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At the beginning of the project, my aims were to improve my technical skills and also create an effective opening sequence.

I think that I managed to improve my technical skills, since I can use Adobe Premier to a higher level than before. In some ways my camerawork skills have improved, although I'm still not all that confident with taking movement shots, so I do still need to improve on that.

Overall, I'm fairly pleased with our opening sequence. Some of the camera work and editing is really good, but the whole chase sequence is really irrelevant to the rest of the film. In fact, only the last shot of the photos on the wall really has any relevance to the rest of the film. In retrospect, when thinking of ideas for our opening sequence, we probably should have also considered what the rest of the film would be about.

During the project, I've learnt a few things. For example, I've learnt how to work in a group with people I wouldn't have necessarily expected to work with. Other things I've learnt include:

• Shooting outdoors in the winter is perhaps not the best of ideas.
• Chase sequences are really quite hard to shoot well

On the whole, I think the group worked quite well together. There were a few disagreements towards the end of the project, but we generally managed to work them out. I was quite good at compromising, but I do think that I probably should have demonstrated more leadership skills and been more assertive in expressing my opinion. This is something that I will need to keep trying to improve on.

Narrative image

The narrative image of a film can be set up in a number of different ways, for example DVD covers and film posters. A film's narrative image helps to set up audience expectations as to what a film will be about and what the themes might be.

Occasionally, a film's narrative image created will not be entirely accurate. A recent example of this is Tim Burton's 'Sweeney Todd'.

This 'Sweeney Todd' poster sets up the genre and themes of the film quite well. The tagline ('Never Forget. Never Forgive') suggests that revenge will be a very important theme in the film. The razor in Johnny Depp's hand appears to be Sweeney Todd's weapon of choice. The title of the film gives information about the main character and the location of the film. The blood splatter across the title also suggests that blood will also be a main feature of the film.

However, there is nothing prominent on the poster to indicate that the film is a musical. In the small writing at the bottom of the poster it does say that the film is based on the musical by Stephen Sondheim, but admittedly most people won't actually pay all that much attention to the small writing. This was quite misleading for Tim Burton/thriller fans who were considering going to see the film. Many people expected it to be your normal thriller film, and were quite surprised to find that it is in fact a musical. Although Sweeney Todd really is a lot darker than most musicals, many people who watched it were quite disappointed that there were songs during the course of the film.



Our DVD cover is one way in which the narrative image of our film would be created.
The main image on the cover is a polaroid which links to a main element of film. The back cover also has a polaroid on it, so the audience would probably expect polaroids to appear a lot in the film. The male's face on the polaroid is half in darkness, which shows that maybe the villain leads some kind of double life. The film has an 18 certificate, which would make the audience expect that the film would be more violent than a film with a lower certificate. The actors' names are quite small on the front cover, which shows that they are not being used to sell the film. The colours used are quite conventional for a thriller cover. The black and white could link to the idea of some sort of battle between evil ('The Anaesthetist') and good (Naomi). The title of the film sets up the expectation that the film will mainly be focused on the villain. 'The Anaesthetist' suggests that the killer has a medical knowledge and this would probably be an important element of his killing style.

Comparing and contrasting the '28 Weeks Later' opening

Similarities

• Shot types
  Since both opening sequences contain a chase sequence, similar types of camera work is used. During the chase sequence, a variety of distances, levels and angles are used, along with lots of movement shots.


• Location
  The opening of '28 Weeks Later' starts inside a house and then moves out into an outdoor area. This is quite similar to the location of our opening sequence.


• Time of day
  Both opening sequences take place during the day. However, I think that it's much more effective in '28 Weeks Later'. This is because in our opening sequence it seems somewhat unrealistic that in the middle of the day, no passers by would notice a girl being chased by a serial killer. Whereas, in '28 Weeks Later' the person being chased is one of the few humans left and therefore there wouldn't really be anyone else around to think that the chase is a somewhat strange occurence.


• Enigma
  Neither chase sequence is particularly enigmatic. This is because the person/people doing the chasing are often shown fairly clearly and aren't hidden by a mask or anything. However, other elements of both opening sequences are enigmatic. For example, in '28 Weeks Later' the audience would wonder what's happened to Alice after Don leaves her behind, and in our opening sequence the final pan across the photos on the wall would set up enigma.


• Editing techniques
  In both our opening sequence and the opening of '28 Weeks Later' use straight cuts throughout the sequence. During the chases, fairly short takes are used to create a fast pace.


• Sound
  Both opening sequences use non-diegetic and diegetic sound. But, I do think that the music in '28 Weeks Later' works a lot better than our music does.
  

Differences

• Themes
  The themes in our film and '28 Weeks Later' are extremely different. 'The Anaesthetist' is to do with voyeurism, obsession and serial killing whereas '28 Weeks Later' is more about a pandemic.


• Pace
  The opening of '28 Weeks Later' starts off a lot more slow paced than our opening sequence. Then, once the zombie things appear, the pace becomes much faster.


• End of the chase
  The chases end very differently. In '28 Weeks Later' the person being chased escapes, whereas our victim gets caught.

Finished Opening sequence

Overall, I'm fairly pleased with the opening sequence that our group created. I think the mise-en-scene works well - particularly the character's dress codes and the location. I think we did quite well in terms of shot variation since we had lots of different distances, angles and levels. I particularly like the low level tracking shot of the villain's feet, with the victim in the background. I also think that the diegetic sound worked very well, especially sound of the rustling leaves at the beginning. The slow shutter speed was also really good at conveying how drugged the victim was.

There were also a few things that we could have done better. Some of the movement in some shots could have been a bit smoother (where necessary), but this could really only have been done with even better equipment. And, I think the capture at the end could have had a bit more impact if we'd shot if slightly differently and used some different non-diegetic sound. The final shot (a pan of the pictures on the wall) is a bit too dark, and this means that the picture of the new girl cannot be seen very clearly (particularly in the YouTube video), so it would have been much better if the shot was lit a bit better.

Audience Feedback

I asked my friends to fill in the questionnaire that the group created and here are a couple of responses.

This is a response from my friend who's in university and doesn't normally watch thrillers. I thought it was quite interesting to see how the opening sequence came across to someone who normally wouldn't watch this type of film:


Age: 19
Gender: Female

1. What is the name of this film and can you tell us what happens in the sequence?
The Anesthetist. An 18-year old white girl is followed through a deserted woodland area by a white male. She wears little, even unsubstantial, clothing and has perhaps suffered an assault beforehand and has run away from her attacker or been dumped there. This is maybe suggested through the fact her shoe has come off her foot. The attacker finally catches up with the girl and she is drugged. Her lifeless body is dragged through the woodland. The scene then changes to what the viewer assumes to be the killer’s residence and the audio is a voiceover from a news report on the succession of murders of young girls. We learn that the drug was the "toxic sedative" Chloroform. The killer crosses off photos of the lifeless bodies of the young girls in what could be said to be a satanic shrine.

2. What genre category would you put this film into and why?
Thriller/mild horror due to the content of the piece and its storyline.

3. What do you think the rest of the film will be about?
I think that there could perhaps be a continuation of the killing spree with perhaps more involvement of members of the local community. This would maybe follow the ordeals of more young girls, most possibly all from the same area. Interaction between the killer and the rest of the community would no doubt be a focus. A completely different stance could be taken though and the film could focus on what it was like to be in the killer’s mind.

4. And would you go and watch it?
Though the story is intriguing and the air of suspense leads the viewer to want to know more, in honesty it is probably not the kind of film I would be likely to go and watch at the cinema due to my personal preference in film genres. I am not a major fan of thriller/horror films.

5. What works well in the sequence and what do you think could be improved?
I feel the suspense in the opening shot of the victim on the floor with a shoe missing from her foot is highly effective in gripping the viewer’s attention from the start. I believe the music suits the piece very well as it definitely sets the eerie mood without being too over-dramatic and unbelievable. The way the shot flicks back and forwards between the killer and the victim is really effective as it really picks up the pace and makes it seem as though the killer’s approach is a lot faster than you’d think it would be. I’m not quite sure how to interpret the crossing out of photos by the killer. I think that it perhaps seems a bit over-dramatic and maybe comical to put a cross through the photos with a red pen. However, it does add to the eerie feel of the film with the photos being of the lifeless bodies as opposed to when the girls were still alive.

6. Do you think it is a British, American or European film?
British

7. What sort of cinema would you expect to see this film in? (e.g. Arthouse cinema, Multiplex etc)
I find it difficult to answer this without knowing where the storyline was going. However, from the opening I would probably say it was the kind of film most likely to be shown in more of an Arthouse/independent cinema.

8. What would you give the opening sequence out of 10?
8 out of 10. I’ve perhaps been a bit harsh here with the mark due to the fact I am not a big fan of thriller or horror films. Having said that though, the sequence is definitely gripping and the stark contrast between the woodland scene to the killer’s home is rather chilling. I also think the anonymity of the killer makes it more chilling as the viewer never sees his face clearly. For fans of thriller films I’m sure they would be compelled to watch on and discover more. The way the film grips the viewer’s attention right from the first few seconds is a major achievement.
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I thought it was interesting to see that even though my friend doesn't normally watch thriller films, she was still easily able to identify the genre signifiers as well as guess what the rest of the film would be about.
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And here's the response from my other friend who finished doing her degree in film theory last year:

Age: 22
Gender: Female

1. What is the name of this film and can you tell us what happens in the sequence?
The name of the film is The Anaesthetist. The sequence shows a young woman being chased through the woods by a man, who eventually catches her. We are then shown a series of photographs of other young women. The photographs all have red crosses through them. We stop on a photograph of the woman we saw being chased, and then the killer takes a red pen and draws a cross on her photograph too.

2. What genre category would you put this film into and why?
I would suggest that this film falls under the genre of slasher-horror. This is because it follows several of the conventions of the slasher genre, in particular a young woman wearing white being chased by a mysterious man.

3. What do you think the rest of the film will be about?
After watching this opening sequence, I would think that the rest of the film would follow a group of young girls, some of which would also become victims of the killer. There would be some mystery as to who the killer is, but it would be revealed in the final sequence. I would guess that there would be a "heroine" who would survive the film and stop the killer.

4. And would you go and watch it?
I would go to see this kind of film; its target audience would probably be teenagers to early 20s, primarily male, but also with some female appeal. The film's opening sequence reminds me of several other slasher-horror films, such as Scream, Halloween and I Know What You Did Last Summer.

5. What works well in the sequence and what do you think could be improved?
The sequence contained quite a few low angle shots, these were very effective when showing the girl running away. The framing of the shots was impressive, the focus on the feet instead of the whole body added to the suspense and confusion as to who the man is. The music was eerie and helped to create suspense throughout the sequence. Also, I think the slow pan at the end of the sequence, showing the photographs of other girls, clearly developed the notion that this was a serial killer, as opposed to a one-off kill.
In my opinion, one thing that could be improved is that the audience see too much of the killer's face. In order to further create tension for the rest of the film, I think it would be better to obscure the killer's face either with a mask or an item of clothing, such as a hat, scarf or hood. Also, as it was filmed on a handi-cam, this can be quite effective during chase sequences and for establishing point-of-view shots, but beware of OVER using them, as it can create motion sickness for the audience!

6. Do you think it is a British, American or European film?
The film looked like it would be American. It follows similar patterns to other American films of similar genre, and therfore I would think it would be an American film. It could be perhaps a British take on a predominantly American genre.

7. What sort of cinema would you expect to see this film in? (e.g. Arthouse cinema, Multiplex etc)
I would expect this film to be shown in a multiplex. I would imagine it to have quite a high budget and that it would open on many screens nationwide.

8. What would you give the opening sequence out of 10?
I would give the sequence 7 out of 10. It is effective and enticing, creating suspense and intrigue as to why the killer is murdering these girls. I am not entirely sure I like the title of "The Anaesthetist", it is quite long and complicated, but other than that the clip is well-made, well-edited and well-acted.

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The point that my friend made about 'The Anaesthetist' looking like an American film was very interesting. I think that she was right in saying that the film could be a British take on a predominantly American genre, since most (recent) well known serial killer films are American.

Applying Narative Theories to our film/opening sequence

Levi-Strauss's Oppositions

The binary opposites that appear in 'The Anaesthetist's opening sequence and would appear in the rest of the film

Good vs. Evil: Naomi/Amy vs. 'The Anaesthetist'
Hero vs. Villain: Naomi vs. 'The Anaesthetist'
Dark vs. Light: 'The Anaesthetist' vs. Naomi/Amy
Male vs. Female: 'The Anaesthetist' vs. Naomi/Amy


Barthes Action/Enigma Codes

Action codes in the opening sequence:

• Amy picks up her shoe


• Amy starts running


• Amy is hallucinating


• Amy falls over


• Amy gets drugged by the killer


• The killer strokes a photo of his new fixation

Enigma codes in the opening sequence:

• Where has Amy run away from?


• Why is she wearing that white dress?


• Why does he choose to chloroform all his victims?


• How many girls has 'The Anaesthetist' killed?


• How long has he been stalking the new girl for?
  

Propp's Character Types

In the opening sequence, two characters are identified. But, the girl is killed and a new girl is briefly introduced. So, so far in the film only two character types can be identified:

The Hero: Naomi Lawson - on the DVD cover it is implied that Naomi will be the one who finally stops 'The Anaesthetist'

The Villain: 'The Anaesthetist' - 'The Anaesthetist' is the villain in the film since he's the character who has killed lots of people. However, if the film was focusing on his mind and his reasons behind killing, he could be perceived to be more of an 'anti-hero' rather than a villain as such.

Sub-genres

Our group's thriller would most likely come under the crime thriller sub-genre.

A crime thriller is defined as one which is more focused on the criminals and their lives rather than the policemen who are trying to capture them. So, in relation to our film, the 'Anaesthetist' would be the main focus of the film. However, crime thrillers also usually focus more on action rather than the psychological aspects of a criminal. This wouldn't really be the case in our thriller. Although there would probably be some 'action' like the kidnapping of more girls, it would not happen often enough to be the main focus of the film.

Our thriller also has some aspects of a psychological thriller. This is because the film would probably focus on the killer's mind and the reasons behind his actions, rather than his actions themselves.

Other thriller sub-genres include:

• Horror Thriller
  Horror thrillers contain the element of fear throughout the film. The main character is or will often become the victim.
  Example: 'Hostel'
• Action Thriller
  Action thrillers often feature a race against time with lots of violence.
  Example: 'The Bourne Identity'
• Drama Thriller
  Drama thrillers contain more character development than other thrillers and they are often more slow-paced than other thrillers.
  Example: 'Perfume: The Story of a Murderer'
• Supernatural Thriller
  Supernatural thrillers normally show protagonists either battling an evil paranormal force or stuck in a situation caused by ghosts or other paranormal beings.
  Example: 'The Ring'