Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
For the preliminary task, we were asked to find an empty room somewhere in the school to film a one minute sequence of one member of the group entering the room, having a conversation with another person and then leaving the room. It was up to us as a group to decide what the characters would talk about, what camera shots and techniques we would use, thinking about the shots and techniques that we would want to use when it came to filming our final media product. My group chose to film the preliminary task below the staircase leading up to media, a decision that was made based on our knowledge that our final sequence would be the opening sequence to a thriller film. We felt that this location had a similar lighting to what we would use for our final media product, therefore it would be a good practice for us filming where the lighting is darker and the space is more confined.
Looking back at the preliminary task, it was the first time that I had used both a camera and tripod together, and had attempted to create different camera shots that I believed were conventional to the thriller genre. For example, a close up shot was used in the preliminary task to show Jakes reaction to finding his phone. The tripod enabled me to keep the camera steady, therefore making it easier for the audience to focus on his facial expressions. I feel as though in the progression from the preliminary task to the full product, I have improved on my editing skills and learnt how to identify and select which pieces of footage flow best together and then how to edit the chosen footage so that it appears in the correct order accompanied by the correct sound effects. An example of this is in the first scene within my sequence, where the audience can see the legs of the antagonist as he drags a chair through the corridor. In order to create a sense of mystery and follow the thriller convention of hidden identity, I decided to switch from a front view of the antagonist to a side view as he walked. This meant that the audience would not be able to see his face until the very end of the scene.
What I learnt from making the preliminary task that help with filming the thriller was to watch the sequence back after filming and editing in order to make sure that the frames were all in the correct order and that they did not overlap with each other which would have confused the audience and made the narrative difficult to follow. Also, by watching the preliminary task back I was able to see whether the sequence ran smoothly from the beginning to the end, especially when the camera shot changed from being further away from the characters to a close up. Furthermore, it gave me time to correct and errors with the sound; making sure that the sound that the audience can hear compliments what they can see happening on the screen.
If I was to do something from the preliminary task differently, it would be to use a wider variety of camera shots and techniques in order to make the sequence more interesting. Had I experimented more with the camera shots and techniques, it would have given me a wider range of shots that I could have potentially used when filming the final media product. This would have made the sequence more interesting as by repeating the same shots over and over again the audience may find the sequence boring to watch as all of the scenes will look the same. For example, a close up shot was repeated when the two characters were talking to each other, but instead I could have attempted to use a mid shot or two shot to give the audience a better view of the setting and allow them to see both of the characters at the same in the same shot. Another aspect of the preliminary task that I would do differently would be to use the tripod less when filming in order to make the movement of the camera more free and fluid, especially when it came to following the characters when they were moving around the room as the lack of movement in the camera made their movements look robotic and stiff.
Saturday, 21 February 2015
Exam Question 6 DONE
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing your product?
In the process of constructing my media product, there were many different technologies that I had to learn how to use in order to create not only my final media product, but also the preliminary task. Some of these technologies, for example the digital camera and tripod were needed for the filming stage, while others, including Final Cut Pro X were needed in order to edit our media product together.
The first technology that I was introduced to, and had to continue using throughout the entire process of constructing the media product was Blogger. This application allowed me to record all of the planning stages during the construction, including learning about and researching the thriller genre, my initial ideas for my final media product, what I was going to and what I needed to do in order to complete the task, what my ideas were, where they had come from and how they were developed and changed in order to produce the final product. Blogger also enabled me to work efficiently with my other group members by making sure that we had the same note from each of our group meetings in which we had discussed the final narrative for our media product, on what days we were going to be filming, what we each needed to bring and who had what role in the construction process.
The camera was one of the most important pieces of technologies used during the construction process, purely due to the fact that without it, my group would have had no way of creating an opening sequence and therefore no footage to edit on Final Cut Pro X. Overall, using the camera itself was something that I found quite easy, but during the preliminary task, I struggled with using both the camera and the tripod together. It took me quite a while to work out how to connect the camera to the top of the tripod in order to keep the camera steady, and how to make sure that the legs of the tripod were at the optimum height to give the audience the best view of the characters and setting. However, after watching the preliminary task back, the footage looked as though the tripod had been used too much, therefore, the movement did not appear smooth and fluid which would have been nicer to watch.
The most important technology needed during the editing stage of the construction process, along with a computer was an application called Final Cut Pro X. We would upload the footage from the digital camera to the computer and then, due to what we had filmed not always appearing in the order that we had wanted it to, I would use Final Cut Pro X to move the footage around, change the order, cut out any excess footage in order to keep the length of the sequence under 2 minutes, and finally add in any sound effects that I required to make the media product more realistic or to help build suspense. An example of this would be the phone conversation that takes place between the antagonist and his girlfriend. The girlfriend was the only character in the shot, but to allow the audience to hear what the antagonist is saying on the other end of the phone, Jake recorded what the character was going to say onto his phone, which was then uploaded onto the computer and separated from the footage so that we could embed it into the sequence.
One of my weaknesses when it came to using the different technologies was adding in the credits for the media product. On my first attempt, the names of the people involved and the roles they played within the process all appeared too close together, therefore, the audience did not have enough time to read what it was saying. After uploading the rough cut of my media product onto YouTube, this was reoccurring criticism that I received from people who had viewed it. By taking this on board, I went back over the sequence and extended the length of time that the credits appeared on screen for and also the distance between each name. It was also quite difficult making sure that the correct sounds complimented what was happening on the screen, and often during my first attempts at adding the sounds in, they would begin too early or too late. Furthermore, I also struggled with making sure the sounds fade out at the correct time in order to prevent them from overlapping with each other or overlapping when one of the characters is talking as would make it much harder for the audience to hear what they are saying.
In the process of constructing my media product, there were many different technologies that I had to learn how to use in order to create not only my final media product, but also the preliminary task. Some of these technologies, for example the digital camera and tripod were needed for the filming stage, while others, including Final Cut Pro X were needed in order to edit our media product together.
The first technology that I was introduced to, and had to continue using throughout the entire process of constructing the media product was Blogger. This application allowed me to record all of the planning stages during the construction, including learning about and researching the thriller genre, my initial ideas for my final media product, what I was going to and what I needed to do in order to complete the task, what my ideas were, where they had come from and how they were developed and changed in order to produce the final product. Blogger also enabled me to work efficiently with my other group members by making sure that we had the same note from each of our group meetings in which we had discussed the final narrative for our media product, on what days we were going to be filming, what we each needed to bring and who had what role in the construction process.
The camera was one of the most important pieces of technologies used during the construction process, purely due to the fact that without it, my group would have had no way of creating an opening sequence and therefore no footage to edit on Final Cut Pro X. Overall, using the camera itself was something that I found quite easy, but during the preliminary task, I struggled with using both the camera and the tripod together. It took me quite a while to work out how to connect the camera to the top of the tripod in order to keep the camera steady, and how to make sure that the legs of the tripod were at the optimum height to give the audience the best view of the characters and setting. However, after watching the preliminary task back, the footage looked as though the tripod had been used too much, therefore, the movement did not appear smooth and fluid which would have been nicer to watch.
The most important technology needed during the editing stage of the construction process, along with a computer was an application called Final Cut Pro X. We would upload the footage from the digital camera to the computer and then, due to what we had filmed not always appearing in the order that we had wanted it to, I would use Final Cut Pro X to move the footage around, change the order, cut out any excess footage in order to keep the length of the sequence under 2 minutes, and finally add in any sound effects that I required to make the media product more realistic or to help build suspense. An example of this would be the phone conversation that takes place between the antagonist and his girlfriend. The girlfriend was the only character in the shot, but to allow the audience to hear what the antagonist is saying on the other end of the phone, Jake recorded what the character was going to say onto his phone, which was then uploaded onto the computer and separated from the footage so that we could embed it into the sequence.
One of my weaknesses when it came to using the different technologies was adding in the credits for the media product. On my first attempt, the names of the people involved and the roles they played within the process all appeared too close together, therefore, the audience did not have enough time to read what it was saying. After uploading the rough cut of my media product onto YouTube, this was reoccurring criticism that I received from people who had viewed it. By taking this on board, I went back over the sequence and extended the length of time that the credits appeared on screen for and also the distance between each name. It was also quite difficult making sure that the correct sounds complimented what was happening on the screen, and often during my first attempts at adding the sounds in, they would begin too early or too late. Furthermore, I also struggled with making sure the sounds fade out at the correct time in order to prevent them from overlapping with each other or overlapping when one of the characters is talking as would make it much harder for the audience to hear what they are saying.
Exam Question 5 - Miss Georgiou
How did you attract/address your audience?
It was important for me to find out what my target audience would want to see in a thriller film as I wanted to make my production something that an audience would want to watch. This would hopefully result in them recommending the film to their friends which would lead to the production becoming more successful, and in the long run it will make more money.
The first way in which I addressed my target audience was by creating a questionnaire about different thriller conventions and thriller films, and then asking it to 40 people within my target audience age range in order to find out what they like and dislike about the thriller genre. Some of the questions were based on different pieces of iconography, possible settings for my thriller sequence or what my target audience favourite sub theme in the thriller genre is. By collecting the most popular results, I was able to identify what my media production needed to include in order to appeal to my target audience. For example, the majority of the people who answered the questionnaire wanted the identity of the antagonist to remain hidden. I then looked back over my previously planned group narrative and changed aspects of it to match the results of the questionnaire. For example, my target audience would prefer the film to be set in a more isolated location as they believed that this would help to create suspense. Therefore, my media product is set in an old house, in the boiler room at the school and at a bus stop on the side of the road.
Another way in which I addressed my target audience was by collecting three vox pops of people answering the questionnaire. This would act as proof that my results had been collected first hand, and they would give me a more detailed idea about the preferences of my target audience.
After receiving feedback on my exam questions, I made an attempt to improve my answer for the question.
Primary research is research that is carried out first hand in order to receive answers to specific questions that someone may have to do with a specific topic. In my case, my questions were to do with my media product and addressed towards my target audience who I was aiming my product at. By collecting this type of research, I would be able to develop a narrative based on what my target audience wanted to see in a thriller film. I was able to ask them direct questions concerning my media product to see what their opinions were and ways in which I could improve what I already had.
The type of primary research that I collected was through asking 40 people within my target audience age range a questionnaire based upon my media product and other real thriller media products. I had to plan the questions that I was going to ask beforehand in order to make sure that they were relevant to the thriller genre and to my media product. For example, one of the questions asked them if they preferred the antagonists identity to remain hidden until the very end of the film. The majority of the 40 people said that they did due to hidden identity creating suspense and enigma within the sequence. This particular question was inspired by the thriller film Halloween, where during the opening sequence the audience is kept in the dark about who the antagonist is. They see only through his eyes until the parents remove the mask from his face to reveal that the killer is their young son who is around the age of ten.
On the other hand, secondary research is research that already exists and is available to anyone who wishes to use it.
It was important for me to find out what my target audience would want to see in a thriller film as I wanted to make my production something that an audience would want to watch. This would hopefully result in them recommending the film to their friends which would lead to the production becoming more successful, and in the long run it will make more money.
The first way in which I addressed my target audience was by creating a questionnaire about different thriller conventions and thriller films, and then asking it to 40 people within my target audience age range in order to find out what they like and dislike about the thriller genre. Some of the questions were based on different pieces of iconography, possible settings for my thriller sequence or what my target audience favourite sub theme in the thriller genre is. By collecting the most popular results, I was able to identify what my media production needed to include in order to appeal to my target audience. For example, the majority of the people who answered the questionnaire wanted the identity of the antagonist to remain hidden. I then looked back over my previously planned group narrative and changed aspects of it to match the results of the questionnaire. For example, my target audience would prefer the film to be set in a more isolated location as they believed that this would help to create suspense. Therefore, my media product is set in an old house, in the boiler room at the school and at a bus stop on the side of the road.
Another way in which I addressed my target audience was by collecting three vox pops of people answering the questionnaire. This would act as proof that my results had been collected first hand, and they would give me a more detailed idea about the preferences of my target audience.
After receiving feedback on my exam questions, I made an attempt to improve my answer for the question.
Primary research is research that is carried out first hand in order to receive answers to specific questions that someone may have to do with a specific topic. In my case, my questions were to do with my media product and addressed towards my target audience who I was aiming my product at. By collecting this type of research, I would be able to develop a narrative based on what my target audience wanted to see in a thriller film. I was able to ask them direct questions concerning my media product to see what their opinions were and ways in which I could improve what I already had.
The type of primary research that I collected was through asking 40 people within my target audience age range a questionnaire based upon my media product and other real thriller media products. I had to plan the questions that I was going to ask beforehand in order to make sure that they were relevant to the thriller genre and to my media product. For example, one of the questions asked them if they preferred the antagonists identity to remain hidden until the very end of the film. The majority of the 40 people said that they did due to hidden identity creating suspense and enigma within the sequence. This particular question was inspired by the thriller film Halloween, where during the opening sequence the audience is kept in the dark about who the antagonist is. They see only through his eyes until the parents remove the mask from his face to reveal that the killer is their young son who is around the age of ten.
On the other hand, secondary research is research that already exists and is available to anyone who wishes to use it.
Exam Question 4 - Miss Georgiou
Who would be the audience for your media product?
The target audience for my media production were people aged 15 and above, as this age range allowed me to include a wider range of thriller conventions into my production. For example, viewers within the younger age categories are not at a suitable age to watch films that show detailed violence or that do not have comedic moments that follow any scary scenes in order to reassure the audience. In my media production, the death of the mother is followed by the implied death of another character, rather than a moment that will make the audience laugh.
Also, it is likely that thriller films will contain jump scares or brutal murder scenes that may unsettle the younger audience. In my media product the audience will see the antagonist suddenly jump out of his seat at the dinner table and begin stabbing his mother to death.
Furthermore, the target audience is a similar age group to myself, therefore I will have a good idea of what thriller films are popular and how to create a media product that meets their tastes and preferences. The audience will fear the male character in the production as through the use of mise-en-scene, specifically iconography, they will see him holding a knife and be able to identify him as the antagonist.
how does your thriller appeal to your TA
similar age range to the characters
narrative
conventions
micro elements
editing
sound
mes
cinema
Also, it is likely that thriller films will contain jump scares or brutal murder scenes that may unsettle the younger audience. In my media product the audience will see the antagonist suddenly jump out of his seat at the dinner table and begin stabbing his mother to death.
Furthermore, the target audience is a similar age group to myself, therefore I will have a good idea of what thriller films are popular and how to create a media product that meets their tastes and preferences. The audience will fear the male character in the production as through the use of mise-en-scene, specifically iconography, they will see him holding a knife and be able to identify him as the antagonist.
how does your thriller appeal to your TA
similar age range to the characters
narrative
conventions
micro elements
editing
sound
mes
cinema
Exam Question 3 DONE
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
A media institution is more commonly known as a production company, well known examples include Paramount and Warner Bros. Production companies have the purpose of aiding the creation of films (money) and then bringing them into cinemas for audiences to watch. The media institution that would be best suited to distributing my thriller product is Lionsgate as they are know to have created and produced many successful thriller films including the first two Saw films. It is due to their success that Lionsgate have been able to build a trusted and respected name for themselves over the years, and have earned the reputation of knowing what viewers want to see in a thriller film. The reason why I chose the Lionsgate production company to produce my media product is due to the fact that it is a recognisable, reliable name and the producer of some major blockbuster films. Furthermore, I know that I can trust this well established company to have the knowledge that I do not have but that will help me to produce a thriller film that will appeal to my target audience. If more of my target audience were to go and watch my media product, it would result in a larger profit being made for Lionsgate.
By choosing the Lionsgate production company, and due to them being such a big company, the budget for my media product will be a lot higher than that of an independent company. This would help me to attract A-list actors, hire better equipment and use bigger special effect on my product which will help it to appeal to a wider audience. The more people that watch the film will mean a bigger profit overall.
A media institution is more commonly known as a production company, well known examples include Paramount and Warner Bros. Production companies have the purpose of aiding the creation of films (money) and then bringing them into cinemas for audiences to watch. The media institution that would be best suited to distributing my thriller product is Lionsgate as they are know to have created and produced many successful thriller films including the first two Saw films. It is due to their success that Lionsgate have been able to build a trusted and respected name for themselves over the years, and have earned the reputation of knowing what viewers want to see in a thriller film. The reason why I chose the Lionsgate production company to produce my media product is due to the fact that it is a recognisable, reliable name and the producer of some major blockbuster films. Furthermore, I know that I can trust this well established company to have the knowledge that I do not have but that will help me to produce a thriller film that will appeal to my target audience. If more of my target audience were to go and watch my media product, it would result in a larger profit being made for Lionsgate.
By choosing the Lionsgate production company, and due to them being such a big company, the budget for my media product will be a lot higher than that of an independent company. This would help me to attract A-list actors, hire better equipment and use bigger special effect on my product which will help it to appeal to a wider audience. The more people that watch the film will mean a bigger profit overall.
Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Exam Question 2 DONE
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
In my media product, the antagonist is a male character while the two victims are female. This representation of social groups is stereotypical as woman are often seen as the weaker sex, and submissive in relationships. Therefore, in thriller films, the female characters are typically portrayed as the victim. My representation of gender in my media product follows this stereotype as the female characters are perceived as being vulnerable, therefore an easier target for a male antagonist. A well known example of this stereotypical representation in a real media product would be Marion from the Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho, who is brutally stabbed to death in the shower by the antagonist Norman Bates. She, similar to the victims in my media product are defenceless and do not expect to be killed. The first victim in my media product is the mother of the antagonist who is stabbed to death while eating dinner with her son. This will hopefully surprise the audience as they will not expect him to be able to kill his own mother in such a brutal way and with no real reason for doing it. The second victim is the girlfriend of the antagonist, which again may surprise the audience as she will generally be seen as someone who the antagonist should be in love with and protecting rather than killing. My target audience will be able to build a relationship with the two female victims as they will sympathise with them and see them as defenceless in their situation. On the other hand, the relationship that they build with the antagonist will be fearful and distant as they know to stay away from danger or dangerous people. It will be hard for the audience to build any emotional relationship with the antagonist as he is portrayed as mentally unstable and willing and capable of killing just about anyone.
The clothing that the characters are seen wearing is specific to their age and characteristics. Firstly, both the antagonist and his girlfriend are seen wearing school uniforms as this will show the audience that the two characters are the age of college students, similar to them, which will make it easier for them to relate to the characters. However, the antagonist is wearing an all black school uniform, trousers and jumper as the colour black typically connotes the idea of danger, darkness and death, therefore the audience will be able to identify him as the antagonist before he has even killed anyone. In contrast, the two female characters are seen wearing lighter colours to represent their innocence and vulnerability. The mother, during the dinner scene is seen wearing a long skirt and a light blue blouse. The clothes, we hoped would make her look older and more mature which would tell the audience that she is the antagonists mother. Stereotypically, older woman would usually be seen wearing smart, less revealing clothes that can be worn around the workplace. Finally, the girlfriend will be seen wearing a white shirt along with the usual uniform attire. The colour white, contrasting to black connotes the idea of goodness and innocence, which will tell the audience that she is one of the victims. Although she is not actually killed in the opening sequence, we wanted the audience to foreshadow that she would be due to what she was wearing and her oblivious to what has gone on between the antagonist and his mother.
The choice of setting in my media production is purposeful and used to give hints to the audience before the main events of the film take place. For example, I decided to film the death of the first victim in a house as the setting can be used to represent the idea that the two characters are family; mother and son, which I hope will emphasise the audiences shock when the antagonist kills his own mother. The girlfriend is first seen standing on a road full of houses, which we wanted to imply to the audience that she was on her way to see the antagonist at his house. The audience know that the girlfriend does not yet know that the antagonist has killed his mother, which will create suspense in the sequence as she will be putting herself in danger by going to the house but the audience do not know what the antagonist will do to her once she finds out. Finally, the suicide of the antagonist takes place in the school as this will tell the audience that he is a similar age to them which will provide them with an escapism as they will know that their lives cannot get worse than his.
In my media product, the antagonist is a male character while the two victims are female. This representation of social groups is stereotypical as woman are often seen as the weaker sex, and submissive in relationships. Therefore, in thriller films, the female characters are typically portrayed as the victim. My representation of gender in my media product follows this stereotype as the female characters are perceived as being vulnerable, therefore an easier target for a male antagonist. A well known example of this stereotypical representation in a real media product would be Marion from the Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho, who is brutally stabbed to death in the shower by the antagonist Norman Bates. She, similar to the victims in my media product are defenceless and do not expect to be killed. The first victim in my media product is the mother of the antagonist who is stabbed to death while eating dinner with her son. This will hopefully surprise the audience as they will not expect him to be able to kill his own mother in such a brutal way and with no real reason for doing it. The second victim is the girlfriend of the antagonist, which again may surprise the audience as she will generally be seen as someone who the antagonist should be in love with and protecting rather than killing. My target audience will be able to build a relationship with the two female victims as they will sympathise with them and see them as defenceless in their situation. On the other hand, the relationship that they build with the antagonist will be fearful and distant as they know to stay away from danger or dangerous people. It will be hard for the audience to build any emotional relationship with the antagonist as he is portrayed as mentally unstable and willing and capable of killing just about anyone.
The clothing that the characters are seen wearing is specific to their age and characteristics. Firstly, both the antagonist and his girlfriend are seen wearing school uniforms as this will show the audience that the two characters are the age of college students, similar to them, which will make it easier for them to relate to the characters. However, the antagonist is wearing an all black school uniform, trousers and jumper as the colour black typically connotes the idea of danger, darkness and death, therefore the audience will be able to identify him as the antagonist before he has even killed anyone. In contrast, the two female characters are seen wearing lighter colours to represent their innocence and vulnerability. The mother, during the dinner scene is seen wearing a long skirt and a light blue blouse. The clothes, we hoped would make her look older and more mature which would tell the audience that she is the antagonists mother. Stereotypically, older woman would usually be seen wearing smart, less revealing clothes that can be worn around the workplace. Finally, the girlfriend will be seen wearing a white shirt along with the usual uniform attire. The colour white, contrasting to black connotes the idea of goodness and innocence, which will tell the audience that she is one of the victims. Although she is not actually killed in the opening sequence, we wanted the audience to foreshadow that she would be due to what she was wearing and her oblivious to what has gone on between the antagonist and his mother.
The choice of setting in my media production is purposeful and used to give hints to the audience before the main events of the film take place. For example, I decided to film the death of the first victim in a house as the setting can be used to represent the idea that the two characters are family; mother and son, which I hope will emphasise the audiences shock when the antagonist kills his own mother. The girlfriend is first seen standing on a road full of houses, which we wanted to imply to the audience that she was on her way to see the antagonist at his house. The audience know that the girlfriend does not yet know that the antagonist has killed his mother, which will create suspense in the sequence as she will be putting herself in danger by going to the house but the audience do not know what the antagonist will do to her once she finds out. Finally, the suicide of the antagonist takes place in the school as this will tell the audience that he is a similar age to them which will provide them with an escapism as they will know that their lives cannot get worse than his.
Exam Question 1 DONE
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
There were many different forms and conventions that I identified and used in my media production through analysing real media products. Shutter Island is just one example of a thriller film that I took inspiration from, particularly through it's use of low key lighting. This convention is often used in thriller productions to create a darker, eerier atmosphere which often foreshadows when something dangerous is going to happen, when a character is in a dangerous situation or to highlight who the antagonist within the production is. For example, the majority of Shutter Island is set on a remote island in a prison, holding people who are mentally unstable. Low key lighting is used to highlight the instability of the characters within the prison and the danger that the main character Teddy is in when he is around them. My media production uses low key lighting when the first victim is being stabbed to death as the convention emphasised the severity and darkness of the scene. I developed this convention by using it to highlight when the antagonist is going to kill another character later on in my production, which will prepare the audience for what is going to happen, consequently removing the element of surprise. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it will build suspense and shock within my production as the audience know something is going to happen but they do not know when.
In my media production I have also used mise-en-scene, specifically the iconography of a knife as the murder weapon, which I identified as conventional to the thriller genre as it is often used to prolong the death of the victim as it will take longer than other possible weapons, for example, a gun. This is evident in my thriller production when the antagonist is killing his mother, who the audience see struggling and fighting against the antagonist to prevent her death from occurring. Many real media productions use a knife as their iconography, but one of the most iconic scene that I took inspiration from came from the film Psycho. A knife is used by Norman when he is stabbing Marion in the shower to emphasise her pain and the brutality of her death.
Another convention that is often used in real media products as well as my own media product was the antagonist being male and the victims female. This is conventional to the thriller genre as women are often perceived as being more vulnerable than men, and younger, prettier girls are usually who the antagonist will target. Example of this are Marion from Psycho and Casey Becker from Scream. In my media production, I have portrayed the female characters as unsuspecting, therefore an easy target. Although, the death of the mother may surprise the audience who will not expect the antagonist to kill a close family member in such a sudden an brutal way. Family connotes the idea of love, happiness and protection, a connotation which my thriller production defies. Due to the setting being in a house, at a table while the mother and antagonist are eating dinner, the audience will not expect this to lead to the mothers death, therefore they will be surprised.
Another convention that appeared in my media production were the creation of surprise, shock and enigma. The audience will be shocked and surprised after they witness the antagonist leap across the dinner table and stab his mother to death as they would not have expected him to kill his own mother, especially since she had not done anything to deserve it. Moreover, enigma is created throughout the entire sequence as the audience will want to know the audience to questions including why did he kill himself, why did he kill his own mother and what will happen to the girlfriend once she finds out that the mother is dead? Due to the audience knowing that the mother is dead before the girlfriend does, they will fear for her safety and want to know what will happen to her once she goes to his house and finds the mother dead. This enigma will be emphasised when the audience see the antagonist larking behind his girlfriend who does not know that he is there or what he has done, suggesting that something bad is going to happen to her also.
The song that we used in our media product "tiptoe through the tulips" is also conventional to the thriller genre, as it is a freaky, eerie song that plays when one of the characters is going to die. It first appears after the antagonist has killed his mother and the shots are slowed down to show her struggling against him. It is then again played at the end of my media product when the audience see the girlfriend talking on the phone to the antagonist who turns out to be standing right behind her but she does not know that he is there. They will then see the girlfriend walk out of shot, followed shortly by the antagonist in slow motion. When the music plays again, it will hopefully suggest to the audience that something bad is going to happen to her as they will associate the song with the death of the mother.
Finally, another important convention that I have used during my media production is slow editing. This appears in the sequence during the dinner scene when the mother is nagging her son, who then leaps across the table and begins violently stabbing her. Slow editing is used to prolong a sequence and give the audience more time to take in what is happening to her. This will result in them feeling shocked as they will not expect the antagonist to kill his mother in such a violent way. On the other hand, fast pace editing is also used in my media production when the girlfriend is on the phone to the antagonist who tells her that he is right behind her. The character then begins to look at her surroundings, which we made faster during the editing stage in order to create a sense of panic and urgency. This was once again inspired by the shower scene during the thriller film Psycho, where the female lead Marion is stabbed to death by Norman, and fast pace editing appears to show the audience that she is frantic and struggling to try and get away from him. However, it could also be used to show Normans urgency to kill her before she manages to escape.
There were many different forms and conventions that I identified and used in my media production through analysing real media products. Shutter Island is just one example of a thriller film that I took inspiration from, particularly through it's use of low key lighting. This convention is often used in thriller productions to create a darker, eerier atmosphere which often foreshadows when something dangerous is going to happen, when a character is in a dangerous situation or to highlight who the antagonist within the production is. For example, the majority of Shutter Island is set on a remote island in a prison, holding people who are mentally unstable. Low key lighting is used to highlight the instability of the characters within the prison and the danger that the main character Teddy is in when he is around them. My media production uses low key lighting when the first victim is being stabbed to death as the convention emphasised the severity and darkness of the scene. I developed this convention by using it to highlight when the antagonist is going to kill another character later on in my production, which will prepare the audience for what is going to happen, consequently removing the element of surprise. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it will build suspense and shock within my production as the audience know something is going to happen but they do not know when.In my media production I have also used mise-en-scene, specifically the iconography of a knife as the murder weapon, which I identified as conventional to the thriller genre as it is often used to prolong the death of the victim as it will take longer than other possible weapons, for example, a gun. This is evident in my thriller production when the antagonist is killing his mother, who the audience see struggling and fighting against the antagonist to prevent her death from occurring. Many real media productions use a knife as their iconography, but one of the most iconic scene that I took inspiration from came from the film Psycho. A knife is used by Norman when he is stabbing Marion in the shower to emphasise her pain and the brutality of her death.Another convention that is often used in real media products as well as my own media product was the antagonist being male and the victims female. This is conventional to the thriller genre as women are often perceived as being more vulnerable than men, and younger, prettier girls are usually who the antagonist will target. Example of this are Marion from Psycho and Casey Becker from Scream. In my media production, I have portrayed the female characters as unsuspecting, therefore an easy target. Although, the death of the mother may surprise the audience who will not expect the antagonist to kill a close family member in such a sudden an brutal way. Family connotes the idea of love, happiness and protection, a connotation which my thriller production defies. Due to the setting being in a house, at a table while the mother and antagonist are eating dinner, the audience will not expect this to lead to the mothers death, therefore they will be surprised.Another convention that appeared in my media production were the creation of surprise, shock and enigma. The audience will be shocked and surprised after they witness the antagonist leap across the dinner table and stab his mother to death as they would not have expected him to kill his own mother, especially since she had not done anything to deserve it. Moreover, enigma is created throughout the entire sequence as the audience will want to know the audience to questions including why did he kill himself, why did he kill his own mother and what will happen to the girlfriend once she finds out that the mother is dead? Due to the audience knowing that the mother is dead before the girlfriend does, they will fear for her safety and want to know what will happen to her once she goes to his house and finds the mother dead. This enigma will be emphasised when the audience see the antagonist larking behind his girlfriend who does not know that he is there or what he has done, suggesting that something bad is going to happen to her also.
The song that we used in our media product "tiptoe through the tulips" is also conventional to the thriller genre, as it is a freaky, eerie song that plays when one of the characters is going to die. It first appears after the antagonist has killed his mother and the shots are slowed down to show her struggling against him. It is then again played at the end of my media product when the audience see the girlfriend talking on the phone to the antagonist who turns out to be standing right behind her but she does not know that he is there. They will then see the girlfriend walk out of shot, followed shortly by the antagonist in slow motion. When the music plays again, it will hopefully suggest to the audience that something bad is going to happen to her as they will associate the song with the death of the mother.
Finally, another important convention that I have used during my media production is slow editing. This appears in the sequence during the dinner scene when the mother is nagging her son, who then leaps across the table and begins violently stabbing her. Slow editing is used to prolong a sequence and give the audience more time to take in what is happening to her. This will result in them feeling shocked as they will not expect the antagonist to kill his mother in such a violent way. On the other hand, fast pace editing is also used in my media production when the girlfriend is on the phone to the antagonist who tells her that he is right behind her. The character then begins to look at her surroundings, which we made faster during the editing stage in order to create a sense of panic and urgency. This was once again inspired by the shower scene during the thriller film Psycho, where the female lead Marion is stabbed to death by Norman, and fast pace editing appears to show the audience that she is frantic and struggling to try and get away from him. However, it could also be used to show Normans urgency to kill her before she manages to escape.
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