Idea pitching

My own poster created in Canva!

– The Interview

For my AS Level Media Studies project, I decided to create the opening of a psychological thriller titled The Interview. My main goal is to immediately capture the audience’s attention by creating a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere from the very first scene. Rather than relying on action or violence, I want the tension to slowly build through sound, dialogue, and character behaviour, making the audience feel uneasy and curious about what will happen next.

The opening begins in a quiet office hallway, where a young man walks toward a glass door for what appears to be a normal job interview. However, the atmosphere already feels slightly unsettling. The sound of his footsteps echoes in the empty hallway, and a faint ticking sound can be heard in the background. Small details like him adjusting his tie, hesitating before entering, and taking a deep breath are used to show his nervousness and to build tension early on.

Once he enters the waiting area, the environment still seems calm, but something feels slightly off. The tension increases when another candidate suddenly storms out of the interview room looking angry and upset, slamming the door behind her. This moment creates mystery and immediately makes the audience question what happened inside the room.

As the main character waits, the ticking of a clock becomes louder and more noticeable. Close-up shots of the clock, his tapping foot, and his fidgeting hands emphasize his growing anxiety. These small visual details help create suspense and place the audience in the character’s perspective, making them feel the pressure he is experiencing.

When he is finally called into the interview room, the tone shifts from nervousness to psychological intensity. The interviewer appears calm at first but quickly becomes intimidating and aggressive. The questions become louder and more confrontational, creating a stressful and uncomfortable situation. The use of fast cuts, close-ups, and loud dialogue during this scene increases the tension and makes the audience feel the character’s panic.

However, the most important moment of the opening occurs at the end. After being thrown out of the interview, the character goes to the bathroom to calm himself down. At first it appears to be a quiet moment, but when he looks into the mirror and notices a knife on the sink, the tone suddenly becomes much darker. His slow smile suggests something disturbing about his mental state, hinting that the situation may escalate into something far more dangerous.

I chose the psychological thriller genre because I enjoy stories that focus on the human mind and hidden emotions rather than obvious action. Psychological thrillers often create suspense through character behaviour, tension, and uncertainty, which allows the audience to interpret the situation in different ways.

The target audience for my film is mainly teenagers and young adults, as this age group often enjoys thriller films that build suspense and include unexpected twists. The relatable setting of a job interview also makes the story feel realistic, which can make the psychological tension even more effective.

The unique selling point (USP) of my opening is that it turns an everyday situation, such as a job interview, into something psychologically intense and unsettling. By slowly building tension through sound, body language, and subtle hints about the character’s mental state, the opening leaves the audience questioning what the character might do next.

Overall, the aim of my film opening is to hook the audience immediately and create a sense of mystery and unease that encourages them to keep watching to discover the darker truth behind the character.