The film is a neo-noir crime thriller that uses several conventions of the genre, such as low-key lighting, unusual camera angles, and an urban nighttime setting. It features a detective protagonist who challenges the convention of typically being male. The opening scene shows a crime having occurred. While most conventions are followed, such as costumes, music, and clues being left by the murderer, the film challenges conventions by having a female detective as protagonist and starting after the murder occurs rather than showing it. The film represents women, who make up a large part of the audience for psychological thrillers and true crime media. It deals with the issues of homicide, murder, and city crime.

1. How my Product uses and challenges
conventions and represents social
groups and issues
- Conventions
- Challenging Conventions
- Representation
- Issues

2. The film I have produced is a Neo-noir crime thriller

3. Conventions of Neo Noir that I have used
- Low Key Lighting -> More specifically
Chiaroscuro lighting (high contrast of
light and shadow)
- Unusual camera placements/angles
- Detective Protagonist
- Urban setting at night -> These
settings/lighting are used in films such
as ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Brick’
- Murder/Crime

4. CONVENTIONS OF CRIME THRILLERS USED
OPENING BEGINS WITH A CRIME SCENE
INTRODUCES DETECTIVE IN OPENING
CHALLENGES CONVENTION OF MALE DETECTIVE - THE KILLING

5. Conventions
For the costume of the Detective character I decided to include black gloves, boots and a trench coat - this following the conventions of
film Noir detectives.
I have used idents that include imagery, sound effects and animation.
During the film non-diegetic, eerie music plays.
The murderer leaves behind clues to add to the mystery.
The couple in the film’s opening is heterosexual - following the heteronormative trend of the majority of crime films.
The crime takes place in an average, family city home.
I did not show all of the corpses as to not be too provocative or graphic.
I did not immediately show the face of the detective to add a sense of mystery.
I used fade-ins and fade-outs.
I used close-up shots of the “evidence.”

6. Title Sequence conventions followed
Idents

7. Conventions:
The Evidence
Close-up shots of boardgames and dominos

8. Conventions: Heteronormativity
Like in most films the
couple in this film are in
a heterosexual
relationship, following
the norm of many
crime/thriller films.
-> another convention I followed in this was not showing the
entirety of the dead bodies as to not be too graphic

9. Conventions: 1.Concealing the face of the
protagonist/antagonist for a later dramatic reveal
2. Narrative of murder mysteries follows the
detective’s POV

10. Challenging Conventions
Unlike many murder films, the detective/protagonist is a woman and is
dressed like a stereotypical male detective in 1930s media (black trench
coat, boots, black gloves).
The films starts after the murder.

11. Representation of Social Groups
As the protagonist of my film is a woman she represents a large part of
the psychological thriller audience.
-> It has been found that the majority of audience member of True crime
documentaries/dramas/podcasts/films are women.

12. Issues
Homicide/Murder
City Crime