Past student work - The Witness

I thought this thriller opening was extremely effective, this was due to the mystery involved which led me to wanting to know more. The editing and filming was also very high quality and therefore made it feel very professional. However my only criticism is that not credits were included.

Narrative:

The narrative was about a teenage boy who witnessed a beating up and was recalling his account to someone. The other person then questioned 'what are we going to do about this?' this indicated that the rest of the film could be about his journey to find out who was involved and why it happened. The use of a teenage boy appeals to the target audience as they are the same age range, this means the audience are more likely to associate themselves with the character and therefore become more engrossed.

Editing:

A blurry effect was used when the boy was recalling the event. This made it clear that it was a memory and not a real time moment. It also made it feel very eerie as thing were blurred so the audience are not completely certain of details.

Cross cutting between the memory and account was used to create a clear connection between the two.

A moment was sped up when one of the gang members heard the boy, his face moving closer was sped up. This was quite freaky as you could not see his face, but instead just his black balaclava. 

In contrast to this slow motion was used while the boy was running away. This made it seem as though he was not going to get away safely and someone may see him.

Mise en scene:

All the antagonists (the people beating someone up) were dressed in black. This hid their identities and created mystery as we did not know who they wore. Black is also associated more with dark/bad characters and therefore we were able to easily distinguish they were not the protagonist. 

However the main character was wearing normal teenage clothes, this allows the audience to identify with the character as he is wearing similar things to what they would and therefore is overall similar. This is specific to the target audience of 16+.

Sound:

Firstly the opening contained very screechy discordant sounds. This puts the audience on edge and makes them feel uncomfortable, therefore creating tension as it indicates the film is leading up to an important moment.

Secondly a heart beat non-diegetic sound was used. This created a lot of suspense as it makes the audience feel as though there heart rate should also be raising as it is a scary moment.

Finally background talking was exaggerated. This makes the film see more real as it is an everyday sound that many people are use to and therefore will be able to relate to.

The recall contained a voice over which made an association between the two and gave us more details about the event.

Camera work:

A close up was used on one of the gang members faces. This created mystery as the audience was looking straight at him but had no idea who he was. Thus leading to the audience wanting to watch more as they wish to find out who they were.

POV shots were used frequently during this opening. For example during the conversation and while the boy was running. This is done to involve the audience more and make them feel as though they are actually there. This leads to them becoming engrossed as they are identifying with the characters. 

A mid shot of the gang walking into the cafe was used to show that the boy is in danger and they have found him. However we do not know what they then do to him or want with him and this creates suspense.