Analysis of Editing in Psycho Thriller Film Opening

The Usual Suspects: Editing analysis

• Jump cuts- Keep the viewer on the end of their seat as the transitions aren't as smooth as say fading in. This helps to create a good Psycho Thriller as it keeps the audience psychologically involved as they never know what could be jumped to next. We could use this in our opening sequence to create suspension and build tension in the disappearance scene.
• Shot/reverse shot- Shows the viewer that a number of things are taking place at once and helps to build a better overall view of the scene whilst keeping the focus on a certain thing (for example keeping focus on a certain character). This helps to create a Psycho Thriller as it allows the viewer to be involved in all events and makes it seem as if the film is opening up to them. We could use this in our opening sequence also in the disappearance of the girl to build a bigger picture of what is going on.
• Invisible cuts- These keep the film following the rules of continuity and make the camera look professional; tight. This is important as it makes the viewer willing to keep watching as the film is professional portrayed. We could use this in our opening sequence when we do panning and tracking shots as we could make it look like the camera has panned or tracked completely from one scene to another making it seem smooth and professional.
• L-cut- This helps to give the narrative an underlying idea that can be followed throughout the opening sequence. This is important because it can make the sequence a lot more easy to follow and view as it gives a common idea throughout a number of scenes causing the viewer to see an association between the ideas presented. We could use this in our opening sequence by using this in our flash forward to show that it all links to some extent.