The document discusses conventions of the psychological thriller genre that the media product draws from and challenges. It identifies conventions around the portrayal of antagonists, locations, props, lighting, sound, editing techniques like flashbacks and quick cuts. Examples are given from films like American Psycho, Silence of the Lambs, and Hannibal that demonstrate use of these conventions. The media product challenges some conventions by not using mirrors or low-key lighting and instead employing steadier camerawork to suit its precise tone.

1. E VA L U A T I O N Q U E S T I O N 1 .
I N W H AT WAY S D O E S Y O U R M E D I A P R O D U C T
U S E , D E V E L O P O R C H A L L E N G E F O R M S A N D
C O N V E N T I O N S O F R E A L M E D I A P R O D U C T S ?

2. M Y G E N R E - P S Y C H O L O G I C A L T H R I L L E R
• American Psycho
• Silence of the Lambs
• Hannibal (TV Series)
• Seven
Examples of Psychological Thrillers I have looked at:

3. A L L T H E S E F I L M S S H A R E C O N V E N T I O N S
• Serial Killers/Antagonists who are sophisticated, clean, organised, dress
smartly, and appear mentally stable.
• Sharp and dangerous props, are used, e.g Knives, Hammers and other tools
which can be used as a weapon.
• Modern and upper-class locations, usually their own home.
• Low-Key lighting and lots of shadow, which gives a sense of mystery.
• Mirrors usually feature, hinting at the killers self-reflection and darker side.
T h e s e C o n v e n t i o n s I n c l u d e :
1. Mise-en-Scene

4. A L L T H E S E F I L M S S H A R E C O N V E N T I O N S
• Eerie, intense SFX and music are used, connoting
fear and danger.
• Shaky camera movement to give off a sense of
fear, helplessness and uneasiness.
T h e s e C o n v e n t i o n s I n c l u d e :
2. Sound and Camera

5. A L L T H E S E F I L M S S H A R E C O N V E N T I O N S
!
• Montage and quick cuts are used frequently to build
suspense, usually at the most important scenes.
• Flashbacks and cutaways are used a lot to give further
exposition about the character and also give more
information to the audience about a particular scene.
• Faded, dark, or black and white colouring is used to
enhance shadows and darken the tone of the film.
T h e s e C o n v e n t i o n s I n c l u d e :
3. Editing

6. A M E R I C A N P S Y C H O :
Example 1.
Here I have developed the convention of the
killers house being modern and upper-class.
Although, I replicated the tracking shot used in
AP, which is fairly unconventional to the genre
but had a nice effect.
American Psycho
Diced
American Psycho
Diced
I also followed the convention that the killer is
very clean and organised. As well as the
convention that the killers house is heavily
featured.

7. S I L E N C E O F T H E L A M B S
Example 2.
Silence of the Lambs
Diced
In one of my scenes, I used
the convention that sharp
or dangerous objects, which
can also double as
weapons, are usually used.
In this case I had my
character use a meat
hammer, similar to the killer
in SOTL using a Police
baton/hammer.

8. H A N N I B A L ( T V S E R I E S )
Example 3.
Diced
I used the
convention of
flashbacks to create
character
exposition, as well
as further convey
the gruesome
events taking place .
Diced
Hannibal
Hannibal

9. C H A L L E N G I N G T H E G E N R E 1 :
American Psycho
Diced
One convention I did not follow was the use of a mirror,
as it did not fit into the narrative. Although I used a close
up of my antagonist to achieve a similar result and tone.

10. C H A L L E N G I N G T H E G E N R E 2 :
American Psycho
Diced
Another convention I challenged was the use of low-key lighting and
dull colours. Similar to the unconventional look of AP, I went for a
brighter, more high-key look to emphasise the cleanliness and
precision of the character’s lifestyle.

11. C H A L L E N G I N G T H E G E N R E 3 :
Lastly, unlike a lot of psychological thrillers, I decided not
to conform to to the shaky camera movement
convention as I wanted to exaggerate the meticulous
tone of the film as well as follow one of the examiner
guidelines which is to ‘hold a shot steady.’