Thriller Final from Bonnie Dunleavy on Vimeo.
Embedded above is the Bonnie’s moving mood board/trailer compilation that we will exhibit in our presentation. I must give full credit to her for the voiceover analysis, but I thought in this blog I’d expand on her thoughts with my own observations.
It’s interesting to note the similarities in the relationship between the location, character and camera in these trailers/films. In a sense, the location becomes a character as it plays a role in the protagonist’s growth and development. For example, the environment of the Hunger Games presents challenges that Catniss must overcome in order to become stronger as a character.
In each trailer included, there is this frequent sense or urgency and panic when surrounded by nature. An interesting motif across all trailers is the action of running frantically through the forest, suggestive of its dangers and unpredictability. While of course there is presumably a more immediate danger that they are running from, i.e. the villain, the bushland certainly does not make this chase any easier for the protagonist. We all know that scene where the protagonist trips over a log and scrambles around on the ground as they attempt to get up. Cliché yes, but a clear example of how a bush/forest location can be used to exacerbate the danger that already exists.
To translate the sense or urgency and danger onto the screen, certain shots and camera movements are utilised. In the more intense forest scenes, the camera follows them as they run with an extremely shakey tracking shot. It can feel as though the viewer is running behind them and thus can relate to their fear on a more intimate level. If wider more stagnant shots are used, the mood is usually calmer.
I think it’ll be interesting to figure out how to best encapsulate Emily’s (our protagonist) fear through camera techniques and her relationship with the location. If we decide to include the stereotypical running scenes through the bush, we would definitely need to experiment with shots to see what we can actually achieve without any elaborate equipment. It will be a fun challenge to play with camera angles, shots and movements to assess what will best create our desired mood.
The following post is my part of our presentation:
Our final project concept was largely inspired by our chosen location. In our first brainstorm as a group, we went around the circle and each shared where we lived as it made sense to us to film with an area that a group member was familiar with. From weighing up the visual appeal of locations to the logistics of shooting within them, we came to the conclusion of filming in my hometown, Warrandyte.
Warrandyte is a small north-eastern suburb about 50 minutes from the CBD. The town and environment remains preserved with beautiful state parks, vast bushland and serene spots along the Yarra River. If need be, we also have access to a house for interior shots, as well as cafes and supermarkets that I’m affiliated with.
While on one hand Warrandyte can represent peacefulness and serenity, on the other it can be perceived as the complete opposite. With the bush in mind, we were led to consider thriller/horror genres as there is this frequent association with bushland and the harsh Australian outback with these sorts of themes. Thus, instead of writing with an actor in mind like the activity we completed in class, our intent instead became to write and create with a location in mind. We found that this process made the task of coming up with a story and concept much easier as we already had something to work with and draw from.
Once we had decided on a rough story concept, Bonnie and I actually went location scouting. We were on the hunt for two key locations – one for our ‘calm before the storm,’ semi-romantic scene, and the other for our creepy, thriller-esque bush scenes.
Location one – the main walking track along the Yarra River
The main walking track along the Yarra was an obvious choice to check out. In one of our scenes, which Jackson and Alex will explain further, our female protagonist Emily walks along the river with her fiancé Damien. As I wrote the concept for this scene thinking of this specific location, it fitted the scene seamlessly. The only issue we may encounter with this spot is that it can get quite busy on weekends and nice days.
Location two – Pound Bend
Pound Bend is another scenic spot in Warrandyte which features the iconic gushing tunnel. It’s a really cool location but is almost too much for our calm scenes as it may detract visually and aurally from the conversation between our characters. If we wanted to be a bit experimental however, we could get some shots of the water gushing through the tunnel to intercut with some of the later, more intense, bush scenes.
Location three – State Park via Whipstick Gully
This state park was home to some interesting relics of the gold mine period, such as this mine and this big ol’ wall. However, as this state park is commonly used by bushwalkers and horse riders alike, it has very defined and obvious tracks. This is an issue as we want the bush location to appear isolated and remote – not something people use on the daily. It was also a bit too green and welcoming for our liking.
Location four – State Park via Tills Drive
The final state park we went to was a clear winner for our bush scenes. We discovered these bizarre sink holes containing rusting rubbish surrounded by the dry bushland of the park. The creepy and eerie vibe was just what we were looking for, and there was also potential to veer away from the track to set the scene within a more desolate-appearing area.
