Evaluation Q1

Q1

In this essay I will be writing about how my media product uses challenges and develops conventions of real life thrillers. I will also be writing about why they relate to these conventions and why this is good or bad.

One convention that my product uses is the use of non-diegetic music within the piece to build tension. I have chosen a type of spooky music that has been used to create a sense of fear. This is similar to other thriller movies such as “Dead Silence” which also has a very scary type of music to it to build the tension. I feel this was a good idea as it helps build tension in the piece and overall makes it a better production.  I think it was a good idea conforms to this convention as it shows what type of subgenre my thriller is and that it has had influence from other thrillers that the audience may be familiar with.

I have also used another convention from other thrillers that make the characters seem normal and that they are normal people (person) who has been dragged into a situation they are not familiar with. I have also chosen to use the characters own clothes as the costume as they can also relate to my target audience which is teenagers. This relates to them as they may have similar clothes to the characters costume. This may also mean that they understand the character easier and thus, create a type of empathy between them. I feel it was a good idea to use this convention as it means the piece is easier to understand and that the character is just a normal person.  One thriller what uses this effectively is “The Cabin in the Woods”.

                      "The Cabin in the Woods" characters costumes.    My characters costume.

Another convention that I have used is the use of some fast paced editing. This is very common in thrillers as it makes it seem as if there is a sense of pace to the product. I have used this in my thriller opening when the character is running away through a small shortcut and it cuts between different shots of them running. This is also evident when he is running across the field. Other thrillers such as “Skyfall” use the same idea of using fast paced editing for pace. This is especially evident in chase scene as it is in my thriller opening. I feel it was a good idea to use this convention as it speeds up the pace of the thriller and builds tension as well as adding pace.

Another convention I have used is the idea of a monster. I have used this because it creates a sense of threat for the character. I have taken influence from such thrillers as “Alien” where a monster is used to create threat and horror but also as a way to speed up the thriller as I have done here, this is also evident in the “Jurassic Park” movies too as music is also used to the same effect. I obeyed this convention as it is fairly easy to do on a low budget if initiative is used and thus, make an effective yet simple opening to the thriller. I have also used a monster as many other thrillers have monsters as the villain and have used them to create thrills.

 

 

 

           Xenomorph (Alien)                        point of view from monster in my opening



I have also developed some ideas from existing thrillers. One of these is instead of adding a title over the top of the movie as seen in many movies. I have actually incorporated them into the movie. This is rather hard to do; however, when used correctly it can be an effective way of showing credits. I have done this because it is out of the ordinary but can also look good. I feel it was a good idea to do this as it creates a new idea from an old one. I have taken influence from James Bond movies, even though these are action-adventure, which have credits that have been animated and put into the main movie and I have adapted them so it fits into my movie in a way that shows them as real instead of animated.

One of my filmed credits.

Another convention that I have adapted is the use of sound. Most movies have sound put over the top of the movie; I have done this in my opening however, and do not use ambient sound. In my opening I have used music that I have put over the top of the movie, but when appropriate I used ambient sound. This is particularly evident when I used a bush rustling as ambient sound and then incorporated it into the opening. I feel this is effective as most sound in movies has been put over the top or recorded at another time and put in.

 

Another convention I have developed is a duel narrative between two characters. Where this is common in thrillers, especially in chase scenes, I have used it to create a parallel between the character and the monster. I feel this was a good idea to incorporate as not many thrillers have a duel narrative between the two opposing characters. I have received influence from the opening of “Casino Royale (new version)” where bond is chasing a villain and it cuts between them. This also helps show what both characters are doing and helps understand the movie easier.

 

 

 

 

The duel narrative between the main character and the monster in my opening and the idea of perspectives. This also relates to the horror genre as it is also done in a similar way in “Halloween”.

Another convention I have developed is one about perspectives of the main character. Most thriller movies have used ideas that just follow the main protagonist’s story and not the villains, however I have developed this to show both the protagonists and antagonists. I could be seen as challenging this convention as it is out of the ordinary and is not done much within thrillers. This also challenges it as the main perspective generally follows the protagonist.

Another convention I have developed is the idea of sub genres and hybrid genres. Usually, a thriller would fall into a sub-genre such as action thriller. However, I have incorporated ideas from horror movies (monsters, fear and black and white effect) as well as thriller movies (fast paced editing and effects). This is developing the idea as it improves on the idea of subgenre and creates a hybrid genre. However, this could also be seen as challenging the genre as the opening is not just seen as being a thriller, but also as a horror, this means it is not based on one genre, this is unusual in thrillers. Even though this is not particularly 

I have also challenged a few of the standard conventions of thrillers. One idea I have challenged is editing. I have used a mix of editing throughout the opening and in a short sequence like my opening, only one type is used. However, I have used fast paced and slow paced editing. I have used slow at the start to create a normal day for the character, but it then speeds up as the opening goes on. This is good as it shows that I have used a variety of techniques in the editing and also makes the piece build tension as the pace is increased later on.

 The black and white filter I have also used could be seen as challenging the conventions as well. This is because most modern thrillers are all colour, but I have reversed this as I have added black and white. However, in my opening I have used it to help tell the story better. This makes for a more engaging watch and makes the whole opening more tense.

 

 

 

 

Black and white effect.

Another convention I have challenged is the use of special effects to add in objects to the scene. My opening goes against this as it has now effect other than transitions and black and white. This goes against thrillers such as “The Avengers” because there are no special effects like there are within “The Avengers”.

Another convention I have challenged is lighting. Most thrillers that have fear in them use a lot of darkness and/ or are shot at night. However, mine is shot in the afternoon. I going against this convention which is not that good as it reduce a sense of threat and danger. This could be seen as reducing the tension of the piece. One film that uses darkness well is “Sweeny Todd”. However part in my opening shows a shadow that I have used from influences of expressionism. Shadows can also represent some things such as mystery and darkness. Also darkness also represents fear.

 

 

 

A dark attic area in “Sweeny Todd” where darkness and expressionism is used.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The shadow in my opening.

Another convention I have challenged is the idea of abandonment. I have challenged this as there are many cars around the area that I was filming in as well as many houses. This reduces the idea of abandonment because this connotes that people are around the area and that it is not abandoned. This reduces this aspect and also slightly diminishes the tension. One film where abandonment is used well is “The Chernobyl Diaries”.

 

 

 

 

 

The main characters van in an abandoned area.               One shot that goes against abandonment.

One more convention I have challenged is that the film follows the protagonist in third person. I have gone against this were the character was running and we get a point of view shot. I feel this was effective as the character is running and we can hear his hard breathing. This heightens tension as we can tell he is struggling. Overall, even though this challenges a convention, it has been used well and with good effect. “Blair Witch” also uses a similar technique apart from the character using the camera. It also happens temporarily in “Chronicle”.

 

 

 

 

From the handheld camera part in “Chronicle”.

 

 

 

 

The characters POV whilst he is running.

In conclusion, I feel that my thriller opening is good overall but could have been better if more conventions were used and if the mise-en-scene was better as these influences the thrills that are gotten from the opening. I feel I could have gone better as I have challenged many conventions of thrillers that did not go as intended. However, there are some good parts that work with the conventions and show a verity of camera shots within it.