Thriller Evaluation

For the practice filming session, we were we given a task on making a thriller movie through playing a card game, any card game and we chose to play the game of tarot that can tell the future of the player. This film lasted for 2 minutes. The costumes we wore were casual clothes and the props that we used were, two chairs and a table for the clairvoyant and player of tarot.

Before we began to produce our film for the thriller, we were presented with tripods and camcorders, so the camerawork during the filming was successful. Most of the shots were good quality. There were even times where we had to film the same footage more than once, but with slight little changes to it, so that we as a group can decide on which shot will be suitable to fit in with the rest of the shots smoothly.

The editing went well. After uploading our video to the computer we separated it, renamed it and then put the clips in the order in which we wanted it whilst cutting out unwanted pieces. We had also added some dissolving and sound effects as well as slow motions to it. I think that the film did make sense as it showed flashbacks on what will happen to the person, whilst turning over the cards.

We managed to create suspense throughout making our thriller by the use of slow motion and sound effects plus by starting the event half way through the film, from the moment when the clairvoyant turned over the cards (revealing what was going to happen whilst turning it over). These are in my opinion, one of the conventions in the direction of real thriller movies.

We had positive feedback from not only our teacher Andrew, but our class. I remember that Andrew said he liked one of the shots where the camera angle revealed player (me) and clairvoyant (Dominique) facing towards each other, whilst our bodies look dark, displaying more of the buildings from outside of the window. This was presented from the audiences point of view. The first thing that the class had said was that is was good, then they established that they liked the use of effects such as slow motions and sound effects.

In my opinion I’m happy with the results. I especially like the storyline and the way I dropped down the stairs without having to really drop. I thought that I was going to act that role terribly but I managed to perform it well. I also liked it when there were slow motions of the clairvoyant turning over the cards, which created suspense for me as being part of an audience. I believe that we done well as a group because we had a lot of enthusiasm towards this task and worked well as a team, listening to others opinions and ideas. I think that we could have improved by adding more sound effects for example a chilling noise or music starting off low then gradually getting louder and louder to lead it to the dramatic scene of me falling down the stairs or a loud noise of and instrument that will fright the audience with.