What other media products have you been inspired by in your planning?

What other media products have you been inspired by in your planning?

Camera

Throughout planning, different media products have inspired even though they are not thrillers. They contain other camera techniques using those would allow me to create something different from a typical thriller. For example, a TV show which I have enjoyed is called 'Agents Of Shield' produced by Marvel Studios and runs in the same timeline as all the other Marvel cinematic universe films. The show is based on a team of agents who's job is to protect the world from crime and the unknown alien threats. Being an action based show it has taught me a lot about how different camera angles can be used to create different effects. The clip linked below is the first scene in the 'Pilot' episode which is unveiling a new hero with unknown abilities. In which, the scene starts with a shot reverse shot of a father (Mike Peterson) and his son (Ace). This technique is used to show the close knit relationship between them and also the son is looking up at Mike hence the camera also looking up at him from behind aces head. Originally, this doesn't seem to have any connotations, however in other episodes when Ace's life is on the line we come to understand that Mike will do anything to save his son, and that's why his son looks up to him like a superhero. This is an idea which could be used in a thriller as when the viewers goes back and rewatches it they will discover other pieces of the story they hadn't picked up on before. Furthermore, as Mike begins to scale the wall, we get a first person perspective of how tall the building is which is interesting because when heroic moments are shown you aren't normally shown the perspective of the person doing the action. Some of these camera techniques are why I found this show to be so addictive and enjoyable as there was always connotations from what you were watching to the comic books from the 1960's.

On another hand, a show like 'Stranger Things'  uses other techniques such as the intentional blur in scenes in order to foreshadow. For example, in the shot below, the girl on the rights is clearly an outsider in the group as she is almost forced herself into shot as she is standing awkwardly on the right hand side. Furthermore, the intentional slight blur of her face helps emphasise this idea that also in the storyline she is always an outsider to the group. This shot also foreshadow her death. Exploring this idea in my planning allowed me to think about creating this effect and how I would be able to do.

Editing

Music videos for movie soundtracks also contain editing techniques worth looking into for using in a thriller. In the music video linked below for 'See you again' from the soundtrack of 'Fast and Furious 7' which is one of the highest grossing movies of all time, crosscutting is used effectively in order to commemorate Paul Walker and create nostalgia for his performances in previous movies. Crosscutting between Wiz Khalifa and movie scenes allows for a touching sentiment as the scenes highlights Paul's relationship with other actors on and off screen. At 1.42 as there is a cut on sound as the director wants to reveal the group and a heroic moment when Dom turns up without Mia and Brian knowing. In this music video, the editing is what tells the story rather than the mise-en scene. In the 'Joker' makeup and costume is what communicates meaning to the audience. On the other hand, the costume, makeup and lighting is very basic in 'See you again' but meaning is communicated through the timing of the editing. Moreover, throughout the video, there is a mix of fades, dissolves and straight cuts which are used irregularly to enforce the ideology that death is not fixed, love and friendship continues past the grave. I found this music video beautiful and a perfect tribute to such a star of the movie industry. The use of irregular cuts and the pace is an intriguing idea which could be transferred into a psychological thriller as it could imply the idea that ones mental illness is not unfixable and that the protagonist can achieve happiness.

Within the TV show '13 Reasons Why' there is a wide range of creative transitions used which help show Clay's obsession with Hannah and his imaginations. The main transition used is a character in one period of time doing an action then an object would be used to transition as almost a wall in-between 2 timezones like in the clip below. This transition was important as it helps distinguish between the past and present, whereas Clay's mind struggles to differentiate between them as he still sees Hannah. 13 Reasons Why explores the mental struggle after losing a loved one and the psychological effects. As my thriller will be psychological a similar mental struggle could be used in terms of the protagonist.

Sound

Brooklyn 99 is a police drama / comedy which has been very popular over the last few years. The show explores a group of detectives and their captain by following their cases and social lives throughout its 7 seasons. Sound within the show is used primarily for its theme song and opening notes. At the start of every episode you have a short electric guitar solo which introduces the show therefore and it has become catchy. It is used as a signifier as once you hear it you know what you're watching and what is most likely to happen. Furthermore, every episode starts in the precinct so it could be said that the guitar solo signals that they are in the precinct. Brooklyn 99 is a comedy however doesn't contain any audience laughing which goes against conventions as the recorded laughs encourage the audience to laugh. Critics have also picked up on this and said that it makes it difficult to connect to the characters as we are not laughing with them. The clip linked below is a scene from the show in which Gina creates a soundboard for the captain played by Andre Braugher which is used to mimic him. This is one of the most hilarious scenes as viewers have made online soundboards before this episode. Therefore creating this scene was exactly what the audience wanted. The use of Andre's voice is spoken about a lot in the show by the detectives as he speaks very formally and in monotone. However, once he becomes comfortable with the detectives in later seasons he begins to speak with more emotion and less formality. A similar idea could be used in a psychological thriller as the protagonist could become more comfortable around somebody and due to that change how they speak.

Furthermore, in 'Fast and furious 7' sound is primarily used to spark an emotional response from the audience. The main example is in the finale song 'See you again' which I have talked about above for its editing. This song has become iconic for its commemoration to Paul Walker and is the 4th most watched YouTube video ever with 4.8 billion views. Personally, as a huge fan of the F&F franchise this song was the perfect ending to a characters life. The lyrics were personal to what had happened and the line "Everything I went through you were standing there by my side and now you gon' be with me for the last ride" shows how strong the relationship between Paul and Vin Diesel is. Furthermore the piano makes it more emotional. This use of a theme song is usable in a thriller but it would need to be relatable to something sad in real life in order to be popular and recognised.

Mise-en scene

The video linked below is the music video for Gotye's 'Somebody that I used to know' costume and makeup is used superbly to communicate the meaning of the song. The song is about the aftermath of a broken relationship of which he had experienced in his own life. The video starts with Gotye standing naked singing the lyrics but as his anger starts to grow we see paint lines appear all around him. As his bitterness continues to increase the lines start to appear on him however the paint acts as a coverup for his struggles. As he is covered in paint there are red sections which show there are parts of him that are still in love with her. Once he is fully covered, it becomes difficult to differentiate between him and the background which for me suggests that he is almost losing himself in the world due to this breakup. Then she enters the video but she is already covered in paint implying that she had already lost herself during the relationship and not just after the breakup. Once she blocks him out her paint starts to disappear which connotes that the ending of the relationship is what could heal her. He starts the video naked which signals his vulnerability to her deception and hurt, and ends the video covered in anger and pain. Whereas when she enters she is already in pain but it fades once she becomes distanced from him. The video ends with him looking up at her and understanding that she is just somebody he used to know. I found this music video to be very fascinating which inspired me to want to use patterns and shapes in costumes to highlight emotions. It was the most irregular and extreme use of paint and colour which I have seen however has over 1.5 billion views, clearly reflecting its vast popularity.

Similarly, in the music video for Billie Eilish & Khalid's 'lovely' the costume and lighting choices run parallel to what is being said in the lyrics. For example, they both wear dark minimalistic clothes which connotes to their depression and mental health which is highlighted in the song. The lighting is very low level which could convey that there is nothing bright in their lives or there is no escape from their mental state. Furthermore, it's clear that there is also minimal makeup which highlights that the singers have reached such a point where personal appearance doesn't bother them. Another unusual thing about this video is that there are no props used, they remain alone in the glass box without anything or anybody to help them. However the one thing they do have is each others comfort which is visible in the video as they are happy as long as they are supporting each other. This video allowed me to understand that a media form can be perfectly parallel in its representation and its connotations as the lyrics, video and mise-en scene of 'lovely' all share the same meaning.

Even though these media products aren't thrillers they contain unique and interesting ideas which can be utilised within a thriller. The colour schemes within 'Lovely' and 'Somebody that I used to know' can be used as they represent polar opposite of the use of colour.