Locations

When analysing thrillers it became clear that locations in which footage is filmed is important when showing representations. Therefore, in order to show that the main character Rachel is a student we filmed the thriller sequence at our college, Havering College of Further and Higher Education. As we wanted to use a range of locations, we decided to film four major main areas. Firstly, we filmed in a science laboratory where the Axeman is introduced cleaning the room and washing blood off his axe. As the subject of science is associated with experiments, the calm nature of the killer as he washes his axe gives the audience an idea of his psychotic and unpredictable behaviour.

Another reason for the filming in this room was because of the high key lighting. Here is a photograph of the sink in which we see the Axeman washing blood off his axe. As the light reflects of off the shiny surface, it creates shadows that help create the dark atmosphere that the cold hearted killer brings to the screen.

He then leaves, bringing us to our second location of a footpath on college grounds which capture the killers footsteps. We chose this location with the intention of creating suspense as his footsteps will be accompanied with disturbing and high pitched score music. By choosing an outside location on college campus we thought it would create further suspense as it gives a sense of reality to the thriller. The realistic feel was accompanied by the use of natural lighting.

The third location is The Space, an immense room with dark lighting. As a successful technique when creating suspense in a thriller is the use of lighting, we chose this location as the dark and isolated area creates a sense of fear which reinforces the intense thriller conventions.

The fourth location is the college library where Rachel wakes up realising that what she experienced was a nightmare. We had chosen this location to end the sequence to show the representations of Rachel being a student. The aim of this was to mislead the audience into not expecting anything as horrifying as her nightmare could never happen to someone like her. But as the last shot of the sequence is of the Axeman’s axe behind her in the library, the audience are left with the knowledge that there is more truth in Rachel’s nightmare than expected.

(Alex Christian)