Evaluation Question 1 – the use, development and challenging of

conventions of real media products

1 – Film Name

We developed conventions of the thriller genre by calling our film ‘Trauma’. This is an effective name for a psychological thriller as it connotes violence, mental illness and a disturbed perception of reality which are all common themes in the psychological thriller genre. Most thrillers tend to have short one or two word names, which our film conforms to, which links to Barthes enigma theory as it is a clue which the audience can use to solve the mystery of the film. The title provides an important clue as to what the film is about but does not give too much of the mystery away, which is key in films which want to have dramatic twists in the psychological thriller genre. Films with similar names in the genre include ‘primal fear’, ‘breakdown’ and ‘affliction’.

2 - Setting

We also used conventional settings so the audience can decode that our film is a thriller by using the common convention of use of dark or misty settings. This is because it creates a sense of disorientation and isolation, which is reinforced in our opening sequence by the use of an extreme long shot. One psychological thriller which uses mist is ‘Insomnia’, when a detective is looking for a potential suspect. However we also used other locations, such as inside the family house. This rather peaceful setting may be considered a challenge to traditional thriller settings, but we aimed to make even something as calm and same as the home appear sinister and threatening. We wanted to create a juxtaposition between the claustrophobic inside settings and the isolated outside settings.

3 - Cinematography

When filming we also used thriller conventions for thriller directors by using high angle and low angle shots as well as extreme close-ups. There may not be many low angle shots, but in our opening sequence we did use some high angle shots to signify the innocence and powerlessness of young Luke and his toys. We also contrasted extreme close ups such as the image shown of the mothers feet and shots such as the burning pictures with extreme long shots such as that of the policeman and older Luke.

4 – special effects

We also developed various special effects conventions typical of the thriller genre such as reverse motion and slow motion. For example we slowed down the footage of the ball bouncing slightly to add more impact when it reverses. One influential psychological thriller film that uses slow motion is ‘The Shining’ during the scene when blood comes out of the elevator. Psychological thrillers in particular like to manipulate peoples perception of time, so we used these effects in an attempt to emulate films in the genre. We were able to use these effects by using final cut express and have become more experienced with the technology as a result.

5 - titles

We went on to use genre conventions through our use of titles. We did not want to distract the audience too much using the titles so we used black and white to complement the desaturated and muted colour scheme. The Courier font looked similar to that of a typewriter which is often associated with old crime reports, another semiotic to signify the thriller genre. But we wanted the titles to have impact so we used jump cuts instead of fades and overlays of the titles. The animation for the name of the film was deliberately made to appear in a random and discordant manner, to play further into the theme of perception and madness so often depicted in films.

6 - story

In order to use conventions of the psychological thriller genre we applied Barthes enigma theory. We refrained from having one linear narrative through the sequence and instead opted to leave many different clues to help the viewer gain some insight into the plot without giving too much away to create an enigma which the audience has to solve. One particular trope we used that is often used in thriller and revenge films was the burning of family photos. This is an important semiotic to show the hatred, rebellion and jealousy which Luke experiences.

7 - characters

In order to develop on the thriller conventions and to create a sense of mystery we made the creative decision to not show the mother’s face. This is because the audience would likely not feel as much of an emotional connection with a character who’s face remains hidden and would sympathise more with Luke. We slowly reveal more of the mother during the sequence but we never show her face. One thriller film which uses anonymity to create suspense is Watchmen, as at the beginning the darkness obscures the identity of the murderer.

8 - editing

As for editing we used existing thriller conventions by adding a mix of both jump cuts to surprise the viewer, as well as fades to make it smoother and fit the tone and pace of the music. We also altered the colours so they were darker and less vivid to contribute to the overall atmosphere of sadness and resentment. Also we decided to keep the editing relatively simple to not create any distractions for the viewer which may break immersion.

9 - props

Finally we used thriller conventions to immediately give the audience a feeling of unease by using a close up of a rotten rope swing swinging by itself. This is a powerful semiotic which links to the central themes of innocence and isolation which are often explored in thrillers. Another thriller film which also opens with a series of shots from an abandonned children’s playground is ‘Children of Men’ where innocence is all but eradicated by war and infertility. To reinforce these ideas of innocence we used other props such as toys, a ball and a teddy bear, all neglected and left unused by the abused child.