The document discusses how the media product "Deception" used and challenged conventions of real thriller films. It evaluated the trailer's filming, editing, sound, and codes. While it used conventions like low-key lighting and diegetic sounds to create tension, it also challenged expectations by lacking character/camera movement and not following a clear narrative structure. The document analyzes how the trailer balanced familiar thriller techniques with ambiguous elements to intrigue audiences.

1. EVALUATION QUESTION 1
IN WHAT WAYS DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE,
DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS AND
CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?
BEN BAILEY

2. AREAS OF EVALUATION
In my Thriller trailer I used many commonly used forms and conventions that are used in real media products. I
also challenged and developed some these ideas to make my thriller trailer more exciting and to maintain the
enigma.
To evaluate how I did this, I looked at forms, conventions, filming, editing, sound and compared them to existing
media products.
Editing
• Contrast and
Brightness
• Sequencing/Transi
tions/ Shot Length
Codes
• Hermeneutic
codes
• Proairetic Codes
• Gnomic codes
Sound
• Diegetic
• Non-Diegetic
Filming
• Low key Lighting
• Extreme Close
ups
• Shadows
• Movement
• Characters

3. FILMING
LOW KEY LIGHTING
• The shots are both very
similar and both use low
key lighting.
• The dullness and the
shadows in the shots
effectively create a sinister
atmosphere, far greater
than they would have been
with natural lighting.
• The desired effect was
achieved by using minimal
lighting, as well as
lowering the brightness
and altering the contrast in
final cut 10. This created
an eerie quality that is
associated with the Thriller
genre.
Low key lighting is used in
the majority of shots in my
trailer. For example, the
shots inside the cabin with
the protagonist/antagonist
at the his desk, are all
subjected to low key
lighting.
This helps hide the identity
of the person,
contributing to the enigma
of the character’s identity
and role in the film, as well
as add a mysterious
atmosphere to the scene.
Deception
Se7en
(David Fincher)

4. FILMING
EXTREME CLOSE UP
• The shots are effective
because neither show
what is going on in the
background, so the
audience does not
know if there is any
danger nearby or what
could occur next.
• By allowing the
audience to appear as
if they are very close to
the character it involves
them in the situation
that is occurring adding
intensity to the scene.
Deception
Psycho
(Alfred Hitchcock)
Extreme close ups are a convention
used in many Thrillers. In my
thriller trailer they give small clues about
the character, while revealing very little
about the individual.
I developed this idea of the eye shot
effectively, by showing the eye with a
dilated pupil, which usually indicates fear
or excitement, leading the audience to
guess what the character is feeling,
seeing or what they look like. This
creates an enigma surrounding their
identity, not revealing if they are an
antagonist or a protagonist. I believe that
this is one of the more successful
aspects of my trailer – the effective
withholding of information.

5. FILMING
SHADOWS
• The shadows create an
eerie atmosphere.
• Usually they are shots at
night, a time that the
audience already connects
with fear and unknown.
• Shadows are also an
effective way of showing
the antagonist without
revealing identity.
• As shadows are often
bigger than the person
making them, it make
them more frightening.
Deception
Sherlock Holmes,
(Guy Ritchie 2009)
The convention of
shadows, created by the low
key lighting, are often used to
disguise the antagonist and
create atmosphere. I used
darkness and shadows to
create an eerie atmosphere
and to help mask the identity
of the person shown, by
keeping his face in shadow.

6. FILMING
MOVEMENT
• Static house shot, lacks
action and characters,
which could lose interest
of audience.
• Gone girl trailer
combines action and
characters to keep the
audience engaged.
Deception
Gone Girl
(David Fincher 2014)
My Thriller was mainly filmed using
static, and atmospheric shots rather
than action and people, which
challenged the way other trailers are
usually made.
I think this turned out to be a weakness
of “Deception” because the lack of
camera movement throughout the
thriller trailer could lose the audience’s
attention. There could have been a
scene filmed on a dolly following the
character around, with an over the
shoulder shot. This would have allowed
for more differentiation between the
types of shots and would stop the
audience from becoming bored from
the lack of variation in shot types.

7. FILMING
CHARACTERS
• Target Audience 15 years
upwards would recognise
the stereotype of
teenagers with hoods over
their heads
• Teenagers often depicted
as bad in the media, social
stereotyping.
• By using stereotypes i.e.
types of character the
audience are familiar with -
is a quick way for the
audience to connect with
the characters.
Deception
BBC News
In Trailers there are certain
character conventions
expected by the audience
including an antagonist and
a protagonist.
By using teenagers in
hoodies, I challenged this
convention by using the
teenagers in a way that the
audience could not tell if
they were antagonists or
protagonists.

8. EDITING
CONTRAST AND BRIGHTNESS
• The photograph
showing happier times
is brighter, contrasting
with the darker shot of
the hanging body.
• In the film Taken, light
shot show happy times.
• Darker shots bring
tension.
Deception
Taken 3,
(Olivier Megaton 2014)
The use of dark and light
scenes, uses the concept of
binary opposition, often used
in thrillers to highlight to the
audience happy times (light
shots) unhappy times (darker
shots).
In my trailer, to contrast with
the darker shots, others were
made brighter, to effectively
remind the audience of better
times in the character’s life.
This gives the impression that
the character is a protagonist,
however, that is not fully
revealed.

9. EDITING
SEQUENCING/TRANSITIONS/SHOT LENGTH
• Deception has no obvious start
beginning and end. Quick cuts
add confusion and add pace,
challenging Thriller conventions.
• Some common thriller editing
conventions have been used.
The transition of slow fade to the
next shot, accompanied with slow
music at the start of the opening,
creates a calm atmosphere for
the audience. As the trailer
progresses, the audience’s
perspective of the situation
changes as the cuts become
more frequent. Rather than the
shots fading slowly they cut to
the next shot making the
character seem more unstable.
• Thriller such as Gone Girl follow
the expected narrative pattern.
Deception
Gone Girl,
(David Fincher 2014)
The sequence of shots in my
trailer challenge Todorov’s film
theory that films start with an
equilibrium, followed by
disruption, problem solving
and restoring the equal
balance.
By ordering the film as I did, the
audience isn’t able to follow this
pattern that they expect, which
in itself creates an enigma,
builds tension and makes them
want to come and see the
whole film.

10. USING CONVENTIONS THROUGH
RECOGNISED CODES
• Hermeneutic code refers
to “any element in a story
that is not explained and,
therefore, exists as an
enigma for the reader,
raising questions that
demand explanation”:
Barthes
• Proairetic code defined
as “any action that implies
a further narrative action.”
• Gnomic code “references
our cultural codes and
links to clichés that are
shared experiences or
expectations i.e. that red is
the colour of danger. Red
titles are used a lot for
thriller.”
Deception
Knock Knock
(Eli Roth 2015)
Hermeneutic codes
In my film I developed this idea by using the
word Deception as the film title because it leads the
audience to ask; “Who has been deceived? What is true?”
Is it the audience that is being deceived? Is it the
protagonist or the victim? by using this title we create an
enigma. The idea of this is to interest the viewer to pique
their curiosity.
Proairetic code / Foreshadowing
In my Trailer I used a knife in the poster which acts as a
proairetic code causing the audience to ask, What is the
knife going to be used for ? Who is holding the knife? This
is an effective way of engaging the audience. The use of
weapons like this is used on many Thriller posters.
Gnomic Codes
In my poster I have chosen a red title with blood dripping
down the word Deception connoting that the “Deception” is
an evil word/concept , this is a Gnomic code. Red titles
are used a lot for thriller films as seen in Knock Knock
poster.

11. SOUND
• The Non diegetic sounds
help guide the audience to
what they should feel –
such as the music building
to a crescendo adds
tension to the crime scene
sequence. Similarly, Jaws
is famous for its non-
diegetic music track,
building tension and
expectation in water
scenes.
• Diegetic sounds like the
crow squawking were used
to connote danger and
isolation.
Deception
JAWS
(Steven Spielberg 1975)
Both diegetic and non-diegetic
sound techniques were used in
my trailer. The ear ringing in
Deception, is an uncomfortable
sound for the audience to bear
creating tension in the audience.
The use of the diegetic crow
squawks are a recognised Thriller
code and successfully warns the
audience of the isolation of the
situation and implies death.

12. CONCLUSION
Deception
In conclusion, I successfully used, the
codes and conventions in existing media
products to create my thriller trailer.
I also developed and challenged these
existing codes and conventions, to
achieve a thriller trailer that is believable
and would appeal to my target audience.
Deception
Deception
Deception