Research

Creating a Psychological Thriller Short Film

I have conducted research in the psychological thriller category to better understand the desires of the fanbase.
To achieve these results, I’ have completed the following exercises:

- A study of classic psychological thrillers: films like Se7en, Annabelle, Conjuring.
- Paid attention to how it was shot and themes used to create tension and mood.

Target audience
My target audience consists of adults aged 21-35 who enjoy psychological thrillers, suspenseful narratives, and complex character studies. These viewers are typically well-educated, enjoy intellectual stimulation, and have a penchant for unraveling intricate plot lines.

Market research 
- I conducted research on existing films and movies. gained information from films like Rope (1948), Prisoners (2013), Gone Girl (2014).
- I researched existing films and movies and obtained information from film festivals such as BAFTA, Cannes, and TIFF.
- I realised that gothic and detective fiction styles of movies with dark and ominous background music gain the most attraction
- Utilised industry platforms like IMDB to study the highest scored thriller movies and reviews from viewers.

Technology research
I researched the existing tools and AI technologies to better understand what can I utilise within my movie. The steps I have taken in order to achieve this are:
- Gaining proficiency in VFX software such as Adobe After Effects and Adobe Premier Pro.
- Following tutorials on YouTube to understand basic and advanced VFX technique
- Experimenting with digital elements like adding fog, smoke and grains on the footage to enhance the mood of the thriller.
- Using visuals like a crow sitting on a branch to create unsettling emotions.
- Paying attention to how the footage was shot and themes used to create tension and mood.

Understanding sound effects
As sound is a big part of movies, I have conducted research to better understand how I can incorporate them in my projects. To do so, I have:
-Studied and analysed the sound design in thrillers like Psycho (1960), Black Swan (2010), and Gone Baby Gone (2007).
- Noted how sound effects and music contribute to the atmosphere.
- Used static noise in the opening to make the audience uncomfortable and set the tone from the very beginning of the movie.
- Added white noise that matched the scene’s setting and continuity.
- Explored royalty-free music websites like freesound.com, to identify fitting music/background sounds based on my research.

Conclusions
Based on the information I had gathered, I started my ideation using the following primary outcomes from my research:


- There is good response from the audience for sounds generated using a violin and synthesiser to create dark and ominous background music
- Effective visual effects with a high-contrast lighting technique that utilises a low-key lighting setup to achieve contrast between the subject and a dark background
- Common trends on industry forums, film festivals and AI platforms like Adobe Firefly, Adobe Stock and Unsplash.