PAST STUDENT WORK ANALYSIS

Inner Evil - A grade

In the first shot, we are presented with the chosen branding of the A Level media group on a dark grey background, which fades in from black. Dark tones, particularly black, are effective in thriller films as it puts the audience on edge. The colour black itself symbolises mystery and secrecy.

Eerie, tense music is also introduced from this shot, which contributes to the suspenseful atmosphere which is already in place by the first shot.

The first few clips introduce us to a character who appears to have been murdered. The audience do not see the face of the victim until the final shot of about three or four. Concealing information to the audience is effective for creating tension and suspense which draws the audience's attention to the narrative.

Very little colour is used in this sequence of clips, and dark tones, such as black, still take precedence. This is effective as it keeps the shots serious in tone and presents the idea of something sinister to the audience.

Eventually the victim's face is revealed to the audience, with what appears to be a shot wound on the head. Introducing thriller films with subtle gore, or high drama is typical as it draws in the audience's attention and introduces some of the dark themes that may be explored in later scenes. Eerie tense music is sustained with a deep boom sound effect to dramatise the current shot and keep the audience on edge.

Through the use of close up shot of the young girl's face, we understand that she has woken up from a nightmare. The audience can easily perceive her fearful emotions because of the closeness of the shot to her face. This is important in order to help the audience follow the narrative and understand the feelings of different characters.

Low-key lighting is used effectively in the shot above, which keeps the audience on-edge and implies a sinister theme exists surrounding the protagonist.

This is a tracking shot which follows the protagonist to the mirror in her bathroom. Mirrors are a common theme among thriller films and are an effective way to communicate the thoughts and feelings of characters to the audience. Tracking shots also engage the audience by making them feel as if they are involved with the action - the camera acts as 'an eye for the audience.' The editing pace remains steady allowing time for attention to be drawn to other things, even including the eerie soundtrack. This effectively builds up tension for the audience.

This POV shot was taken with the camera hand-held whcih makes the shot far less steady which has two main effects: it adds motion, and therefore action, to the shot; and it allows the audience to see things through the eyes of the protagonist.

A anamorphic, or cinematic crop of 2.35:1 conceals enough of the scene to add a sense of mystery which is typical of thriller movies.

2.35:1

The four shots above all draw attention towards the key. This will lead the audience to question its significance to the narrative and, in this case, demonise it. Using unusual weapons, or everyday items as weapons, seems to be common among thriller films. This is likely to be because they make the audience more shocked because they are less likely to expect it.