Planning Editing***

Editing is an important element within the thriller genre that is used to manipulate the emotions of the audience. From researching into the thriller genre, I have identified the conventional editing styles used in the genre, to incorporate this in my own production. In my research, I have focuses on the film 'Psycho' in terms of conventional editing and as a result, my planning will be inspired by the findings I have accumulated from this analysis. Therefore I have planned the camera work in my production to create a similar effect to the thriller openings I have analysed. In turn the audience will deem the opening appealing and the production will be a success in itself as it will be conventional to the genre itself.

From the analysis I conducted, I was able to identify that slow paced editing was conventional to the genre as it builds suspense. In the film Psycho, slow paced is used in the build up to the victim's murder and therefore was used to prolong a climatic event, thus creating the suspense and making the audience on edge. Therefore, I plan to use a similar style as it is an effective method in making the audience on edge. When the victim hears a sound from another room, slow paced editing is used when the victim is walking to the room where the noise has come from. This prolongs the reveal of whether the antagonist is in the room or not, building suspense. This therefore keeps the audience on edge due to their lack of knowledge in terms of whether the antagonist is there or not.

In order to create slow paced editing without prolonging frames too much, I also plan to use a fade; in which a black screen will face into the narrative. Fade are often used in thriller films to slow the narrative down, as well as creating an eerie atmosphere as the black fades into the narrative which may reflect the narrative itself as being dark and eerie. Although a fade is not evident in 'Psycho', it is still conventional and evident in the thriller film Se7en. In such film, fades are used to transition from credits to montage editing, a similar technique that I plan to include in my thriller opening. The opening will begin with the production company name and fade into the narrative so that the narrative itself is hinted at through the connotations of black; dark, evil and eerie. It will also slow the narrative down which will reinforce slow paced editing, thus building suspense and making the audience on edge.

From the analysis I carried out, I also was able to identify fast paced editing as a generic convention. In Psycho, fast paced editing is used when the victim is being murdered to convey her panic and the chaotic atmosphere as a result. This has inspired my own planning in terms of editing and therefore I plan to also used fast paced editing to create a similar effect. When the victim is in the bathroom, her panic will be at it's peak, conveyed in her attempts to calm herself down and to call for help. When doing so, the transitions between each frame will be very quick, thus increasing the pace of the editing. This technique will be used to convey the victim's panic which will encourage the audience to build a relationship with her, thus making them just as vulnerable to any sudden or abrupt sound/movement as it will confirm the antagonist's presence.

From the analysis of Psycho, I was able to recognise that straight cuts are the most commonly used transition and therefore conventional to the genre. Multiple straight cuts are used in Psycho when the victim is being murdered, which compliments the fast paced editing as the transition is abrupt and sudden, thus increasing the overall pace of the narrative. This transition is typically used as a generic transition, but plays a significant role in the overall effect the editing has on the audience as it highlights the effect of fast paced editing; sudden so that the audience are made to feel on edge due to the disequilibrium. Therefore I plan to use this transition when I plan to use fast paced editing, when the victim is in the bathroom panicking. The transitions from calming herself down, to calling for help, to being unable to, to panicking once again will all be straight cuts to emphasise the victim's emotions of panic which encourages the audience to build a relationship with her; making them increasingly vulnerable and engaged also.

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Conclusion

Overall, my planned editing style has been inspired by existing successful thriller films including Psycho and Se7en. By basing my own decisions in regards to editing on editing already deemed successful, this increases my knowledge and the probability that my own opening will also be successful. I have decided to use the editing style I have chosen for several reasons; the first being that they are conventional and therefore the target audience are able to recognise the genre of the film which will allow them to connect with it more. The second being that they create the desired effect on the audience that I wish to create. For example, slow paced editing will build suspense at the eerie moments of the narrative and fast paced editing will emphasise the pinnacle moments of climax. Lastly, the two editing style compliment each other for this exact reason. While slow paced editing suggests something pinnacle will happen, fast paced editing highlights such event and therefore together they create a perfect balance of suspense and shock.