Cinematography in thrillers part 1 (Planning)

Hello, reader. Welcome to my blog. In this post, I'll be researching the different types of shots, angles and camera movement that characterize thriller films. I'll also be selecting the ones I'll be using in our film opening. This post (along with its second part) serves as a plan for creating the shot list. 

First,

I want to try a different approach. I'm going to give a description of how each shot type, angle and camera movement works. Then I'll explain its purpose in short sentences. Finally, I'll rank each one, taking into account its difficulty (technique), how effective it would be for our film (purpose), and lastly, how much I want to do it.

How does this ranking work?

1-2 stars: bad ⭐

3 stars: average ⭐⭐⭐

4-5 stars: good ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🌟: Galactically stratospheric good

Let's begin,

Frame within a frame: This is a technique that involves using elements to create a second frame within the screen frame. Examples: doors, windows, photographs or paintings, people, or objects. It's virtually limitless.

I think it would be effective for our film because, as I said before, it's a thriller, and this technique works to isolate characters or draw attention to a specific object.

Ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ Because it's part of cinematography and set design, the only problem I see is that I think it would be complicated to execute and instruct the actors (and not that I'm particularly excited about doing it).

Frame within a frame example: Punch Drunk Love

Dutch angle: where the camera is deliberately tilted to one side, making the horizon line oblique or slanted.

I think it would be useful for creating anxiety and tension. Also, if used well, it can create suspense.

Ranking: 🌟 It looks cool, easy, and quick to do. It's not a very advanced technique; I just need to analyze where I'm going to use it and for what purpose.

(Honorable mention: In The Dark Knight, they used it a lot and it looked fantastic.)

Dutch angle example: The Dark Knight

Tracking shot: where the camera physically moves alongside, behind, or ahead of a subject.

Used to create immersion, follow action, or reveal information. Our film's opening will include a tracking shot.

Ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I know I'm going to have to use it a lot, so I'd better get used to it. It's also key for creating suspense, and since I plan to use some long takes, it will make the job easier.

Example of a tracking shot:

Takeaway: It doesn't matter if a genre is characterized by specific types of cinematic elements; each film and cinematographer is unique and doesn't necessarily have to follow those rules. External factors such as difficulty, time, and budget must be taken into account.

*There's a part two, go check it out*

That's all for now, reader. Thank you for reading this archive of thoughts.

-Dragorite