2. Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Costume
The costume is not seen very often in thrillers as the conventional
costume for thrillers is a classic gangster suit that is associated
with hitmen and other forms of antagonist. The costume we used
is associated with horror films, vampire films or even superhero
films e.g. Sabretooth from X-Men: Wolverine origins or the Blade
Trilogy. This adds a vivid mystical appearance to our antagonist
that challenges the straightforward convention of the typical
thriller villain. This allows us to immediately create intrigue around
the character as the costume suggests deeper meaning
surrounding the character’s origin. The suit of the victim
reinforces the conventional thriller image of an antagonist and
connotes that there must be some form of friction within an
organisation or the breaking of an alliance. This is very much in
style of the 2015 gangster movie ‘Legends’ about the Kray twins.
Some lower down gangsters were stabbing the other faction in
the back and they were than disposed of. This is an implication
that can be taken into account here. This is a very conventional
idea of the thriller genre as it has also been used in Once Upon A
Time In America as Noodles’ associates were treated as
expendable lives. This connotation is challenged by a later shot of
the body being the primary focus. This emphasises a greater
importance of the character and therefore develops the plots
further.
Location
The use of the grassy area connotes abandonment and isolation
which is very conventional of the thriller genre as it locational
archetype used in modern thriller TV shows such as The Bridge,
True Detective and Shetland. All of the mentioned shows express
the use of an isolated environment to undertake a murder. This is
also a convention used in The Third Man as Harry Lime disappears
in a sewer. This location is a far more urban interpretation of this
convention. The use of an isolated location creates connotations of
discretion and secrecy which is very much associated to criminal
activities/factions. The contrasting location of a car park is far more
urban and implies that crime is far more integrated within society
i.e. a well known issue. This is also very well linked with real life
cases of crime. For example, in Sydney, Australia on the 9th of April
2016 two men were gunned down. It is also very common
knowledge that cars are often stolen inside car parks. We have
integrated the two above cases into ideas that we believe works
very effectively as it embodies the dangers of enclosed urban areas.
This form of location is stereotypical of the thriller genre as it
integrates modern criminality with an old school ominous stature
and impact in terms of the devastating effect of that crime can on
an organisation like it did with the Kray’s and various other criminal
outlets.
3. Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Narrative
The antagonist is very dominant throughout as his posture is very
prominently emphasised in the manner of a king or other important
figures. This allows his presence in the other scenes to appear
intimidating and threatening. The use of the stairs as the establishing
shot creates connotations of being epic and grand. This shares a similar
effect of films such as Die Hard which is an action film and very
effectively creates an intense atmosphere. Having this association of
films allows us to develop our characters within the short amount of
time. It means that the narrative can be efficient and effectively plotted.
The minimal focus on the original car driver creates an insignificance
and innocence that is effective when he is attacked as it encourages the
audience to have empathy towards. The confusion between the time of
this attack and the dumping of the body later creates confusion and
emphasises the enigma to be at the forefront of the piece. The long
driving scenes allow previous encounters/events to be explored which
thicken the plot and creates room for development. This also allows to
discover another entity has been pulling a couple strings and therefore
peaks the intrigue of the audience as they wish to uncover the enigma
and the reason for the disposal of the man previously seen. The
emphasis on the driving itself carries a weight on the character that can
be seen as the antagonists importance or the burden that he has to
carry. Either way, it causes him to appear experience and far more
developed as a character would usually be in this circumstance.
Camerawork and Editing
We used a lot of long shots and tilt shots to create/further
emphasise the enigmatic connotations expressed throughout the
piece. The early close ups of the feet reinforce this. The high angle
shots taken reinforce the importance of the antagonist and
significance his presence carries. This allows his actions to gain a
significant impact and will last and linger in the minds of the
audience throughout an entire film, were one to be made that is.
The low angle shots of the money scenes allows the younger
character’s demise to appear understood as he is presented as weak
and insignificant. The contrast of this compared to all of the other
high angle shots of the other characters constructs connotations of
a weak link and thus is eliminated. The use of the cross dissolve is
very prominent as it compiled on top of each other which is very
confusing as to why the driving is being emphasised so much. This
once again reinforces and adds depth to the enigma. The norm
within a thriller is to have quite sharp transitions that will create
intensity and express the atmosphere that is common within an
action. Our transitions are much softer and slower, allowing the
product to appear vulnerable and weak. This reinforces the narrative
and one of the characters situation. This implies that the character
plays a greater part throughout a full film version of this.
4. Question 2: How does your media product represent particular social
group?
Gender
The dominance of the male
gender is very prominent. The
entire cast is made up of males. It
was originally supposed to have at
least one female character but we
couldn’t figure out how script her
in to it. Either way, the implications
of patriarchy is prevalent. Quite
clearly, the men appear to have
power and possess and alpha
male complex. This is very
stereotypical of the convention
male character archetype. The
dominant male characters appear
to desire power to rule and
dominate.
Age
The young are very much
marginalised and undervalued
within the product. This truly
reflects the reality of teens today
as statistically there has been a rise
in depression and anxiety among
British youth. The dominance of
the older characters reflect the
cunning that the older generation
possesses and their ability to
manipulate and dominate
youngsters. Criminal activities are
what anyone turns to during hard
times and this is reflected in the
black and white scenes. The
stature that someone holds over
the youth is also reflected with the
use of high angle shots and truly
reinforces their power.
Ethnicity
There are three white cast
members in the piece. The one
ethnic representative was me. This
is microcosmic of society as the
white British ethnic background
are commonplace and the use of
minority background to emphasise
a lack of diversity in Britain. The
attack on the minority character
symbolises the struggle that most
minorities face when trying make
something of themselves and not
being able to do so. The issues of
racial prejudice and hate crime are
explore with an attack that
appears to be remorseless.
5. Question 3: What kind of media institution might distribute your media product?
There are a few potential distributors that may exhibit my film. The first of which is Fox. They broadcast
TV shows such as Lucifer and Gotham. These shows are quite or have dark undertones that have
elements of mystery. Gotham is based on the life of a young Bruce Wayne and focussed on then
Detective James Gordon. This is very much in similitude to my film as the focus is on uncovering the
enigma that is emphasised throughout. The Lucifer is dark and is an adaptation on the biblical story.
This is similar to my product as it is very dark and has death linked in some way or another that is a
focal point within every episode. This is a mentality that I want to express within my production.
Another potential distribution institution is NBC and Universal. NBC has produced shows such as
Hannibal, based on the beginnings of Dr Hannibal Lecter. The show is brutally gruesome and graphic
that is an approach that I wish to explore within my piece as it appeals to the thriller audience due to
the slow suspense that builds throughout the film.
The last one is HBO (who is owned by Time Warner). They have produced the season 1 classic True
Detective which is in essence the approach that I want to be taken towards my product. The mystery
and intrigue created with perfect casting and perfect plotlines that truly encapsulate the thriller genre.
This is the same effect that I wish to create with my piece and due to the similarities that our products
share, it would make sense for the same institution to distribute them.
6. Who would be the audience for your media product?
Age: between late teens (18+) to around 35-ish. The film is very complex and may not peak
the interest of the mainstream audience due to its complexity. However it isn’t arthouse
enough to appeal to an elderly audience.
Gender: Predominantly male. The majority of the characters are male and will therefore
appeal to a male audience.
Social Class: Middle-Class. It is still quite a specialist film, much in the style of The Third Man.
Therefore, a middle-class audience will be intrigued by it as they have the education to
understand it.
Ethnicity/ Nationality: (White) British. The characters and settings are all British and therefore
may not have the same appeal abroad.
7. Question 4: Continued…
The Bridge
This is the obvious choice in terms of
media interests of my audience as it is
very similar in style to my film. What
appears to be the body of a female
Swedish politician is discovered in the
middle of the Øresund Bridge, which
connects Copenhagen with Malmö. The
body, cut in half at the waist, has been
placed precisely on the border between
the countries, thus falling under
the jurisdiction of both the Danish and
Swedish police agencies. After further
examination, what appears to be one
body is two halves of two separate
corpses, the lower half belonging to a
Danish prostitute. Two detectives, Saga
Norén, from Sweden, and Martin Rohde,
from Denmark, lead the investigation to
catch the murderer.
House of Cards
U.S. Rep. Francis Underwood of South
Carolina starts out as a ruthless politician
seeking revenge in this Netflix original
production. Promised the post of
Secretary of State in exchange for his
support, his efforts help to ensure the
election of Garrett Walker to the
presidency. But Walker changes his mind
before the inauguration, telling
Underwood he's too valuable in
Congress. Outwardly, Underwood
accepts his marching orders, but secretly
he and his wife, an environmental
activist, make a pact to destroy Walker
and his allies. Based on the U.K.
miniseries of the same name, the U.S.
version offers a look behind the scenes
at the greed and corruption in American
politics. This is very reminiscent of a
potential predicament that characters in
my film are in. It is complex and
appealing whilst also fitting my audience
profile nearly perfectly.
True Detective
Over a seventeen-year period, Louisiana
State Police homicide detectives Rustin
"Rust" Cohle and Martin "Marty" Hart
must recount the investigation into the
murder of prostitute Dora Lange and the
histories of several other unsolved
crimes, the perpetrator of which remains
at large. During this time, Hart's personal
problems threaten his marriage to
Maggie, and Cohle struggles to cope
with his troubled past. The season
explores masculinity and religion, and
the influences of horror and cosmic
literature on the season's main narrative
has been the subject of analysis. This is
once again very reminiscent of a
potential predicament. The opening of
my thriller indicates flashbacks which
could presents the idea that this is a very
long term investigation.
8. Question 5: How did you attract/address your audience?
Our product uses very artistic transitions to appeal to an arthouse/specialist audience. This
differentiates my product from others. This allows my product to stand out as an awards
candidate and will thus attract a wider audience in a form of chain reaction. This appeal will
appease our elderly audiences as they will enjoy our product far more than younger
audiences. The black and white attracts old-fashioned film fanatics such as those for The
Third Man which is a classic film noir. This may draw viewership from literary adaptation
and acclaimed film critics. The use of a majority male cast will entice a male audience due
to the relation they may experience to the alpha male, domination aspect of the
characteristics expressed. Having a majority white, British cast will peak the intrigue of a
British audience and there are several cultural signifiers that will clearly allure Brits to the
product as they will enjoy looking over familiar landscapes with reminiscence and
sentimentality. The cast is young with an exception to one. This has a potential to attract
some youth as the experiences that the cast will go through emit similar emotions that are
faced by modern youth. They will associate themselves with the characters and as such will
be intrigued as to the interpretation of this issue and how it plays out.
9. Question 6: What have you learnt about technologies from the process of
constructing this product?
My researching ability has improved as I am far more concise as to what I want to know and the cases I study
that give a better understanding into the topic of interest. The particular spots/concepts that we explored such
as the body-in-trunk and dumping-the-body-somewhere-discreet ideas I wanted to appear realistic. I
researched the concept and found several media outlets producing films or TV shows such as Jackie Brown,
Pulp Fiction and True Detective. I also found a real life example that was recently in the news; Tanveer Iqbal was
killed by Zatoon Bibi and dumped into the trunk of her Renault Clio. This reinforces the authenticity of the
body-in-trunk idea.
The shots I take (there aren’t many in the final product) are lot more dynamic and move a lot more. I prefer
these to static shots as they emphasise and encapsulate action and make they scene more epic. The editing of
my product was originally with quick cuts that are like that of an action film that adds intensity. Now I use soft
transitions such as plenty of cross dissolves and dips to black. This builds a slow suspense and is far more
creative which nowadays is not present within the thriller genre so I have to fill up this niche.
Communication through the use of Facebook allowed us to brainstorm ideas effortlessly and co-ordinate our
shooting schedule. This meant that we could effectively ensure successful shooting and planning. This
efficiency meant that within two weeks, we managed to take near 300 shots of a wide variety. This also meant
that resources/responsibilities could easily be allocated and prepare the props and cast for the shoots without
an issue.
10. Question 7: Looking back on your preliminary task, what do you feel you have
learnt in the progression from it to the final product?
I have learned to be a storyteller rather than an artist. What I mean by this is that I have learned to focus on the plot
and build around it in order to make the story being told very effective. The writing, scripting and plotting is the
first step. In the preliminary task, I first plotted out the shots going to be used, get those shots perfect and hope
they tell the story for me. This change in approach has allowed me to enhance my product a lot more as having a
clear outline as to what the narrative is ensures that I can deliver the desired effect with my camera angles rather
than a trial and error as to what shots work and what doesn’t.
I have learned to be prepared for any mishaps along the way. During the preliminary task, I was thorough with my
takes, shooting the same shot 3-4 times over. This was the same approach I took to my thriller. However, I didn’t
foresee that this task would be far more complex. The black and white shots were shot originally with red lighting.
At the time I thought this was a good idea but I didn’t prepare myself for the chance it didn’t work. Thus the red lit
shots were the only versions of the shot that I took. This ended up being very unclear and so we changed it to a
black & white shot which is far more effective.
I have learned to be dedicated to the project that I am taking on. That I must be willing to sacrifice my time and put
in the effort to make my work the best it can be. The black and white shots were originally supposed to be filled
with dialogue. Due to a lack of acting skill, we had to forgo that plan and get rid of the dialogue. This meant,
however, that we had to get a lot more footage. So we had to reshoot and take a lot of the focus off of the indoors
scene and switch it to the driving. This ended up working out better as the lack of dialogue means that the product
is far more enigmatic and thus is more effective.
