The document summarizes how the media product followed conventions of psychological thrillers in its opening sequence, such as showing a hand under the bed. It also challenges some conventions, like revealing the murderer early. The sequence establishes an antagonist (the murderer), protagonist (man at the door), and enigma (who was killed). Mise-en-scene and soundtrack were used to further conventions. The setting in a sparsely populated area challenges conventions by creating a sense of isolation.
2. Our final media product followed many forms and conventions of real media
thrillers. For example after watching many opening sequences such as Shutter
Island and Black Swan we decided to go down the root of a psychological
thriller this is why within our opening sequence we showed a hand coming
out from under the murderers bed, however when he checks under the bed
there is nothing there.
3. I believe that our media product also challenges the forms and conventions of a
thriller as we have many aspects of horror within our opening sequence, also it
is very strange for the opening of a thriller to straight away give away who the
criminal is. We challenge this by showing our murderer but not showing his
face, only aspects of him, such as his hair cut, the slight rim of his glasses and
also his house and environment.
4. There is a antagonist (the murderer) and a protagonist (the supposed man at the
door way at the end of the sequence). Also we have also followed the forms and
conventions to a certain extent when it comes to the soundtrack, in our case, a
ticking clock with is looped through out the sequence. Next we are presented with
our enigma (who is the murderer and who has he killed and also who is the
mysterious man knocking on the door).
5. We also used mise en scene to follow conventions e.g. the fact that our antagonist is
dressed 'normally' therefore not giving anything away and our protagonist at the end of
the sequence is dresses in a long black coat.
6. We have also challenge the forms and conventions of a thriller by giving away a
lot of evidence of the crime at the start of the film, however this makes it
interesting for the audience as they are not expecting it, also it makes it frustrating
for the audience because they no where all the evidence is, but the protagonist
doesn’t.
7. However we have challenge the forms and conventions of a thriller by not
having our setting in a vastly populated area. Many thrillers are set in built up
areas with lots of buildings making our antagonist seem normal and that he 'fits
in', this normal happens because the audience can relate to the areas. However
we decided to set our thriller in sparely populated area. This was to give the
effect of isolation and the feel of "there's nowhere to run or hide", this over all
made our antagonist a lot more scary and deranged (lonely man with no one to
talk to).
