Evaluation – Question 1

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EVALUATION – QUESTION 1 IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS? BY DILLAN ABRAHAM

Transcript of Evaluation – Question 1

Page 1: Evaluation – Question 1

EVALUATION – QUESTION 1IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP

OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS?

BY DILLAN ABRAHAM

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THE TASKWE WERE GIVEN THE TASK TO MAKE A TWO MINUTE LONG THRILLER OPENING WITH A GROUP WE WERE PUT IN. THIS TESTED BOTH OUR TIME MANAGEMENT AND TEAM WORKING SKILLS. WE WENT THROUGH STAGES OF RESEARCH AND PLANNING, USING EXISTING THRILLERS, WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF PRIMARY RESEARCH TOO. BEFORE WE BEGAN PRODUCING OUR ACTUAL THRILLER, WE HAD TO CREATE A 30 SECOND PRELIMINARY TASK, THIS WOULD HELP US WITH OUR TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS, AS WELL AS OUR SKILLS OF USING THE VARIOUS TECHNOLOGY THAT WE WOULD NEED DURING OUR ACTUAL PRODUCTION. DURING OUR RESEARCH AND PLANNING, WE HAD TO LEARN WHAT WOULD MAKE A CONVENTIONAL THRILLER AND BE ABLE TO APPLY THIS TO OUR FINAL PRODUCTION TO MAKE SURE WE FOLLOWED THE FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF A THRILLER.

Screenshot from my preliminary taskResearch and planning

on blogger

Editing on Final Cut Pro X (one of the technologies I

used)

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DOES MY THRILLER FOLLOW CONVENTIONS OF A THRILLER? MY THRILLER FOLLOWS CONVENTIONS

THROUGH THE FOLLOWING:

Characters SettingLighting

Typography

The anti-hero is conventional to the thriller genre due to her costume, hair and makeup and body language and facial expression. Her costume is dark and this can portray her evil presence, the fact she appears with a very straight and stern posture may present her as confident as she knows what she is doing and could be seeking revenge. Her facial expression is very bland and she shows no emotion at all, this can demonstrate how serious she is about the goal she wants to achieve.

The graveyard setting I used is also very conventional to the thriller genre as it represents death, which is a theme that regularly is touched upon in thriller films. I use this setting to portray the antagonist possibly leaving a funeral.

Low key and back lighting is used in some scenes, this is mostly when the antagonist is on the screen to demonstrate his darkness and his evil ambitions. This was also used to scare the audience as conventionally low key lighting is used to create suspense and mystery during a scene.

The typography used is also conventional to a thriller as the font was appropriate, due to the colour of it being very simple. The white font over a black background could show some light within a lot of darkness, possibly giving viewers an idea into the narrative as it may not be always dark.

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CINEMATOGRAPHY (SHOT SIZES) I MADE SURE TO VARY THE SHOT SIZES, ANGLES AND MOVEMENTS THROUGHOUT MY PRODUCTION, THIS KEPT PREVENTED THE OPENING FROM BEING REPETITIVE AND BORING. ALSO IT EMPHASISED THE TONE OF THE FILM AS IT NEVER LINGERED ON A SHOT FOR TOO LONG TO SHOW THE AUDIENCE TOO MUCH. FOR EXAMPLE AT THE START OF THE OPENING I ONLY SHOWED CLOSE UPS OF THE ANTAGONIST GETTING READY, THIS WAS DURING THE OPENING CREDITS BEFORE THE FULL VIEW OF THE ANTAGONIST WAS SHOWN. THIS WAS USED TO CREATE MYSTERY FOR THE CHARACTER AND HIS GOALS. EVENTUALLY I USED A LONG SHOT TO REVEAL THE CHARACTER COMPLETELY, THIS WAS TO EMPHASISE WHAT ENVIRONMENT HE WAS IN.

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CINEMATOGRAPHY (SHOT ANGLES AND MOVEMENT)

I USED HIGH ANGLE SHOTS FOR THE VICTIMS TO PORTRAY THEM AS WEAK AND DEFEATED AS THEY WERE DEAD BODIES, I BELIEVE THIS IS CONVENTIONAL FOR A THRILLER AS VICTIMS HAVE USUALLY BEEN MURDERED OR ARE BEING HELD AGAINST THEIR WILL AND THEY ARE SHOWN AT A HIGH ANGLE.

Once the antagonist had left the scene after entering the house, I used a tilt shot which was delayed to create suspense and tension for the audience as they would not have known what to expect. This was an effective slow reveal of one of the victims which is conventional to a thriller as tilt shots are usually used to reveal surprising things to scare the audience.

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SOUND

MY THRILLER USED A VERY DARK, SLOW PACED SOUNDTRACK WHICH WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE TO INSTIL FEAR UPON THE AUDIENCE. AS WELL AS THIS I ADDED SOUND EFFECTS TO FURTHER ADD TENSION FOR THE AUDIENCE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE ANTI-HERO WOULD APPEAR OR A VICTIM WOULD BE REVEALED. THE SOUND EFFECTS INCLUDED DOORS OPENING, FOOTSTEPS AND LIGHT SWITCHES.

CONVENTIONALLY THE SOUNDTRACKS USED IN THRILLER FILMS ARE SLOW PACED WITH SUDDEN OR SUBTLE SOUND EFFECTS TO MAKE THE THRILLER SEEM MORE REALISTIC OR RELATABLE, I BELIEVE I STUCK TO THIS CONVENTION CLOSELY TO MAKE MY THRILLER AS EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE.

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EDITING (CUTS)JUMP CUTS WERE USED AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE THRILLER TO PORTRAY THE ANTAGONISTS MOVEMENT ACROSS THE GRAVEYARD, THIS WOULD FRIGHTEN THE AUDIENCE AS THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW CLOSE HE WAS GOING TO GET AS EVERY JUMP CUT PROGRESSED THE CHARACTER CLOSER TO THE CAMERA. JUMP CUTS ARE A CONVENTION AS THEY ARE VERY ABRUPT AND CAN SURPRISE THE AUDIENCE, WHILE CREATING TENSION AND FEAR.STRAIGHT CUTS WERE ALSO USED AS THEY ARE VERY SIMPLE CUTS TO SHOW THE CHANGE IN A SCENE OR ENVIRONMENT, FOR EXAMPLE I USED THEM IN MY THRILLER WHEN THE ANTAGONIST IS LEAVING THE HOUSE HE PLACES HIS HAND ON THE DOOR HANDLE AND THERE IS A STRAIGHT CUT TO OUTSIDE THE HOUSE WHERE HE SHUTS THE DOOR AND LEAVES.

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EDITING (TRANSITIONS)SLOW MOTION EDITING WAS USED EFFECTIVELY AT THE END TO SHOW THE ANTAGONIST LEAVING THE HOUSE, AS THIS WOULD MAKE THE AUDIENCE QUESTION WHAT HE IS DOING AND WHAT HE HAS DONE. AS WELL AS WHEN HE IS WALKING DOWN A MAIN ROAD FULL OF PEOPLE SO THE AUDIENCE CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT HE IS POSING AS A NORMAL PERSON AND NO ONE SUSPECTS ANYTHING AS HE HAS HIDDEN IT SO WELL. THIS IS CONVENTIONAL TO A THRILLER AS IT EMPHASISES ON THE ANTAGONIST PSYCHE AS WELL AS EMPHASIS ON WHAT HE IS DOING. FOR EXAMPLE IN THRILLER FILMS THERE MAY BE A MURDER SCENE WHERE IT IS SLOWED DOWN TO EMPHASISE THE KILLING AND THE INSANITY OF THE MURDERER.

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MISE EN SCENE (SETTING)THE SETTINGS I USED WERE A GRAVEYARD, A BUSY STREET AND AN EMPTY HOUSE, ASIDE FROM THE VICTIMS WHO WERE DECEASED. CONVENTIONALLY EMPTY, DARK HOUSES, HOSPITALS AND EMPTY ROOMS ARE USED AS SETTINGS FOR THRILLER FILMS DUE TO THE LONELINESS OR DANGER THEY PORTRAY.AT THE START OF THE THRILLER OPENING I PRESENT THE ANTAGONIST AS A LONER IN A GRAVEYARD AS HE IS WALKING THROUGH IT WHEN NO ONE IS THERE, THIS COULD PORTAY HIS MADNESS OR SUGGEST THAT HE IS RETURNING FROM A FUNERAL. THIS COULD ALSO BE CONVENTIONAL AS GRAVEYARDS ARE WHERE THE DEAD LAY AND DEATH IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE CAN RELATE TO DUE TO SEEING IT OR EXPERIENCING A DEATH OF A LOVED ONE.I USED AN EMPTY HOUSE TO DEMONSTRATE THE ANTAGONIST’S MADNESS AS HE WALKS AROUND THE HOUSE SEEMINGLY TAKING NO NOTICE AT ALL OF THE DEAD BODIES, WHICH LEADS THE AUDIENCE TO ASSUME THAT HE HAS MURDERED THEM, THIS IS A CONVENTIONAL THRILLER SETTING AS HOUSES ARE SUPPOSED TO CONVEY SAFETY.A BUSY STREET WAS USED TO SHOW THE AUDIENCE THAT THE ANTAGONIST IS A NORMAL PERSON AND CAN ACT LIKE ONE. HE DOES NOT ATTRACT ATTENTION TO HIMSELF AND WEARS RELATIVELY DARK CLOTHING WHEN WALKING DOWN A BUSY STREET WHERE COLOUR WOULD USUALLY ATTRACT ATTENTION.

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MISE EN SCENE (ICONOGRAPHY)Although not much iconography was used, the phone that the antagonist grabs before leaving the room served as a distraction for the sudden appearance of the anti-hero, this piece of iconography may be more relevant during the narrative if the story had continued as the antagonist did not use his phone.

Conventionally iconography are weapons in thriller films such as guns and knives, although we did not use these as we did not feel as if they were relevant to the opening, as well as it would not be subtle to show a murder happening. It was a lot more effective to create suspense showing the dead bodies rather than the murders itself.

The antagonists jacket is also a piece of iconography as he takes it before he leaves the room and the house, it is a dark colour so he does not attract attention to himself, this is vital for the character as he is trying to mask his madness as he is a very conservative person.

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MISE EN SCENE (LIGHTING AND COLOUR)LOW KEY LIGHTING WAS USED AS THE ANTAGONIST LEAVES HIS HOUSE BEFORE THE REVEALING OF THE ANTI-HERO AS THIS WOULD SCARE THE AUDIENCE AND CREATE A LOT OF SUSPENSE. THE ANTAGONIST IS BARELY VISIBLE IN THE LOW KEY LIGHTING AND THIS WOULD ALSO FRIGHTEN THE AUDIENCE AS THERE IS A CHANCE OF A SUDDEN JUMP CUT TO STARTLE THEM. CONVENTIONALLY LOW KEY LIGHTING AND BACK LIGHTING IS USED IN THRILLER FILMS DURING THE MOST FRIGHTENING PARTS AS THERE IS NOT A LOT VISIBLE, LEAVING THE AUDIENCE TO THEIR IMAGINATION WHEN WATCHING THE FILM DUE TO LOW KEY LIGHTING. THIS IS USUALLY FOLLOWED BY A REVEAL OR SOMETHING UNPREDICTED HAPPENING WHICH WILL ALSO SCARE THE AUDIENCE.BACK LIGHTING WAS USED TO CREATE MYSTERY AROUND THE ANTAGONIST AS HE LEAVES FOR THE BUSY STREET, THIS WAS USED IN COMBINATION WITH THE SLOW MOTION EDITING WHICH MAKES IT VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO WATCH.

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MISE EN SCENE (BODY LANGUAGE AND FACIAL EXPRESSION)CONVENTIONALLY IN A THRILLER FILM THE ANTAGONIST HAS A VERY UPRIGHT BODY POSTURE, AND A NEUTRAL OR HAPPY EXPRESSION ON THEIR FACE, THIS IS TO PORTRAY MADNESS. WHILE THE ANTI HERO ALSO WOULD HAVE A NEUTRAL EXPRESSION ON THEIR FACE TO SHOW THAT THEY HAVE GOALS AND ARE NOT VERY HUMOROUS OR POSSIBLY NOT FRIENDLY AT ALL. VICTIMS ARE USUALLY SLOUCHED AND HAVE BAD POSTURE DUE TO THE PORTRAYAL OF THEIR WEAKNESS.I HAVE MOSTLY STUCK TO THESE CONVENTIONS AS MY ANTAGONIST HAS A VERY STERN FACIAL EXPRESSION ON HIM AT ALL TIMES, AS WELL AS AN UPRIGHT BODY POSTURE, TO SHOW THAT HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING AND NOTHING WILL DISTURB HIM STRIVING FOR HIS GOALS. MY VICTIMS ARE ALL DEAD AND THEREFORE ALL HAVE SLOUCHED POSTURE, OR THEY ARE SIMPLY ON THE GROUND TO SHOW THEIR WEAKNESS IN BEING DEAD, AS THEY ARE DECEASED THEY CANNOT INTERACT WITH ANYONE. MY ANTI HERO HAS A VERY UPRIGHT POSTURE TOO, AS WELL AS A NEUTRAL FACIAL EXPRESSION, POSSIBLY PORTRAYING FRUSTRATION OR SEEKING REVENGE AS SHE IS CONCENTRATING ON SOMETHING.

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NARRATIVE THEORYTHERE ARE 4 MAIN NARRATIVE THEORIES THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO THRILLER FILMS ALTHOUGH ONLY TWO ARE CONVENTIONAL TO THEM. PROPP SAW FOLK TALES HAVE THE SAME CHARACTERS AS NARRATIVE ELEMENTS. THE HERO, VILLAIN, DONOR, DISPATCHER, FALSE HERO, HELPER, PRINCESS AND HER FATHER. TODOROV’S NARRATIVE THEORY STRUCTURE CONSISTS OF EQUILIBRIUM, DISEQUILIBRIUM AND NEW EQUILIBRIUM. ARISTOTLE OBSERVES A BEGINNING, MIDDLE AND END. HIS NARRATIVE STRUCTURE FOLLOWS FIVE STAGES OF EXPOSITION, RISING ACTION, CLIMAX, FALLING ACTION AND DENOUEMENT. FINALLY, BARTHES THEORY IS LINKED TO CONNOTATIONS AND DENOTATIONS THROUGH ICONOGRAPHY, CHARACTERS AND THEMES.

MY THRILLER WILL MOSTLY FOLLOW ARISTOTLE’S THEORY, THIS IS DUE TO EXPOSITION AS I INTRODUCE MY MAIN CHARACTER WHO IS THE ANTAGONIST, THE RISING ACTION AS THE ANTI HERO IS FOLLOWING HIM AND IF THE NARRATIVE WERE TO CONTINUE IT WOULD FOLLOW THIS STRUCTURE OF CLIMAX, FALLING ACTION AND DENOUEMENT.

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THEMESTHE THEMES MY THRILLER OPENING WILL FOLLOW ARE, MURDER, DEATH, REVENGE, AND VIOLENCE. THIS IS BECAUSE THESE THEMES WILL GENERATE THE MOST DRAMATIC REACTION FROM THE AUDIENCE, MURDER AND VIOLENCE IS SOMETHING MY AUDIENCE WILL HAVE A REACTION TO AS THEY CAN RELATE TO IT BEING A TOPIC ON THE NEWS. THEY WILL ALSO FEEL SYMPATHY AS MOST OF MY VICTIMS ARE FEMALE AND THE ANTAGONIST IS A MALE. THESE ARE ALSO CONVENTIONAL THEMES TO THRILLER FILMS AND WILL ATTRACT THE APPROPRIATE AUDIENCES WHILE FRIGHTENING THE AUDIENCE DUE TO THE SENSITIVE THEMES.

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TARGET AUDIENCETHRILLER FILMS ARE CONVENTIONALLY RATED 15 OR 18, THIS IS DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE FILMS. THEY USUALLY TARGET YOUNG ADULTS AND TEENAGERS AND ARE NOT GENDER SPECIFIC. THIS IS USUALLY BECAUSE YOUNG ADULTS TEND TO ENJOY BEING SCARED AND THEY CAN RELATE TO CERTAIN SITUATIONS. THEY ARE ALSO AWARE OF THE CONVENTION THAT FEMALES ARE VICTIMS IN THRILLER FILMS AND MALES ARE THE PROTAGONISTS AND ANTAGONISTS, THEREFORE THEY WILL HAVE THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSES TO THRILLER FILMS.EXAMPLES OF THRILLER FILMS WITH SIMILAR TARGET AUDIENCES ARE:THE GRUDGE (2004) WHICH IS RATED 15 AND PRISONERS(2013) WHICH IS ALSO RATED 15 DUE TO A THEME OF ABDUCTION, STRONG VIOLENCE AND STRONG LANGUAGE.MY THRILLER IS ALSO RATED A 15 CERTIFICATE DUE TO CONSISTENT REFERENCES TO THEMES OF VIOLENCE AND MURDER, AS I FELT THIS WAS APPROPRIATE FOR MY YOUNG ADULT AND OLDER AUDIENCE.

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CREDITSOPENING CREDITS ARE CONVENTIONAL TO THRILLERS AND THEY ARE USUALLY QUITE SIMPLE AS THEY CONVEY THE TONE OF THE THRILLER OPENING.

IN PRISONERS (2013) THERE IS A SIMPLE CAPITALISED WHITE FONT ON A BLACK BACKGROUND TO CONVEY THE SIMPLICITY OF THE FILM AS IT IS A MYSTERY THRILLER ABOUT A KIDNAPPING. THE CREDITS ARE NOT COMPLICATED AS THEY NEED TO KEEP THE AUDIENCE INTERESTED TOO.

I decided to follow this convention as I felt it would be the most effective when creating my thriller, it also worked well with the monotonous themes I had as the thriller itself is very subtle and not much is revealed about the story and the characters, therefore only assumptions can be made.

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CONCLUSION

OVERALL, I HAVE CHALLENGED CERTAIN CONVENTIONS BUT HAVE USED AND DEVELOPED THE MAJORITY OF THEM. I FEEL AS IF THIS WAS ESSENTIAL TO CREATING A SUCCESSFUL THRILLER OPENING AS GOING AGAINST THE CONVENTIONS WOULD SURPRISE THE AUDIENCE, BUT STICKING TO THEM WOULD KEEP THEM INTERESTED AND ATTRACT THE AUDIENCE PROPERLY. I HAVE CHALLENGED THE CONVENTIONS WITH ICONOGRAPHY AND A SETTING I USED. BUT I HAVE DEVELOPED ON AND USED THE CONVENTIONS OF BODY LANGUAGE AND FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, AND OPENING CREDITS, AS WELL AS THE SETTINGS I USED AS I ADAPTED THEM TO FIT MY NARRATIVE.