The document discusses how the media product follows conventions of the thriller genre. It analyzes conventions used, such as setting the opening in a family home, using dark colors and low key lighting to build tension, and including a female antagonist instead of the typical male. Research on films like "Obsessed" and "My Bloody Valentine" informed decisions around themes, characters, and settings. Elements like costumes, makeup, target age rating, and opening credits were chosen to be conventional to thrillers and appeal to audiences. The narrative structure follows Aristotle's model of creating equilibrium, disequilibrium, and a new equilibrium.

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

2. THE TASK…
• The task given to us during our foundation portfolio task was to work in a group on both a preliminary
which was thirty seconds long and showed what we already knew about making and editing a production.
We were also required to create a two minute long thriller opening.
• In our groups it was essential that we researched forms and conventions of thriller films; as well as
planning on how we will use them to produce a final product of a thriller that lasted two minutes long.
Researching allowed to develop and challenge forms and conventions because we was able to find out
what things our target audience have already seen from thrillers and also how other thrillers have
approached the same idea as us. When planning, it was vital that everything we had withdrawn from the
research process was applied to the ideas that would lead to our final product.
• Once we had planned our thriller it was essential that we filmed it using our storyboard to guide us. As
well planning the narrative and setting, it was also important that legal documents were signed by
everyone in the production team.
• Finally, when the production was complete, we held a focus group to gain audience feedback. From this, it
is clear that in our thriller we had followed and challenged the forms and conventions of a typical thriller
film.

3. DOES MY PRODUCTION FOLLOW
CONVENTIONS OF A THRILLER?
• I believe that my thriller does follow conventions of a thriller because conventions
such as the setting we used was very stereotypical to the thriller genre. In our
opening we used the setting of a person’s home. This is conventional to thrillers
because thrillers such as “Mama” and “Scream” are both set in the victims home to
create feelings of tension and suspense amongst the audience.
The setting from my thriller. The home setting from “Mama” and “Scream”.

4. FOLLOWING CONVENTIONS THROUGH -
LIGHTING
• Another way we stayed true to the conventions of thrillers is the way in which we
used colour and lighting. We made sure that things such as low key lighting and
dark, lifeless colours where prominent throughout the opening. Using the colours
black and grey helped portray a guilty conscience and darkness within the
character. Whereas using the colour white portrayed innocence and confusion.
Red colour and low-key lighting
An example of where we used
the colour grey.

5. RED, GREY & LOWKEY LIGHTING IN OTHER
THRILLERS.
Red in “My Bloody Valentine” Grey used in “Mama” Low key lighting in “Obsessed”

6. • In our thriller we challenged the forms and conventions of a typical thriller by using
a female antagonist. In most thrillers it is typical that a male is the antagonist
because they are likely to come of intimidating in a more successful manner; this is
because males in thrillers usually have a strong build.
• Our character that plays the antagonist is completely opposite to a typical thriller
antagonist because she is fairly slim and looks fragile. However the way she carries
herself shows confidence and disturbia.

7. GENERIC CONVENTIONS OF A THRILLER…
• During our research in my group, we looked at conventions and forms of other
thrillers and how they were challenged. Whilst doing this we looked at the
characters from the thriller films “Obsessed” and “My Bloody Valentine”. Doing this
allowed us to gain a personal opinion on what conventions should be used in our
own production and also how to use them in the most effective manner. Using them
in an effective manner would allow our audience to reconcile with the thriller genre
and keep them interested in our product.

8. OBESESSED.
• We used this film and analysed how a narrative based around a relationship would
fit into the various themes used in a thriller genre. This relates to our thriller
because or narrative. This film also gave us an insight on how to use a family home
as a thriller setting.

9. MY BLOODY VALENTINE.
• However we also pulled research from the film “My Bloody Valentine”. This relates to
our thriller because it has the same themes. These themes are, love, death, revenge
and jealousy.

10. GENERIC CONVENTIONS WITHIN MY
THRILLER…
Setting and Iconography:
• The setting used in my thriller was conventional to the theme of love, because it
showed that the relationship between all the characters was real and a person’s
home is meant to be a place of peace, so having a disturbing narrative within this
setting can be quite unsettling.
• Iconography that was used, for example, the gun used against both victims was
conventional to a thriller because it showed the anger and envy from the character.
Also it means the character was intending on committing a crime, therefore leading
the audience to feel uneasy.

11. COSTUME, HAIR & MAKE-UP.
• The costume that are characters are wearing are very stereotypical to those in their
age category. This makes it easy for the audience to connect with the role of the
character within the narrative because they have similarities. Also the dark colours
for antagonists and light colours for victims pay credit to conventions of a thriller.
• Example of make-up in my our thriller is the female antagonists. Enabling her to
wear red lipstick showed that she was dangerous but also that she was full of rage
and anger. It also symbolises blood and love.

12. LIGHTING & COLOUR.
• To keep the conventions of the thriller genre within our product it was important
that we kept the light and colours we used quite dark. This shows that something
bad is going to happen, also it helps build tension and sets an uncomfortable
atmosphere for the spectators watching.

13. CONVENTIONS OF TARGET AUDIENCE AND
OPENING CREDITS…
• The target audience is conventional to a thriller because of the age rating we
decided to rate our thriller. Most thrillers that are popular have the age rating of
fifteen and above.
• As a group we decided to rate our thriller at 15 because we felt as if that was the
lowest age that would be able to relate to the themes and situations within our
narrative.
• Also the age of our characters very heavily appeals to the convention of our target
audience because the age of the characters allows the audience to empathise with
them.

14. OPENING CREDITS.
• The typography used in our opening credits is conventional to a thriller because it is
likewise to credits from other thriller films. When the target audience view the
typography they are able to relate it to the themes of the thriller genre.

15. MY THRILLER FOLLOWING A
CONVENTIONAL NARRATIVE STRUCTURE…
• I believe my thriller followed Aristotle’s narrative structure because he believed that it
was vital to arouse emotion within the audience to get them to connect with the story.
Our thriller did this by showing the good sides and bad sides of a romantic relationship.
Also by making the antagonist talk about his emotions for his partner.
• We also followed Todorov’s theory with in our thriller because he believed that every film
should have a start, middle and end. Also known as equilibrium, disequilibrium and new
equilibrium. The equilibrium in my thriller was when the male antagonist was revealing
emotions about his current situation as the audience saw flashbacks of the happy couple.
The disequilibrium is when the female antagonist is wiping her weapon and getting
ready to plot her revenge. The new equilibrium is when the female antagonist is in the
couples house and ends up shooting one of them