Planning Cinematography - Miss Miller

Cinematography 
Introduction
Is something that will really be able to complete the atmosphere within films, it involves how the camera is used to manipulate the scene. The camera can have slow or quick panning, shaking movements or can be positioned in different ways to create different effects.

Close ups

We have decided to use close ups within our thriller film, these shots are initially used to focus of facial reactions and emotions. We plan to use this type of shot during a telephone conversation after something disturbing is said on the phone. This is the final scene that sees Harmony answering the phone to Cameron we see a close up of her reaction and this is what causes the audience to be able to build a relationship with this character as they are able to sympathize with the characters feelings and how they are being made to feel. This type of shot is conventional to a thriller as it causes the audience to wonder what has required this extreme focus on just there face and facial expressions. The are used to build emotion which is something that is usually quite common in thriller as the details are everything.

Low angle shot

To display power within a scene we have decided to use a low angle shot, this is when the camera is positioned at a lower angle facing upwards this is to make people or objects in the shot appear more superior. This type of shot will be used when our character Cameron is murdering his mother. This will present his aggression towards his mother, giving the audience a fearful relationship towards him. They will see him as a threat and will continue to sympathies with the mother who will appear weak. This is conventional to a thriller as it distinguishes the difference between a protagonist and antagonist. We know that if we are looking up at a character they appear stronger making the the audience fear them. If the audience are looking down onto something or someone it is in fact the audience that feel much more superior. Overall It brings fearful tension into the scene.

handheld 

The use of a handheld shot means that the camera will purposely be used in a shaky movement, almost as if the character himself is holding the camera or that the camera is not being held as steady as it should be. This creates an up paced atmosphere. The audience begin to feel panic and frustration towards the clip as they want to be able to see if there character is in danger. With the shaky and unsteady setting of using handheld it causes them to become unsettled. This will be used with the death of the mum. because it is messy and unplanned the audience wont be expecting it to happen meaning that even more tension is built. This is conventional to a thriller as they often have alot of violence or disturbing scenes. This is what adds to that tension. If the audience feel what they are watching seems excitingly portrayed they often will feel apart of that scene and feel more like they are one of the characters them self. Overall this means that the audience feel alot of adrenaline when handheld movements are present, which is one aspect of how to create a successful thriller.

 Median Shot

This type of shot is able to show the characters and part of the location all together. This shot is called a median shot. In our scene it will be used at the dinner scene. When Cameron and his mum are eating. This is to be able to show there body language at the table and part of the background which will appear as a 'normal' family home. This is to also trick the audience into a shock attack of having a him violently kill his mother. This is to build the shock factor within our thriller.The audience will build an understanding of the character Cameron knowing that he is a very unstable character as the cinematography as gone to a median shot to a handheld. This is conventional to a thriller because of the shock it creates. Thrillers are very suspenseful and by creating an element of surprise, the film becomes more conventional, as we are able to see what is in the background if there is anything there. This in addition means there is more to concentrate on meaning the audience are able to look around at the surroundings, letting there mind play tricks on them, making them think there could be something in the background. 

Point of view shot

The point of view shot is used in thrillers to show a characters perspective. You are able to see everything exactly as they see it. This is used in our production when the character Cameron actually attempts to murder his mother. We use this shot to display exactly what Cameron is seeing. This type of cinematography builds a relationship within the characters and audience as they are able to feel and see exactly what he does. The are able to empathize with him as they know exactly what its like to be in his shoes. This type of shot is conventional to a thriller as usually the identity is hidden when using this shot. If the killer remains unseen and used as a portal into the films then no one is going to know anything about them. They wont know any details about the killer. They could be male or female, or even a child.

Panning shot 

A panning shot is often used in films to allow the audience to follow the scene and see more within a shot. This shot will be used when the character Harmony (The friend) is on the phone to Cameron and remains in a very isolated setting. The panning shot will be used to over exaggerate the loneliness if a wide space is being filmed with only one girl standing there then the atmosphere will change to tense. The audience will feel all different emotions towards the characters as she will be the main focus. If a panning shot is used at different speeds then like in the picture shown only one objects will be the main focus. This is conventional to a thriller as it creates fear and isolation within the film. In thrillers locations like abandoned houses and other empty buildings and scenes are often used to show that there is no escape for that particular character.

Conclusion
By using a number of different angles and shots. Cinematography is able to create a numerous amount of emotions and techniques. When we want the mood to change within our film, then we can manipulate this to what we want by changing the type of cinematography used. These types of cinematography we are presenting in our film will all be conventional to the thriller genre as we are using them to change the atmosphere of the film to our advantage. By creating shock, suspense and surprise. This helped plan our final production as we are now able to distinguish what type of Shots are going to be used. We are able to have an idea of what is going to work best within our scene.