Question 7: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from t to the full product?
What was the purpose of the preliminary task?
The purpose of the preliminary task was to learn how to operate the camera and get used to its functions in preparation for filming our opening thriller sequence. Within our preliminary task we were told to film a short conversation between two people in our group that we had been set in. The conversation could be based around any subject. The short conversation had to be around 1-2 minutes long so that we could incorporate many different camera techniques and angles, which was the purpose of the preliminary task. We had to practice around with the camera in order to learn how to use it properly. This included figuring out the settings and which angles worked best for different shots and how to film using different camera techniques. This helped prepare us for our main task this is because if we encountered any issues or problems we could find a resolution for the issue as quick and effectively as possible. Another reason for the preliminary task was to get used to using the tripod which is the equipment that holds the camera steady and can move in different angles and paces. This helped us to establish which person suited the role of the cameraman so that they could have this responsibility throughout the process of our opening sequence.
What did you learn from the preliminary task?
I found the preliminary task insightful and helpful. I mainly found that without the tripod, scenes look very unprofessional and raggedy. It is always best to have the camera on the tripod for a smooth shot. In addition to this I learnt it is best to use a wide variety of angles and shots to make the sequence more interesting. Not only this but it enables to give different portrayals of scenes and characters, for example, a low angle shot could illustrate dominance to the higher up character. Another thing that I learnt from the preliminary task was not to make do with certain shots, and to re film as many times until it was filmed the way the group were happy with the outcome, this way is more beneficial to the over result of the thriller opening.
What skills did you learn from the preliminary task that helped you with your thriller film?
I felt that the skills that I had learnt from the preliminary task were beneficial to myself and my group when it came to producing the final product. The main skills include how to set up the tripod and attach the camera safely to it. This helped in the long run as it then meant we did not waste time in setting this up every time we came to film, we could get the process done quickly. In addition to this we also learnt how to create many different camera angles and shots. This included mid shots, long shots and over the shoulder shots. To do this we secured the camera onto the tripod, and positioned the tripod in the position which would help us to achieve this shot. Furthermore, we learnt how to use the basic tools in the editing software which we would be using, Final Cut Pro X. In this we learnt how to upload our shots, edit them together, increase or decrease speed and add transitions and effects. I would say this was one of the two most beneficial aspects of the preliminary task as the saved us valued time when we came to the editing phase as we already had basic knowledge which could only be expanded upon when coming to edit.
Sunday, 22 February 2015
Evaluation - Question 6
Question 6 - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Evaluation - Question 5
Question 5: How did you attract and address your audience?
Primary research was essential to the production of my thriller opening. This is because myself and my group did not have much knowledge of this media product. This research helped us find what was conventional to the thriller genre to help us with creating a successful narrative and helped with parts which not to include in our opening sequence.
We began with researching history of thriller films, with help of the internet to find which thriller films were most popular and famous in particular eras and how technology and equipment has changed.
We then moved on to researching age certificates and the organization the BBFC. This stage helped us to understand age ratings and guidelines of films, to know what we should, and shouldn't include.
Following on from this we then started research into our thriller opening sequences. The conventional camera shots and how they could portray characters differently, to the costuming of characters which helped to represent them clearly. We also researched generic sounds within the thriller genre, as this would help to create the best effect for our audience, building up tension and suspense.
We also researched into editing styles, and how this would work in our thriller opening sequence and if they would create the right effect for our target audience. With deciding our target audience, we created questionnaires which asked a series of questions trying to find out answers such as what age watches thrillers most, and their favorite conventions that they expect to see in a thriller film. This helped with the making of our opening sequence as we could incorporate these answers into our opening sequence to appeal to our target audience.
The research helped plan our opening sequence as it showed our group what conventional aspects we needed to include in our thriller film to engage our target audience.
Our group took inspirations from films such as Scream and The Strangers. The research found that many thriller films have a male antagonist. This helps to create suspense and tension as the victim is stereo typically a female, so a male may look alot bigger and threatening than a female as they are usually perceived as weak and vulnerable in thriller films. This however would help for the target audience to build a relationship with the victim as they sympathize for her as she looks less inferior to the antagonist. We also have taken inspiration from many thriller films for using low key lighting in each scene. This helps to create an dark and eerie effect for the audience, and immediately puts them on edge as somebody could be out to get the victim and harm her. We also took inspiration from The Strangers as the victim is alone in an isolated setting. Much like our film is located in the isolated forest. This puts the audience on edge as it is unknown if the victim will escape, or get any help if she needs to.
My primary and secondary research assisted me with the planning of my thriller as we then new what conventional thriller aspects our target audience expected to happen in our opening sequence. Not only this but it helped my group to come up with a narrative as we could see what thriller films each had in common to create something which our target audience would enjoy.
Primary research was essential to the production of my thriller opening. This is because myself and my group did not have much knowledge of this media product. This research helped us find what was conventional to the thriller genre to help us with creating a successful narrative and helped with parts which not to include in our opening sequence.
We began with researching history of thriller films, with help of the internet to find which thriller films were most popular and famous in particular eras and how technology and equipment has changed.
We then moved on to researching age certificates and the organization the BBFC. This stage helped us to understand age ratings and guidelines of films, to know what we should, and shouldn't include.
Following on from this we then started research into our thriller opening sequences. The conventional camera shots and how they could portray characters differently, to the costuming of characters which helped to represent them clearly. We also researched generic sounds within the thriller genre, as this would help to create the best effect for our audience, building up tension and suspense.
We also researched into editing styles, and how this would work in our thriller opening sequence and if they would create the right effect for our target audience. With deciding our target audience, we created questionnaires which asked a series of questions trying to find out answers such as what age watches thrillers most, and their favorite conventions that they expect to see in a thriller film. This helped with the making of our opening sequence as we could incorporate these answers into our opening sequence to appeal to our target audience.
The research helped plan our opening sequence as it showed our group what conventional aspects we needed to include in our thriller film to engage our target audience.
Our group took inspirations from films such as Scream and The Strangers. The research found that many thriller films have a male antagonist. This helps to create suspense and tension as the victim is stereo typically a female, so a male may look alot bigger and threatening than a female as they are usually perceived as weak and vulnerable in thriller films. This however would help for the target audience to build a relationship with the victim as they sympathize for her as she looks less inferior to the antagonist. We also have taken inspiration from many thriller films for using low key lighting in each scene. This helps to create an dark and eerie effect for the audience, and immediately puts them on edge as somebody could be out to get the victim and harm her. We also took inspiration from The Strangers as the victim is alone in an isolated setting. Much like our film is located in the isolated forest. This puts the audience on edge as it is unknown if the victim will escape, or get any help if she needs to.
My primary and secondary research assisted me with the planning of my thriller as we then new what conventional thriller aspects our target audience expected to happen in our opening sequence. Not only this but it helped my group to come up with a narrative as we could see what thriller films each had in common to create something which our target audience would enjoy.
Evaluation - Question 4
Question 4: Who would be the audience for your media product?
Explain why a target audience is important and why
A target audience is important when producing a media product as it
helps as a guide of what conventional aspects should be included and what is suitable for that age group. Aswell as this it is important as you can research different successful films within that genre with a similar target audience to see what would appeal to certain age groups and see what conventional elements they would expect to see.
Explain who your target audience is and why
The target audience for my groups film "Obscurity" is for ages 15 and over. This is because our film would not include any strong language or violence. Also through the research that we collected before planning our thriller film we found that the most popular audience for thriller films was people aged 15 and over. So we would not include any aspects which would mean the age rating would have to increase as we would loose a main part of our audience.
Explain how your thriller film appeals to an audience ( narrative, soundtrack, characters, camera shots, mise en scene)
My thriller film appeals to a target audience of ages 15 and above. This could be due to the narrative of our thriller film. The audience watching our product must have an interest and know what to expect in the genre, so this may appeal to them as we have included many generic aspects of a thriller film. In addition I think my thriller film appeals to the target audience as the they are a similar age to the characters, the audience will then build a relationship with this character as they will sympathize as they could imagine themselves in her position. My film would also appeal to our target audience through the mise-en-scene of their costume as it is conventional. The dark colours worn by the antagonist contrasts with the victims school uniform which suggests her dominance and power is automatically lower than the antagonists suggesting something bad is going to happen, making the audience wanting to watch on to see what happens. My thriller film appeals to an audience due to the sound used. This is because it is generic to the thriller genre. The sound which we used helps to create different effects and emotions for the audience. The sound creates enigma and an eerie sense to the scene which puts the audience on edge. Aswell as this the diegetic sound used of the victims scream creates shock and surprise making the audience question what has happened to the victim. These two elements are conventional to the thriller genre and are what the audience would want and expect to see.
Camera shots also help my thriller film appeal to an audience. An example of this could be a long shot of the victim walking into the dark, isolated forest. This helps the audience relate to her as they could imagine being in this situation as it could be scary and do not know whether the antagonist will leave her unharmed or not. In addition the point of view and over the shoulder shot when the victim is directly facing the antagonist appeals to the audience because this shows the fear of the victim as she doesn't move when she sees him and completely freezes, and sympathize for her, building up suspense and tension of whether she will escape or not. Lastly, the editing of the thriller sequence appeals to my target audience as it helps to create an eerie sense, always questioning what may happen next. Especially the montage scene of the antagonist, the effects used makes the scene raggedy and unsteady which could represent the thriller as it is uncertain what may happen next. With the opacity change of many of the scenes this makes the scenes look alot darker and as though it was night time, a darker surrounding is conventional of the thriller genre as this creates suspense as the audience do not know what will happen to the victim as it will be harder for her to see and make her way out of the forest to get home safely.
Explain why a target audience is important and why
A target audience is important when producing a media product as it
helps as a guide of what conventional aspects should be included and what is suitable for that age group. Aswell as this it is important as you can research different successful films within that genre with a similar target audience to see what would appeal to certain age groups and see what conventional elements they would expect to see.
Explain who your target audience is and why
The target audience for my groups film "Obscurity" is for ages 15 and over. This is because our film would not include any strong language or violence. Also through the research that we collected before planning our thriller film we found that the most popular audience for thriller films was people aged 15 and over. So we would not include any aspects which would mean the age rating would have to increase as we would loose a main part of our audience.
Explain how your thriller film appeals to an audience ( narrative, soundtrack, characters, camera shots, mise en scene)
My thriller film appeals to a target audience of ages 15 and above. This could be due to the narrative of our thriller film. The audience watching our product must have an interest and know what to expect in the genre, so this may appeal to them as we have included many generic aspects of a thriller film. In addition I think my thriller film appeals to the target audience as the they are a similar age to the characters, the audience will then build a relationship with this character as they will sympathize as they could imagine themselves in her position. My film would also appeal to our target audience through the mise-en-scene of their costume as it is conventional. The dark colours worn by the antagonist contrasts with the victims school uniform which suggests her dominance and power is automatically lower than the antagonists suggesting something bad is going to happen, making the audience wanting to watch on to see what happens. My thriller film appeals to an audience due to the sound used. This is because it is generic to the thriller genre. The sound which we used helps to create different effects and emotions for the audience. The sound creates enigma and an eerie sense to the scene which puts the audience on edge. Aswell as this the diegetic sound used of the victims scream creates shock and surprise making the audience question what has happened to the victim. These two elements are conventional to the thriller genre and are what the audience would want and expect to see.
Camera shots also help my thriller film appeal to an audience. An example of this could be a long shot of the victim walking into the dark, isolated forest. This helps the audience relate to her as they could imagine being in this situation as it could be scary and do not know whether the antagonist will leave her unharmed or not. In addition the point of view and over the shoulder shot when the victim is directly facing the antagonist appeals to the audience because this shows the fear of the victim as she doesn't move when she sees him and completely freezes, and sympathize for her, building up suspense and tension of whether she will escape or not. Lastly, the editing of the thriller sequence appeals to my target audience as it helps to create an eerie sense, always questioning what may happen next. Especially the montage scene of the antagonist, the effects used makes the scene raggedy and unsteady which could represent the thriller as it is uncertain what may happen next. With the opacity change of many of the scenes this makes the scenes look alot darker and as though it was night time, a darker surrounding is conventional of the thriller genre as this creates suspense as the audience do not know what will happen to the victim as it will be harder for her to see and make her way out of the forest to get home safely.
Evaluation - Question 3
Question 3 - What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
https://prezi.com/davz9v2ohzlx/what-kind-of-media-institution-might-distribute-your-media-p/
https://prezi.com/davz9v2ohzlx/what-kind-of-media-institution-might-distribute-your-media-p/
Evaluation - Question 2
Question 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?
In our opening thriller sequence there are two main characters. This is the female victim and the masked antagonist. The masked antagonist is mentally unstable and has previously harmed many other young, innocent victims and is now seeking his next opportunity. During the sequence we see the antagonist stalking and targeting the victim which has no relation to the antagonist on her journey home, which includes the shortcut through the isolated forest.
The victim in our opening thriller sequence can be portrayed as innocent and vulnerable. This is because she is unaware of the antagonist following her on her journey home. Furthermore the victim is also represented as innocent as she is a normal, young, teenage girl making her way home and has not done anything to provoke what forebodes. We can see that the victim is also represented this way due to the costume that she is wearing. Throughout the opening sequence the victim is in her School uniform on the way home from her friends house. The use of the Mise-En-Scene micro-element of costuming we can perceive the School uniform as an insight and connotation to her vulnerability and innocence as she has not yet discovered what people are like in the outside world and is still naive. In addition to this the victim can be represented as frightened and terrified. We can infer this from the diegetic sound of the scream which is meant to be coming from her. The high pitch scream again, shows her vulnerability as we can tell this is from a young girl. Not only this but it can be inferred that the young girl has not fought back to the antagonist which may signify that she must have been understandably frightened in his presence.
We decided to include these generic representations of the victim so it followed the conventional representations in a thriller film. We then hoped this would help to add the conventional elements to our opening sequence. Not only this but each representation of the young, female victim helped the audience to build a relationship with this particular character. I think this is because our target audience is of a similar age range to the victim so they will sympathize for as as they can relate to how they would be feeling if they too were in this situation she is currently involved in. Not only can the audience relate to the victim, but the generic representations help to create an eerie effect which consequently builds suspense and tension throughout. This keeps the audience on the edge of their seats wanting to continue to watch on to see whether the victim escapes unharmed or not.
The masked antagonist throughout our opening thriller sequence is generically represented in many different ways. It can be seen that the antagonist could be perceived as controlling and dominating. This can be seen through the story line as the killer is a man, with a young, female victim which is stereo typically less dominating then him, so he has an easy advantage. In addition to this we wanted our antagonist to be male with a female victim as men are stereo typically more dominant than females and automatically puts the audience on edge as they feel a threatening sense as it is unknown if the woman will be unharmed. This leads to another generic convention of our antagonist of threatening and frightening. Both the audience and the victim feel threatened by him. This can be seen through various shots in our opening thriller sequence such as a point of view shot from the victim which sees the antagonist appear slightly larger in size, portraying his dominance and power in the situation.
We decided to include these representations in our opening thriller sequence as we wanted both our antagonist and victim to be portrayed stereo typically. This would then help to create the conventional thriller genre elements such as shock, surprise and tension.
I think that our victim would appeal to our specific target audience of teenagers as we have portrayed her to be of this age. Furthermore, this means the audience would be able to relate to her as she is a normal girl, which lives in a normal village who is kind and friendly. They also may relate due to stereotypes as girls may feel that they too can feel dominated in the presence of a male. So when the teenage girl comes face to face with the antagonist, they immediately feel on edge as they can sympathize for her and understand how she must be feeling. The audience would fear for the victims safety and want her to get home safely.
In our opening thriller sequence there are two main characters. This is the female victim and the masked antagonist. The masked antagonist is mentally unstable and has previously harmed many other young, innocent victims and is now seeking his next opportunity. During the sequence we see the antagonist stalking and targeting the victim which has no relation to the antagonist on her journey home, which includes the shortcut through the isolated forest.
The victim in our opening thriller sequence can be portrayed as innocent and vulnerable. This is because she is unaware of the antagonist following her on her journey home. Furthermore the victim is also represented as innocent as she is a normal, young, teenage girl making her way home and has not done anything to provoke what forebodes. We can see that the victim is also represented this way due to the costume that she is wearing. Throughout the opening sequence the victim is in her School uniform on the way home from her friends house. The use of the Mise-En-Scene micro-element of costuming we can perceive the School uniform as an insight and connotation to her vulnerability and innocence as she has not yet discovered what people are like in the outside world and is still naive. In addition to this the victim can be represented as frightened and terrified. We can infer this from the diegetic sound of the scream which is meant to be coming from her. The high pitch scream again, shows her vulnerability as we can tell this is from a young girl. Not only this but it can be inferred that the young girl has not fought back to the antagonist which may signify that she must have been understandably frightened in his presence.
We decided to include these generic representations of the victim so it followed the conventional representations in a thriller film. We then hoped this would help to add the conventional elements to our opening sequence. Not only this but each representation of the young, female victim helped the audience to build a relationship with this particular character. I think this is because our target audience is of a similar age range to the victim so they will sympathize for as as they can relate to how they would be feeling if they too were in this situation she is currently involved in. Not only can the audience relate to the victim, but the generic representations help to create an eerie effect which consequently builds suspense and tension throughout. This keeps the audience on the edge of their seats wanting to continue to watch on to see whether the victim escapes unharmed or not.
The masked antagonist throughout our opening thriller sequence is generically represented in many different ways. It can be seen that the antagonist could be perceived as controlling and dominating. This can be seen through the story line as the killer is a man, with a young, female victim which is stereo typically less dominating then him, so he has an easy advantage. In addition to this we wanted our antagonist to be male with a female victim as men are stereo typically more dominant than females and automatically puts the audience on edge as they feel a threatening sense as it is unknown if the woman will be unharmed. This leads to another generic convention of our antagonist of threatening and frightening. Both the audience and the victim feel threatened by him. This can be seen through various shots in our opening thriller sequence such as a point of view shot from the victim which sees the antagonist appear slightly larger in size, portraying his dominance and power in the situation.
We decided to include these representations in our opening thriller sequence as we wanted both our antagonist and victim to be portrayed stereo typically. This would then help to create the conventional thriller genre elements such as shock, surprise and tension.
I think that gender is represented in a stereotypical way in our media product. This is because our antagonist is portrayed as powering and dominant and our female victim is portrayed as weak and vulnerable. This can be inferred as the young girl screams, with the audience questioning whether she is dead. This shows that the antagonist is inferior to the victim as he has overpowered her ability to fight back and harmed her. We can also see this representation through the over the shoulder and point of view shot used near the end of the thriller opening when the antagonist is hiding within the trees. This is because the victim is looking directly at the antagonist portraying fear as she is not moving. I think the gender stereotypes will help to build a better relationship with the characters as the audience can sympathize towards the victim and will want to continue watching the opening due to the antagonist making the scene gripping to watch.
I think that our victim would appeal to our specific target audience of teenagers as we have portrayed her to be of this age. Furthermore, this means the audience would be able to relate to her as she is a normal girl, which lives in a normal village who is kind and friendly. They also may relate due to stereotypes as girls may feel that they too can feel dominated in the presence of a male. So when the teenage girl comes face to face with the antagonist, they immediately feel on edge as they can sympathize for her and understand how she must be feeling. The audience would fear for the victims safety and want her to get home safely.
I think that our antagonist in our opening thriller sequence would appeal to our target audience as through our research we have concluded that our target audience find it more interesting to watch when the antagonists identity is hidden. This is because it creates enigma of who is behind the mask and why, wondering also what their intentions are. This keeps the audience wanting to watch on as they watch on to find out who is behind the mask. Additionally to this, he fits in with the stereotypical conventions of the antagonist as he is larger than the victim so the audience will automatically feel threat and dominated. This gives the narrative a structure as it is possible the female victim will not leave unharmed. This therefore will keep the audience interested and engaged in what is going to happen.
Evaluation - Question 1
In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Our opening sequence defines the thriller genre as it includes many of the codes and conventions of a stereotypical thriller film. This includes stereo-typical codes and conventions which are important to incorporate into a thriller film in order to ensure its success. Firstly, a generic convention of the thriller genre is the use of low key lighting. Low key lighting is a style of lighting within film. Low key lighting helps to accentuate objects within any scene. Not only this, but the use of low key lighting helps to create a tense and eerie effect due to the darkness. An example of a successful thriller which uses low key lighting includes "The Strangers" which low key lighting is used throughout the scene of the female protagonist alone in the isolated house. This is conventional to thriller films because it helps to add suspense to This also creates a sense of foreboding as it is suspected something bad may happen to the character as her safety is jeopardized. Our entire opening thriller sequence was filmed in low key lighting. This helped to establish the vulnerability and safety of the protagonist as she made her way home during the dark
Another generic convention of a thriller film includes iconography. More particularly within a thriller film a knife is more commonly used as it is more personal and creates an effect for the audience as it could be possibly someone the victim knows intentionally trying to harm them. Whereas a gun can be used further away and unintentionally harm somebody.
A knife is more personal than a gun as it implies the antagonist is willing to directly kill someone and strike many times. A use of iconography can be seen throughout the clip of "Halloween 4" when the antagonist is attempting to stab the protagonist during a chase scene over the top of the roof. Iconography is generic to the thriller genre because it helps to build a relationship between the antagonist and protagonist as well as the audience also. The use of the weapon helps to build suspense and create tension as the audience will begin to sympathize and relate to the protagonist as they begin to imagine themselves in her situation. They will grip onto the edge of their seats as they want her to become free from the antagonist. Although iconography is a conventional aspect of any thriller film we did not include this in our opening thriller sequence. The reason for this is there was not any need for one for the scenes we included during the time frame that we had. The scenes did not need to include iconography such as a knife. However, one piece of iconography that we did use which is conventional to the thriller genre was a mask, this was to keep the identity of our antagonist hidden to create a sense of enigma.
In most films within the thriller genre a chase scene is usually included. A chase scene usually helps to build up tension as the audience begin to wonder whether the victim will be able to escape the antagonist or not. This helps the audience to build a relationship with the victim as they begin to imagine the emotion the protagonist is feeling. An example of this portrayed through the clip in "Scream" when the female protagonist is on the phone to the antagonist and makes a run for her freedom, running past her deceased boyfriend, unknown to her being followed by the killer. Within our opening thriller sequence there is not an obvious, distinct chase scene. However when thought about our entire sequence is predominately a chase scene as we see a young, vulnerable, female protagonist followed on her journey home by an unidentified antagonist and killed.
Another generic convention of the thriller genre is an unidentified antagonist as this keeps the identity of who is behind the mask hidden. This helps to create a sense of enigma as the audience begin to wonder who is the killer and there reasoning behind their actions. This begins to build up suspense and tension as the narrative continues as it proves difficult to build a relationship with the antagonist as they can't see him or understand his motives by his expressions. An example of a successful film from the thriller genre which includes a masked antagonist is Scream. Our opening sequence was based around an hidden antagonist which wore a white vendetta mask, this helps for the antagonist to come across as cold and distant, creating suspense and tension as it reminds the audience he doesn't care who he harms.
Sound is also conventional to the thriller genre. Sound is used to create tension with intense and eerie music being played either as diegetic or non-diegetic sound. The use of a high pitch and fast tempo sound makes the audience feel uncomfortable and on edge as they spectate something unpleasant and unexpected may happen. The thriller genre uses many different, unique sound effects throughout the film creating a direct tension making it seem like they are experiencing what the character is feeling at that moment. A good example of a successful film which uses a series of different sound techniques is "Insidious". Throughout a particular scene of the film a song is played "Tiptoe through the tulips" this non-diegetic sound isn't a generic sound played throughout a thriller film. But it helps to create an eerie sense as it sounds creepy and child like. We also had non-diegetic sound throughout the entire sequence of our thriller opening. Much like "Insidious" we had a child like song playing. As ours was a nursery rhyme "Twinkle twinkle little star" this goes against the generic tension building music but I feel like it creates as much as an effect as generic sounds would.
Another generic convention of any thriller film is for it to be set in an isolated location, whether this be an isolated forest, part of land, or some sort of building/house. This is because if the protagonist end up in danger there is nobody nearby to try and help them. This helps to build a relationship between the character and the audience as the audience fear for the characters safety. An example of this being used is in the successful thriller film "The Strangers" as we see a female protagonist alone in an isolated house surrounded by animal masked antagonists which are suspect-idly trying to harm her. Throughout our opening sequence we also use the generic convention of an isolated setting. This is when the girl is walking through the forest as a shortcut to make her journey home quicker. This has the audience holding their breath as they watch wondering what may appear on her journey home. This also creates a sense of foreboding as they begin to wonder will she exit alive or will somebody be there to help her if she encounters any danger on her journey.
Our opening sequence defines the thriller genre as it includes many of the codes and conventions of a stereotypical thriller film. This includes stereo-typical codes and conventions which are important to incorporate into a thriller film in order to ensure its success. Firstly, a generic convention of the thriller genre is the use of low key lighting. Low key lighting is a style of lighting within film. Low key lighting helps to accentuate objects within any scene. Not only this, but the use of low key lighting helps to create a tense and eerie effect due to the darkness. An example of a successful thriller which uses low key lighting includes "The Strangers" which low key lighting is used throughout the scene of the female protagonist alone in the isolated house. This is conventional to thriller films because it helps to add suspense to This also creates a sense of foreboding as it is suspected something bad may happen to the character as her safety is jeopardized. Our entire opening thriller sequence was filmed in low key lighting. This helped to establish the vulnerability and safety of the protagonist as she made her way home during the dark
Another generic convention of a thriller film includes iconography. More particularly within a thriller film a knife is more commonly used as it is more personal and creates an effect for the audience as it could be possibly someone the victim knows intentionally trying to harm them. Whereas a gun can be used further away and unintentionally harm somebody.
A knife is more personal than a gun as it implies the antagonist is willing to directly kill someone and strike many times. A use of iconography can be seen throughout the clip of "Halloween 4" when the antagonist is attempting to stab the protagonist during a chase scene over the top of the roof. Iconography is generic to the thriller genre because it helps to build a relationship between the antagonist and protagonist as well as the audience also. The use of the weapon helps to build suspense and create tension as the audience will begin to sympathize and relate to the protagonist as they begin to imagine themselves in her situation. They will grip onto the edge of their seats as they want her to become free from the antagonist. Although iconography is a conventional aspect of any thriller film we did not include this in our opening thriller sequence. The reason for this is there was not any need for one for the scenes we included during the time frame that we had. The scenes did not need to include iconography such as a knife. However, one piece of iconography that we did use which is conventional to the thriller genre was a mask, this was to keep the identity of our antagonist hidden to create a sense of enigma.
In most films within the thriller genre a chase scene is usually included. A chase scene usually helps to build up tension as the audience begin to wonder whether the victim will be able to escape the antagonist or not. This helps the audience to build a relationship with the victim as they begin to imagine the emotion the protagonist is feeling. An example of this portrayed through the clip in "Scream" when the female protagonist is on the phone to the antagonist and makes a run for her freedom, running past her deceased boyfriend, unknown to her being followed by the killer. Within our opening thriller sequence there is not an obvious, distinct chase scene. However when thought about our entire sequence is predominately a chase scene as we see a young, vulnerable, female protagonist followed on her journey home by an unidentified antagonist and killed.
Another generic convention of the thriller genre is an unidentified antagonist as this keeps the identity of who is behind the mask hidden. This helps to create a sense of enigma as the audience begin to wonder who is the killer and there reasoning behind their actions. This begins to build up suspense and tension as the narrative continues as it proves difficult to build a relationship with the antagonist as they can't see him or understand his motives by his expressions. An example of a successful film from the thriller genre which includes a masked antagonist is Scream. Our opening sequence was based around an hidden antagonist which wore a white vendetta mask, this helps for the antagonist to come across as cold and distant, creating suspense and tension as it reminds the audience he doesn't care who he harms.
Sound is also conventional to the thriller genre. Sound is used to create tension with intense and eerie music being played either as diegetic or non-diegetic sound. The use of a high pitch and fast tempo sound makes the audience feel uncomfortable and on edge as they spectate something unpleasant and unexpected may happen. The thriller genre uses many different, unique sound effects throughout the film creating a direct tension making it seem like they are experiencing what the character is feeling at that moment. A good example of a successful film which uses a series of different sound techniques is "Insidious". Throughout a particular scene of the film a song is played "Tiptoe through the tulips" this non-diegetic sound isn't a generic sound played throughout a thriller film. But it helps to create an eerie sense as it sounds creepy and child like. We also had non-diegetic sound throughout the entire sequence of our thriller opening. Much like "Insidious" we had a child like song playing. As ours was a nursery rhyme "Twinkle twinkle little star" this goes against the generic tension building music but I feel like it creates as much as an effect as generic sounds would.
Another generic convention of any thriller film is for it to be set in an isolated location, whether this be an isolated forest, part of land, or some sort of building/house. This is because if the protagonist end up in danger there is nobody nearby to try and help them. This helps to build a relationship between the character and the audience as the audience fear for the characters safety. An example of this being used is in the successful thriller film "The Strangers" as we see a female protagonist alone in an isolated house surrounded by animal masked antagonists which are suspect-idly trying to harm her. Throughout our opening sequence we also use the generic convention of an isolated setting. This is when the girl is walking through the forest as a shortcut to make her journey home quicker. This has the audience holding their breath as they watch wondering what may appear on her journey home. This also creates a sense of foreboding as they begin to wonder will she exit alive or will somebody be there to help her if she encounters any danger on her journey.
I think that my thriller film compares to successful thriller films such as Scream. This is because they both have similar generic conventions. One could be a male antagonist who is masked. This is stereotypical as it keeps the audience on the edge of their seats anticipating what may happen next as it is clear that the male has more dominance within the scene as the woman is stereo typically portrayed as less inferior and weaker compared to the man. Another reason why my thriller film compares to Scream is because my entire sequence is a chase scene, this is because the antagonist is following after the victim. We have imitated the antagonists hidden identity as we have used a white vendetta mask, similar to Scream as they also have a masked antagonist. This gives an eerie sense as it is unknown who is behind the mask and could possibly be in relation to the victim, which makes the audience want to watch on.
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