Evaluation - Question One

Introduction

Our overall brief was to plan for and create an opening thriller sequence. Myself, Claire Golightly and Jake Butler. All made up a small group to contribute to the process of completing this brief. In our group we each had different production roles.There are many different roles in production that need to be given to different members of the group. These roles involve director, director of photography and other numerous roles. I took on the role as director, actor and editor. When filming, I had responsibility of making sure everything was in its place as director. As sharing this role with Claire we were both responsible for making sure that everything was in its correct place and everything that was needed on set was there to continue to maintain the narrative we wanted and the atmosphere of the thriller opening. I also took on the role as editor. I loved being able to put the finished thriller together and see it become more than just a series of clips. I enjoyed adding the music and filters that really contributed well in creating the type of eerie psychological thriller we wanted.Our group was able to work well together, although different jobs had different responsibilities everyone worked well with the specific role they was aligned with. I think that in the end through maintaining a very chilling and suspenseful atmosphere. We had studied the micro-elements of thrillers and tried to adapt them as much as possible in our own thriller opening scene.

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

Overall media has taught me how thriller conventions are presented within films. I now know what to expect and how to identify conventions of a thriller. 'Shutter Island' was a main focus of inspiration for me. I was personally able to gain perspective into what I wanted to achieve in my brief. Shutter Island is a physiological thriller. It's narrative remains to be about a detective that turn out to question his own insanity. I incorporated this type of protagonist/antagonist into my own thriller opening through the character Cameron. Cameron is a character with the mental illness - multiple personality disorder. This helped contribute to theme of having a unstable character to make the opening thriller less clique and more shocking.  This particular convention of a thriller is there to make the audience feel unsettled themselves. It results in them feeling very disconnected to the character and in turn creates more of a thriller atmosphere through the shocking unexpected things the unstable character does. 

Low key lighting was also used in my own thriller opening. This is a particular element that is present when the character Cameron commits

suicide. This was also influenced form Shutter Island when the character Teddy is in a prison and only has a match as a light source. This ultimately is a successful use of mise-en-scene that contributes in creating a very mysterious atmosphere as the audience are unaware as to whats hiding in the dark. This is popular within thrillers as there main film is to create a film with enigma and mystery. With endless amount of dark corners and backgrounds people are able to experience what its like to be in the unknown and be scared to witness what is going to happen when a character or camera moves into that darkness. With the help of an erie setting low-key light is one of the most popular thriller conventions in the thriller genre.

In addition to this after watching Chernobyl Diaries -A film about the isolated town and tourists visiting it and being stranded there when there car is tampered with- Uses alot of different micro elements that contribute in causing the audience to think deeply about what is going on in those particular surroundings. Mise-en-scene and the location is one of them. The erie abandoned scenery of the isolated town made me think how scary loneliness is, this aim of hostility is what makes people feel threatened while watching a film. People are unable to feel like help is coming there way or that there is any escape for the character which is a very frightening element within thrillers. This can be seen from my own thriller film when harmony is walking alone and looks around. The audience are able to see a POV shot of her in a isolated street in the dark with no help surrounding her. This is a stereotypical code and convention of a thriller and helps to build a more suspenseful atmosphere by having her alone.

We used cinematography to manipulate the audience at the start of our thriller opening. We was determined to add a numerous amount of low angled shots to not make our character seem superior but to interpret the common convention of a thriller which is hidden identity. I was convinced that this would have much more of an impact on the audience as they finally realise that the character Cameron is just a sad looking boy with empty emotions willing to take his own life. The zooming out technique from Cameron's face really exaggerates the intense atmosphere and sad truth of suicide which is something I have learnt thriller really like to display. A very truthful, disturbing atmosphere that leaved the audience completely shocked. 

Sound is also a major micro element that can support this lexical set of fear and anticipation. In our own thriller film at the part were Cameron is positioned over his mother, attacking her. The audience are able to witness a very erie effect through the sound of heavy breathing. I added this into my thriller opening as it suggested that not only was Cameron the antagonist but he displayed human qualities. He is panicking and his own actions which remains a very scary quality for murderers as they are able to feel emotions but not initially stop the killing. This contrasts to someone that is purely evil and feels nothing, as a regular close family member would never be suspected as a murderer and that's what make my thriller a whole lot more chilling.

Through watching the film scream I learnt that very simple action scenes of stabbing sequences can add to the atmosphere of a conventional thriller. Nothing is particularly scary or frightening about the film scream although it does have the element of shock when the killer jumps out with such a personal object, that needs close physical contact to be effective. I used this is my own thriller opening when Cameron kills his mother. We decided a knife would be the best weapon to use and it concludes how well we are able to manipulate and control the death scene. This is a very popular element in a thriller film as it builds a more erie suspenseful atmosphere by having a weapon such as a knife instead of a gun which acts as a more personal barrier between antagonist and victim. In my thriller film I used the weapon of the knife at the dinner scene. This made the death of the mother much more frightening and unexpected as the knife used to eat with is then used to murder with. This sort of transition is common within thrillers as they continue to have unexpected twists and plots that throw the audience off track and shock them further. Which is what my aim was in my own thriller opening.