Genre Research: The 355

In the film, there are many examples of tracking shots. For example, there was a scene where the character was trying to escape people and the camera tracked her as she ran away. It captured all the different methods she used to try and escape, which ranged from running to stealing a motorcycle. These shots can be used to show characters’ exact movements clearly and help show the audience exactly what is happening in the scene as it’s happening. Additionally, there were many uses of over-the-shoulder shots. Examples include when one of the characters was watching secret recordings on her computer, which was presented to the audience in an over-the-shoulder shot. Most of the time, these over-the-shoulder shots are used to show to the audience something “secret” the character is doing. Finally, there were a lot of examples of close-ups. For example, when one of the characters had a gun to her head, there was a close-up of her crying with tears going down her face. Many times, close-ups give the audience a clear understanding of what emotions the character is feeling at that moment. The close-ups are also usually recorded at eye level.  

There were many uses of mis-en-scene throughout the film. For instance, when it comes to costumes, most of the time the characters in this film were dressed professionally. This is mainly because they were all secret agents. Due to this, the men mainly wore either suits or button-up shirts and dress pants and the women mainly wore dresses or skirts and even suits sometimes. As for the lighting, it is usually brightly lit scenes to show the audience exactly what is happening in that scene. However, sometimes especially during fighting scenes, there was darker lighting that set a dark and evil overall mood. The acting throughout the entirety of the film was serious and professional. Not an easy-going or joking environment. For example, when the characters had conversations, it was usually about important matters like planning how to defeat the enemies. The makeup was not drastic, just the average day-to-day makeup that women would usually wear was shown on the characters. The boldest it got was red lipstick and some eyeshadow. The props included things like secret gadgets. For instance, jewelry such as necklaces with secret cameras implanted in them which recorded important interactions with characters. The setting changed a lot, depending on the mission the characters had to go on and where they had to be for it. This includes places like restaurants, offices, theaters, etc.  

There was a lot of dialogue throughout the film that disclosed important information to both the characters and audience. There were important plans and secrets the characters talked about that helped move the plot of the story along. There was also a lot of non-diegetic music playing throughout the film during tense moments such as when the characters were fighting or escaping. This worked to make the scene seem scarier and bring the audience to the edge of their seat.  

Some of the editing techniques used throughout the film included things like a shot reverse shot. This can be seen in scenes where characters are talking to each other. This technique makes it easier for the audience to track the conversation and who is saying what, so they better understand what is being said. Also, another technique that is commonly used is the eye-line match. This can be seen when the character is looking at someone stealing the bag that he needs, so the next shot is a clip of the bag being taken. Eye-line matches can make it easier for the audience to observe specific elements of a scene that are important, and they can better understand what the character is doing or is focused on in that scene.  

Some of the main elements used in thriller movies that were seen in this film as well include tracking shots and close-ups. These elements intensify the scene that they are used in. Also, other elements they had in common include light make-up, dark lighting, and weapons. Finally, it also included shot reverse shots and non-diegetic sound. This overall helped to make the film tense and intriguing.  

Some of the elements in this film that we liked included things like tracking shots, over-the-shoulder shots, weapon props, dark lighting, and regular everyday makeup. We feel like these things are all easy to recreate given our circumstances while still making a good thriller film. Additionally, we like elements such as non-diegetic music, dialogue, and shot-reverse-shot. These all do a great job of getting specific points and moods across to the audience.  

Unfortunately, some of the elements we didn’t like for our film that were used in this one include things like professional costumes and a serious tone when acting. While these may have been a good match for this specific storyline, we feel that our movie is more centered around day-to-day experiences so these things would not be a good match for us. Also, close-ups might be hard for us because it would most likely be hard for our actors or actresses to not break character like a professional is able to while the camera is focused right on their face.