Past Student Work

'Out of the Loop'

This opening sequencehas some typical elements of thrillers. Firstly, it is clear the film is going to be based around the murder of the character at the start. There is also an enigma, as we don't know why the man has been shot or why the first character was looking for him. This leaves unanswered questions in the audience's mind which helps to draw them in for the rest of the film. Micro-elements also help to create a tense atmosphere. The non-diegetic sound is quite modern and robotic feel and also links in with the 'spy' theme, with the briefcase, sunglasses and gun etc. The sound also became faster and more intense  as the action unfolded. Props such as the briefcase suggests the character is hiding something and also that something bad could happen. However, one thing that lets this opening down is the gun that is used because it looks very fake, it would look better if they used a black gun or something less toy-looking.

http://03thriller10.blogspot.com/2010/03/out-of-loop-final-cut-upload-version.html

'Hush'

This opening had an enigma, that we didn't know who was holding this man hostage or why. This automatically sets up questions in the audience's mind and gets them gripped. The credit font was also quite conventional of a thiller and the way they shook added extra effect. The non-diegetic soundtrack was also quite fast and edgey, which fitted in with the tense atmosphere that was being created through the action. Props such as tape over the mouth and the spotlight made it feel realistic, which makes the audience feel even more uneasy as it is something that could happen in real life. The extreme close up of the pages on writing were distorted and also the extreme close up of his eye added to the thriller theme more.

http://57thrillerproject08.blogspot.com/