#thekeeperoflostcauses

I decided to review a trailer because this gives a quick overview of a full Indie Thriller Film - so I was able to comments of different aspects that I would like to maintain and possibly feature in my own opening sequence. I did this because I was able to collect multiple different ideas, to be able to fill an opening sequence with tension grabbing themes for the audience.

This trailer is very different to the others I have seen, it has very limited dialogue but I like it because the sound track does a very good job of setting the mood for the audience instead. 

The mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic sound from the beginning creates tension for the audience as well as revealing main characters and basic storyline. At 0:10 seconds the first title sequence jumps into shot, the sound effect complimenting it creating a jump-scare affect. Title sequences are not overpowering or very sophisticated but adds to the dull colour scheme and gets the needed information across. The titles leave the shot but the non-diegetic sound is carried throughout creating a quick, intense build up, that is soon dropped suddenly as we witness the death of a character (0:16). At only 0:16 seconds the opening sequence has already been successful in revealing the nature of the film, as an audience we have insight into the danger and tension that will be carried out in the rest of the film. Followed is another shot of the wounded person and what appears to be his college sitting to his right – from this the audience can gather that the two men, clearly mean a lot to each other and feel empathy towards the two characters. 

Typical traits of an Indie Thriller are harmful things happening to someone that the main character loves or cares for greatly; the need for a character that the audience can empathise with and can witness disastrous events through their eyes (this theme would be good to feature in my own opening sequence). The quick cuts and flashes between shots and title pages coupled with an intense soundtrack creates pace and power to the sequence.

Dull, dark mise-en-scene sets the mood throughout and heightens the feeling of danger clearly for both the characters and the audience. Many zoomed in close up shots (0:31) show the important of certain aspects in the sequence, therefore highlighting bits of information that are key to the audiences understanding of the plot. Multiple different destinations are used and pit the genre perfectly. Minimal speech is used, for example, one word ‘Hello’ at 0:50 seconds paired with an intense close up of the terrified characters face reveals the traumatic and terrified state she appears to be in, signifying that this may be another main character. 

I have also notice that many sounds are muffled and echoed which are very effective. This may represent the confusion of the characters but also create questions and puzzles from the audience as we are only given limited information. I see this as an advantage; you want the audience to create their own questions, heightening the need to continue watching and find out the desired answers. Constant drifting but steady movement of the camera and cuts creates the illusion of someone watching or someone in the shadows. The theme of a witness or innocent unsuspecting character unaware of the danger lurking around the corner is very common in thrillers and a key aspect that I should be aware of recreating in my own opening sequence.