Evaluation - Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of a real media product?

We produced a 2-minute opening for a thriller movie, which was aimed as a certificate 15 age rating because we found that typically thrillers were in the range of 15 to 18.

Typical conventions associated with the thriller genre are:

·       Segmented plot developments

·       Hero, villain and victim characters

·       Isolated, Dark settings

·       Psychological elements

·       Strong and symbolic props

·       Tense musical score and sound effects

·       Focus on significant details

·       Strong contrast in lighting

·       Close ups

Regarding plot development a typicality would be turning an everyday situation or setting into the unexpected for example in ‘No Country For Old Men’ the main character is out hunting and the audience assume this is the standard recreation for the setting however he stumbles across a cache of money, the circumstances of which lead to the endangerment of his life. In our thriller we used a duel narrative so the audience would have to piece together the story themselves, this also incorporates psychological elements.

Also the characters usually consist of someone who represents good, another evil and innocent victims. In our piece we used this convention by involving characters who represent each of these, the detective – good, the murderer evil and the victim.

A characteristic setting would be a desolate location that is usually quite dark and sometimes-dramatic weather, which is used as a pathetic fallacy for example thunder at points of incident. We could not afford to use effects to create atmospheric weather conditions however we did use an isolated location and altered the colouring of the shots to make them appear more dark thus creating a more sinister look.

As a distinction between thriller and horror movies the props used as murder weapons are generally more sophisticated, controlled and emblematic which usually results in a less horrific and graphical outcome. Sometimes the mere presence of a weapon for example, creates enough tension and impact without it actually having to be used. This helps to create suspense because once it is used for example, if someone is shot all the tension defuses. We used ‘police tape’ as the culprits signature as we felt it gave the feel of a wider plot than the confines of an opening.

The musical score for a thriller is typified by the use of stringed instruments played chromatically in monotonous drones. However sometimes there are modern variants which incorporate contemporary or contextual music from that period, for example Tarantino uses a mixture of rock n roll and surf music which is typical of the era it was set in and creates a definitive and stylised soundtrack for the film. For this piece I composed our own music and did keep to the conventions of producing an eerie atmosphere but used ore contemporary instruments such as guitars etc.

A significant detail we used was the spinning of the coin on the table. We used this as a signifier to display to the audience the anxious nature of the character.

As we filmed outside for the first half of our opening we did not have the facilities to make any adjustments to lighting although we did adjust the balance of light in each of out clips later on Imovie. Also in the diner scene we could not make many adjustments either because it is a public area however we feel that we didn’t need it because it already had the atmosphere that we were trying to create.

In my opinion we used close up shots successfully to show details and emotions. For example we used a focus change on the car door mirror which put emphasis on the character because the focus moved from the mirror itself to the detective.

In the first two minutes of a thriller the setting should be established including location, era and culture. The main characters are often established with initial impressions to give the audience someone to connect with. Also an aspect of the plot that bares a certain amount of significance which is enough to engage and hook the audience must be revealed for example in ‘Shutter Island’ the audience learns at the beginning who the main character is, the location and that a patient has escaped the mental asylum. This is enough to draw the audience’s attention but not to reveal too much which leaves them asking questions. All these aspects can be achieved through the use of close ups on the main character(s) and establishing shots for the location and setting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr5rFsMjgx8&feature=fvst .

The titles in the opening sequence must include the companies that went into the production of the film and also the director, leading actors and by definition the title of the film. The editing is usually paced quite quickly in order to establish all the different elements in a condensed period of time. The main theme of the musical score is usual played at the start to create the atmosphere and mood of the film therefore there is limited sound other than dialogue.

Not all thrillers adhere to the conventions I have previously detailed and by breaking these, a degree of impact can be created. The opening of ‘inception’ breaks the conventions of establishing a setting and also doesn’t follow a chronological structure and uses a part later in the film. The opening scene is placed in a dream although the viewer is not aware of this and hence when the characters exit the dream the true setting is revealed. Also as previously mentioned some thrillers don’t use a musical score written specifically for that film and instead draw on music written by artists for example in ‘Rock n Rolla’ the director uses modern day rock bands like ‘The Subways’ and ‘The Black Keys’ which help to create a particular directory style and theme for the film. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag6Xcsahmn0&feature=related

We found the Coen Brothers production of ‘No Country For Old Men’ to have an effective thriller opening because it establishes a main character in a desolate landscape; we tried to incorporate this into our thriller by choosing an isolated location to emphasise the remote atmosphere. We were also influenced by ‘V for Vendetta’ directed by James McTeigue in the way that the opening uses a duel narrative with two different main characters that merge together. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCiGyaSPRhI  We did this by shooting two scenes in different locations one, with the victim in a diner and the other with the detective at the crime scene. However we still maintained a sense of Isolation in the diner scene because it does not feature any extras. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kqoJevTIIQ

Here you can see the detail of barbed wire in ‘No Country For Old Men’  and our thriller opening as well as the police car.

With regards to mise-en-scene we used the coin to illustrate the anxiety of the victim. We also used police tape as a trade mark for the killer rather than its proper use however it also features in the photographs to help fit the detective theme. We also tried to display the authenticity of the detective through our choice of the black car, which gives the impression of an undercover officer, the flashing light and his formal costume of a suit and coat.

Below is our directors commentary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krq0cm493mE&feature=channel_video_title