Planning: Micro-elements

Micro-elements were planned as a group so we had a better understanding on what micro-elements we would use in our productions and when. Doing this in groups has given us a better insight what we will use, when and why. The elements that we have planned are cinematography, editing and sound.  

 

Cinematography:

Close-up:

This will be used near the start of our film to show the female’s facial expression of fear and worry. This will also zoom into her face. This to emphasise the fact that she is locked up and is hiding from something, but is desperate to escape. Tears will run down her face and she will look really vulnerable. We have chosen this so the audience can read her emotions and they will feel sorry for her. This is conventional to a thriller as from my research into victims, close ups are almost always used for emphasis to emotion to the audience.

A high angle:

This will be used in the first half of our narrative after the audience have been introduced to her. The female victim will be on the floor and the audience are looking down on her. This will also show her trying to escape the mental home that she is trapped in. We have chosen a high angle to show the character is vulnerable. This is conventional to a thriller because it shows she is a victim which again will make the audience feel sorry for her.

A long shot:

This will be used towards the end when the female victim has escaped and is wondering around in the streets on her own with her baby in her hand. She will look lost and keep looking around her so she appears small in her surroundings. We have chosen to use this because the location will be busy and she will look small and lost drawing upon empathy from the audience.

A zoom in:

A zoom in will be used when she is looking around trying to find her method of escape. This will be a drastic movement so it creates tension within the audience. It zooms into see her face so she looks really disturbed so the audience question her safety in and out of the mental home. This dramatic movement will scare the audience and make them feel nervous.  

 

Editing:

A fade to black:

This will be used at the start of our production when we show our credits and film titles. We found this as a common convention of thriller openings therefore we will use the same. The black fade will connote danger and fear which is something we want to create. We might also do this when we show our character leaving the mental home to show time has passed.

A fade to white or a flash to white:

This will be used when the female character has a flashback when she is with her baby. The white will connote a memory which is why we have chosen it. We think it is important to show her past so the audience have an understanding as to why she is in the mental home.

Jump cuts:

These will be used when the female character is first introduced near the start of our film. This is because we want to show different parts of her body all in one go to almost create a montage feel to create mystery and fear around her so the audience are unsure on who she is at the equilibrium stage.

 

Sound:

Non-diegetic sound:

This will be used when we show our credits at the start of our film and our different characters. It will sound slow, mysterious and eerie, we will have lots of string playing. This is because we want it to create an uneasy feeling from our audience so they feel tension right from the very start even though it is only credits.

A voice over narration:

This will be used when we hear a man who will be a news reporter and he will be doing a news report over the images of the girl revealing what has happened to this girl and her baby, so the audience get the back story to what has happened. This is to help the audience make sense of what is going on in the narrative so there is story to the images of her.

Diegetic sound:

When she leaves the room, we will emphasis the sound of the door slamming and her footsteps running away. This will emphasise her desperation to escape which will create fear for her as she is now in the world by herself and the baby.