Audience Research..

Camera

In any film there is a number of shots that can be used, however some are more effective than others. A close up of a person normally means a close up of their face, it shows the emotion of someone and the viewer is drawn into the subject. A point of view shot shows a view from a subjects perspective and is mostly edited in a way so it is obvious whose POV it is. A high angle shot is taken above the subject looking down at it, it gives the subject lack of power. Whereas, a low angle shot it taken below the subject looking up at it, it gives the subject a sense of size and power.

The 180' rule is a way in which it doesn't cause confusion on the audience, it states that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes the imaginary axis is called crossing the line.
In our thriller we have used a variety of shots such as, long shot, POV shot, mid shot, pan shot.

Editing

There are so many different types of editing techniques you can use in a film, and some are more effective depending on the type of film. For example, a thriller. One effect that can be used in a thriller film is dissolve. This is when one shot fades into another which can help show a move from one location to the next or from one person to the next. Another effect that can be used is fade to black/white, one shot fades in or out to, or from black or white. If done quickly enough it can create a sense of flashbacks and can create a sense of time passing. One more effect is a jump cut which is an abrupt cut between shots. It's effective as it's dramatic and can begin/end action. Using different editing techniques increases the tension of the film and can become really dramatic.
In our thriller we have used the dissolve effect to show flashbacks.

Narrative

Narrative can happen any time in a thriller opening, either on top of dramatic music or the music stops to create more tension. It can be used in someone telling the story from their point of view or the audience hearing someone's thoughts and feelings. The narrative is normally being played over pictures/filming so you don't see the actually character talking. This creates a sense of mystery to the audience.
In our thriller we had a script which was used for the detectives, we all came up with the script.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene basically means anything in the shot. It can consist of location, costume, props and lighting. The mise-en-scene location is where the film/TV programme is set. The mise-en-scene costume can suggest a characters role, age, status and the time period in which the film is set. The mise-en-scene props are important objects that relate to the story, action, time or setting of a film. They may give the audience extra information about a character or time period. The mise-en-scene lighting can create atmosphere and highlight important actors/objects.

Sound

The two sounds that can be used in a thriller film/opening are diegetic and non-diegetic. Diegetic sound is heard on and recorded from the location of the film. For example, speech. Non-diegetic sound is added when the film is edited to add to the atmosphere. For example, sound effects and music.
We used voice overs in our thriller as the sounding didn't sound right due to the wind. We also used a backing track which worked well with our fit of the opening.