The document analyzes the filmmaker's short thriller and compares it to conventions from real thriller media. It finds similarities to Saw in the use of an unstoppable game and to The Maze Runner in portraying confusion through facial expressions. While the thriller has a different plot from Harry Potter, it shares the convention of using floating keys. The filmmaker argues their slow pacing builds tension effectively compared to fast cuts in Saw. Close-ups of faces were important to show emotion. Overall it finds conventions were followed but could have been improved with lower lighting and background music.

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

2. INTRODUCTION
When viewing my media product, where I recently
created a short thriller and I found some products were
with similarity to mine and also challenged some
conventions. For example, I found some films with
comparable genres to compare, analyse and evaluate
to the ones used in real media products.

3. SAW
Firstly, one of the films that is comparable to my product is
the film ‘Saw’ and its sequel ‘Saw 2.’ Saw is a psychological
horror and Lionsgate released the film in America and
Canada on October 29th, 2004. It was directed by the
successful James Wan, a Malyasian-American man.
The actors involved were Cary
Elwes who took the role of Dr.
Lawrence Gordon and Leigh
Whannell who played Adam
Stanheight. Followed by
Shawnee Smith who played
Amanda Young and lastly Tobin
Bell as Jigsaw/ John Kramer.

4. THE MAZE RUNNER
‘The Maze Runner’ is a 2014
American science action thriller,
directed by the successful Wes Ball.
The film effectively stared actors,
including Dylan O’Brien, Kaya
Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-
Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Will Poulter
and lastly Patricia Clarkson.
The Maze Runner was released on
September 19, 2014 in America by
20th Century Fox.

5. HARRY POTTER AND THE
PHILOSOPHER’S STONE
The last movie I feel communicates most similar characteristics to my thriller is
‘Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone.’ Although I understand Harry Potter is
not a thriller it shares similar conventions. Instead it is a fantasy film directed by
the successful and inspiring is a 2001 Chris Columbus. Among side Columbus,
follows the key actors Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Rupert Grint as Ron
Weasley and Emma Watson playing Hermione Granger. It was released on
November 4, 2001 and Warner Bros. Pictures took charge and distributed this film.

6. WHAT ARE THRILLER
CONVENTIONS AND HOW ARE THEY
USED?
Genre conventions are a way of showing the genre of a
media product. The conventions are simply micro parts,
for instance, similarities in characters or plots that
allow the audience to identify each different genre.
Usually, it includes institutions to present a particular
genre in a film or to aim to convey their ideas and
narrative to the audience.

7. GENERAL
CONVENTIONS
OF A THRILLER
Low key lighting Rapid cuts
Tense and
suspenseful music
Diegetic
sounds of
breathing
Violence
A villain or a hero
In my thriller, I have used genre conventions, such as rapid scenes of fast paced action, a
suspect of a protagonist showing aspects of diegetic sounds of breathing and violence.

8. WHAT SIMILAR CONVENTIONS
HAVE YOU USED AND WHY?
⇾ Firstly, I felt the need to compare Saw with my thriller. I understand the story line of Saw is
completely different to my thriller.
⇾ However, although Saw is a horror, I realised the films both hold the same situation and the
atmospheric aspects are comparable.
⇾ For instance, each sequence deals with unstoppable situations by selecting people who are
guilty. This is similar to my thriller as both characters have to address a mind game; in Saw’s
case there is a cereal killer named Jigsaw who depicts aspects of a game and similarly in my
thriller, Charlie has to solve the challenge through a key and padlock.
⇾ By each product containing an unsolved game, it allows us to easily see the similar
conventions and their effect on the audience.
- SAW
My thrillerSaw

9. WHAT SIMILAR CONVENTIONS
HAVE YOU USED AND WHY?
⇾ Similarly, the film ‘The Maze
Runner’ I found conveyed similar
conventions to my thriller through
ideas of facial reactions and
uncomfortable, difficult situations.
⇾ However, in the scene from the
maze runner, there are many
different characters filling the shot,
although in my sequence I only
include the focus of one character.
⇾ Therefore the conventions share
similarity of the same style.
- THE MAZE RUNNER
My thriller
The Maze Runner

10. WHAT SIMILAR CONVENTIONS
HAVE YOU USED AND WHY?
⇾ In Harry Potter’s film of the Philosophers stone, although the products
don’t consist of the same genre, they share a comparable use of props.
For example, I felt it was necessary as they both consist of floating
keys.
⇾ This also allows both characters to share the same confusion and
thought process through their facial expressions and body language.
- HARRY POTTER
My thrillerHarry Potter

11. WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU MADE AND WHY +
WHAT IS ARGUABLY MORE EFFECTIVE AND
WHY?
⇾ Arguably I think to achieve a successful thriller, you don’t particularly need
all the conventions of a thriller. For instance, you don’t need to include
background music and low lighting because it can still be effective as
demonstrated in mine.
⇾ In my opening sequence for my thriller, we could have included tense,
suspenseful music in the background to add to the general conventions of
a thriller. Instead we used the non-diegetic sounds of gunshots and doors
opening to build the thrill and suspense.
⇾ Also we could of similarly lowered the lighting in our thriller as our light is
quite a bright, harsh light. However, I believe, it can be due to personal
preference instead of expectations in order to achieve same effect.

12. PLOT LINE + ACTION
⇾ The plot line of our thriller is an unusual approach and therefore I could not find a thriller
which completely measured conventions of an accurate convention to our plot line, but I
found ‘The Maze Runner’ divides a similar path.
⇾ For instance, The Maze Runner unfolds with a male protagonist awakening to find himself in a
distinct isolated situation. He rapidly realises he cannot escape easily from this. Similarly in
my thriller, Charlie also finds himself activating from unconsciousness in the same way.
⇾ Both characters also similarly find themselves in a race against time. This leads them to both
showing quick paced action and rapid movement, this also adds to the fast aspects of editing.
⇾ However, despite the characters being in completely different forms of context, both
characters show frustration and confusion through magnified facial reactions.
My thrillerThe Maze Runner

13. CHARACTERS
⇾ Both ‘The Maze Runner’ and ‘Saw’ show contrasting, challenged forms
and conventions.
⇾ For instance, the characters in both these media film products are wearing
casual, comfortable clothing, including the use of baggy trousers and a
spacious top. However, in my thriller, our protagonist is wearing a clean,
formal suit, following the inspirational similar conventional type to James
Bond.

14. EDITING TECHNIQUES
⇾ In comparison to our thriller, the film
Saw, the editing includes fast pace
close ups conveying disturbing,
stressed and intimidating shots.
⇾ Although all these products include
successful conventions of a thriller
depending on personal editing
choice.
⇾ I understand my thriller is a slow paced sequence which
increases steadily throughout to convey a thrilling feeling. We
chose to build the pace in our product as it allows the
audience to take in everything and appreciate what's
happening before their eyes.

15. CAMERA
⇾ Examples from ‘Saw’ show this clearly as the torture of the character can be
exaggerated through a a close up struggling shot. In our thriller, we included this
close up shot angle as we wanted to create the same sinister effect through facial
expressions.
⇾ In ‘The Maze Runner’ the product shows complete long mid shots and long shots
to allow the audience to establish and understand a detail of their personality and
appeal; as this shot captures one’s body from their thighs upwards. I similarly used
the same conventions in my thriller to allow the audience to capture and convey
more personal detail about our protagonist and their situation.
⇾ Also in ‘Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone’, the use of high angled shots are
shown to let viewers consider how many keys there are and the tricky, confused
situation the protagonist is trapped in. This similar genre convention is used in my
thriller to make the audience see the amount of keys from a more engaging
perspective and angle and to allow the prop to have a status in this particular
situation.
 I quickly learnt close ups and extreme close ups are a crucial
element to a thriller in terms of camera techniques. Facial
reactions of characters are important as they build the tense
situation and mood effectively as well as intimidating the
audience through particular close up shots.

16. TITLES
⇾ For my opening sequence, we included titles at the beginning and end of our short
sequenced thriller. We used a bold, clear, standard font which would be easy for
viewers to read. We purposely used white, bright writing against a black background
to portray the best approach and sinister feel. We didn't’t want to surround our titles
by busy backgrounds as we didn't’t want to distract our focused directional titles.
⇾ However, none of the products I have been researching are comparable to my titles
used in my thriller. Therefore, I found the film ‘Brick’ when searching for effective,
comparable titles. Both the titles are very similar and clear. I understand the film
‘Brick’ isn't in comparison to the plot of my thriller, but I planned to focus on only the
appearance of the titles, not the storyline. I thought this was a good example of a
successful convention as I felt this would convey the thriller genre effectively.
My thrillerBrick

17. SAW + MANHUNT
VIDEO GAMES
I decided to compare other media products,
other than films, such as video games that could
be comparable to my thriller product. For
example, the ‘Saw ‘ games and ‘Manhunt’ games
show comparisons through this idea of needing
to escape before time runs out and before
something uncomfortably dangerous happens;
especially in the game ‘Manhunt.’
However, arguably their costumes are distinctly
different as in these videos games they are more
stereotypically casual for an undercover
protagonist so other cast members do not
suspect anything but for my thriller, Charlie is
seen to be wearing a smart suit.

18. CONCLUSION
To conclude, I feel we could have improved some aspects of our
thriller from researching and comparing our product with other
successful comparisons. For example, we could of changed the
levels of lighting to make them consist of a lower, darker lighting.
Also, I feel the use of background music could of benefitted our
thriller to make it more successful.
However, by notably noticing and considering
the similarities and challenging some
conventions, it allowed me to criticize and
applaud my thriller. It has helped me learn for
next time when I create another product.