In order to fit with the conventions of a psychological thriller film, the shots of the opening sequence needed to appear darker in order to create the mystery intended. Even though I used low level lighting during filming the shots were still very warm. To colour correct the shots I added a tint onto the shots at 42.4% this instantly gave the shots a greyer wash to give each take a darker enigma to them. I also added the brightness and contrast effect to the shots, with a -20 brightness on top of each of the shots, the opening sequence had the dark, grubby aesthetic that fits with the genre as well as the themes of the media product.
The location chosen provided a suitable mise en scene as the dirty cluttered look suited the nature of the film opening. The bottles, lighter fuel and lighters were added in to bring together the aesthetics of the location, as well as tie into the drugs theme and be believable that this is happening in a suburban household. The props were easily constructed with the intention of appearing home made to fit in with the theme. The needle appeared visibly empty in shots therefore in order to make it appear dirty yet still contain a substance i filled it with fairly liquid and water to give the filling an off colour yet not obviously look like fairly liquid. The powder used in some of the shots was just icing sugar in order to make reference to the powdery consistency of some drugs. There is also a table like notebook prop that will be used in some shots in order to create enigma for the audience as to the meaning behind the main protagonists scribbles.
Costume: For the nature of the opening sequence I wanted to keep the costume looking as plain as possible in order to fit with the conventions of a psychological thriller. The location of the sequence is in a garage therefore the costume must appear to make the character seam like they are at home which is why the costume consists of simple black trousers and a baggy grey top. these make the character seem to care little about there appearance fitting with the overall theme of dug abuse.
Make up: The character wears no make up in order to enforce the idea that she has little respect for her appearance as a result of her connection with drugs.
For my opening sequence I have chosen to have only one character that is introduced to the audience. Deena Brannan will play the main protagonist in the opening sequence as she appears to be an average woman of the correct age bracket to have children, however she can also give the impression of a desperate and psychologically damaged person.
For the opening credits sequence I will create I intend on having a voice over of several moving shots. I then intend to use is Iron Horse from PurplePlanet.com which is a copyright free music selection site. This soundtrack is discordant and gives a slower beginning which gives me the opportunity to fade the soundtrack in behind the end of the voice over and then quickly becomes more intense to fit with the image track.All sounds will be non-diagetic in order to show the distance between the character and the audience in order to create a tense atmosphere to fit with the psychological thriller genre. Due to this all diagetic and ambient sounds will not be heard in the sequence.
Great Northern railway
bonded warehouse.
Uttoxiter New road
Derby
Empty warehouse,
Chester Green
Derby.
American adventure
Grounds Ilkeston
Abandoned railway warehouse. Pros are that its creates a great mise en scene of a messy and dysfunctional lifestyle. Cons include limited access, lack of natural lighting, co-operation with visitors to the building and there was a fire in recent years which has made some of the floor unsafe.The warehouse on Chester green has good natural lighting so that isn't a problem however there is limited access as it is a listed building. The now empty wasteland of American Adventure, Ilkeston is an outside location that is completely derelict so co-operation with the public wouldn't be a problem, however it may be perceived as a dystopian future mise en scene rather than a psychological thriller due to its remoteness. The public bathrooms of Elvaston Castle create the right mise en scene for the psychological genre with ow key lighting yet a large window to allow an eerie atmosphere to be captured.
Toilets of Elvaston Castle
Derby
The main problem with this location would be co-operation around the public. The open field can would also be an ideal location as it, like American Adventure is an outdoor location. however this location is reliant on natural lighting and weather which may be temperamental. Garage : pros of a ready made mise en scene of a grubby confined location, with just props to add in. Cons: limited lighting and space.
Globally there are 2.24 male characters for every 1 female characters. This is particularly evident is psychological thrillers with over 70% of films produce having a male lead. The reason behind this links to old fashioned gender stereotyping of the male being the more intelligent and stronger sex. Therefore the women are more susceptible to vulnerability and therefore rely on the main male protagonist. As time has moved on from gender stereotyping in the style of 1960's Psycho, Women have developed the stereotype of minced and disturbed such as Amy Dunne from Gone Girl. Where as the stereotype of a male character hasn't developed all that much other than them now having the capability to be shown in a vulnerable and unstable way (Teddy Denials from Shutter island). By having more open stereotypes for the separate genders the audiences of psychological thrillers almost know what to expect from the characters as their plots unfold on screen.
Flashbacks- Non chronological scenes are a common convention for psychological thriller films as the main protagonists past usually is the reason behind their erratic behaviour. Flashbacks can be filmed the same way as the present day shots just using younger characters, or they are shot with a blurred effect or in black and white(such as in Memento) by adding the colour contrast or blurring the audience pick up on the fact that the scene they're watching is a flashback or dream like episode rather than becoming confused between flashbacks and the present day.
Exposition - In some psychological thriller films the introduction to characters is the first thing that the audience are exposed to through a voice over, such as in Gone Girl or an extreme close up shot, like in Memento. However some psychological thrillers leave the character introductions out and just confuse the audience from the very beginning leaving them to understand the narrative, despite this fitting well with the genre it doesn't always work as intended depending on the target audience.
First-person narrative- a narrative technique that is a popular convention for this genre of film. An individual's point of view is produced as the main plot line so the audience are able to see the characters thought process. In psychological thrillers, the narrative tries to manifest the character's psyche through the way they present themselves to the audience through body langue, dialogue and hostility towards other characters. (Eva, from We need to talk about Kevin).
BBFC ( The British Board of Film Classification) rate films based on their content and how appropriate they are for different age groups. The majority of psychological thriller films are rated 15 for there content as well as to inform the audience that the movie they are watching requires concentration and a level of understanding that a younger audience are likely to be confused by. The age rating is usually based on the content not on the target audience of the film for example Gone Girl is a 18 rated film yet its target audience would be a more middle aged bracket as its main theme is a marriage breakdown. Psychological Thriller films that are rated 12 A:
The types of costumes used are almost always normal clothing. The reason behind this is to add a sense of reality and ambiguity to character profiles. Characters tend not to have clothing that would identify them as estranged so that plot lines are not reviled and the audience are not fearful of the characters and can create sympathy for them, making any plot twists that may occur more unexpected. Loose clothing for a victim protagonist is conventional to this genre. It gives them a scruffier or more vulnerable appearance so that the audience subconsciously pick up on there susceptibility, for example Harry Goldfarb (see below) and Nina Sayers (see above). The antagonist or person of authority in the movie is usually smartly dressed in order to show there superiority over the other characters to the audience, for example Teddy Daniels (see right). Costumes usually match the location for example the character Harry Goldfarb is based in an urban area therefore his costume is a baggy T-shirt, trousers and trainers, which are connoted to a typical person of his young age from a built up urban area. The colour schemes used for clothing are always dark for this genre of film. The costumes alway reflect the dark and isolated state of the characters as well as fitting in with the mise en scene of dark and mysterious settings to fit the conventions of the genre.
Obtrusive and montage editing is often used in psychological thrillers to enhance the feelings and emotions connoted with the image track, such as suspense, tension and anxiety. This is often used over important or significant scenes that what to be particularly highlighted to the audience.
Flashback from Memento
Flashbacks are a typical convention of a psychological thriller because it gives the audience an insight into whatever horrific past the main protagonist has suffered through. Flashbacks can be edited colour wise or have a blurred or slow feel to them. for example the opening sequence to Memento.
Colour grading is often used is psychological thrillers to make scenes appear darker and more sinister. The colour grading on shadows and scenes where sound plays a significance can enhance the tension and fear amounts the audience.
Requiem for a Dream
Slow motion or Fast pace editing are also conventional to a psychological thriller film as a scene in slow motion builds up suspense because the audience are intrigued to know what happens yet this process is pro-longed by the editing. On the contrary fast pace editing is very common for this genre of film as fast moving scenes create a shocked and intrusive atmosphere for the audience often to create a sense of fear. Fast pace scenes are usually used to portray chase scenes or scenes that pass a significantly long period of time. An example of this
would be in Requiem for a Dream fast paced editing is used to portray a drugs trip.
Low key lighting is mainly used to depict a sense of suspense and uncertainty as well as adding to the mise en scene to create a unsettling and disturbing atmosphere for the audience. A lot of shots used in psychological thrillers use low key lighting to only show a part of a characters face. This is used to not only put the audience members on edge as they find the characters appearance unsettling, but can also be a physical metaphor for an unpredictable or split personality. By using the lighting to create a shadowed effect the audience begin to understand that there is more to the character than it may seem, creating enigma and intriguing the audience.
The character Teddy Daniels from
Shutter Island.
Backlight is less often used in psychological thrillers, however IS very effective when used as it enhanced a character or object on screen. This causes the audience to notice the element of the shot which is being highlighted creating enigma as to its relevance. A backlight often gives a halo effect around a characters head particularly at the ends of hair. This can be used to portray different characters in different ways.
The character Amy Dunne from Gone Girl
Fill lighting may be used to reduce the contrast of a scene to match the dynamic range of the recording media and record the same amount of detail typically seen by the eye in average lighting. This creates a blander colour scheme to shot to create a darker more suspicious atmosphere to a scene.
Serif typefaces are semi-structural and have small decorative flourished whereas San serif do not have the flourishes and are usually easier to read. In films San serif typefaces are used due to the near-uniform width of the strokes keeping the font readable even when reduced in resolution or in font size. San serifs are also more legible from farther away, which is why they make good title typography.
For psychological thriller films the fonts used are often san serif to give a clear and striking meaning to the text being shown which often contrasts the plot line. The colour scheme of the texts used are usually white, red or blue. These colours often contrast a dark background making them stand out. The red also has a common connotation to blood or danger which fits well with the genre of the film. The blue is often associated with isolation and the cold, separation and isolation are both common themes in psychological thrillers therefore the colours can be used as foreshadowing and links to the storyline. White is ambiguous as it can bring the ideas of insanity and sanity into the title or it can have clinical or death related connotations, either or is decided by the title the colour is red for. However it is not uncommon for serif typefaces to be used for titles despite them not being ideal for movie titles. This is because a serf typeface gives a more intellectual and advanced aesthetic to it which would attract the reformer type of audience to the film as psychological thrillers are usually aimed at the more intellectual side of society. The titles are always written in the centre of the shot to give a direct and almost forceful introduction to the film for the audience.
An exception to the common conventions of a psychological thrillers typography would be Black swan which is written in serif in the colour of black. This title still fits with the bold central title for added suspense, however the typeface is based on a white background suggesting to the audience that is not just a conventional psychological thriller that it has something unique and different about it, in an attempt to draw a wider audience. This difference is the main protagonist is a woman which is unusual for this genre.
Production companies: Hammer films is a British film production company based in London and is best known for producing horror movies and TV series ( The Hammer House of Horrors). This is a semi realistic
production company as is aims at a British audiences however it is still a main stream distribution company that usually markets high budget horror and thriller films such as The Woman in Black. White lantern films are an independent production company based in the UK that fund all types of productions. As this company produce films on a low budget in the UK they are the more likely company to produce a film such as the one I will create.
Distribution:
Mainstream distributors New Line Cinema is a popular distributor for psychological thriller films due to previous success. This distributor has released films such as Se7en and The Butterfly Effect. Although the opening sequence I will create will not be a high budget/ mainstream film it will have a similar storyline where it follows a main protagonists self state and similar genre conventions therefore making this distribution company a good choice.
Independent distributors: Warp films are a small British targeted intuition. This would be a more realistic possible distributor as it doesn't distribute high budget films and targets British audiences. Warp films have produced films such as Dead mans shoes which is also a psychological thriller film.
Silence of the lambs,
psychological
thriller/horror
(1991)
A movie under the psychological thriller genre has a thriller story that emphasises on abnormal psychological states of its characters. In many cases other genres are incorporated into psychological thriller films in order to promote intense emotions and create high levels of anticipation for the audience to draw them in. An example of a cross over of genres would be Silence of the lambs which is labels as a psychological thriller as well as a horror movie. Drama and mystery are essential for a psychological thriller in order to create the enigma needed to engage the audience, which is why there are always elements of these genres in psychological thrillers, such as Taxi Driver.
Taxi Driver
Psychological
thriller/drama
(1976)
Literary devices and techniques of a psychological thriller:
-Plot twists are almost always present. Films such as Psycho and The Skeleton Key have advertised the fact that they contain plot twists and asked audiences not to reveal them.
Psycho
Psychological thriller/
horror
(1960)
-Unreliable narrators are common in psychological thrillers as they link back to criminal insanity.
Themes that are commonly used:
- Reality/ fantasy
- Perception
- Mental state
- Existence/purpose
-Identity
-Death
The type of music used in a films opening is a reflection of the psychographic audience the movie is trying to attract. In terms of the psychology of music the reformer and explorer groups or those rated high in openness (the type of audience a psychological thriller appeals to) tend to prefer more novel and complex music, such as classical, jazz , intense and alternative. People rating higher in openness also tend to rate higher in self-assessed intelligence, meaning that an alternative/ classical soundtrack for a psychological thriller movie is going to attract the audience the film makers intended.
Surprisingly classical music is often used in psychological thriller movies in order to create a more intense emotional attachment for the audience. Lux Aeterna used for the soundtrack of Requiem for a Dream was specifically adapted by Clint Mansell for the movie. The tone of music gives a very intense and almost sinister atmosphere to a very bright image track. If the composition was not present the films opening would have a very different much happier atmosphere to it, therefore this is a perfect example of the effect the soundtrack has on the way an audience reacts to a film.
Similarly the opening sequence to Black Swan has the swan lake composition to accompany its opening sequence. This adaptation of the traditional swan lake piece was also by Clint Mansell and creates a similar atmosphere to that of Requiem for a dream. Both pieces start off very concordant creating a slow and peaceful mood to the beginning of the sequence however they become very discordant by the end of the track making the audience in edge for the movie. In Black Swans the soundtrack as well as the title give an insight to the films main theme (ballet). Foreshadowing is also present within the soundtrack as shattering glass in an artificial sound that has been added into this modern adaptation of Swan Lake in order to drop hints to the audience about the unfolding plotline. Overall classical music is effectively used to transition the atmosphere from calm to tense even when it contrasts the image track, this is essential for this genre of film as they create enigma and intrigue the audience as well as set they type of audience the film is aimed at (reformer and explorer psychographic groups) from the very beginning.
Demographics:
The demographics of the type of audience the opening sequence will appeal to is very important as it determines the type of content I will use. The genre of the opening sequence is psychological thriller which will appeal those over a certain age bracket, predicted at anywhere form 12 and above to 18 and above. Due to the genre of the opening it will not be gender specific, however from researching other openings of the psychological thriller genre it tends to be male dominant. The education and occupation of the audience reflects how well they respond to a film, or in this case the opening. The type of audience for a psychological thriller need to be educated in order to follow complex plot lines as well as have the
capability to think about more than they are being shown on the image track.
Psychographics: In terms of film, audiences are divided into several different categories that reflect their characteristics and hobbies etc.. The category of audience that physiological thriller movies aim to appeal to is the reformer or explorer group as they tend to be more open towards controversial and perplexing ideas that can be presented within a film of this genre. These groups also tend to be more socially aware and usually younger making them more impressionable (not always but the majority of the time). The curious and intrigues nature of these types of people makes them an idea audience for a psychological thriller as they will enjoy the fact they have to think about the films plot line; unlike an audience from the struggler category.
The non diegetic soundtrack that runs throughout the opening sequence is Lux Aeterna. This track is used as a leitmotif throughout the movie but is first introduced in the opening credits. This piece of classical music was composed by Clint Mansell specifically for the Requiem for a Dream movie, despite the track appearing in many other films such as The lord of the rings: the two towers. The track itself is a contrast from the image track that shows a TV set being pushed around the backstreets of a city. The contrast creates enigma for the audience as well as foreshadowing that the storyline will feature a strange perspective on reality. The discordant nature of the track helps to build up a tense atmosphere from the quit beginning to he dominating sound towards the end of the scene,despite the audience being unaware of the meaning behind the dramatic build up of the music.
The sequence begins with a Shutter like sound and the title dropping into a black shot to accompany the sound effect . This create the idea that the characters are trapped or locked in to their situation, prior to knowing their storyline. the text then corrodes into a fade to black shot. Creating the idea for the audience that there are chemicals involved with the storyline which is later revelled to be heavy drug use. The dissolving text is also accompanied by an artificial sizzling sound, this also rejuvenates the idea about heavy drug use and also creates a visual image of burning for the audience which can be noted as foreshadowing the actions of the characters later in the film.
The screen then abruptly cuts to a close up of the first character introduced to the sequence. The lighting of the shot creates a dark and dingy atmosphere as the character speaks is a muffled tone complying with the compact surroundings. Light from outside the shot is reflecting onto the characters face in order to create the enigma for the audience as to why the character is confined in such a dark place, thus mirroring the storyline of the film. The camera then flips to create a shot reverse shot of the conversation between the two characters, the camera then pans over the bared window which is acting as the light source from the previous shot, this could be a metaphor for how trapped the characters are feeling- this would also explain the use of the shutter like title display. There is also enigma that is created as to the symbolism behind TV set, this prop is then pushed through the entire opening sequence, making the audience question its relevance, which in turn engages them into the movie.
The camera then switches to a wide shot of middle aged women bathing on deck chairs, the bright lighting is a large contrast from the darker lighting off the previous shots. The brighter orange tint of the shots is a result of colour temperature change in order to make the shot look warmer. This warmer tone creates a great contrast to the movies storyline, which is a deliberate effect in order to keep the audience engaged. The camera then has a panning shot of each individual woman which is then crossed with the two characters and the moving TV, portraying the divide in social status between the two types of character. The uniform dialogue from the women creates a sceptical atmosphere creating yet more enigma for the audience as well as the idea that all people are the same and can be effected by the same thing no matter of your social class, which again foreshadows the plot of the film. A wide shot of the women of the street is then used so that the audience can see the graffiti on the wall behind their sun trap. The message on the wall read 'shamed' which will only be subconsciously noticed y the audience however the message is referencing the plot line and how the characters are too ashamed to face up to their metal struggles.
The camera then changes from a wide shot of the women to a wide shot of a busy market street. The shot is half lit with sunlight and half in complete darkness. This lighting is a foreshadowing metaphor of the darkness that the characters choose to ignore, which effectively makes them worse off in the long run. This shot again creates enigma amongst the audience as to where the scene is going. The shot then fades to black to feature more credits in the same corroding typography as the title sequence. The text colour is white, which is usually connoted with innocence and purity however when the text dissolves it becomes clear to the audience that all of the innocence has been lost for the characters.
A black shot the reoccurs with more credits. The theme of the text is the same as previous credit shots however the names that appear on the screen are enclosed in opposite corners. This deliberate spacing creates the idea of distance between the characters which again foreshadows the rest of the plotline for the audience.
There is then a tracking shot of the characters pushing the TV set across a fairground. The shot is low angled which highlights the characters fast pace movements by showing the audience a better view on their panicked expressions. Also the fairground as the mise en scène creates more enigma for the audience as it is a reoccurring theme in the background of the shots. This makes the audience question its relevance and wonder if there is a link between the fairground rides and the characters actions.
This is followed by a cut away shot of a rusting fire hydrant with the characters still pushing the TV set across the back of the scene. The corroding theme of the opening sequence is then reintroduced as the focus of the shot is on the rust of the fire hydrant, this theme is then reflected onto the characters with there movements in the back of the shot. The black shot of credits then abruptly interrupts the shot again highlighting the chemically corroding theme.
The audience are then shown an extreme wide of shot of the sea front. The main focus of the shot is the light from the sun, although it is slightly blurred, the light source of the scene reflects onto the end of the walkway where the characters are heading. This could be a symbolism of there characters fate, often bright lights connote death. However this scene is left open to interpretation by the audience as they have not yet been introduced to the characters intentions.
An artificial scratching noise is then introduced to the Lux Aeterna track. The sound creates the imagery of a record player becoming stuck on a vinyl LP. This added repetitive scratching sound creates in idea of the characters being trapped or stuck in there own situation mirroring previous ideas of the characters isolated situation. The added sound also builds tension for the scene as well as creating a disturbing contrast between the image track and the sound track giving the audience the understanding that there is a darker layer to what seams like a fairly normal situation.
A central wide shot is then used of which the characters move across. This shot shows the struggle to move the TV set and how far they have travelled with it. This could resemble the journey that the characters are on and the struggle they will go through throughout the film. This shot then transfers to another black shot of corroding names.
Another low angle tracking shot is displayed with the characters expressions becoming more jovial despite the now much higher volume and more intense soundtrack, this again creates enigma for the audience as to what the meaning behind the contrast is.
After another black shot of credits, there is a cast away shot that is split on half by a metal bar. On one side of the shot there is an overgrown grassland with an abandoned roller-coaster in the background and the other half shows boarded up buildings. On both sides of the shot there is a sign of thing eroding such as the ding leaves on the left and the crumbling building on the right. The corrosion theme is evident on both sides of the shot however in personal opinion I believe that the two sides of the shot show the difference between reality and the mental state of the characters. With the wild grassland and abandoned fairground resembling the characters mental state of overgrown thoughts and abandoned hopes and the mental bars and uniformed buildings being the cadged reality that they are trapped in.
The credits of the producers and other non- character rolls are central to the black shot rather than being at the corners, this furtherly highlights the distance they are trying to resemble between the characters as well as promote the directors and producers of the film.
A wide shot of roller coaster is similar to the wide shot of the previous central wide shot in that the camera angle doesn't move it is the characters that move across the screen, thus creating the symbolism for the journey of the characters. The shot then transitions to a cut away shot of two gas meters with the characters moving in the background. The shot also has the roller-coaster in the background again creating enigma for the audience as they begin to question the journey the characters are on.
The final shot of the opening sequence is the same as the first shot with the black shot falling from the top of the screen with the shutter sound. This just furtherly highlights the trapped situation of the characters to the audience. However the final shot doesn't have the title of the movie it has 'SUMMER' written across the screen in order to set the scene for the audience as the next scene begins.
There is ambient sound to the opening until half way through the sequence. Theses sounds such as the movement of the TV set and the footsteps of the characters add realism to the scene. however at half way through the soundtrack overpowers the ambient sound as well as all other diegetic sound. This not only builds tension to the piece but creates the idea for the audience that reality can be blocked out by a unstable metal state.
Throughout the scene both diegetic and non diegetic sounds are used in order to enhance the audience emotion and understanding of the scene as well as create an intense atmosphere which reflects the
powerful image track.
The scene begins with the start of the non diegetic soundtrack which immediately starts to build a tense atmosphere for the audience due to the discordant nature of the music.
There is then the diegetic sound of the characters hand hitting another characters flesh, this is likely to be an artificial sound that's added in during the editing however the 'punching' sound adds realism to the scene as well as engaging the audiences attention with the impact of using the high frequency sound. This is then followed by another abrupt diegetic sound of a body hitting the floor which will also be artificially added in for the same reasons as the 'punching sound' for realism and engaging the audiences attention.
The soundtrack then becomes even more discordant creating a high level of enigma for the audience as they begin to question the actions of the characters and the logic behind them. This idea is cut shot by another short diegetic sound of the weights dropping to the floor. These continuously high frequency sounds to accompany the actions on the image track are not just for realism but to create the idea that the character at the start of the scene is powerful by creating a large amount of significant damage through no dialogue only actions and the sounds to accompany the actions.
A sound bridge then links the previous scene to the next scene as the now slightly smother non diegetic soundtrack follows through the entire of the next scene as well as the last. Not only does this create a smooth transition but to foreshadow that the two scenes are directly links a few seconds before it becomes clear. The soundtrack is still quit blatantly the same tract however it has now taken a much more melodic nature which creates an almost creepy atmosphere to the audience particularly when the image track reveals a knife, this then confirms the negative connotations of something bad happening in the near future that the soundtrack had begun to create.Also there is a close up shot of a hand tapping in time with the soundtrack creating parallel sound for the audience to perceive as slightly strange in order to build up enigma as well as tension.
The sound of a door opening, footsteps then the door closing are then layer on top of the soundtrack. These sounds are known as ambient sounds which are only noticed by the audience subconsciously, however they are essential in adding realism and creating the dystopian world that is essential for the sci-fi film. in particular the door sound as it is clearly not the sound of a shutting door in the real world, it is much more computerised in order to fit with the movies genre.
Dialogue is then introduced to the scene with a slight echo to it. This creates an isolated atmosphere for the audience which directly links with the films genre of science fiction. The echoing dialogue is also accompanied by the subtle sound of wind to add to the other ambient sounds of the scene to create realism. the wind also reinforces the isolated, spacey atmosphere to the audience which directly links with the echoing behind the dialogue.
There is also a slight buzzing sound added to accompany the image track of when the robot character moved this is also an example of ambient sound that is often overlooked by the audiences, however this added realism to the movement of the character and without the sound the scene wouldn't create the dystopian atmosphere intended to accompany the films sci-fi genre.
The collection of diegetic and non diegetic sounds from the movement of the robot character and the dialogue of the male character to the build up of tension created by the soundtrack create a quick build up of tension that is parallel to the image track. This tension build up is then exuviated by the diegetic thud of the characters falling to the ground. The reason that the two types of sound are combined is to create a sudden shift in atmosphere for the audience as they comprehend the psychological reinfinments of the character on screen.
As the image track portrays a struggle on screen the non-diegetic sound becomes much quieter to allow the diegetic sounds of the struggling between the characters and the ambient sounds of the robots metal limbs creating a crashing noise against the floor. this is both to add more realism and to build up a suspense as the struggle can be clearly heard over the soundtrack making it more intense to view. When the fight scene becomes more intense the soundtrack becomes more discordant in order to enhance the tensions in the scene for the audience, the soundtrack slowly become louder as the characters begin to damage each other and when the soundtrack is accompanied by the sounds of the robot being dismantled its created a gripping atmosphere to draw the audiences attention into the scene and well as enforce the sci-fi genre onto the audience with the futuristic sound effects when puling the robot character apart.
When the knife is stabbed into the characters back the expected sound would be much louder and more intense than what is displayed. This is to enforce the metaphor that runs throughout the movie that the robots have much more power of the humans than expected and the smooth transition of the knife into the body is accompanied by a smooth build up from the soundtrack to show that at the weaker human who has been stabbed looses his power as the soundtrack drops to relive the high tension of the scene.
Types of sound commonly found in opening sequences:
Diegesis - The world created by a film. For sound to be diegetic the characters have to hear the sound as well as the audience. The opposite would be non diegetic sound such as the soundtrack, unless the characters can hear the song if it were playing from a radio or jukebox etc.
Ambulant sound- Is the background noise to add realism. This is usually diegetic sound in shots although is usually artificially added in during editing. An example of ambulant sound could be footsteps or a dog bark etc.
Sound bridge- Any sound that continues from one shot to the next. Usually a smooth transition.
Parallel sound- Sound that compliments the image track.
Contrapuntal sound- Sound that doesn't compliment or fit the image track. Usually for comedic or disjointed effect.
Melodic and Discordant sound- Melodic sound is usually a soft pleasing sound with positive connotations. Discordant sound is usually very sharp and erratic bringing negative connotations to a scene.
Sound motif- Consistent piece of sound that used continuously through out the film to link pervious scenes and set a continuous tone throughout the narrative.
In order to fit with the conventions of a psychological thriller film, the shots of the opening sequence needed to appear darker in order to create the mystery intended. Even though I used low level lighting during filming the shots were still very warm. To colour correct the shots I added a tint onto the shots at 42.4% this instantly gave the shots a greyer wash to give each take a darker enigma to them. I also added the brightness and contrast effect to the shots, with a -20 brightness on top of each of the shots, the opening sequence had the dark, grubby aesthetic that fits with the genre as well as the themes of the media product.
