Analysis of Lighting: My Thriller

I took a few screenshots from my actual opening, and have chosen to explain some of my choices in camera placement and such that would allow me to get the kind of natural lighting I wish to have in each shot.

In this shot, the natural lighting makes the surroundings seem very safe and dreamlike - the sunshine spilling over the background reinforces the fact that it is a very familiar environment that creates comfort for Scarlett, as reinforced by her smile. This juxtaposes heavily with the darkness on the left side of the image - here, the lighting is darker and behind Scarlett, foreshadowing that something sinister is lurking, and catch up with her. This creates more suspense within the audience.

In this shot, Emma is in a very bright environment; however, the lighting is bland whilst it is natural. There is no sunshine, showing that Emma's world without Scarlett is dull - no colours are accentuated, and despite her environment seeming non-threatening and safe, it causes dramatic irony as something very sinister has happened only a small distance away from where she stands, and she has no idea. 

This shot of the entrance to the woods has very dark lighting and serves as a suggestion to the audience that something evil will occur within them. They instantly feel uncomfortable at the sight of it, as it doesn't look at all like it would be a safe place. The scene also looks as though it has a very high contrast, creating a harsher image that further creates a dark and sullen atmosphere. The hard light also creates the same effect and further shows the location's imperfections and muddy, undesirable appearance. 

The lighting in the background is very bright, and naturally sunny, directly contrasting to the darker shadows on Scarlett herself; this shows that something bad is creeping up on her; she is being targeted by something bad. 

The dark shadows surrounding the stalker within this shot suggests that they're dangerous and evil; they are completely covered by shadows and looking out at the brighter lighting that Scarlett walks in. This juxtaposition further accentuates the harsh differences between the two of them.

In order to get the above shot, I crouched within the bushes - this allowed me to make the stalker's surroundings seem darker, as I could film from a position that did not allow a lot of light on the camera, as it was sheltered by leaves above. This helped me to create the direct contrast between the light and shadows of the stalker's and Scarlett's worlds. The below image is a photo taken of me whilst I was filming the shot; as seen, I did not use a tripod as I wanted the camera to be slightly shaky to give off a sense of instability on the stalker's part, as it was their POV. 

 

The natural, attached shadow on Scarlett's face shows that she is not entirely aware about what is happening; she is still in the dark about the situation, and cannot yet see it clearly. The audience are tortured by the fact she doesn't know what is going to happen to her, and helpless against it.

At the end, the very dark and dull lighting that surrounds Scarlett accentuates the sinister and helpless reality of the situation; she is now completely unable to escape, and is powerless against the stalker that follows her. 

Analysis of Location

The location I chose was a secluded part of the woods on Mitcham Common. As this is an area I know quite well, it was easy to navigate, and was also a classic setting for a thriller scene due to how isolated it is. I also liked how the area looked mostly the same, even if the weather changed, due to how much light the trees allowed in. As well as this, the scenery can be perceived as both sinister and welcoming; in the beginning, it is something of a safe haven to the girls where their relationship isn't judged as nobody can see them - but as the opening progresses, the audience begins to wonder whether this is actually a good thing at all. 

I decided that the chosen tree for the girls to meet at would be this one due to the fact it was positioned at an intersection in the woods; this means that when they're there, they can be seen from lots of directions without even being aware of it. This aids the stalker as Scarlett cannot look everywhere at once, and thus they have the ability to move unseen. The pink scarf is tied around the tree - I chose pink because it was quite an innocent, bright colour, showing that the meeting place is associated with good memories, and is meant to be an area of safety for the two girls. This creates quite a lot of irony within the opening; it was meant to be a safe place for them, where they can always find each other, but it turns out to be the opposite. 

Analysis of Clothing/Characters

Louise:

As a Character - Louise plays a character called Scarlett.
Scarlett is the first character to appear on screen; she poses the typical damsel in distress, like in Propp's theory, through her fear and eventual attack - however, she subverts thriller conventions through her sexuality. She isn't a straight character, and is in a relationship with the second character that appears, Emma.

Red top - suggestive of the danger she may be in, due to the negative connotations of the colour red e.g. danger. As well as this, red is a warm colour, which contrasts heavily with the colder colours around her; such as the green bushes and leaves, and brown bark.  Therefore we see that she stands out. Where she is wearing this bright, warm colour, the location she is in juxtaposes with its coldness. This not only reinforces her personality as a character, increasing the sympathy gained from the audience when she is stalked and attacked, but also causes her to be easily distinguishable from Emma.

Blue jeggings - these suggest that she is comfortable and ready for the environment, contrasting with the uncomfortable clothing Emma wears, which is suggestive that she is not supposed to be there (that perhaps she has lied about where she is in order to be there - this raises more of an enigma code for the rest of the film).

Trainers - These are also suggestive of the fact she is ready for the environment, whereas Emma is wearing boots that would typically be worn if you're going out with friends and such.

Kayce (me):


As a Character - I play a character called Emma, the main protagonist of the thriller.
She subverts thriller conventions by being a female lead, and not being a heterosexual - she also displays none of the typical damsel in distress behaviour, such as the stereotypically melodramatic, fearful nature so often portrayed in thriller films.

Black jumper and coat - The dark colours suggest that she is trying her best not to stand out, possibly so that she's not recognised or paid attention to on my way there. This gives reasoning behind the hesitance in the narration; instead of speaking confidently or lovingly of Scarlett, she speaks with quite a detached tone, like she is hiding a secret between the two of them (which she is).

Behind The Scenes

I had my friend take several pictures of me whilst I was filming and directing, so that I am now able to talk about the techniques I used and what kinds of shots I was able to get from my positions.

In the above shot, I was filming the tracking shot of Scarlett as she walks around the tree; to keep the camera steady enough so as not to cause the audience motion sickness, but also to give a feel of it being a point of view shot, I kept my hand curved underneath the lens part of the camera. This is a technique I used throughout filming, to account for our lack of a tripod towards the end and to give that feeling of the shots being from someone's point of view. 

I chose to have this shot on the right of the arch because it meant that they created a shadow across where I would film (due to the copious amounts of leaves) and would cause a darker, more sinister atmosphere for Scarlett's final moment, showing that the stalker had finally caught up with her. 

In the above shot, I was demonstrating to my partner which angle to take the shot from (which would be of me) and how to zoom out smoothly, so that it would not be jolty. 

Here I am checking footage that my partner has filmed in order to see if it was steady enough, and if it is the angle that I wanted. I wanted this shot because I thought it would make a good cutaway; as the scarf is such an integral, symbolical prop within the thriller, I wanted at least one video that focused on it in all it's innocence. This shot also brings the audience back to the time when it would have been taken, during the happy parts of the girls' relationship, causing them to be reminded of it and the previous good times during Scarlett's last moments, accentuating the tragedy of the situation and heightening the grief. 

Here, I am filming the shot where Scarlett whips around to look at the camera; as opposed to using a tripod, I have used the tree to support my hand and keep the camera steady in the way I want it. This use of the tree has also meant that I'm able to get some of the tree itself in front of the camera, giving the feeling that the stalker is peering out from behind it. It reinforces to the audience that he is hidden, and heightens the tension as Scarlett still does not know what is waiting in the shadows for her. 

Here is an alternate shot of me filming using the tree, so that you are able to see the protruding branch that I am leading the camera on. I also took this shot far from the path; this meant that not a lot of light was in the shot, and the environment seemed darker and more desolate from where the stalker was standing - this reinforces the juxtaposition within the character's lives, as Scarlett is still in the light and very innocent. 

The above photos are of me directing Louise (Scarlett) on what I needed her to do, like when to turn around in shots and where to stand during the flashback scenes. I chose the flashbacks to be at an intersection within the common, as this is at first hidden in those scenes, but when Scarlett later turns to the place, they become revealed. This makes it more suspenseful and eerie, as there are more places from which a stalker could see you when you're standing in the middle without noticing. 

Scarlett - AS Media Opening

This is the final edit of my thriller opening.

Edit Decision List

Footage list:

DSC_0001: Beginning of narration (used). - I used this because I didn't make any mistakes; also it was quite a long audio clip and thus I had to make lots of cuts in between each sentence I said. This led to the additional insertion of exponential fades to make sure that the clips faded well into one another.
DSC_0002: Narration (used). - Ditto above.
DSC_0003: Emma on the phone narration (used) - Ditto above.
DSC_0003: Narration (used) - Ditto above.
DSC_0003: Following Emma - I didn't use this clip because the footage was quite shaky and jolty; despite it being a POV shot and thus this being the aim, it was too shaky and might make the audience feel quite sick watching it.
DSC_0004: Following Emma - I didn't use this clip due to her not having her glasses on, which was a continuity issue.
DSC_0004: Scarlett turns right - I didn't use this clip due to there being an issue with the continuity. She was not wearing her glasses when she should have been.
DSC_0005: Scarlett turns right (used) - I used this clip as I had fixed the continuity issue of her not having her glasses on, and she also turned at the right time in this shot - I was able to cut it just as she turned back around, meaning the subsequent shot of her turning left did not confuse the audience.
DSC_0005: Narration (used) - Ditto previous narration shot.
DSC_0005: Behind Emma - I did not use this shot due to the zoom being very jolty, which would have not only jarred the audience but also made the shot seem unprofessional and badly done.
DSC_0006: Scarlett turns right - I did not use this shot due to Louise turning at the wrong time; she moved too quickly for me to capture it.
DSC_0007: Scarlett turns right - I did not use this clip because Louise did not turn dramatically enough; I wanted her to seem like she'd just heard a sudden noise, not like she was turning around normally.
DSC_0008: Close up hand (used) - I used this shot as it was the least shaky of all the ones I had filmed, and also she did not move in this shot (which would have made it less of a mystery as to whether or not she had been killed.)
DSC_0009: Close up hand - I did not use this shot as it could be seen that she was leaning up on her elbow, which took away from the narrative and showed that she was just acting.
DSC_0010: Close up hand - I did not use this shot as Louise moved her hand; this meant that the audience would believe she was alive instead of there being an enigma code.
DSC_0011: Walking round the tree - I did not use this shot as it broke the 180 degree rule, as she was being filmed from a side that would confuse the audience about where she was within the scene and in relation to Emma.
DSC_0012: Walking round the tree (used) - I used this shot because it was where I fixed the 180 degree rule, and filmed her walking from the other side instead of from a side that would confuse the audience.
DSC_0013: Emma tying the scarf - I did not use this clip as it had too much of me in the shot; I needed it to be more zoomed in so that only the scarf and my arms were visible. This was to concentrate the attention on the prop and not Emma as a character.
DSC_0014: Emma tying the scarf (used) - I used this clip as it was framed well, with just my hands and the scarf in the shot, which was what I wanted the shot to focus on.
DSC_0015: Emma laughing  - I was originally going to use this shot as a cut-away before realizing that it didn't really fit, as it was too cheery and it didn't make sense for there to be a video of Emma laughing just before Scarlett dies.
DSC_0016: Holding hands front - I didn't use this shot as I preferred when the hand-holding was viewed from the back; the other shot was better focused so that it wasn't blurry.
DSC_0017: Holding hands back (used) - I used this shot as it was better framed and simply looked better than the other shot.
DSC_0018: Emma walking to the tree. - I did not use this shot as I laughed during filming, which would have been unprofessional and damaging to the narrative to include.
DSC_0019: Stalker POV (used) - I used this shot due to the fact I loved the lighting within the scene; it looked very stylistic, like I wanted the film to appear, and also in this shot the camera was the least shaky as it had been in others.
DSC_0020: Stalker POV - I did not use this shot as I didn't like it; the camera wasn't hidden enough behind leaves and branches, and so the stalker seemed almost exposed, which I didn't want to portray within the film.
DSC_0020: Emma walking to the tree. - I didn't use this clip because it had a jolty zoom.
DSC_0021: Stalker POV - I did not use this shot due to it being far too shaky; I wanted this shot to be relatively still which it wasn't.
DSC_0021: Emma walking to the tree. - I didn't use this clip as we were having problems with the tripod and thus the camera was very shaky.
DSC_0022: Emma walking to the tree. - Like previously said, tripod troubles meant that the camera was very shaky.
DSC_0022: Sound effects (used) - I used this clip of me walking through leaves because I wanted to give the impression of the stalker speeding up as he walks behind Scarlett - in the clip, my speeding gets gradually faster.
DSC_0023: Emma walking to the tree. - Ditto above (tripod issues)
DSC_0024: Emma walking to the tree. - Ditto above (tripod issues)
DSC_0025: Emma walking to the tree.(used) - I used this shot because I was able to cut it before the jolty zoom occurred, and it was also the least shaky and most focused of all the clips I had of the shot.
DSC_0026: Emma walking to the tree. - The shot was very out of focus and thus I didn't use it; I needed it to be in focus so it was clear to the audience what was happening.
DSC_0026: Scarlett walking round tree - I didn't use this shot because you could see our bags and filming equipment at the side, which would have ruined the immersion of the audience within the film as well as producing continuity issues.
DSC_0027: Scarlett looks left - I did not use this shot due to her turning far too quickly, before she appeared within the frame of the camera.
DSC_0027: Sound effects. - I did not use this due to the sound of me walking through leaves being far too loud and erratic; it would not have suited the rest of the film.
DSC_0028: Scarlett looks left - This clip was not used because of continuity issues; she was not wearing her glasses.
DSC_0062: Far off walk Scar - I didn't use this shot as I was not zoomed in enough, meaning you could not properly see that it was her, and thus the transition from the long shot to the close up of her walking would be too sudden and confusing.
DSC_0063: Far off walk Scar (used) - I used this shot as it was zoomed in the right amount; I could cut it as she walked past a certain point as I start filming from this point within the next close up shot.
DSC_0064: Far off walk Scar - The zoom was incorrect and so I didn't use this shot.
DSC_0065: Far off walk Scar - This shot was not used because the panning was too jolty; it was not as smooth as I wanted it to be.
DSC_0066: Far off walk Scar - I didn't use this shot because she had begun walking before I started filming; thus she was halfway done with the walk before it had even started.
DSC_0067: Close up walk Scar - This shot was not used because I was very shaky when trying to keep up with Louise as I walked in front of her.
DSC_0068: Close up walk Scar - I did not use this shot due to the camera not being properly focused; it meant that her face could not be properly deciphered.
DSC_0069: Close up walk Scar - This shot was not used due to the zoom being too far in, which I needed to fix.
DSC_0070: Close up walk Scar - This shot was not used because she started smiling when walking towards me which did not fit with the scene.
DSC_0071: Close up walk Scar (used) - I used this shot as the zoom, focus, speed, and facial expression were all fitting with the scene and none of them went wrong.
DSC_0072: Stalker POV - This shot was not used due to her laughing at the end, at a point where I couldn't simply cut the footage.
DSC_0073: Stalker POV - I did not use this shot as she forgot to take her headphones out, which I needed her to do.
DSC_0074: Stalker POV (used) - I used this shot because she turned at the right times and did not smile or look at the camera.
DSC_0075: Stalker POV - I did not use this shot due to her turning the wrong ways, and not fully enough.
DSC_0076: Stalker POV - This shot was not used as she didn't look fearful enough, as her turns seemed normal as opposed to panicked and like she had just heard something.
DSC_0077: Stalker POV - She only remembered to take one headphone out in this shot, but has no headphones in the next one so I could not use it due to continuity issues.
DSC_0079: Close up feet - I did not use this footage as her movements seemed too graceful, like she was simply turning around instead of panicking because she heard something behind her.
DSC_0080: Close up feet (used) - I used this footage as she moved in the correct way and stayed within the frame of the camera.
DSC_0081: Close up Scar - I could not use this footage as she started laughing, which would not have fit with the rest of the film.
DSC_0082: Close up Scar - This footage was not used because she looked at the camera, which I didn't want her to do, and would have stopped the audience's immersion within the film as they realise that she's seeing a camera (reinforces that it isn't real).
DSC_0083: Close up Scar (used) - I used this footage because she did not laugh and moved quickly away as opposed to leisurely, showing that she had seen something that made her panic.
DSC_0084: Scar looks left - Not used due to her turning at the wrong time.
DSC_0085: Scar looks left - Ditto above.
DSC_0086: Scar looks left - Ditto above.
DSC_0087: Scar looks left (used) - I used this shot as she looked left without laughing or turning slowly/at the wrong time. Despite her laughing at the end, I am able to cut the footage before this occurs, meaning it is not a problem.
DSC_0088: Scar looks left - Ditto above.
DSC_0089: Scar looks left - Ditto above.
DSC_0090: Scar looks left - Ditto above.
DSC_0091: Scar looks left - Ditto above.
DSC_0092: Scarlett walks round tree - I didn't use this shot as she did not turn dramatically enough; rather than whipping around as if terrified, she simply looked back as though she didn't care that someone was behind her.
DSC_0093: Scarlett walks round tree - I did not use this footage as she forgets to look at the camera at the end.
DSC_0094: Scarlett walks round tree (used) - I used this footage because at the end she turned really dramatically, which fit well with the narrative and was quite suspenseful. The shot also had great lighting and the surroundings seemed very saturated, adding to the harsh and tense atmosphere of the scene.
DSC_0095: Scarlett walks round tree - I did not use this footage as she does not turn fully at the end of the video, which makes it seem as though she has not even noticed someone behind her.
DSC_0096: Scarlett walks round tree - This footage could not be used as one of the crew members ended up accidentally walking into the shot.
DSC_0097: Scarlett walks round tree (used) - I used this footage because although it went wrong in the way that she turned around and smiled at the camera in the end, I found this looked really natural and sweet, and thus I included it in the flashbacks as it directly juxtaposed the later scene, where she looks scared and isn't happy.
DSC_0152: Establishing shot (used) - I used this footage as I wanted to establish where the girls were - in an enclosed, quite small forest. The camera was not shaky and thus it was a good shot for me to use.
DSC_0149: Flashback (used) - I used this shot because there was a cute moment between the two girls when they hugged whilst laughing; it seemed very genuine, which was what I wanted to put into the flashbacks.
DSC_0148: Flashback - I did not use this footage as the hug seemed very fake which I didn't want to portray within the flashbacks; I wanted it to seem very real, and not staged.
DSC_0147: Flashback - I did not use this shot as the framing did not match that of the others and thus it would stick out if edited in among the others.
DSC_0146: Flashback - I didn't use this footage as it involved people looking at the camera.
DSC_0144: Flashback (used) - I used this clip as it involved quite a cheesy moment where one girl spins the other, which I thought represented how fairytale-like their relationship was in the beginning before the event occurred.
DSC_0143: Flashback (used) - I used this flashback because it was the one where the scarf was taken off in a simpler way and it didn't get tangled in her hair. This made for a smooth and almost effortless action which reflected to the audience how their relationship used to be in the past.
DSC_0142: Flashback - I did not use this footage because it wasn't very eventful; it was just them talking at the tree, which I didn't find as romantic and suggestive of a relationship as the others.
DSC_0141: Flashback - I didn't use this footage as I believed it looked quite staged and uncomfortable, which was not how I wanted to portray their relationship.
DSC_0193: Flashback (used) - I used this footage as it showed the two girls being playful and they both looked very happy and comfortable with one another, which was exactly how I wanted to present them as being.
DSC_0137: Close up on phone (used) - I used this footage because I found that it was the least shaky shot I had, and I also loved how there was a little bug crawling across the phone - it reinforced that it had been there for a very long time, and just added to the creativity of the shot itself.
DSC_0132: Close up hand - I did not use this shot as a dog ran past and was visible within the shot.
DSC_0123: Emma on phone at tree - I did not use this footage as people moved into the shot as they were walking past.
DSC_0120: Emma at tree - I did not use this shot as my face did not look curious or concerned enough; it just seemed normal.
DSC_0121: Emma at tree (used) - I used this footage as I believe it captured the apathetic aspect of Emma's personality and thus created an enigma code as to why she was so unbothered; but it also showed that she was looking for Scarlett.
DSC_0122: Emma on phone at tree (used) - I used this as nothing went wrong in the shot. I was able to use a cross fade in order to transition between this shot and the previous one, making it a lot less jolty.
DSC_0118: Emma walks to tree (used) - I used this one because in the others I laughed but in this one I did not.
DSC_0117: Emma walks to tree - I did not use this shot because I laughed during it, which would have been improper within the actual scene.
DSC_0115: Emma walking (used) - I used this shot because I needed a continuous shot that I could switch between when Scarlett was realizing she was being followed, so as to add suspense and also to create stronger juxtapositions between the differing safety of each scene.
DSC_0114: Emma walking - I did not use this shot because it was far too shaky - I didn't want it to come across as a POV shot, as she was not the character being followed and I did not want the audience to get this idea into their heads.
DSC_0112: Emma on phone (used) - I used this shot because I wanted to establish that it was Emma who was on the phone in the voiceover.
DSC_0111: Emma on phone close up - I did not use this shot as I realized the face I pulled was not one of concern and I wasn't able to create a face like that, and so it would not be a good idea for me to put it into the film.
DSC_0108: Emma far off on phone (used) - I used this shot as well to establish that it was Emma who was talking on the phone, meaning that she would also be linked to the narration and it would be easily distinguished that she was not Scarlett.
DSC_0107: Emma far off on phone - I did not use this footage due to the zoom being too far in, meaning it looked like the other shots we had; I wanted there to be more variety, and so I didn't want all of the shots to be so zoomed in and similar.
DSC_0104: Close up behind Emma (used) - I used this footage because nobody interrupted this shot like the other one.
DSC_0102: Close up behind Emma - I did not use this footage as people accidentally walked into the shot.











We filmed our shots multiple times to ensure that we had much more footage than we needed to have - this meant that, in case of us needing to edit something out, we had plenty of other clips we could replace it with, and we wouldn't have to go out to film on another day instead. Also, we found that a lot of the clips that went 'wrong' seemed much more natural than other shots, and so a lot of the mistakes were featured in the opening. For example, in one of the shots where Scarlett walks around the tree, she looks back and smiles instead of looking fearful; this seemed at first to be a mistake, but upon revisiting the clip I saw that it created almost a sense of irony. In the beginning, she is featured in a flashback smiling and happy, and then later on she finds herself in the same position, under very different conditions.