Q1 - IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE

FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?

Titles Before filming I carried out research into

the typical ways in which the titles are presented. I found that the title of the movie is typically on a black screen and the credits are conventionally in the bottom left corner, They also use colour and size to make them stand out, I attempted to replicate this in my own work by making the main titles big and central as to be the main focus .

Characters one thriller convention I identified through research was

that the more powerful characters where typically men and the weaker ones played by woman, for example films like Scream or Unleashed . I followed this convention making the female character the typical damsel in distress and the male actor the boss who is in control of the situation. I followed this convention as I think that the use of gender is an important aspect of the genre. In reflection I could have chosen to challenge this convention by reversing the power roles and making the more powerful of the two a woman. In conclusion I think that I was successful in showing the different levels of power and control between the two genres.

Themes It is conventional in the thriller genre to find typical themes

such as violence, threats and revenge as can be seen in lock stock and two smoking barrels for example. It is for that reason that I chose to focus on these key themes throughout my video especially in the scene where the woman is tied up and interrogated for money. In conclusion I think that by following these key themes It helped to keep the film recognisable as belonging to the thriller genre however I think If I were to re-make the film I would try to exaggerate these key themes in other ways possibly using fake blood or make up. I might also change the location of the interrogation scene possibly to a ware house or abandoned garage so that we could control the light and make that scene darker to create a more suitable atmosphere.

Iconography (Settings/Costumes/Props)

My final opening sequence was mostly filmed in the Forrest , I did this because in many thriller films(for example ‘In The Woods’) places that are out of sight and away from civilisation are depicted as being dangerous places where we should not go alone. I used this to create a sense of danger when the woman woke up, taped to a tree in the woods. In reflection I could have filmed later on in the day while it was starting to get dark to secure this feeling of danger and loneliness as typically seen in thriller films, more deaths happen in the dark.

Audio It is conventional in many thriller films for there to be

a sound track that creates suspense and puts the viewer on edge I however attempted to challenge these conventions by using a peaceful classical piece of music (cavatina by John Williams) the use of the beautiful music in a film where there are such low morals and negative themes has the effect to confuse the audience. This is shown to a higher standard in the film ‘clockwork Orange’. If I were to redo the task I would be tempted to add a scene where the victim is being brutally beaten and put the classical music over the top of that scene. This would have much more of a shock factor and be more effective.