Looking at how I used and compared genre conventions as well as how within my opening sequence I presented a range of social groups.

1. Reflective Task 1

2. What genre have you made?
• We have created a thriller. Although it could also
be interpreted as the sub genre of a supernatural
thriller. The genre of ‘thriller’ normally includes a
build up of tension through a series of events,
eventually leading to a battle between the
antagonist and protagonist/ hero and villain. Our
thriller is roughly two minutes long, following the
typical thriller conventions whereby, tension
rapidly increases until the last end scene.

3. • What are the genre
conventions?
• Genre conventions help us to categorise films
from one genre to another. Conventions can be
separated into symbolic and technical.
Furthermore, the use of mise-en-scene creates
archetypal thriller conventions. Such as, tense
non- diegetic soundtrack, short shot durations,
changing in camera angles.

4. What films are you
comparing to?
• I will be comparing our thriller to the films Lucy,
Logan, How I live now, A Lonely Place To Die
and Final Girl. - I have chosen to compare and
contrast the following films by their genre
conventions and how this is similar or differs to
our own, how this creates meaning and the effect
of this.

5. Lucy
• Lucy is a supernatural action/thriller directed by
Luc Besson in 2014. It is based on a female
protagonist whom is expected to be a drug mule
after being tricked into it by her boyfriend, as a
result the chemicals from the toxic drug leak into
her blood-stream, allowing her to use full brain
capacity.

6. How I Live Now
• The 2013 apocalyptic thriller drama, directed by
Kevin Macdonald, is based on on a group of
children and teenagers trying to escape capture,
their home has been destroyed after a terrorist
attack in the British countryside.

7. Final Girl
• Final Girl is an action/thriller directed by Tyler
Sheilds in 2015. The film focuses on a young girl
lured into the forest to ‘play a game’ with four
other boys, which quickly turns into a hunt where
she has to defend herself to stay alive.

8. Logan
• The 2017 sci-fi/thriller Logan, is a Marvel film
directed by James Mangold. The ‘hero’, Logan
and a girl must be protect each other and battle
the dark forces that want to capture her.

9. A Lonely Place To Die
• The film is based on a young girl who is found in
the woods by a group of hikers after being buried
in a chamber. In the attempt to keep her safe,
they face a dangerous escape. The film was
released in 2011 and directed by Julian Gilbey.

10. Camera Angle
• The camera angle in both of these shots highlights the
personal sense of the cut due to the fact that they are
both at the same eye level as the audience would be.
This adds a sense of realism as well as us feeling
empathy for the character, as you can imagine yourself in
their situation further creating anxiety adding to the
climatic sequence of the films. In addition the camera
angle is slightly titled upwards as a high angle. This is
used for both Lucy and our thriller to portray the
protagonist as initially vulnerable and weak. This
technical convention is used to establish the ‘thriller
genre’.

11. Camera Composition
• Both of these screenshots, from our thriller and ‘A Lonely
Place To Die’ are similar in terms of their camera
composition. There is clearly a pattern within the
symmetry of both of these images. There is one
character in focus with a mid/close up shot. The
emphasis is directed towards the gun, as the audience’s
focal point in the centre of the screen creating visual
tension. However the image on the right uses depth of
field to enhance the prominence of the gun. Whereas the
image on the left in is full focus, with the intention of
creating an overall effect through mise-en-scene.

12. Mise-en-scene
• Props - In both of these screenshots, the use of props
immediately establishes the audience type, being adults/young
adults and the genre; as either action, thriller or horror, by the
‘adult’ audience and use of stereotypically violent weaponry.
• Setting - both ‘Final Girl’ and our thriller is set in the woods, this
being the archetypal location for horror or thrillers as it is a
completely isolated and secluded area. Creating more suspense
and tension for the build up. The photo on the left is set in the
dark, further emphasising this effect however the photo on the
right is set during the day, subverting the typical thriller setting.

13. • Character positioning - symbolic conventions have
been used within character positioning to make the
army men appear to be more domineering and
powerful by surrounding each other side by side’,
further highlighting their intimidation.
• Costume - each of the characters in both films are
wearing dark costumes and army clothing. The dark
clothing indicates their potential threat as villainous
characters, dark colours or black usually signifies
death, doom and foreshadowing. The army clothing
gives the impression they must have authority and
power over the protagonist.

14. Editing
• Eye-line match - In both of these shots we can
clearly see the reaction of the protagonists
through their facial expressions. We are given the
impression the characters are in hiding or are in a
chase scene, this is connoted in the next shot
where we see the antagonist/’s holding
guns/weapons. In addition to this, the shot
duration rapidly decreases, creating increased
tension and in pace.

15. Editing Continued
• Shot duration - The shot duration rapidly
decreases as the pace of the action is increased
this helps to heighten the tension and maintains
momentum of the film, further keeping the
audience engaged and interested. In both our
thriller and ‘How I Live Now’ follows this editing
process.

16. Titles
• Here are two different titles, on the left is from the
opening sequence of ‘How I Live Now’ and the
right is our thriller. Although the text on screen is
much larger and graphic it is also similar in terms
of placement on screen and the picture behind is
visible over the top of the title. In addition the text
is written in all higher case lettering meaning you
have to read the words individually, making the
titles more memorable and recognisable.

17. Sound - Diegetic
• Our thriller includes a small amount of diegetic
dialogue towards the end of the video and ambient
sound; where the sound is presented as originating
from the source within the world of film. The
opening sequence of ‘A Lonely Place To Die’ also
features ambient sound through the use of natural
sounds within a place and diegetic dialogue
throughout. The dialogue enables the audience to
have a better understanding of the visuals on
screen and also gives an indication of the potential
regional identity and how this could be important
for the rest of the film.

18. Non-diegetic
• In our thriller we created our own non-diegetic
soundtrack that has a fast tempo and maintains
momentum. It adheres to the thriller genre with
the eerie and suspenseful soundtrack. Similarly to
the opening sequence of ‘Logan’. The soundtrack
emphasises the visual suspense on screen.
However, unlike our film, ‘Logan’ includes a non-
diegetic voiceover, this can be used to add effect
and to inform the audience of what is happening
on screen.

19. Challenging Conventions
• Our product challenges and subverts certain
symbolic and technical conventions in the genre of
‘thriller’ as well as the other films we have chosen
to compare and contrast. Such as the protagonists
in Final Girl and How I Live Now. In these films the
protagonists appear to be in control, subverting to
the stereotypical connotation of female leads in
action films. Whereas the young female character
in our product, initially adheres to this stereotype
and only towards the end does she become in
power.

20. Further Challenging
Conventions
• Our product challenges the films ‘Logan’ and ‘A Lonely Place To
Die’, although the young female characters subvert the
stereotypically ‘weak’ portrayal of female roles in action films.
This also seems to be adhered by the protection given by other
main characters. Therefore challenging or undermining her
authority and independence. However we have gone against
this convention by presenting the young girl defending herself
alone, although this is only subverted until the end. We have
challenged this because we wanted to engage an audience by
creating a new genre of film and by appealing to both a male
and female audience. Male audiences are usually considered to
prefer action films, however this film would include a female
protagonist and therefore would ideally appeal to both.

21. Status & Age
• In our thriller there is a clear representation of
status through age. The juxtaposition of using a
young female actress being chased by three older
male characters adheres to the stereotypical status
roles, presenting her as a victim. The male
characters must be of a higher status and authority
by ‘chasing’ rather than being chased. Similarly to
Final Girl, the female protagonist is ‘hunted’ by four
other older, male antagonists carrying weapons
suggesting they are domineering.

22. Gender
• Throughout our thriller it seems to adhere to the
stereotypical male, female roles until the very end. This is
shown where the female protagonist is in mercy of the
male antagonists by her running/hiding from them further
connoting her struggle to gain power and authority. There
are symbolic conventions which also help us as an
audience to understand this, such as the use of
weaponry and character positioning to make the young
girl appear to be isolated and weak. Similarly to ‘Lucy’. At
the start the protagonist is portrayed as the victim in a
helpless state. However, after she gains supernatural
powers she subverts to this stereotype.

23. Regional Identity
• There are different ways in which we have portrayed
the typically British regional identity. Such as through
the iconography of symbolic props and costumes such
as the gas masks, which are considered to be the
archetypal British gas masks, as well as the costume.
The three male antagonists were wearing dark
camouflage which also has regional identity with
Britain’s typical army uniform. The diegetic dialogue
and setting also emphasises this, it is set in what could
be seen as British scenery and all of the characters
clearly speak with a strong English accent.