Individual ideas for a narrative (Miss Georgiou)

Inspirations from other films-

Over the last few weeks I have been watching and analysing lots of the popular thriller films of this time. Through watching all these films I now feel I have an understanding of the features I would like to apply my own thriller film and the scenes I would like to almost recreate. Below are some of my top inspirations.

One film I drew inspiration from was the film 1408. It is a film which shows a man trapped in a haunted hotel room and his bid to make sense of what's happening around him. A main feature I would like to feature in my film is the use of the clock. A clock, although a typical daily object, manages to add a lot of suspense and anticipation onto a film or a particular scene as it is able to create a time limit which puts the audience on edge as they wonder what's going to happen when the time runs out as within the thriller genre inevitably something will. As well as this I also liked the films use of the radio within the room. Again as with the clock although a radio is a typical house hold object which would not necessarily have any scare value to the audience it allows, as demonstrated by this scene, the ghost or villain to have a voice and speak to both the victim and audience through song which is able to set the tone and mood for the scene.
With both these objects despite their boring persona I think they will make good additions to my film as they are relatable objects found within most home which will allow my audience to connect and relate to my film more.

Another idea I liked is the use of masks in both strangers and the scream box set. The use of a mask as the villains main iconography creates them a hidden identity and therefore makes the scene more mysterious. This also creates a mystery for the audience as we know someone is under the mask committing the crimes but have no idea who which makes the idea of the victim running away seem more impossible as even if they run they or the audience have no idea who their running from making an escape seem impossible. This then elevates the villains powers and control over the film and scene which makes the audience feel more empathy towards the victim as we understand their in an impossible position.

As well as this I also draw inspiration through watching the films 'the conjuring' and 'hide and seek'. Both films feature games played within the film between the victim and the supernatural presence such as 'hide and seek' from hide and seek and the 'clap clap' game as featured in my previous blog post. The use of the games to mess with the victim shows that the supernatural presence is having fun tormenting and scaring the central characters this then leads the audience to feel pity and empathy for the characters as they realised they have no control as they cannot see what is haunting them and so are instead being played with like a part of a board game which the player or villain can manipulate and control. 


To add to these ideas I also liked the idea of using a house to base my film at. This idea as a setting can be seen in both the films 'insidious' and 'paranormal activity'. By basing the story in a real life setting it relates to the audience as they all come from a home to be there and so can image being trapped and teased within their own homes. Through featuring a realistic scene the audience then can relate to the film more and allow themselves to put themselves in the position of the central characters as they can all relate to the scenes as well as the iconography used throughout. As well as this the use of a home or house is also very affective as after watching the film the audience typically go straight home where they can then imagine the scenes taking part in their house putting them on edge even after the screening of the scene which is a positive sign that the effects of your thriller have been as intended.

I also liked the idea of an imaginary friend from hide and seek and mama. By creating a character that the central characters, who don't have an connection to the imaginary person, could possibly underplay and disregard as real even during a scene which features paranormal activity it allows the audience to have a deeper insight into the film than the characters on screen do which makes them feel nervous for the characters as they know something is bound to happen and know who is carrying out the activity but have no control over the scene or cannot tell the characters what is happening which makes them have to let them watch the scene play out with high suspense as they know its only a matter of time. 

The idea of dragging from under the bed as seen in prom night also caught my attention. Under the bed is usually where young children expect monsters to be so a scene where the characters are under the bed would be very affective as it shows they know now worse is out there that what was fictionally under their bed so the one place they used to fear is now where they seek a moments safety and shelter from whatever is in the house. This makes the audience feel emotionally for the characters as they know to hide under the bed they must be feeling very scared and small enough that they feel to crawl under the bed. As well as making the victim seem even less superior they then get dragged out from under the bed which is very effective as the audience knows the person has no control and is going to be face to face with the villain very soon which puts them on edge as they wonder what is going to happen afterward they are out from the shelter.

Another film I drew inspiration for was from the haunting in Connecticut. In particular I liked the scene where the slaves are on the swings. In thriller the conventional swing used is often a rope swing with a wooden seat. This makes the swing seat seem very old which allows the audience to imagine how many people have been able to swing and haunt the swing. As well as that through being outside and lightweight and there fore sensitive to any wind the swing seat can then move without being touched which creates an eeriness as the swinging motion suggests someone is on or has tampered with the swing. To add to this a swing is also a play object and is typically loved by young children so the audience can relate to the swing as it is a familiar piece of iconography that they would have once experienced.

Finally another idea I liked for my thriller which relates to 1408's clock scene is the time limit from the ring. This helps create a sense of urgency throughout the film and at times can make the characters seem powerless as they have no control over the time and cannot dictates when it stops. The time limit usually set in place is often unrealistic as well which can then relate back to the audience as they can relate to a time when they were put under mounts of time pressure and can help relate the feelings they experienced then and apply them to the situation in the film now. This creates a bond between the audience and leading actor as they can relate to each other through a mutual feeling and situation.