Production and Style Study

Introduction

In this post, I am going to analyze the ways that lighting, framing, camera movement and camera angles are used to create dramatic effects in the genre of thriller.


Lighting

Lighting has always been a key part of thrillers through the ages. In particular, lighting can be used to create shadows. Shadows are popular in thrillers due to the air of mystery that they create. This allows the audience to worry about what could be in the darkness, and create ideas in their own heads about the situation. Another style is to use the shadow outline of a new character, as a method of introducing them. This can allow the audience to create a picture in their own head about what the character looks like. In some films, the audience never gets to see the characters face, just the shadow figure of them. This can be used to create an atmosphere of fear. Shadows can make things appear larger than in reality. This can create a sense of threat with is solely made up of imagination. An example of this technique is in Dracula. When Harker meets with Dracula for the first time, a series of human-like shadows fleet across the wall. Yet they are nothing like the movements of the rest of the characters in the scene. This is shown the first 5 seconds of this clip:

Framing

There are many different framing techniques that can be used to great effect in the genre of thriller. One of these is the idea that the biggest threat fills the most space in the frame. Although this can work effectively, it is a very obvious presentation of the "monster".

Another similar style, is to have the threat blocking off the windows or doors for view. This means that they are blocking the audiences escape. A good example of this is in Nosferatu, as Orlok ascent to Mina's bedroom, the audience knows that she is trapped. This heightens the sense of fear.


Camera Movement

Camera movement can to used to give the audience a sense of from who presepctive they are veiwing events from. For example, if the camera is tracking the characters, then the audience understands that they are an outsider on events and watching from a purely narrative pointo fo view.

Films such as The Blair Witch Project and Project X use shaking hand held camera styles, to make the adience feel that they are a character in the plot. This style of camera feels like it has been filmed by a member of the cast. Paired with suddening editing cut or long never ending shoots, you really get the feel that you're in the film.

Camera Angles
Camera angles can be effectively used in thrillers to help create fear. One of these ways is to make the a character appear large, through the use of camera angles. This is done by shooting from a low angle, aiming upwards. It creates an imposing figure which fills the frame well.

Another style is to use close ups, either to capture the victims fear, or the monsters anger. Close ups are most commonly used on the characters face, as face facial are the most effective way of expressing emotions to the viewer. Or less commonly, the close up could be of another part of the body. Perhaps the monsters fist clenching into a ball or the victim's obviously shaking while preforming a task.

Another camera angle style is where the audience gets to experience the events through the eyes of the attacker. In this style, the audience gets to the fully experience of how the victim reacts to the attack. This can sometimes be used to give audience the odd feeling that it is them preforming the violence.