing there. Placing the man here gives the audience a feel of uncomfortability, making it seem that something bad will happen to the baby. This makes the scene more thrilling and suspicious. We are also able to build our relatiobnship with the characters as we are led to feel what the characters are feeling, making it seem that we are part of the scene. We feel scared for the women and on edge for the baby as we are not sure what may happen. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it builds enigma and mystery, making the audience question who he is, why he is there and what is going to happen next.


 

 

Reasearching into mise-en-scene within this clip, will help me plan and make my own thriller clip. It has given me more understanding of what 5 elements I must look at and concentrate on to create a thrilling and scary clip. I now know that setting, facial expressions, lighting and the positioning of key characters and objects, used correctly, will help to create and eerie and tension building atmosphere to the audience.