editing analysis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrCZ-X66KKQ

Editing strangers by George Hoy

Editing is used in thriller films to show the different lengths of shots, for example some shots last for a few seconds and some last for a few minutes.

The first editing shot that is used in the Strangers video is the reactions shot. The evidence for this is when the women character is looking out of the window after she heard the women at the door walk away (she heard her foot steps). This shows that the main character is scared and she wants the to know if the girl that has knocked at the door twice has gone from her house. It relates to thriller films because it shows that the woman is scared and she is very jumpy, it is conventional because it shows that the women character is going to be attacked and this is common within a thriller film because the victims are usually females because females are the seen to be the weaker gender so the audience feel sympathy for the female character and can relate to her more. It also makes the audience feel on edge because they know something is going to happen to the girl, its make the audience feel sorry for her.

The second editing shot used in the Strangers film was the linking shot, this was when the she goings into her bed after looking out of the window in the living to look out of the window in her room, she is checking weather the girl has gone for a second time. It shows that the woman is still very shaky and still very scared and she wants to make sure that the women is gone. It relates because it shows that the women character is on her own and very vulnerable. It is conventional because it shows how weak and scared the women character is and this is typically found in a thriller film. This is because the women characters are most commonly the weak, vulnerable ones. Also the audience will feel the suspense from the film and they they feel the emotion that the girl is going through which is conventional to a thriller because it pulls the audience in and makes them think more about the film.

The third editing technique that was used was slow editing, the evidence for this was the girl was walking to the door after someone has knocked on it. This shows that she is hesitant to open the door, it also shows that the girl is weak. This represents to the audience that the character is scared which is meant to be seen in a common convention of a thriller. Also it shows that the girl is worried about they person knocking on the door coming back to her house, she is on her own and scared that the person who knocked on the door would come back, this is conventional to a thriller film because it makes the audience understand what the girl is going through in her situation. Because the situation is a dangerous, scary one, this makes it even more conventional because the weak female victim is in danger and is alone when she is more scared, which builds tension in the thriller.

The final editing technique that was used was a jump shot, this shot was used when the alarm drops on the floor and the camera focuses on this then the camera moves quickly to the door because there are noises at the door.  It shows that the mystery women is still trying to enter the house and the main character is still very scared and weary of the women knocking at the door. This is conventional because it makes the audience have suspense and it makes them want to know who the mystery women is knocking on the door so this is conventional to a thriller film because the mystery makes the film more interesting. Also it makes the audience think about what is going to happen next and it makes them feel the emotions of what the girl is going through which is conventional to a thriller film.

This analysis has taught me when do you different editing for example I would use slow editing to create suspense. Also it has taught me when to use different lengths for some shots. In my thriller film I want to include long shots to get the emotions and the body language into the same shot. I would also want to include an over the shoulder shot also as I feel it would get a picture of what the person is looking at and what they are doing in that time and place.

Sound analysis

Strangers 2008 trailer George Hoy.

Sound is used in thriller films to inform the audience of the different situations that the characters are going through and it is also used to help the audience understand the narrative of the thriller film.

One of the sounds used in the Strangers trailer are diegetic sound. It is an off screen sound because the audiences do not know where it is coming from. The evidence for this sound is when the couple are hugging and they hear a ‘bang’ sound. This sound obviously frightens the couple because they both pause in the moment and look around at the door. The sound shows that someone or something has been around and something bad is probably going to happen. The audience would expect this to be found in a thriller because it makes the movie more interesting for the audience. Because the sound is diegetic and off screen, the sudden 'bang' shocks the audience and the sound relates to the film because it builds suspense in the film as it is makes the audience on edge and jumpy, which draws the audience in.

The second sound that was used in the Strangers trailer was a on screen sound, this was when the swing was making a noise like someone had been playing around with it. It could also be seen as a parallel sound because the swing is making a noise, which suggests that there is a unknown presence around the house.  It shows that the audience know that something is there are they are ready for something bad to happen to the couple. This is a conventional sound in the thriller because it would be a jumpy sound that would be used in a thriller. This makes the audience feel more tense, scared, jumpy and on edge because they know something is going to happen and that also makes them feel more involved in the thriller.

The third and final sound that I will be analysing is the non-diegetic sound, the evidence for this is when they are in the car trying to get away from the strangers and there is creepy music in the background which shows that something unnatural is going to happen (which is normal in a thriller film). It shows that the couple and the characters that are being attacked by the stranger are in some kind of danger because they are going to be trapped in between there car, the strangers car and the house. It relates because it shows the audience that the main characters are in trouble and are very scared with what the strangers are going to do with them. This also then makes the audience scared about what the strangers will do to the victims, so the audience is drawn into the film. This is a typical narrative because it shows that something bad is going to happen and the main characters that are being attacked are in danger, so this would be typically found in a thriller film.

This analysis has taught me where sounds can be introduced in the thriller film and where would use them in different situations. For example I know when a diegetic sound is used, when you want to use a sound that is off screen, this may be used to create suspense in the thriller film.

Cinematography analysis

Taken 2 the trailer, George Hoy:

 Cinematography is used in thriller films to show all the different expressions that the characters have. It is also used to show the variety of backgrounds that are used in the thriller films, which also allows the audience to understand the emotions of the characters too.

One of the shots used in the trailer was a close up; the evidence for this is when the leaders face is zoomed into. This was shown to show the emotion of the leaders face because after the first film when the main character killed all of his sons and his close friends that were in the gang. This relates to the film because it shows what the leader of the gang is feeling and he wants revenge on the main character again. This would be expected to be found in a thriller, as there is revenge and violence and this is convectional that the audience would look for in a thriller film. This scene would be typically expected in a thriller film because it starts the story off and tells the audience what is to be expected through the film, it also gives the audience a sneak peak of what is going to happen.

Another camera shot that was used was the mid shot; this was when the main character was having a stand off with another person from the gang. 

This mid-shot was shown to show the body expressions of both people. They were both very nervous because they both didn’t want to be the one that was the first to shot.  It relates to the movie because it shows what he had to do (kill the man) to help save his family because they have been ‘taken’ by the gang. This shot would be used in a thriller a lot because you get to see what is happening with their body expressions. This shot is conventional to a thriller film because it allows you to understand the feelings of the characters that are having the gun stand-off, the mid shot allows the audience to get involved with the film and the audience would expect to see this in a thriller as it shows the body language of the characters and the back ground that is important in this scene.

The third camera shot that was used was a long shot, this was shown when the girl is on the ledge trying to hide from the gang, they use this shot to show how high up she was and the danger she was at by going up on the ledge of the hotel they are staying in. the long shot shows how scared is and what she is going through to hide from the gang, the shot also shows her body expressions. The long shot is used to show what she must be going through to hiding from the gang and trying to protect her self from getting take for a second time. This shot would be used in a thriller film to show the background and the body expressions of the person, it allows the audience to get engaged and to feel the expression that the girl is going through trying to protect herself from the gang. The audience would expect to see the background and the girl in this scene because it gets the audience on edge of their seats as well, and shows how high up the girl is and how scared she must be.

This analysis has taught me what camera shots can be used in the thriller film and it has allowed me to understand where the camera shots can be used in different ways. For example I would use a close up shot to  show the expressions of the characters face and I would used a long shot to show the body expressions of the character and the background that wants to be seen.