Editing

I am going to Analyse The Strangers to make use of what editing techniques there are involved with this film. This way we will know if the editing techniques suit the role play required within this thriller genre film.

if the editing used isn't refined well enough for the thriller to convey its purpose it will conclude on how well the film is made

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrCZ-X66KKQ&feature=plcp 

From this scene of the film located in the link, up to 2:05 the film viewed with slow editing to show a calm environment, as this also puts the audience on ease as they are watching the film. The slow editing used throughout this sequence urges that it is building up tension and this is how the editing technique conveys a thriller to the audience by portraying a story line which feels serene to the audience. After 2:05 the fire alarm starts to sound which makes Kristen panic which in turn makes the audience panic as suspense starts to build up until the next event takes place.

Another point is how the editing goes from slow editing to another pace of viewing for the audience which causes the viewers to be uptight about what is before them in the film.

After she takes down the smoke Alarm at 2:35 there is editing where a jump cut is used and i know this because the camera is first focusing on her reaching for the smoke alarm, then when she drops it the door knocks and the camera moves straight onto the door and focuses onto it. While she was dealing with the alarm we didn't hear the door knock for about a minute, but when the door knocks you know whoever is out there hasn't given up yet and as an audience watching it makes your heart start pumping because you are caught by surprise when the door knocks.

Last and thirdly looking at 7:19 when she comes back to the smoke alarm. She remembers when she dropped it on the floor and she didn't pick it up since them, so when she see's it on the chair its edited with a Reaction Shot as she looks back at what happened. The audience knows the alarm was on the floor and this creates a tense mood as someone has been in the house and they only hop for nothing to happen to Kristen bust we know at this stage something is going to pop out from somewhere and this editing technique is a good convention for the thriller film as it brings up questions for the audience and it gives them a tense mind to think about what could happen.

Looking at this scene and the editing techniques we can see overall the editing has been done at the right times to empathize with the audience and their current feelings, and the pace of editing is used at its best for the conventions of the thriller film.