What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I felt that the editing process of the completed footage on the IMovie completed the thriller by creating particular effects and improving on areas including fading, textual information, blurred effect, black and white effect and others. Without IMovie, I fully believe the opening sequence would have been unsuccessful as it would not have matched up to the key conventions of thriller film such as the fading in and out of music, adding sudden noises and using echoes (used on the ‘screaming’ part) to add to the tension.

Below are screenshots of particular clips where editing was used to created a desired effect.

Both images above involve using different types of font to give an edgy feel, especially with the starting credits (left image). The backgrounds of both pictures have also been edited with the use of dark shadowy effects to add to the dull mood being portrayed. With the beginning credits (show in the left image), we also added movement to the text (fading in and out) to relate it to other thrillers which have a similar opening.

Both of the above images show flashbacks used in the opening sequence. Most of our storyline was based on past happening. To make it clear to the audience and to demonstrate the eeriness of the situation, we decided to use a slight blurred effect. We were originally going to use black and white but we found this to look cheap and uninteresting.

This image, featured towards the end of the opening sequence has been edited using full shadow in order to emphasize to bright white background and to cover the identity of Shanice whilst she’s in the midst of her changing personality. Ending the scene with this edited shot leaves the audience in shock and it draws them further into the film.

The music plays a significant part in the opening sequence as it is crucial in setting the mood and creating the right amount of tension and suspense. The gentle keys of the piano throughout most of the opening sequence is not to far fetched but something that obtains the right atmosphere for the plot, as it is gentle but at the same time peculiar. The start and ending of the opening sequence are quite loud and they have a high tempo but this is vital in, again, setting the right mood by almost bringing the audience into the actual thriller.

This is the music we used in our opening sequence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETJ5cdDBoaE

If we had used a clip such as http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9mRVV659EA, this would have completely destroyed the genre of the opening sequence as the music goes against one of main convention of a thriller, which is scary/suspense building music. If we would of used this music instead, the opening sequence would seem rather more from the adventure/comical genre.