For Media

1. Evaluation Question 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

2. Introduction
 As all thrillers have the majority of the same
conventions, including suspense and a lot of tension. I
found that my thriller sequence was fairly similar to a
number of other media products through other
elements. I found a film that had a similar storyline and
a video game with a very similar protagonist and also a
TV series with a similar character and similar story.

3. Salt
 The first Media product that I am
going to compare my thriller
sequence to is ‘Salt’. Salt is a
action thriller about a female
protagonist Evelyn Salt, played
by Angelina Jolie. It was directed
by Phillip Noyce and released
23rd July 2010. Salt’s storyline is
about a CIA agent (Evelyn Salt)
who goes on the run after being
accused of being a Russian spy.
Salt was created by Columbia
Pictures.

4. Tomb Raider
 Tomb raider is an
action/adventure video
game that was released in
2013, it was developed by
Crystal Dynamics and it
emphasises the
reconstructed origins of the
culturally influential lead
character Lara Croft. It was
released on the 5th March,
for Play Station3 and X-
Box.

5. Jessica Jones
 Jessica Jones is a TV series created by Melissa
Rosenberg for Netflix based on the Marvel Comics
character ‘Jessica Jones’ by Brian Michael Bendis and
Michael Gaydos. It stars Krysten Ritter and Mike Colter.
‘Jessica Jones’ was produced by Marvel Television. It was
distributed by Netflix. It was first released on 20th
November 2015.

6. What are genre conventions
and why are they used?
 Genre conventions are elements, used to show the
genre of the media product, they can be used in many
different ways, for example through similar characters
and quite often similar storylines. They are a good thing
to use in a media product as it leaves the audience
constantly guessing and trying to figure out the plot.
They are used to create tension and suspense and to
leave the audience guessing.

7. Conventions of a thriller
Suspense
Excitement
Plot Twists
Low Key
Lighting
Quick Cuts
Shadows
Montage of shots
Changes in
angle shots

8. Comparing Salt

9. Storyline
 Salt’s storyline is about a female undercover spy who is
constantly being watched. She is a highly intelligent and a
highly trained fighter. Evelyn Salt is working for the
government and she is highly equipped as a spy. Salt is
constantly on the run and being chased, however she must
kill certain agents; as they killed her husband.
 Our storyline involves a female who is working for the
government as a spy, she too like Evelyn is a trained fighter,
with a high IQ. The film follows her journey and the fights
she has to win and the people she must befriend in order to
get what she wants.

10. Character
Both our character and Evelyn Salt,
are intensive highly trained fighters
and wear heels and suits whilst
doing it. They are both highly
capable and independent woman,
they have no problem fighting men.
They prefer to work alone and will
not stand for any nonsense. They
are ruthless with their fighting and
will do anything to get the
information they need. As they are
both undercover spies, they wear
female suits, they still have very
female features – wear makeup,
have nice hair. Their physique is also
very feminine.

11. Action
We created suspense in our thriller by having
the audience know more than the female
protagonist. We used a close up shot of the
knife, this gave the audience the idea that the
girl was about to be attacked with this knife by
someone else, however; as the female
protagonist has her back to the audience. This
will add suspense, because the audience will
be on the edge of their seats, watching the
female have no idea what's coming towards
her. Also, in this shot particularly, suspense is
created by not being able to see the face of
the killer/ male antagonist; this too will leave
the audience with a lot of suspense are they
aren’t aware of who this person is and this
lack of knowledge creates tension.
Suspense is similarly created in ‘Salt’ in this
scene as Evelyn is hiding from the people
trying to catch her. The audience can see
more than she can, therefore they too like with
our thriller will be sitting on the edge of their
seats wanting Evelyn to move. She is
unaware of what is chasing her. Looking at
her, like with our character also, you don’t
think that she is able to compete with the
government security, looking at her femininity,
due to the stereotypes of very feminine
woman being weak and incapable as well as
being stupid, the audience don’t think that
Evelyn will stand a chance, however she soon
prove them wrong.

12. Title Format
Our Sequence Salt
In both my opening sequence and Salt’s, there is a black background and
the titles come across the screen in white, this contrast of colours draws
attentions to the information that is being displayed. Also we both decided to
have no vivid images in the background in order to create suspense, as at
any moment the visual scene will start. Like our sequence the opening
starts and then the title come up in big writing, this is very similar to ours,
the suspense captivated in the first short scene sets the audience up for the
rest of the film.

13. Editing techniques
Our Sequence
 For our editing techniques we used,
a range of different elements,
including using a lot of fast paced
shots in order to make it more
realistic and as we were amateurs at
filming a fight scene, for our benefit
we used faster pace in order for it to
look better. We also used fast pace
to confuse the audience as to who
was winning the fight and this
allowed both the characters look like
they were struggling.
Salt
 During Salt, as there aren’t really any
fights scenes until towards the end, the
pace of the film is fairly slow in general,
although there is a lot of action, the actual
film around the action, is fairly slow
paced, this allows the audience to
concentrate on the action in the center of
the scene. In Salt, because it was Evelyn
against the world, the pace needed to be
slower in order for the audience to be able
to keep up with what was going on.

14. Camera Techniques
My Thriller
 When filming our thriller, we
used a lot of hand held shots,
just like the camerawork in
salt, this allowed us to draw in
the attention of the audience
by making them feel
disorientated. In addition we
used a low angle shot at the
end, to make the woman look
empowering and show the
audience that she is in control.
Salt
 During Salt’s fight scene between
Evelyn and Vasily Orlov, the camera
work is very similar to ours, the
camera is handheld and therefore
shaking slowly from side to side, this
disorientates the audience making
them feel as though they are at the
scene, it also brings their focus in
because they are trying to make
themselves fully aware of what’s
happening. In this particular fight
scene. The is a low angle shot used
after Evelyn has killed Orlov to show
that she is powerful and dominant.

15. Jessica Jones Title Font
Both title sequences are different but also have their
similarities, for example the title of the film/TV series both
come at the end of the sequence with a boom. This allows
the audience to get the gist of what they’re about to watch
and then they are taken away from it and reminded of
what the film is called.

16. Tomb Raider - Character
Both of these Characters are extremely powerful, they completely challenge
societies stereotypes of women. These woman have to fight against men in
order to achieve what they want. They are independent characters and don’t
rely on anyone. Both these characters stance is very powerful and
defensive. Their clothes are extremely different, for example, my character is
made to look as though she would never be able to fight, however the Tomb
Raider looks as though she is ready to fight.

17. Camera Techniques
 Comparing my thriller to Jessica Jones, the camera work is fairly similar in parts.
During the beginning of our scene and the first scene of series 1 episode 1, the
camera uses a range of different shots in order to make the scene look as realistic
as possible. The scene begins following Jessica as she is being followed by
someone else, this is very similar to our thriller, we both used similar medium long
shots and close ups.