Evaluation Activity 1

Screenshot 1

This is an establishing shot, taken from outside the building, showing the victim and villain walking across the bridge within the same shot. We found this shot to be very effective as the clear contrast of black and white is shown; creating a sense of tension as someone is seen walking across the bridge in dark clothing. Also, the trees work well in terms of making the audience feel uneasy, due to the position and angle they're are in. Furthermore, the foggy windows on the bridge blur the lights that are on, regardless of it being a clear sunny day. This can produce an aura or atmosphere around the silhouette as their presence had to be lit by lightbulbs, which shows that the character is dark.

Screenshot 2

The hidden appearance of the villain is very common in most revenge thrillers; for example, in ‘Dead Man’s Shoes’, the anti-protagonist is shown, and then within a second, he is gone. Our group decided to use this element of surprise by having certain shots in which the villain is seen in the background, whilst the camera is focused of the victim.

Screenshot 3

This shot creates a CCTV effect, which can be quite frightening due to the fact that CCTV cameras are the viewer’s eyes, making them the witnesses. This can be seen in some psychological or supernatural thrillers such as ‘Paranormal Activity’. The intended effect of using this technique is to make the viewers feel that although they are witnessing the action, they cannot do anything about it. As a group, we decided to use this technique by keeping the camera on the door, having the victim pass through the door, and shortly seeing the appearance of the villain after her.

Screenshot 4

We agreed on this shot working well as the bright light at the end of the stairs, and the clothing of the character creates a sharp contrast between the two, showing good versus evil. Furthermore, the light at the end of the corridor is much similar to 'the light at the end of the tunnel' as some people would say when they are having a near-death experience. However in this case, the use of the bright light, or otherwise the metaphor for eternal rest, is where the victim travels to only to be killed by the shady villain. For this reason, the death scene is to be shot here since the scenery and the use of black and white works well to produce an edgy and dramatic ending.

Screenshot 5

This is a screenshot of the death scene in our thriller. In most thrillers, the action is usually seen from a third person perspective. However, we decided to challenge this value, and tried to create a more sympathetic view towards the victim as her death is viewed from the killer’s eyes. Also, the use of high-angled shots in most death scenes to portray the villain as weak and vulnerable is used within this shot to emphasize the dominance the villain has over the victim.

Screenshot 6

We used this point-of-view shot of the photo to establish a link between the two characters, creating a convention of symbolism. As well as symbolizing relationships, this shot also represents a link between the photo and the title.
Screenshot 7 

 

This shot is effective in displaying growing anger, and a path to evil, seen by the character approaching darkness at the lower floor. This shows that the protagonist is descending into darkness as she begins to take her journey to seek revenge.

Screenshot 8

This screenshot represents the main aspects of a revenge thriller as the knife portrays a threatening symbol, showing her form of killing, which creates a tense atmosphere for the viewers. The darkness covering the protagonist’s face presents the darker and evil side to her. The use of weapons puts the character in more power, portraying a higher sense of fear towards her.

Screenshot 9

The title is shown at the end, as an effect for the final blow. This is due to the appearance of the photo which occurs twice in the film, this builds up significance towards the object. Also, the audience is more likely to establish the plot, and why title has been chosen. Colours are important in conveying subconscious messages to the viewer; for example, the vibrant red contrasting with the black and white scenes of the film establishes the content