The techniques

As I was watching my whole movie selection, I was aware of the camera shots and angles that were used. The most typical techniques are the following:

- Close ups:

It's mostly used to show the victim(s) face, rather than the attackers'. Thriller movies are all about what the protagonist feels and reacts to certain situations, and this is the perfect way to show that. Thus, any anxious or frustrating event is a situation where a close-up should be utilized.

- Hand-held camera:

Especially used when there are chase sequences. This technique gives tension and realism to the film since it's shown from the protagonist's perspective and it let the viewer immerse him/herself into the movie's experience. The presence of hand-held is predominant in this scene from You're Next to show the fear and the uncertainty of all the characters as arrows fly to their dining room. 

- Point of view shot:

By changing the camera to what the character is seeing, the audience is introduced to the time and space of the shown events and so it puts the audience into the ''protagonist's shoes''. I think this is going to be a predominant shot in my film since my purpose is to introduce my audience to the POV of the antagonist, even if they don't know that he's the antagonist. This shot might be linked to over-the-shoulder shots to support the character's POV from different types of shots.

- Low-key lighting

This is a fundamental technique in this genre. Mainly, it adds mystery to the scene since the camera is showing what the character is seeing, which is basically nothing. By reducing the characters' sightedness, the antagonist adds more power and he's able to surprise his victim more easily. Therefore, this creates more tension in the viewer and he/she gets scared as well. 

Other predominant techniques are the presence of fast editing, showing numerous shots and maintaining the viewer on his/her feet as the scene develops, and sound effects and music. Everyone remembers the specific score from Jaws every time the shark would come nearby to one of his victims or the memorable violins from Psycho. Even The Shining is remembered by its instrumental sound as Jack chases his wife and kid. This type of sound add more suspense to the movie and warn the viewer that danger is close. 

This scene from The Strangers shows both the use of hand-held camera and sound effects rather than dialogue. The camera follows Kristen journey as she runs through the house trying to escape from the killers while immersing the viewer in the anxious experience. All the knocks on the walls/door, as well as the vinyl music, play psychologically with the character, creating tension and suspense in the scene.

Now that I have a list of the most important techniques that I should introduce in my film, I can start my storyboarding process, which hopefully I'll have done by mid-next week.