Editing Scream 3 - The cutting room -Miss Georgiou

Editing is used in thrillers and plays a big part of them because it helps convey the ideas of suspence, shock and surprise to the audience and to the characters that are within the film. In this blog I am going to discuss specific editing features that I have noticed in a clip of Scream 3 called 'The cutting room' and why they are conventional to a typical thriller film.

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For example, a straight cut is used when the blonde, female victim is on the phone to her murderer and the camera instantly changes it's view to the telephone box when the victim is threatened, before it then jumps back to a mid shot which ultimately creates an eerie feel and the audience feels unsure of what to do, but yet regardless still feels frightened and that something bad's going to happen, especially because the audience are clearly aware especially after the threat that the victim has just spoken to her murderer over the phone unknowingly which shows the reality of the situation of not knowing who she is talking to..that it could be anybody which is religiously seen in a thriller film because thrillers often try to use a realistic situation to create suspence, shock and surprise.

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I found that there was a reaction shot within the clip and this is evident just as the victim reacts to the sound of her killers voice threatening to kill her. The victim jumps back in shock and horror so the reaction shot is to capture what is going on and how the character is feeling because the audience can clearly see the facial expressions and body language due to mid shot. The audience feels like they are part of the film because they feel like they are in the same room watching this victim trying to escape her death, this is conventional to a thriller film because it shows a sense of being unnerved and unknown identity.

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A linking shot is used as well within the clip of scream 3 - the cutting room. This shows a following over a series of events whereby the victim is escaping her office to the store room further down the corridor. The quick shots which can also be said to be shot reverse shot, from her office to the store room  used are to create a sense of unknowing and gives the audience a rough idea as to how the victim is feeling at that particular moment which it is apparent to them that the victim feels extremely unnerved and scared. There is the clear theme of fear in the clip which is conventional to a thriller film because fear if often present in a thriller.

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I have identified that slow editing is also used when the victim is now in the store room walking to hide in the cloths rack that has all identical costumes and masks. The reason slow editing is used is to create a stronger sense of suspense. The audience feel scared for the victim because they're sympathetic for the traumatic experience that the victim is having, This is conventional to a thriller because it makes the audience feel engaged within the film and wanting to help the victim.