Question 1

My film The Follower is of the Thriller genre My film The Follower is of the Thriller genre. In the opening title sequence it suggests that the film may have elements of a horror due to the props used. The Follower has taken inspiration from other thriller films such as ‘Brick’ and ‘The sixth sense’ as they show parts that are key to the ending of the film and also have flashbacks and links to other parts of the film.

Frame 1|The Title of the film The title of the film is ‘The Follower’ which is simple but effective. The title was chosen as during the film there protagonist is stalked by the antagonist. We decided to put the title right at the end of the opening title sequence so that it is more memorable for the audience and also links the last few shots with the title to the film. We wanted to keep the title basic but also make it stand out so we decided to make it white like the other writing and on a dark screen.

Frame 2|Location of the Opening title sequence The main setting for our opening title sequence is in woods/ south downs which shows isolation and somewhere you wouldn’t normally want to go. We also chose the woods as it is dark which links to the antagonists thoughts towards the protagonist. We also wanted it dark and secluded as it is typical of the thriller genre as the antagonist can keep hidden and the secrets can be hidden as well. It also gives the feeling of danger for the protagonist especially in the other setting at her home which is meant to be a safe place.

Frame 3|Costume and Props The props used in our opening title sequence are important to show different emotions for the characters. The letter is used to give a sense of fear to the protagonist and makes the audience question what is going on. By using the victims belongings and bracelet it shows a connection between the two characters and questions to why it might be important. By using dark clothing for the antagonist keeps them hidden and less easier to spot by the protagonist. The dark clothing also suggests that they are dangerous and someone not to get involved with.

Frame 4|Camera work and editing We used many close up shots for our opening title sequence which we took inspiration from ‘Brick’ and ‘Seven’ . We also tried to use a range of different shots to give the audience lots of detail in a short amount of time. When editing the opening title sequence we wanted it to run as smooth as possible until the end as we wanted to create tension which is why we use lots of different close up shots to add tension and grip the audience.

Frame 5|Title font and style We decided to go with the font “Old Typewriter” for both our titles and main title as we thought it was typical of the thriller genre. We also went with this font as it looks disorientated and that resembles the protagonists life or even the antagonists head and thoughts. The colour white was chosen for our font as our opening title sequence is dark so it contrasts against the dark background.

Frame 6|Story and how the OTS sets it up As the opening title sequence is meant to be set at the end of the film it sets up the story well. The letter being delivered shows that its not the first time it has happened and that it is recognisable to our protagonist. The letters are key to the film as that is they way the antagonist communicates with the protagonist.

Frame 7| Genre and how the OTS suggests it We used blood in the letter to show the audience that it is a thriller genre. We also used the small clue of information for the protagonist given by the antagonist and the creepy letters to show that they are being followed.

Frame 8|How characters are introduced The audience already have a hint of the three characters due to the letter at the beginning but aren’t show them until the end of the opening title sequence. By showing the three characters it gives the audience and understanding of who to look out for and it is easier to concentrate on different aspects in the film. A good reason to show the characters in a isolated place as well shows that no one is alone which keeps the audience on edge.

Frame 9| Special effects Due to wanting to have flashbacks in our opening title sequence we used effects to create the transitions between shots. We used a colour correcter to give the flashback shots a dull colour like it is faded in the back of their mind. We also used a dip to white between the flashback shots and the transitions shots between the house and field to give the effect of time passing.