Camera Planning

    In planning the camera work for our psychological thriller, we knew that every shot needed to enhance the tension and suspense of the story. Our first goal was to create a calm, everyday atmosphere in the beginning, so we planned for steady, simple shots that would make the diner setting feel normal. As the girl starts to feel more uneasy, we’ll use slow zoom-ins to focus on her face, showing her growing discomfort when she notices the man outside with a camera. These subtle camera movements will help to draw the audience’s attention to the small details that heighten her paranoia, without needing too many words to tell the story.

    The camera angles are also an important part of how we plan to shape the audience's perspective. We plan to use over-the-shoulder shots to give the audience a sense of looking at the world through the protagonist’s eyes. This will make the viewer feel like they’re right there with her, sharing in her unease as she notices the man in the car and later the man with the clipboard. As the tension rises, we’ll use high-angle shots of the man when he’s standing outside her door, which will make him appear more menacing and give a sense that he has power over the girl, even though she doesn’t fully understand the situation.

    Zoom-ins and zoom-outs are also going to be key in building suspense and creating confusion. We plan to use slow zoom-ins during moments when the protagonist feels threatened, like when she notices the man with the camera outside the diner, to increase the tension. On the flip side, zoom-outs will be used to disorient the audience, like when the car disappears after she notices it, or when the girl’s sense of security starts to fade. These camera techniques will allow us to keep the audience on edge, not sure who they can trust or what’s real, just like the main character.