Ollie Stacey

Firstly, I began by introducing the audience to the initial rush and chaos of my film. I did this by including the flashing of police lights which appeared on the screen, giving the audience the idea that something terrible has happened. Alongside the lights, I added sirens and ambient sound from the city. This also helped the audience build up an idea of where the film was based and begin to understand what may be going on. I also added a voice over from various news reporters from the day of the attack on London. This then gave the audience a much more certain idea of what the opening of the film was to be about. Following on from this.. these are key conventions to a thriller as it incorporates chaotic music which adds pace to the film and also uses the effect of fast cuts with the lights flashing on and off the screen to build anticipation and pace to the opening. The lighting hare is also very low-key, this allows the colour from the lights to appear more poignant within this frame, focusing the audience’s attention on what is occurring. Furthermore I deliberately blurred the flashing police lights to give a sense of chaos. It is also a POV of the onlooker of the attack and their blurred vision showing the public’s confusion as to what has just happened. Alternatively this shot could show how our modern society is constantly reliant of our emergency services, the blurred vision showing how our current society Is lost without them and fearful when they are caught off guard, much like the recent Westminster terror attacks which even though a terror attack was imminent, they are still not able to know exactly when one will occur. The shot here is also an extreme close up, which shows the white red and blue, the colour of our country’s flag, this shows to the audience a strong implementation of patriotism and how are country will not be swayed by terrorism. The various sound scapes throughout this scene have been carefully layered and the sound of each layer carefully selected, allowing me to manipulate my audience and confuse them by using certain sounds in the back ground on a quieter scale for example the ambient sound of the city which shows a strong ideological theme of stereo typical terrorism as it is where they are able to inflict the most damage. Initially this appears to be utterly irrelevant but as the opening goes on and the audience see the events unfold it becomes clear as to why the ambient sound appeared at the beginning. Much like in the opening of the film ‘Ronin’, which we analysed earlier this year, there is a sound of a sword being drawn every time a significant event happens in the film. I took this idea and in scenes where it was relevant and would make sense, I put the ambient sound of the city in again, often appearing on a quieter scale.  Lastly this scene uses the parallel editing techniques the audience is switched after the chaotic police light and news reporter scene to the calmness of someone who they do not yet know who, stood in a lift. Here the sounds and noises are calm, this making the film initially more of a mystery as the audience believe that the character they see in the lift may not be the antagonist as there is no threatening sound or music.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Secondly, I continued to build suspense by just showing the audience a close up of someone's feet going up the stairs. At this point the audience are still unaware as to who’s feet these are and where they are going. At this point I introduce a new soundscape, this has a faster pace and gives the film more pace as the events begin to unfold. I also use a tracking shot ere, following the feet for a short amount of time up the stairs to keep the pace for the film flowing, she’s the audience that the feet being shown are of some significance in the following scenes in the film and are the feet of one of the main actors.  Furthermore, in this frame, I adjusted the colour of the shot on the colour board so that it was more on the grey scale. This helped give the film a dark feel and also make it more mysterious and the identities of the characters and the roles they were playing not as easily established by the audience again keeping the tension high and actually making the audience ant to watch my film. Finally, here the grey sale also makes the dark colours and shadows stand out more. This alongside the lowlighting helps to build a dark atmosphere around the film and gives away small hints alongside some of the sound effects that the events to come were to be destructive and of a dark nature. This shot may be seen as some of the audience as a POV shot, watching the one of the actors walk up the stairs, as at this stage the audience are not aware as to what role the character is playing, or who they are. The bars on the stair case also have strong connotations of a jail, this could be foreshadowing a prison like crime to come later in the film. The focus on the feet here is also a purposeful focus on the action and not the emotion of the film, this showing how the terrorist is either unaware or careless of the chaos and pain they inflict to both the victims’ families and the victims themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following on from frame 2  into frame 3, I added shots to the opening showing the normality of daily life as the horrific events begin to unfold elsewhere. I did this as it gave the film a more authentic feel and made it seem truer to life. Although this could be seen by some as disturbing, from my audience feedback it met the criteria which the audience suggested that they wanted to see, at the same time meeting many of the key codes and conventions of a thriller, such as  crime, law enforcement and urban settings. Also like the previous frame, I adjusted the colour and saturation of the frame using the colour board so that it too appeared on the grey scale. This again making the film have a dark feel, yet also suggesting ton the audience that the people seen walking by are the targets of the terrorist, much like a typical terrorist attack whereby the innocent general public are the targets, as they appear unsuspecting and are not able to act upon what they terrorist do to them as the attacks are completely spontaneous, as seen in the attack on London and also the World Trade Centre in New York. The end of this frame comes when a black screen appears before there is a fade into the next sequence of the film. This blunt and obvious ending to darkness giving hints to the audience of what might be to come in the rest of the film. Following on, in this scene the contrast between the new and old buildings shows a sense of history, this resembling of the current attack we have seen such as the Westminster attack and also attacks further back in history such as ‘9/11’.  The framing in this shot also plays a key role in the portrayal of the people. This is because the surroundings and large buildings and the mid height shot show the public to be insignificant and powerless over the terror and also unaware of what is lurking over them. Finally in the front of this shot, a group of females with headscarf’s walk by. This is significant as it does not pinpoint a typical image or stereotype of a terrorist. This is shown as the majority of the population walking by are white however they appear dark and silhouetted because of the grey scale that I added to the scene. This reliving the tension of the typical Muslim terrorist stereotype and instead pointing in the direction of what our current society assumes to be the most unlikely race and religion to perform a terror act. Lastly the ambient city sound shows the audience how the terrorist is able to fit in with the rest of society and are not easily identified simply by the way they look. The ambient city sound could also be viewed by the audience to show the naivety of the innocent public and how they are unaware of the approaching attack and in turn just carry on with their everyday life, totally oblivious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In ‘frame 4’, I used the CCTV camera effect on the shot. Here you can see that I have added the date of the attacks on London and also the time. This is a massive hint to the audience if noticed. This is a key part of the film, as for those who notice the simple yet affective addition of the date and time are instantly able to begin to be able to build up an idea of which characters are playing the various roles in the film. However, for those who do not notice this, they are still able to build up an idea of which actors are playing the different characters. This is because when the antagonist leaves the lift the body language and the mise en scene give the impressions he is doing something he shouldn’t be and does not want to be identified for it, this is shown in the clothes he is wearing which are all black and his hood which is pulled over him covering a large majority of his face. The audience also wonders here what is inside the rucksack of the antagonist. For those who have built up a strong enough idea of what the film is about this may be obvious. However, no matter how strong the idea at no point this early on in the film is it ever obvious what the antagonist has in is bag, this is intentional as for those who have noticed the date and time and are aware of what happened then in history they do not see the antagonist put anything in there and they do also not see him getting anything out. This allows me to keep the audience engaged in the film and hinting as to what might happen in oncoming scenes. Furthermore, in this scene there is a restriction sign on the entrance of the lift. This gives the idea to the audience of a warning and allows them to begin establishing any roles which are being played in the film. Furthermore contrasting to this point, the music which can be heard in this scene is in no way threatening and also shows the youthfulness of the actor. This again significant as it establishes that you do not have to be of a certain age or religion to be a terrorist or carry out a terror act. The framing here is important as it introduces the first character to the audience and initially draws their attention to him as it is the first character that they have seen. The writing on the screen insignificant as it shows a memory being recorded and capturing the events of the attack and leading up to it. It also shows how the act will never be forgotten and will be watched over as years pass, showing the undying scarring and pain caused by terror attacks. Again much like the recent Westminster terror attacks where the atmosphere was calm, and the a sudden ruthless act caused so much pain and distress to the families of those involved and also the victims , this further extending the point showing the ruthlessness of terrorism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frame 5 shows the fluttering of the England flag in the wind. This colourful shot has been placed here to contrast any previous and upcoming shots which appear on the grey scale. This shot can be interpreted in two ways. For example, the strength and rebelliousness of the country and neighbouring countries’ who will not be beaten by terrorism.  It can also be seen as a colourful flag soon to be harmed in such away that it affects the whole of the country, this is how most of the audience I have spoken to have viewed it as we commonly associate terrorist attacks to appear on a large scale and to have an impact which affects countries and even spreads globally. The movement of the flag in this frame is also rather chilling. This is because it appears to move in a smooth and elegant manor, contrasting the events which are unfolding and also suggesting how the flag will stop moving when the attack occurs, again suggesting how the attack has such a lasting and deep effect on countries attacked and the whole of the world. The bright blue sky also confuses the audience as the previous shots that have appeared on the grey scale are now being contrasted by the bright blue sky, which shows happiness and life. The audience here also gathers the idea for the location of where the film is based and the country in which it is concerned. This links back to the idea of the bombings on London which occurred in the UK, again giving the audience an obvious and powerful hint as to what is coming. Finally the natural sound here shows the public’s obliviousness to the imminent attack, this triggers a sense of worry and fear within the audience as they are powerlessness in warning the public to evacuate. This again is reminiscent of the recent Westminster attack, as those on the bridge were  completely oblivious to what was coming towards them, meaning that they had no way of escaping injury or death.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frame 6 shows the antagonist walking into the train station. This continues to build upon the idea of the terror threat, and the antagonist walking into the Oxford train station and ending up in London is affective as it shows how people from all over can be radicalised it is not just in one location. It is also affective as it shows the real-life unexpectedness of the attack which the audience feel. I also used  white Christian actor to break the stereo type of the image people today have of terrorists. I also used this as a message to anyone watching, that you do not necessarily know you are being radicalised or necessarily doing anything wrong. The black and white filter on this frame is used to give the impression of a flashback, it is also used to give the audience another strong hint of who may be the antagonist. Again, here we also see the terrorist with his hood up, this is unusual to an audience as the rest of the public included in the shot are not dressed in a manner which suggests they are of threat to the public. The sound in this frame also builds great anticipation as on a layer of the soundscape a police despatch can be heard, giving the audience the idea of something horrific is about to happened as it requires emergency services, the music pace also changes at this stage and a much faster paced piece of music can be heard, the drums giving the film flow. This shot also uses parallel editing as it shows the calmness of the terrorist walking into the train station and then the chaos of the Ambulance flying past. This build more anticipation for the audience as it shows how the audience are still unaware of the incoming attack, the ambulance giving a clear indication to the audience that there is going to be injury and bloodshed. This is significant as the audience in previous scenes has seen the innocent public and has an emotional connection with them, this making the outcome of the film even more tragic and the build up even more tense.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frame 7, perhaps one of the most important scenes throughout the film. The short length shot shows a real-life ambulance pass by with the sirens and the emergency lights going, at this point it gives the audience the idea that the film is in fact based on real life events and is also on a large scale. This is shown when the police dispatch can be heard on one layer and then we see and ambulance, signifying that the event that is happening or that is going to happen requires more than one emergency department. Again, such like the other scenes the black and white filter has been put onto this clip as t shows a flashback to before the attack, this is also used to confuse the audience as initially they may wonder why they are seeing and hearing all of this when no crime or terror act has yet taken place that they have seen. Finally, here I also used a tracking shot, this signifies to the audience that the ambulance is the focus of the scene and has significance being there, this shot is also shot from the perspective of a member of the public who is wondering what all of the commotion is. The black and white filter here also show how innocent members of the public have been hurt or killed by the act, again engaging the audience and keeping them on the edge of their seats as they are expecting deaths to come in the film but do not know at what point. The sirens in this scene are also symbolic of screams, this foreshadowing to the audience what is coming in the rest of the film and making them fearful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frame 8, the scene in which the audience come to terms with the scale of what is going on and after piecing together all of the hints, realise what is going to happen. The dark lighting in the tube station also helps show the dark nature of the acts that are to be carried out in the following scene, it also shows the darkness that the public are left in both from the impact of the attack on the country and also the loss of those on-board the train. At this point I also added a heartbeat sound affect, this began to build up more anticipation within the audience and put them on edge as they sensed that whatever that was going to happen was soon to come. The heartbeat symbolises both the nerves of the attacker, the chilling slow pace of the heartbeat  at the beginning showing his calm worrying state of mind, the heartbeat then increases which is from the perspective of the passengers who sense something bad is going to happen, the volume of the heartbeat also increases as the closing scenes go in to show that the terrorist act is approaching, as well as this the increase in pace  builds more anticipation as the audience feel the event coming closer. Finally, the ambient sound of the tube station is used to focus the audience’s attention on the shot and where it is based. This means that the audience do not just see the shot as where an attack could take place but more where it is going to take place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, the 9th frame showing the title of the film is affective as the police lights which at the start of the film were in colour, are now in black and white. This shows that the event is now in the past and the black and white colour symbolises the deaths of the people on board. In this final scene, I also added crowds of people screaming, this emphasising the terror caused by the attack and the worry that the people on-board are feeling. The heartbeat sound also increases here and the slowly fades out at the end of the clip, this shows how the lives are ending of those in board and also how in affect the families of those involved and how the pain may be killing them inside due to the loss of a loved one in the attack.  Just before the screaming there is a black screen, after a smashing sound. The darkness has been used here to symbolise death and also the end for both the attacker and also those in board. Finally, the name Echo came from the police terminology which means lights and sirens are required as life is in immediate peril. The name Echo was chosen to symbolise the echoing effect of the attack and how it will echo through history and never be forgotten. Lastly the name Echo also suggests to the audience that there has been some sort of explosion which has echoed through the tunnel, although this may seem obvious it is never certainly inferred in the film and there is no explosions to be heard or seen. This is an affective ending as the audience want to continue watching and see what happens next, they are also aware of the real life potential terror threat which lies with us today. Lastly the sound at the ends links back more to the horror genre than thriller. This gives an accurate portrayal of the film and the message it gives off. The black and white colour way of the flashing lights which the audience saw at the beginning with the patriotic colour, are not seen in black and white. This gives a sense of reflection and remembrance for those involved.it is also symbolic of those who died as black and white are the typical colour worn to a funeral, showing to the audience although no one was seen to be killed, it implies they were. This leaves the audience with a sense of mystery and makes them want to see what happens in the rest of my film.