Il’s / Them thriller opening

Iil's\Them thriller trailer from Holly Entwistle on Vimeo.

The film begins conventionally showing ‘Mars distribution’, Studio canal and Eskwad, next titles begin. The first few titles shown are on a black background so all focus is on them, they are presented in different corners of the screen. The first four people or organizations mentioned were all producers and film makers, these have been put at the beginning to signify to us they are the most important people within the film making process. Leaving them on a black background as full screen titles and not over lay also signifies their importance and is appropriate to the genre. Next the title of the film ‘Iils’ is shown, this is white writing on a black background just as the titles were. The font used for the titles is a Serif font, this shows that the film is complex and is for a broader minded, more intelligent audience. The words are in white writing on a black background; these are binary opposites and add to create a sinister mood among the audience.

The title ‘Ils’ fades out and the screen is the black. The establishing shot is a long shot of a secluded road lit by street lamps as a car drives down. The lighting is chiaroscuro, high key, low contrast, meanwhile writing appears on screen telling the audience that the film is based on real events and also the time, date and place of the shot being taken. The audience have been told that the film is based on true events to increase their sense of fear and what happens could happen to themselves and the producers have told us the date and time in order to make it appear more factual and give us an idea of time scale as the movie continues. We hear the diegetic sound of the car as it drives past, this creates realism and helps put the viewer into the situation in the film to then enable them to feel empathy.

The first scene is shot in the car with a mother and daughter, this would be classed as the ‘equilibrium’ scene. The equilibrium is part of a theory that Todorov came up with to describe patterns in films and stories, he suggests that most of the time story lines will start with an equilibrium, meaning that the beginning is essentially in balance and happy. Although the pair do not appear to be happy, as they are arguing and causing disruption, their relationship represents their normal life which will soon be changed. 

In the car the lighting is dull, low key, with their faces highlighted . In the background there is thunder and rain as a diegetic noise throughout, this acts as a pathetic fallacy, mirroring the mood that is created in the car between the mother and daughter. The setting outside the car is a rather secluded road surrounded by forests. The road is portrayed in this way, along with the chiaroscuro lighting, to show its isolation and create a sense of helplessness amongst the audience. It also creates tension as the viewers expect something bad is going to happen and they are now waiting to see what it is, it puts them on edge. A medium shot is shown from the back seat of the car looking out onto the road showing the audience the lack of cars around to again build the tension and fear of seclusion. Diegetic conversation is happening between the mother and daughter, whilst the mother is also on the phone to her husband. Being on the phone whilst driving is shown as it makes the viewer on edge as they think this will be what causes the disruption in the film. The mother character states that the phone call is expensive, this is done to tell the audience that the father is in a different country, through narrative exposition. Doing this increases worry and tension from the audience as and emphasizes the fact that the pair are on there own and vulnerable. Men are portrayed as hero characters and women are often Proppian damsel in distress. As they do not have the presence of  a male character and we know that he is not near in order to save them, it makes the audience see them as helpless.

Medium shot-reverse-shots are used to show the two characters as they talk, using shot-reverse-shots are good to keep the footage flowing and lets the audience capture both of the characters emotions. Cut edits are used between the shot-reverse-shot’s, they are a standard edit and do not draw attention away from the actual action within the scene. A closeup is used to show the mother just before they crash. A cut away edit is used to switch to the shot from the backseat of the car, this shot is used as we can see both, the mother and daughter, and also the view of the road. It is filmed from the backseat to make the audience feel as though they are in the car and experiencing the crash along with the characters. The close up of the mother is used just before the crash so the audience are focused on the argument and the sudden swerve and panic causes the viewers to be shocked and unaware of what is happening just as much as the characters are. During the crash a series of medium close ups and extreme closeups are used to show how the characters react, a cross-cutting edit is used to do this. The fast movement of that editing creates panic and confusion for the viewer. The diegetic sound of very loud, violent, rock music comes on the radio straight after the car crashes, this is done to create impact and a sense of confusion, the rest of the car is silent and calm, the two contrasts on the calm and violent music signify that it may seem calm and that everything is okay however it is not as it seems.  

The diegetic noise on the car stuttering tells us that it has engine problems and that the girls are stuck, the silence and calm in the background is used to put the audience on edge as they are waiting for something to disturb the silence.

By putting the car bonnet up the mother has created a barrier between herself and her daughter, it is also used to cover the mother out of sight from the daughter. A long shot of the car and the mother stood in-front of it is used, the car is positioned to the left hand side of the screen and is lit by the light from the lamppost and the rest of the scene is dark and low key lighting. This is done to emphasise the isolation of them both, tensions rise as the viewers only have a clear view of the mother, anything could be lurking in the trees, the mood is very sinister.

We hear a slight screech that sounds like the mother is fiddling in the bonnet however when the girls shouts to her mother and gets no reply, it immediately creates tension as the viewer realizes this is when things will begin to go wrong, however the girl does not seem to be very scared at the moment.

As the girl gets out of the car and searches for her mothers a long shot is used to capture the car and the long road also, again this is to create a sense of loneliness and helplessness as no one else seems to be around. The screen switches to black and then a cut edit is used to switch to a close up of her face looking towards the bushes. This directs the viewers attention toward the bushes also and reenforces the fear of them. We then hear the diegetic sound of a ratchet coming from the bushes, and a cut away edit is used to show a long shot from the same position when we first thought the girl was strong, however we now see her turn around in fright. The switch in emotions made by the girl is done to create more tension and fear from the audience as all the way through we have seen the girl act strong willed and unfazed by the events, even in the crash. 

As she is stood outside the bushes at the side of the road are very tall and dense, this makes us feel the bushes are closing in on her and emphasizes the fact that she is alone. A point of view shot is used to capture the bushes, the shot is unsteady making audience feel as though they are there and can empathize with the girl as it seems like real life.

An extreme close up is used to show her trying to lock the car door however it is not working, along with this is the diegetic sound of the car locking and unlocking. This is done to be confusing and rushed in order to build up a panic and sense of urgency for the girl to get out of the situation. A point of view shot is used as she turns around however all we can see is darkness, the fear of the unknown.

A medium, high angled shot is used as the daughter reaches down to get phone her phone, which was previously dropped in the crash. Shot-reverse-shot’s are then used to switch between her face and her hands struggling to put the phone back together. Cut edits are used to transition the shot-reverse-shots, using these fast edits helps creates a sense of urgency and emphasizes her need for help as time is running out. We hear the diegetic noise of the girl gasping and slightly crying, as she is out of breath it again helps to create a sense of urgency and panic that she is currently feeling and lets the viewer empathize with the girl more easily.

When daughter tries to ring the police for help, we hear the slow beeping diegetic sound of the phone ringing and it takes a while for the police to answer. When the police eventually answer the call she gets put on hold, doing this causes desperation and annoyance from the viewer because help is available but she is not receiving it. It makes the viewer on edge as they do not know whether help will save her or not. Meanwhile rain and thunder starts this is done to create a pathetic fallacy, where the whether reflects the mood. Thunder and rain create a sinister mood, the constants rush of the rain pouring and the noise it creates on the bonnet reflect the panic the daughter will be feeling inside and builds tensions and fear from the audience.

As the daughter is waiting for an answer from the police, a low angled, point of view shot is used as she looks up out of the sunroof and then out of the windscreen. All the audience can see in these shots is the rain beating down on the car, they have been to shown to create the atmosphere that she is trapped in the car, the action of the rain falling down hard against the car makes us feel like the outside is closing in on her. This is used as a metaphor, the rain representing the antagonists drawing in on her. 

A medium shot from the passenger seat focusing on the girl In the drivers seat I used to show the mud being thrown at the window. This angle has been used as we can see the girl and also the mud hitting the window in one shot, this is also effective as the viewer is concentrating on the girls actions so when the mud hits the window it comes as a surprise. As this happens we hear the diegetic sound of the mud hitting the window, this loud bang adds to the surprised effect and also creates tension as we know the antagonist is drawing near. A cut edit is used to transition between the medium shot to a close-up on the girls face so we can see her initial reaction and the viewer can understand how she is feeling. Diegetic noises of her gasping and breathing heavily, due to panic, are heard simultaneously. This helps to create tension and empathy from the audience because they can see the distress she is in. 

As the bonnet slams shut a medium shot from the backseat position is used - again the being shot is taken from the back seat, and the slight unsteadiness of the camera, makes the viewer feel like they are in the car with the girl-. Then a fast cut edit takes us to a close up on her face to capture her reaction. As this happens the diegetic bang of the bonnet is heard and a non-diegetic sound of a siren is quietly heard in the background. The bang of the bonnet will make the audience jump and engage the viewer with the film, the use of the siren is rather juxtapose as we would normally associate a siren with the emergency services and help however this siren gives a warning, injects fear and adds to the sinister mood.

 A fast edit transitioning from the medium shot to the close-up is as it creates panic and disorientation, doing this makes it easier for the audience to empathize with the girl and feel like we are experiencing this too. Immediately after to the street light above the car goes off a medium shot of the windscreen shows the girl looking into the rear view mirror, all we can see is her eyes and the phone still being held to her ear. Only her eyes and the phone have been used in this shot as the eyes show the viewer her emotions, her vision is fixed on something in the mirror but we do not know what. Doing this engages the audience and makes them intrigued as to what she can see, it creates tension. The phone is included in the shot as it reminds us that she is still receiving no help and soon she will need it. The rule of thirds is used to compose this shot, the mirror is in the top left of the screen, therefore this is where we concentrate and the rest of the shot is the windscreen. Nothing can be seen through the windscreen because the rain makes it blurry, this pulls all of the viewer’s focus onto the mirror and the girls eyes. In the background of this shot the diegetic background noise of rain and thunder stopped when the lights shut down in the car, making it a significant point in the film as from this moment the viewers’ attention is grabbed and it signifies that something bad is about to happen. Everything is silent apart from the diegetic sound of what sounds like something moving across the back seats of the car and a non-diegetic sinister sound of a vibration is building in the background. This has been done to create tension; the audience is waiting for something to happen when there is silence so puts the on edge. It also lets them focus on the sound of the movement, this would not be heard if the diegetic sound of rain was still in the background however it was not enhanced over the rain in order to keep realism.  

A similar shot is shown, this time just one eye and the phone held to her ear, her gaze is still held on the mirror confirming that there is something in the back of the car. From this is a series of short shots with cut edits in between are used to go from the extreme close-up of the eye, to a close-up of her shocked face and a medium to close-up of her chin and neck as she gets pulled backwards by a chain. This is the first time we have seen the antagonist in the film, seeing the hands of who we presume is a male, makes the action of the film more real and scary compared to previous there was just the fear of the unknown and we could not be sure there was something out there. These shots are very very short to create a fast pace in order to build anxiety and energy in the film. Just before the chain is grasped around her neck we hear the faint sound of the ratchet that has previously been heard outside the car, this time it is much slower and quieter adding to the sinister mood. This diegetic sound has been used here to emphasize the presence of the antagonist. Simultaneously to the action of the chain clasping around her neck the sound of thunder and rain is again present, this is reintroduced here to coincide the bang of the thunder and emphasize the action in the shot and create a bigger impact.

From outside the car looking in through the windscreen we can see the girl struggling and reaching out for help. This medium to long shot is shot from the front of the car, it contrasts a similar image to what we saw previously when she was looking into the rear view mirror however this time we can see through the blurred rain pour on the windscreen. The idea that she could not see out, but we can see in reiterates the idea that she is helpless, trapped in the car. Doing this provokes emotion from the audience and makes them want to help her.

The final shot of the night scene begins with a long shot from the other side of the road, this shows the car positioned in-front of the lamppost, this gives off a slight shine over the bonnet of the car and into the windscreen however the rest of the scene is chiaroscuro lighting, high key, low contrast keeping the sinister mood. A car drives past in-front of the camera and fails to realize what is happening inside the car, the dismissal of the attack inside the car frustrates the audience as she is in desperate need of help however she is yet again not receiving it. A tracking shot takes us to the driver’s window, the shot is slightly shaky which gives the impression that somebody is walking, giving the impression that this could be another attacker. A cut edit is used to transition to a close-up on the window as her hand slams against it and slowly slides down, the light from the street light outside shines in just behind her hand creating a silhouette image and the rest of the screen is in darkness. The hand and lighting has been positioned like this so the audience’s focus is completely on the hand and the impact it creates. This shot symbolizes the loss of life and the hand slowly sliding down represents the life draining out of her, this is a very powerful and capturing way to end the scene and represent her death. The diegetic noise of rain is heard in the background and simultaneous to the hand hitting the window a loud ‘bang’ sound is heard along with the attack of sinister music coming in. The sinister music comes to a crescendo and fades out all within a matter of seconds, this only last a short time to coincide with how fast her life is lost. After her hand slides away the close-up shot on the window continues for a few seconds, this is a very long shot in total which is rather unusual compared to the length of the other shots with the film, this again is done to create an impact on the viewer and makes them reflect on what has happening, doing so provokes sadness and empathy. The shot then fades to black. 

The black screen stays for about 3 seconds within this time the sinister music fades out and the sound of a school bell fades in, the school bell is a sound bridge to the next scene. Doing this shows the audience that there is a link between the murder that has just happened and what will happen in the next scene. An ellipsis edit is used and we now see a long, establishing, tracking shot of a school corridor and the hustle and bustle of children coming out of lessons. This tracking shot is slightly unsteady making the audience feel as though they are in the corridor with the children, improving their understanding and empathy with the action of the film. This wobbly tracking shot is very similar to the one used to move closer to the car, this again creates a link between the two scenes. The lighting its very natural and bright along with the children’s clothing, in the background we hear the diegetic school bell ringing and the sound of conversation between the children. All of this builds the school atmosphere. This scene comes as a surprise to the viewer as there is such a big contrast between this and the last, the big change is made to engage the audience.

Again we are presented with information about the setting, time and date to help set the scene. These appear overlay, on a medium tracking shot that shows a classroom full of children and their teacher reading to them. Focus is on the teacher as the children leave the room a medium shot stays on her, an ellipsis edit is then used to show a long-shot of her walking down the school corridor, which, in contrast to before, is now empty. Focusing on the teacher tells us she is the main character. The music in the background is a low tempo calm tune created by an orchestra, this gives us an insight to her personality, we presume she is a nice calm lady. However it also creates sadness and annoyance as we presume she is the next victim or protagonist. Due to her, presumably, kind nature and the fact she is a young woman makes her fit with the proppian damsel in distress character type.

As she walks down the corridor with another teacher, we learn that she does not speak the native language and is new to the country; we also are told through narrative exposition that she is finding the language barrier difficult. Creating this language barrier and introducing the idea she is new to the area makes her more vulnerable. The background music continues in the background and is used as a sound bridge between each shot, along with diegetic sounds of her walking and the ambient sounds of her surroundings. A very long lasting tracking shot following her as she walks to her car, as it is not needed to be filmed in detail as it purely adds to normality. A montage sequence of ellipsis edits now follows her on her journey home, this is done because showing the route is important so the audience can get a grasp of her very long journey going from the city to more rural and out of the way area. This long journey also adds to her vulnerability. The use of overlay titles on these shots also means it’s not quite as important as the footage just before.

We see her talking on the phone to someone, whom, we presume is her boyfriend, this uses narrative exposition to tell the audience they are meeting up later. This gives us some hope that she won’t be on her own and is also an example of Todorov’s theory of equilibrium at the beginning of a film. Background music continues until we see shots of the crash from the previous scene including from her pov as she slowly drives by.  The diegetic sound of the car being pulled up on the tow truck is heard in the background, within this a ratchet sound created as the chain pulls the car up onto the truck, all of this reminds the viewer of the previous scene and makes a link between the murder and our main character, perhaps connoting she will be a victim herself.

The drive up to her house is down an overgrown lane, this makes her more secluded and vulnerable.  A long shot is used as she drives up to the house, this allows the audience to take in the house and its surroundings, it is a very grand old house, and the gardens surrounding it are very overgrown. The over grown gardens show the viewer that it has not had any resident in many years and it has been neglected, it looks a like a derelict house not a house being lived in. Using this house compared to a normal house makes the viewer on edge as it is a typical location for a thriller. 

Here the overlay titles have ended which represents the ending to the opening and the main characters and narrative will now be fully followed.