Cinematography planning- Miss Miller

Cinematography is a key element in the thriller genre as it is the only way the audience can see what the film is about, it uses different camera angles to provoke different emotions into the audience and lets the audience see different elements in the film that they might have missed if the cinematography was effective. The cinematography involves the audience in the film and builds the relationships between the audience and the characters.

Panning Shot- The first camera angle that we will be using in our opening sequence will be the panning shot, we are using this shot first because we hope that the audience might be able to relate to the location of the shot, as this will allow the audience to feel more engaged in the opening sequence, this will allow them to build a relationship with the characters as they can imagine themselves in the same position as the character, so throughout the opening sequence they can relate to the characters. We specifically chose to put this shot at the start of the opening sequence, as it also sets the scene and atmosphere for the rest of the opening sequence, by this I mean that the quiet setting that has low level lighting will be a continuity throughout our scene, so the audience are more aware of the scene and atmosphere, which can allow the events on scene later on in the opening sequence to build the atmosphere.

Long Shot- We use a long shot towards the start of the opening sequence, it isn’t very far away from the main focus but it is longer than most other shots we used, it is focusing on the young female character as she is walking down a path, near to the alley way that she turns down. This shot used to try and create some doubt into the audience about this character as it is the first time they see her, this will help create the relationship between the characters and the audience that is important to create the suspense.

Close Up- This camera angle will be used to show the audience the character in more detail, and it will show the facial expressions of the character, the main purpose of this shot is to give the audience more information about the character. We hope that this angle will create a relationship between the audience and the character as that is what the close up is for, as we need the audience to have a relationship with this character. This shot will be used a few times throughout the opening sequence such as the start and when the two characters meet, both time the close up will give the audience an understanding of what’s happening on screen, and what the relationship between the two characters is like.

High Angle- We will use a high angle shot to give the audience a better understanding of the surroundings that the character is in, this shot will be focusing on the young female character. This high angle shot will be used towards the start of the sequence which is important as at the start of the opening sequence the high angle is effective at showing the surroundings, it is important to try and use a high angle shot at the start of the sequence as it shows the audience the surroundings and builds the suspense.

Low Angle- This camera angle is going to be used when the two characters meet, the low angle will be over the shoulder of the girl, and the use of the low angle will show the male in a more dominant position, as he is higher up, this is used specifically to make the audience think that the male is in a dominant position, this will create a relationship between the audience and the character, as they could be scared for the girl, which in turn will create suspense as they are waiting to see what will happen.

In summary I think my sequence will be effective in showing the audience the narrative of our opening sequence in the best way possible, I believe the shots that we have planned out will create a suspenseful atmosphere, and will show the audience the position the characters are in throughout the sequence and the relationships they have with one another. By planning the camera angles and shots that I want to include in my opening sequence I feel that I have a better understanding of how to create a suspenseful atmosphere and build a relationship between the audience and the characters.