Equipment list

Throughout shooting our thriller film we have used a variety of equipment:

A Camera:


A Tripod:



We used a tripod to ensure steady shots were created in our film, so that it run smoothly and was a watchable film.

Lighting:



We used torches a lot in our thriller, to make a scene brighter and to create successful shadows. We had to practice a lot with different torches of different strengths to ensure we created the right lighting and effective shadows when needed.

Inspired shot

This shot from sin city inspired one of the shots in my thriller film. I used it for the murderer holding the knife. I felt it fitted perfectly with his character and the low camera angle connotes that the murderer is superior. It's also, in my opinion, a thrilling shot!

TV influences of my thriller

Tv crime dramas such as The Bill and Spooks have influenced my thriller in many ways. For example, there're a lot of low angle shots used in The Bill which I have applied to my thriller. Through watching these dramas, it has helped me get a better understanding of how camera angles are used to create an atmosphere or a certain trait of a character, for example a low angle shot would be used to show a character is dominant and superior. Spooks has the typical thriller convention of noir. The lighting and costume for it is all very dark. I have been inspired by this and this is reflected in my characters costume: Scott's long dark coat and black boots.

In The Bill there's a very dominant female character, who plays the role of an officer. She dresses very sophisticated and modern. I have been inspired by her characters costume for Abigail- modern but still sophisticated with the secutary costume.

Independent research into the thriller genre

Purpose of thriller title and soundtrack

I have chosen the title 'The Lodger' as I feel it is intriguing to the audience and relevent to the narrative of my thriller. It is intriguing, as it makes the audience wonder who the lodger is and why he is so important to the film. It is also relevent to the story, as the killer in the film is Abigail's lodger. He is a very significant character. This title also integrates with the genre of my film, as it is a thrilling title and leaves the audience wondering why the 'Lodger' is so significant.

I am using the soundtrack Rite Of Spring by Stravinsky. I have chosen this soundtrack as it builds up suspense in perfect timing with the build up of suspense in my thriller. It uses violins, which I think are very effective in building tension. The high pitch dramatic violins connote the stabbing of Abigail very effectively. Psycho (the inspiration for my thriller) also use high pitch violins in the stabbing scene, I thought this worked brilliantly and therefore looked for a soundtrack that involoved violins. In many ways I think the soundtrack represents Scott (the lodger), as it's innocent and peaceful to begin with but by the end it becomes strong and corruptive- which is what happens to Scott's character.

Changes to thriller

During the construction of our thriller we came across a few problems and due to this we had to make changes to certain aspects. We had to change the boyfriend character 'Jason' to a best friend character 'Lisa'. This was because we found it difficult finding a boy to play the boyfriend character- no one was available to shoot when we needed. We therefore had to use a girl from our group (Phoebe) to play the character of Abigail's best friend. This delayed the construction of our thriller, as we had to think of new shots to film and a change in plot.
It has been difficult having to change so much, but has been beneficial in the long run.

Storyboard

This storyboard helped us when filming. It helped with our organisation and saved us a lot of time. I made sure I remembered my storyboard at all of our shooting sessions.

Costume for thriller film

As our thriller film is set in modern times, we have tried to adapt the costume to its time period. We have used a sophisticated look for Abigail, yet still modern at the same time (with the high waisted skirt and heels).
We have still managed to keep Abigail looking like she has just arrived home from work, by putting her in a costume that looks suitable for office work.
We have dressed Abigail in a fairly plain outfit, yet we have used the heels and bright red lipstick and nail varnish keep her looking devious and making sure that her role as the femme fatale is clear to the audience. Abigail suggests Marion Crane from "Psycho". Marion is neatly dressed, she works in an office and she is well groomed with elements of the femme fatale about her.



Scott's costume reflects genre conventions, as he is wearing a long dark coat with black boots. This goes along with the noir theme in most typical thriller films.