21 Shot Thriller

This video is a recent media assignment in which we were given a sheet of 21 set shots (such as ‘close up of person focusing camera’) and then had to produce our own thriller, based on our own interpretation of those shots. The shots could be as long or short as we wanted, but they had to appear in the specified order.

I found this quite tricky at first because it’s hard to produce something unique when everyone has basically the same sequence. This though gave myself and the two others in my group the opportunity to think outside the square.
Thus, cinematography and editing were our main focus. The colours of the film have been modified to better express the mood, and it’s been edited in ‘ultra widescreen’, which I’ve now fallen in love with.

For those interested, here’s a list of the 21 shots we needed to include. Admittedly we didn’t follow the ‘camera static’ instruction, but the motion was essential to portray the action feel…

1. Camera static – CU of person (face) peering through some sort of opening
(like a blind, shutters, window or doorway). Camera is sharply focused on edge of opening. Camera pulls focus away from opening and onto person as they take aim on target.
2. Camera static – ECU of person’s face (mostly their eye) in profile looking right of frame.
3. Camera static – P.O.V. / LS to person’s target (some activity taking place).
4. Camera static – CU of person’s camera lens sticking out of opening (voyeuristic shot, that is, as though audience sees the action but nobody in the world of the film does).
5. Camera static – VLS / LOW ANGLE of person from behind them (inside their room) looking through opening.
6. Camera static – CU / Profile shot of person adjusting zoom on camera and aiming at target.
7. Camera static – CU / P.O.V. shot of person’s target again (activity continuing).
8. As per shot 5 but camera not static. Very slow dolly in towards person at opening.
9. Camera static – ECU of person’s eye.
10. Camera static – CU of person’s target (activity continuing).
11. Camera static – ECU of person’s mouth.
12. Camera static – ECU of finger on camera button.
13. Camera static – CU / P.O.V. shot of person’s target (activity continuing).
14. Camera static – ECU of person’s hand pressing trigger on camera.
15. Camera static – CU / Profile shot of person taking shot of target.
16. As per shot 5.
17. Camera static – Over the shoulder shot of person seated at desk removing film from camera.
18. Camera static – MCU of person concentrating on task of removing film
from camera.
19. Camera static – MCU / Low angled profile shot of person reaching for and pulling open desk drawer.
20. Camera static – MCU / Over the shoulder shot of previous action (caught midway through).
21. Camera static – ECU of drawer opening (same action as for shots 19 & 20) to reveal drawer full of film canisters and photos of target.