Research into editing styles - Miss Georgiou

Scream 4 


Introduction

Editing is essential within the thriller genre because it helps to creates suspense, shock and surprise for the audience. The pace of the editing can be used to create suspense and sudden increase in pace creates the feeling of jumpiness which makes the audience scared of what is to come.

Main

In this sequence many editing styles have been used to create effects shocking the audience throughout.

Cross cutting: there is cross cutting used in this sequence. This scene starts off with Olivia on the phone to her friends where they live next door to each other, as they were talking they could see each other from the windows of their house. Out of no where then the masked man comes up from behind and stabs her with her friends watching in shock. The scenes were cutting back and forth showing the killer stabbing the victim in her bedroom, then changing scenes to her friends reactions in their bedroom, as they are watching it happen, with one more scene showing a woman running into the victims house to try and save her. I think that cross cutting was used to build suspense for the audience and to show how different pieces of the action are related. This is conventional to a thriller as it creates tension with some of the shots being in P.O.V, using high angles making the audience aware of the other characters trying to save her. 

Timing of shots: This sequence starts off in a fast pace, as the antagonist enters the victims bedroom, the editing styles start to speed up, this is to show the fear that the victim is showing as she tries to get away, with the antagonist moving quickly so that the victim does not get away. As the scene goes on, the pace of the shot rapidly slows down, this is as the victims friend enters the house to try and save her, this is to show her being cautious making sure that the antagonist does not hear her coming up the stairs being as quiet as she can, this makes the audience wonder what is about to happen, weather the antagonist is hiding to strike at her or that he has infact gone. This makes us as an audience feel sympathy for the girl as we are worried for her life. This is conventional to a thriller as it creates suspense and shock for the audience as everything happens so quickly then all of a sudden, slows down rapidly. 

Reaction shot: This scene repeats its reaction shot many times to emphasise the fear that the characters are feeling whilst watching one of their friends being murdered, this is to create shock and surprise for the audience as they try to put you in their shoes. This reaction shot is used to show the characters facial expressions and body language to show the shock and pain that their feeling whilst watching the antagonist stab their friend continuously. Their reactions are also very exaggerated and are quite typical holding their hands over their mouths whilst gasping and screaming out 'help' over and over again, banging on the window. This makes the sequence a lot more intense as the victim wasn't alone and other characters were aware of the situation, making the audience want the victim to be saved even more. This reaction shot is conventional to a thriller as the whole of the shot is related to shock and surprise that the characters and the audience are feeling.

Summary: 

This will help me to create my opening sequence as it has giving me an idea of what editing styles to use and when it is the right time to use them. For example if i was to make a scene where an intruder is trying to break in whilst the victim is in the house, i would be likely to use close ups and medium shots of the victim to show her facial expressions and body language to show her venerability and the terror she feels, also weather the villain is carrying a weapon or not. This will help to create a thriller scene.