Planning Cinematography - Miss Miller

Planning Cinematography 

The importance of cinematography within films is very important as it sets the different moods and emotions of the audience through the reactions of the characters to certain events taking place. My group planned the cinematography in our own thriller sequence to produce a good one as planning it would let us all know what we are doing at one points which would save us so much time and help us work together better. This is because when it comes to us shooting a certain part of the opening sequence we all know our positions and what we have to do so we do not waste time and we all do our parts quickly so we do not produce a bad and unclear product with the wrong camera shots that would not engage the audience and bore them.

In my opening thriller sequence I have decided to use a close up shot. This is when the audience see's the girls facial expression when she spots the killer in the distance. The purpose of this shot is to show a smaller part of the scene to emphasise on something and in this case it would be the girls face to show her reaction. This shot will create and build on the element of surprise through the facial expression of the victim which would engage the audience more making them feel more sympathetic towards her. This is conventional to a thriller genre as the shot creates suspense and mystery for the target audience and the shot captures detail in an importance of a scene and this builds a strong relationship between the audience and the character as they see and feel the emotions the character is feeling by the detail shown in their facial expression by a close up shot.

Another cinematography I'm going to use in my opening sequence is shallow focus. This is going to be when the killer is walking towards the girl. The purpose of this shot is to show the main subject in full focus whilst the rest of the shot is blurry and out of the shot and in this case it would be when the antagonist is walking towards the killer which creates suspense to the audience. This will also build on the elements of suspense as it makes it more tense for the audience and keeps them on edge waiting for something thrilling to happen and occur. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates an enigma as the audience cannot see the antagonist clearly and keeps them on the edge of their seat till he is more clear as he walks closer to the camera. This builds a relationship between the audience and the characters as it builds up tension for the audience and then makes them feel more engaged and intrigued by what is going to happen next.


Furthermore, I'm also going to use a high angle shot. This would occur when the girl is on the floor kept hostage. The purpose of a high angle shot is to be positioned above an object to make it look smaller and in this case it would be positioned above the girl on the floor. This will build on the element of shock as it makes the audience realise how much bigger and stronger the antagonist is compared to the victim. This will also make the audience feel scared as the victim is portrayed as being smaller and weaker. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it makes the girl look weaker and vulnerable which builds a relationship with the character and the audience as they feel more sympathy towards her when she is being hurt or when she is being scared as they know she is weak and cant protect herself and they are scared as they know she is about to get hurt by the antagonist and is most likely to die.

Moreover, I am going to use a point of view shot. This will occur when the girl wakes up and looks down and notices she is being kept hostage. The purpose of this shot is to show the audience the same image as the character is seeing within the film. This builds on the elements of shock and surprise as the audience will be feeling the same emotions as the character and will also be feeling more scared and enticed into the film and what will happen next. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it makes the audience feel like they are in the characters point of view therefore feel more engaged in what is happening in the film and makes them want to watch the rest of the film as well. This builds a relationship with the audience and the character because the audience feel more sympathy and understand the characters situation more as they feel like they are in their shoes and feel like the situation they see happening in the point of view shot is real and they are living it. 

Lastly, i am going to use an establishing shot in my thriller opening sequence. This will occur to show the location. The purpose of an establishing shot is to define the location and give the audience a perspective of what is to follow. It also defines the genre of the film for the audience and in this case this shot was used to show the audience that the scene was set in a house. This shot will make the thriller start of with a sinister atmosphere making the audience know from early on that the surroundings is isolated so the victim will be in more danger and trouble with less of a chance of escaping to safety. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it makes the audience feel like they understand the story more as they will see where the scene is set before anything happens. This builds a relationship between the audience and the character as the audience feel more sympathy and are more scared for the character as they see where the scene is set and when they notice it is in a house it feels more realistic so it engages them more and makes them feel more scared for the innocent victim in their own house. 

I believe that my opening thriller sequence will be more effective through the use of cinematography as it would create more of a deep and sympathetic emotion that the audience would feel for the characters and it would also cause more of a reaction for the audience after they build a strong relationship with the innocent character and would feel more affected by whatever happens to them. The cinematography is very conventional in relations of the thriller genre as it is the most affective techniques and types of cinematography that engage the audience and make them understand the thriller sequence more making there experience of watching the sequence more enjoyable. I found the planning helpful in preparation for filming my very own opening thriller sequence as i could get together all the cinematography used in other successful thriller films that have the most impact on the audience and make them enjoy the film more by making them feel more enticed by what is happening and wanting to watch the rest of the film and more.