AS Evaluation- Question 1- In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Generally in thrillers there are two main characters which contrast each other to build up suspense. The characters which are conventional in thrillers are a killer and a victim. The killers are usually men and represented as being as strong and powerful characters.  They are usually shady which gives the audience an impression they shouldn’t be trusted. Sometimes they have a hidden identity or act in a way to show to the audience that they are mental. Usually there is only one killer to show the power they have. They will wear dark clothes which represent evil and could show there not right.  The killers in thrillers create suspense to be built and enigma throughout the film when they are present. They also give off an eery aura. The other character which is the victim is usually a blonde female character as it presents innocence to the audience and they are able to relate to her easier. The victims are usually quiet but get most in trouble. They wear bright clothing to show that they are a happy person which massively contrasts with the killer character. They are the unfortunate character in the film. For example in the film Psycho, the victim is a young pretty woman and the killer is a strong man with a mental problem. These were two contrasting characters which made the film successful as it built suspense and tension. Throughout a thriller film a sense of fear or danger is presented which builds up to the climax of the scene. They also sometimes begin with a sense of equilibrium. The story of a thriller will usually be shown from the victims view point which allows the audience to relate to the characters meaning that they will get close to them. Usually films that are shown from the victims point of view will have short clips or ‘flashbacks’ which are from a killers point of view which also builds a relationship between them and can create a sense of guilt. It also helps the audience understand the storyline better. Usually scenes in thriller films will keep the audience guessing and they will be asking themselves questions. At the end of every thriller an event is overcome and the audience will understand why the killer is who he is. For example in the film Seven ‘the sloth scene’ when the investigator finds a body tied to a bed the audience wont fully understand what is going on until the end of the film. Suspense is built very well in this seen as there is a sense of mystery which keeps the audience engaged. The typical setting of a thriller is in a dark place usually really dim and gloomy which allows suspense to be built really well. It’s normally set in a suburban area or dark forest. For example the film shutter islands its set in a really dark mental home. The lighting is usually low key which enables mystery to be built as the audience can’t see every part of the scene. The main camera shots that are used are steadi cam and Handheld where steady images are contrasted with jerky image to build tension and to keep the audience on edge. Eery music is also very conventional and used a lot in thriller films to create a tense atmosphere. Hidden identity is also very common and conventional in thrillers as it makes the audience want to find out who's under the mask therefore they will be engaged with the film. Timing of shots is very conventional to the thriller genre as it builds up to the climax of the scene and makes events more dramatic and creates high tension.

Write up generic conventions in more detail- choose 6 different conventions. 

 In my opening sequence we followed many generic conventions of a thriller but tried to make our opening sequence different to typical ones also.One generic convention that I followed was using multiple locations within my thriller as it builds up suspense for the audience. At the start of the scene its set in a urban area/city which will portray to the audience that the girl is normal which will help build a relationship between them and will also create empathy for the girl later on in the scene. By also having it located in an urban location in the beginning which creates a sense of normality will make the girls situation more dramatic. Its very conventional for thrillers to be set in urban areas as it creates high tension when something dramatic does occur which is key in thrillers. We wanted to use two dark locations to show that her mind set in very unstable, through the change in location the audience convey that she is not okay. The audience see the progression of how she changes from the urban location to the forest. We used a forest as the other setting to emphasise that she is vulnerable in which the audience will feel empathy for. Forests are very conventional in thrillers as it creates a sense of mystery as the audience may not be able to see the whole of the scene. It also puts the audience on the edge of their seats as its a dark setting which is key in thrillers.

 I followed the convention of having a female blonde as a victim as the character will be portrayed as vulnerable especially as she has blonde hair meaning that a high relationship will be built with the audience and the audience will engage with the film more. However we decided to break the conventions by having the victim and the killer as one character. In the beginning of the scene the audience will perceive the girl to be innocent as she has blonde hair and is applying make up however as the scene progresses the audience will start to view that she is mentally unstable which will result in mixed feelings about the character therefore the audience will engage in the film more. I wanted to break the convention slightly to make our film unique compared to others. I am only using one character in our thriller as we wanted just to have one strong character which the audience can relate to and to focus on. Also by only having one character the audience will straight away understand who the main focus of the film is and wont get confused throughout the scene. The audience may also feel sorry for her but however they may feel different and get a feel that she's mental which will build a tense atmosphere and build a relationship between them. The age of the girl is important as she is similar age to the audience meaning that the audience will be able to relate to her more meaning that they will engage with the film more. I also chose this character as she creates enigma within the film which will keep the audience fascinated. 

Another convention I used is the editing style timing of shots. Timing of shots is very conventional in thrillers as they build up to the climax of a scene or a dramatic incident, by using timing of shots the incident will be seen as more dramatic which is key in thrillers. Timing of shots is where shots are either slow or fast to build up tension within a scene. In thrillers timing of shots are typically slow at the beginning of the film and then they gradually get faster to build up to an event which builds up adrenaline for the audience. I am making the timing of shots slow at the beginning of the opening sequence to engage the audience and to show the mise en scene in detail without rushing it. By using slow timing of shots at the beginning the audience will be able to pick up on the iconography which is the wristwatch. This will create enigma for the audience and may portray that her death is coming. The timing of shots start to become faster as she is moving through the forest which creates high tension as the audience wont know where she is going to end up. Just before she drowns herself the timing of shots will be faster to build suspense for the audience as they will now know she is going to end her life. Timing of shots in my opening sequence will build suspense and make the audience want to watch more of the film.

Another generic convention I followed was by using eerie non digetic sound throughout the opening sequence. Using non digetic sound such as an eerie soundtrack is very conventional as it creates a tense atmosphere for the audience which is a key mood for thrillers to create. Without eerie music the film wouldn't be as interesting and the events in scenes wouldn't be as scary. I used the same eerie soundtrack through out the whole 2 minute opening sequence so it makes the shots flow. The eerie soundtrack I used successfully linked with images behind and create a tense atmosphere for the audience. I also used non digetic sounds over the objects such as the television, globe and radio. By using the eerie noises over the objects made the setting which is her own home portray to be more creepier which created empathy towards the girl. The soundtrack will used sounded unstable.I used this soundtrack particularly so that it would link in with our character. I also used parallel sound which is conventional over the door when its opened. I used the sound here as it looks more realistic for the audience in which they will engage more with the scene.

Another generic convention I used was the style of credits. In many thriller films, the credits stand out to the audience and get them excited for the film by the way that they are presented. For example in the film seven the credits are a main part of the film, they give an idea about what the film will be about by the way they are presented. The opening credits will also tell the audience the team members whom produced the film. My opening credits were very de fragmented to tell the audience that the character in the opening sequence is very unstable. This will create a tense atmosphere from the start of the film meaning that the audience will be engaged straight away. By having the opening credits de fragmented the audience will be able to build a relationship with the character as they may envy her as they will start to get a feel she is not right in the head. I made the opening sequence colour red, this is very conventional to thrillers as it symbolizes death. I used the colour red to convey to the audience that a death occurs which will create suspense for the rest of the scene.

Another generic convention I used frequently was a long shot. Long shots are conventional to the thriller genre as it build high tension for the audience because long shots portray the mise en scene which can be gloomy and dark. I used long shots frequently to build suspense and tension for the audience as they wont know what is going to happen next. I use a long shot of the girl when she is walking towards the forest. This creates high tension as the audience wont know where she is going and will create enigma. I also use a long shot of when she is walking through the forest. I have used a long shot here as it makes the character look smaller which shows that she has been taken over by something. I also used a long shot here to show that the girl is walking through a dark forest which will create empathy for her. Another time I used a long shot is right at the end of the scene just before she is about to drown herself. I used it here to show the audience the whole location of where she is about to die. This will create high tension. I also used a variety of different shots which is conventional as it will keep the audience interested in the film.

 The film psycho uses many generic conventions which are similar to my opening sequence.  The film Psycho also has a female character whom is represented as very vulnerable meaning that she is a victim who is very similar in my opening sequence as she is blonde and very young. Another similar convention is the place its set in, my opening sequence and psycho is set in a gloomy place however my thriller is set in a forest and a house where as psycho is set in a dark motel in a suburban area however it both creates the same effect on the audience and creates high tension. My opening sequence uses low key lighting throughout whereas psycho is in black and white but still creates high suspense as it makes the film dark. The main camera angle which defines the thriller genre is a long shot; it is highly used in my opening sequence and in psycho to show the audience the mise en scene which proves to the audience that it’s a thriller film which puts the audience on edge. The editing is very similar. The timing of shots are slow at the beginning and fast when the girl is getting stabbed and in my film when the girl is drowning. This will build up adrenaline for the audience and will be released really quickly therefore meaning that the film will be jumpy which is conventional to thrillers.