This document analyzes how a media product adheres to and challenges conventions of the thriller genre. It discusses how the film supports Todorov's theory of disturbed equilibrium being resolved by the end. It also adheres to some of Chandler's genre theory elements, such as mysterious antagonists and a protagonist seeking justice. However, it also challenges conventions through techniques like a brief killer voiceover and creating tension through jump scares typically seen in horror. Overall, the document concludes the film adheres to many thriller conventions while also subverting some stereotypes to maintain originality.

1. QUESTION 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

2. The theories
 We needed to analyse the theories to understand if our film subverts
or adheres to stereotypical thrillers or films of a similar nature.
 The first we looked at wasTodorovs’Theory, which states that every
films has a disturbed equilibrium and is resolved by the end of the
film. Our film supports this to an extent as the murder disturbs the
equilibrium, and the matter is resolved by the end of the film.
However, further disturbances take place before the equilibrium is
returned to normal.
 We portray this by the use of the backing sound.When tension rises,
the bass increases and more high pitched sounds occur, but at low
tension the sound is much quieter.

3. The Theories
 The next theory we looked at was Chandlers’ theory.This theory
looked at the way genres are communicated. It looks at characters,
themes, narratives, settings, iconography and film techniques.
 We adhere some elements, such as characters.The antagonist is
mysterious, and more about them is revealed towards the end.The
protagonist is trying to find justice for what has happened.This is
shown through the costume with the mask, but also the editing as
there is no clear shot of him at the beginning of the film.
Antagonists from ‘The Strangers’.Antagonist from ‘Undefined Reality’.

4. The Theories
 We also adhere the iconography such as the fence in the
background, giving the victim the feeling of being trapped.The
setting was adhered to as it was abandoned and out of the way.
 We also adhere film techniques such as high angle shots of the
murderer to make him seem more powerful.We also have a dark
setting that makes the scene more tense.

5. Other Narrative Features
 We used a voiceover in the opening of the film from the killers’
perspective.This gives a beginning to the insight of the killer, but
brief to keep the audience guessing.Voiceovers aren’t common in
this genre, but are used sometimes in films likeThe Usual Suspects.
 We include many enigma codes in the opening to intrigue the
audience and keep them watching. Many questions like why the
victim was in such an obsolete place and why the killer was there.
These are frequently used in thriller to keep the audience watching.

6. The Hybrid
 Our thriller film can classed as a hybrid with the horror genre.This
can be seen through use of creating tension, using jump scares and
red herrings.We have the victim murdered, which has a small
window of lost tension, but then is quickly risen as the killer notices
the witness in the bushes.

7. Conclusion
 Though we adhere many stereotypical
conventions of the thriller genre, there are a few
subversions to the stereotype in order to
maintain originality of the film.