Evaluation Question 1 for AS Media

2. PRELIMINARY WORK ON THRILLER FILMS:
SEVEN, MEMENTO
• Before constructing my media product, I watched a number of existing
thriller films, in order to gain an understanding of the common codes
and conventions that are used in order to portray the genre.
• In classic thriller films, such as Seven and Memento, there were a
number of conventions that were shared between the two films:
• Themes of Crime and Violence
• Use of close-ups and quick cut editing
• Implemented use of Barthes Code of Enigma
• Artificial lighting to create shadows
• Dramatic, suspenseful music
• I considered these common conventions when constructing the idea
behind my film, and thought about how I might use these to convey the
thriller genre.

3. THRILLER/DRAMA
• I wanted to create a film that explored a topical issue within society
today, focusing on the effects of Post Traumatic Stress on soldiers
returning form Afghanistan.
• To do this, my film had to challenge the normal conventions of common
thriller films, which is why I decided to classify my film under the
Thriller/Drama sub genre. This challenged the common ideas behind a
thriller film.
• The main inspiration for using elements of the drama genre came from
the BBC Miniseries “Our Girl”, which shared similar ideas with my
media product.

4. CINEMATOGRAPHY: MAIN TITLES
• Similarly to the title sequence of Seven, I used a number of close up
shots to provide context and meaning for the audience
I used a close-up shot of the picture frame and the
dog tags during the title sequence of the opening,
when the character had just woken up and when the
character was getting ready, in order to create
iconography for the audience; these features are
associated with the pain and past experiences of the
protagonists. This also helped provide preferred
reading to the audience so that the understood that
the character was the protagonist.
These shots also help to emphasize how the
protagonist's past experiences have shaped his life
so much, such as his contraction of PTSD.
Relations:
Seven(1995,David Fincher)- Title sequence uses a
number of close ups of objects that have an overall
meaning within the context of the film e.g. Close-up
of journals

5. CINEMATOGRAPHY: MAIN TITLES
I used the close-up of the radio just before the start of
the main title sequence, in order to to synchronize the
sound of the voice over with the action on screen, so
that the audience understood that the protagonist was
listening to Maggie Jones’ report. This then created a
sound bridge as the scene continued
The close-up of the trainer was also used when the
character was getting ready, in order to foreshadow
the run that the character was about to embark on; it
also helped draw attention to the forms and the pill
bottles on the table by using shot composition, as I
used the Mise-en-Scene to inform the audience that
the protagonist suffers from PTSD, using the
Hypodermic Needle Theory.
Relations:
Seven(1995, David Fincher)- Title sequence uses a
number of close ups of objects that have an overall
meaning within the context of the film e.g. Close-up
of journals

6. CINEMATOGRAPHY: REMAINDER OF FILM
• I also made use of other common shots in thriller films, including use of mid shots and
wide shots. I also implemented the use of POV shots.
• I explored the use of camera movements such as panning and tracking; this was inspired
by a sequence in the BBC drama Our Girl.
I made use of long shots and mid shots when the protagonist
was running and during the majority of other activities within
the film. The use of mid-shot allowed for the audience to
focus on the overall process that the character was
engaging, in order to emphasize his actions rather than any
other specific detail. The long shot helped to establish
various locations within the film, in order to provide context
for the audience that helped for them to decode the narrative.
This is common in most thriller productions.
Relations:
Our Girl (2014, David Drury) -Similar tracking
shot used during the protagonists flashbacks
Seven, Memento, Our Girl- Long/Mid Shots
used often

7. CINEMATOGRAPHY: REMAINDER OF FILM
I used a POV shot during the protagonist’s flashback
in order to interpellate the audience into the action
being shown on screen; the jagged movement of the
camera represented the character running in the war
zone.
I used camera tracking as the protagonist was
running down the street, in order to symbolism the
journey that he was going through during his
flashbacks; this helped to emphasise the pained
expression on the protagonist's face to the audience
when accompanied by a close up shot.
Relations:
Our Girl (2014, David Drury) -Similar tracking
shot used during the protagonists flashbacks
Seven, Memento, Our Girl- Long/Mid Shots
used often

8. USE OF SPECIAL EFFECTS
• Special effect played a key role in creating a sense of psychological illness around
my character and conveying the idea of flashbacks.
I used the blurred Vignette filter in
order to symbolise that the character
was having a dream/nightmare,
conveying the idea of a distorted
state of mind to the audience. This
was also used in the film Inception
during dream like phases.
I used the Glow filter in order to
signify to the audience that the
character was having a flashback,
which is often used when conveying
non-linear narratives. The glow
effect also showed red glows which
helped to connote the danger that
was approaching in the film.
Relations:
Inception (2010, Christopher Nolan)-Use of
filters to convey convention of a dream

9. USE OF SPECIAL EFFECTS
I used the Bad TV stylization in instances
where the protagonist's was experiencing his
panic attack, in order to symbolise how the life
of the protagonist is fragmented and jagged,
as he struggles to distinguish between reality
and illusion. This effect is not conventional
within most thriller films; most thriller films
result to using jump cuts in order to create this
representation.
Relations:
Inception (2010, Christopher Nolan)-Use of
filters to convey convention of a dream

10. PACE OF EDITING
• Towards the beginning of my film, the editing used a much slower pace, challenging
the idea of common thriller films whilst fulfilling the idea of a drama.
• As the film progressed, the pace of the editing increased as more action and
suspense became present on screen, as expected in most thrillers.
These stills depicts one of the flashback sequences in which the character is in the war zone before the
death of his comrade; these four shots occur within a short time period of around 7 seconds, indicating
the fast pace that I began to introduce towards the end of the film with my editing. This provided action
and suspense which helped to excite and engage my audience, as is done with a number of thriller
films.
Relations:
Seven( 1995, David Fincher)-Uses fast paced
editing during the chase scene

11. USE OF OVERLAYS
• I made explicit use of overlays within my film, in order to convey certain images
about the character’s mental state.
• Overlays are not commonly seen in modern day thriller films,, which demonstrates
how my piece challenges conventions of Thriller films. One example of use is in
Seven, (1995,David Fincher), which is used in the title sequence.
I used a an overlay during the protagonist’s
flashback in order to symbolise how the
character’s memories intertwined with his
present day, as his constant flashbacks of
the war overtake his sense of reality; this
helped interpellate the audience into the
narrative, as they were provided with
information using the Hypodermic Needle
Theory so that could empahsise the with
the protagonist's situation.

12. MISE EN SCENE
• I included common aspects of Mise en Scene that would be expected in a thriller films;
however, the idea of the military is one that challenged the idea behind common
thriller films, which is why I looked to include the drama sub-genre in my piece.
I used authentic military uniform and prop weaponry within all the
flashback sequences in my piece to build up the narrative and
identify the character as the hero under Propp’s character
functions; this illuminated the social background of the character,
as well provided a source of suspense and action for my thriller.
This was done by using the Hypodermic Needle Theory, in order to
inject the information in to the audience. The military is not a
common focal theme within thriller films, which focus more on the
average life of a middle class character or the police force. I used
this to challenge the thriller genre, by introducing the drama sub
genre to the piece.
Relations;
Our Girl(2014,BBC)-A thriller/drama with
similar themes of the military
Lone Survivor(2013, Peter Berg)-A war film
that contains elements of the thriller genre

13. MISE EN SCENE
I made use of fake blood when the protagonist’s
comrade had been killed, which is a renowned element
of Mise-en-scene within thriller films. This creates a
sense of realism for the audience and symbolises the
danger and horror of the protagonist's situation. My
choice of location was difficult, as it was hard to find an
authentic location to represent Afghanistan; I chose a
heathland in order to convey the idea of the country’s
mountainous region, which helped enforce the realism
established within the piece. Mountains are not
necessarily a common location in thriller films, which
are usually based in busy cities/towns or deserted
forest/woodland, which is another way my film
challenges the genre.
Relations;
Our Girl (2014, BBC)-A thriller/drama with
similar themes of the military
Lone Survivor(2013, Peter Berg)-A war film
that contains elements of the thriller genre
within.

14. USE OF ICONOGRAPHY AND SEMIOTICS
• Iconography is a common convention of most thriller films, which I felt I needed to
include in order to provide emotional depth to the audience that would aid their
understanding, which was further emphasized using semiotics.
The photograph was used to establish the main
characters within the piece, providing preferred reading
for the audience; it also helped to emphasise the
emotional turmoil that the character was going through
within the film, informing the audience of the reasons
behind his illness (Hypodermic Needle Theory).
Photographs are common icons within thriller films; this is
seen in Memento, where each photograph is symbolic of
an event in the protagonist’s past, which is similar to the
use of photographs in my piece.
The dog tags were semiotic of the protagonist’s
contextual military background, and acted a
constant reminder of the comrade he had lost in
battle, creating Iconography. They also helped to
convey the themes of the film to the audience, such
as friendship, the military and remembrance. The
use of small props was also seen in Inception,
where each character had a totem.
Relations:
Memento(2000, Christopher Nolan)-Iconography of
photographs
Inception(2010, Christopher Nolan)-Using small
objects as icons/symbols

15. USE OF ICONOGRAPHY AND SEMIOTICS
The medication packaging and PTSD leaflet
were used to signify to the audience that
was suffering from a mental health disorder,
by using the Hypodermic Needle Theory.
This helped the audience understand the
reasons behind the character’s flashbacks,
foreshadowing the upcoming events in the
he film. Intertextual references are used to
inject information into the audience in a
number of thriller films, such as Man of
Steel.
Relations:
Man of Steel(2013, Zack Snyder)-Using Intertextual
references within a piece to inject the audience with
information, such as a newspaper

16. USE OF SOUND
• I used an original sound track within my piece that was played on the piano
during the second part of the opening, when the pace of the sequence
increased; Most thriller/dramas tend to use synthesized music or the violin,
showing how my music challenges common conventions.
• Like most thriller films, the music introduced pace to the piece which helped
to build suspense and tension for the audience to interpellate them with the
action on screen.
• I used a number of synchronous and asynchronous sound effects in order
to emphasize the action on screen; this included the voice of a soldier over
the radio, sound of gun fire and the rotor blades of a chopper during the
flashback sequences. These helped to emphasize the themes of the military
as well as create a sense of realism in order to build suspense for the
audience; this is common in most thriller films.
• I also used a voiceover at the beginning of my piece when the character was
getting ready; this was similar to the voiceover use in Man of Steel, which
depicted the voice of journalists talking about the life of the protagonist,
Superman. This helped to provide context for the audience so they could
understand the situation, as well as foreshadowed the upcoming panic
attack that the character was about to have.