The document discusses how the student's media project challenged and developed conventions of real media products. It provides examples of shots from thriller openings that inspired the student's work. The student researched thriller music and analyzed TV and film openings to develop their understanding. Feedback was gathered from online platforms and used to improve the project. Unique aspects like incorporating different eras challenged conventions. Shots from the student's opening are presented and described as developing conventions or being inspired by real media examples. The project aimed to cater to its 16+ audience through its use of conventions from researched media.

1. Evaluation: Question one
Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
There were many ways in which I had used real media products to develop and challenge
my own thriller opening. Doing this has helped me have a deeper understanding of how
certain things work in the media business, it has also helped me in general with making my
thriller opening the best it could be. Within the process I have used different types of
platforms, inspirations and conducted a lot of research that I felt could help me with my
thriller opening.
One professional media product that I had used throughout the production process was
researching different types of thriller music, from professional to non-professional films, it
helped me develop a wider range of knowledge on thrillers and what worked and what didn’t
work in regards of making a thriller to attract your audience. Knowing this I had looked into a
various amount of music connecting to thriller openings however, I felt that I could adapt and
apply only two openings to my own thriller opening regarding my target audience, as my
audience members were 16+. I felt that something with excitement and adventure would be
perfect to keep them glued to the screen (“Intruders”) subsequently; I felt that having a
steady beat throughout (Music from media students) would cause tension levels to sub-
consciously rise. When referring to older audience members I felt like they wouldn’t enjoy
obvious tension changes because they would lose interest and have more experience in
watching thrillers. Therefore I feel like my media project has challenged most real media
products, as I have catered for my target audience perfectly by merging two types of thriller
music’s together. I have done this by using research of different types of thriller music and
developed a deeper understanding by applying it to my own thriller, which meant my music
challenges all other real thrillers.
Also I have used a various amount of media platforms to develop a deeper understanding of
my target audience. Using these media platforms I gained feedback and ways to improve my
thriller opening, I had uploaded the rough cut in a variety of places such as: YouTube and
Facebook and I had uploaded the music specifically onto sound cloud. After getting the
feedback I had taken advantage of what my target audience was wanting and had made
many changes to make it more applicable to them. That is how I have used and developed
a convention to benefit my thriller opening. As well as this I have used the different forms of
media such as serial dramas and thrillers movies to develop a storyline (this can be seen as
the inspiration) this being the case it has helped me challenge real media products as I had
fused all the best mystery together to create a fantastic storyline.
Through research and analysis it helped develop and increase my knowledge further, I had
conducted research of the different types of production logos that would help interest my
target audience. Doing this it developed my thriller opening as it made it more unique. Also I
had analysed a selection of TV dramas and movie openings to gain ideas and help improve
my analysis skills. Doing research and analysis enabled me to increase the likeability of my
thriller, meaning it challenges real media products.
Lastly the uniqueness of our thriller film, e.g. the young girls’ character wore an old
fashioned dress whilst the young male had a more youthful dress sense, showing the
differences in characters. This challenges most thriller movies as they only focus on one era,
but by our thriller film looking like it was set in different eras it gives it that edge, therefore
challenging other real media products

2. Evaluation: Question one
Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
EXAMPLE SHOTS:
This collage has a selection of shots from real thriller openings that have inspired me
throughout the media project, the photos in the collage consist of the most effective shots
that I feel are relevant and can cause an effect on the audience.
1. The first shot I felt was effective as the colour of the titles are white and the font size is
small I found this peculiar as white usually connotes purity and innocence. However, this
completely juxtaposes what thrillers represent as thrillers are usually are symbolised with
dark colours and tones of red. By the titles being white it gives a different impression which
leads the audience on a different journey, meaning that when the dark and sinister scenes
appear it will be more of a shock to the audience.
2. This shot was a Gripping shot as the title missing had an in shot fade which I found
effective as the colours contrasted each other meaning the title had stood out. Also all of the
titles within thriller opening were white, however when reaching the end the colour of the
titles turned to black. This connotes that the overall story line is dark and mysterious.
3. The third shot from the thriller opening of the missing shows flashing transitions into
different shots, this implies that what happens is very quick and could be regretted. Also the
colours (yellow/orange/white) remind me of someone covering their eyes with their hands
and ever so slightly being able to see the light. This suggests that within this thriller someone
gets kidnapped or restricted of view.
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3. Evaluation: Question one
Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
4. The fourth shot is from the thriller mayday, it is a close up of a young girl, this shot
emphasises her facial expressions and allows the audience to get a deeper understanding of
how she is feeling and in this case shows the pure innocence she has. Shows the innocence
of the girl possesses this is an example of showing a stereotypical social group of gender.
The girl is portrayed as being helpless and dazed, which suggests that she is the main
character.
5. This is again from the drama series called Mayday and the blurry shot is showing a series
of contrasting colours (the background is black which connotes death and hate. Whereas the
bright white lights could represent the hope people hold when in dark and scary situations.)
Which attracts the audience leaving them intrigued and almost confused as it isn’t clear as to
where the location is. The lights are presented like torches in the background this insinuates
a search party is looking for something or someone and that the light represents the faith
they have whilst searching. Also there is a thin twig that is in focus right at the front of the
shot, this can imply that for who they are looking for is fragile and vulnerable.
6. The shot is again from the drama series Mayday, it is showing a tree being drowned in
light as it looks as if it is dissolving from the middle. The bright lights are formed from a flood
of car lights which takes over the majority of the shot, this reminds me of films that have
death be represented as “seeing the light”. Having this knowledge it suggests to me that
someone could possibly dead and that they could have died because of a moving vehicle as
the light is presented by car lights.
7. This is Mayday’s main title, I feel that the colour red contrasts black beautifully as it makes
the title more noticeable and connotes danger, death, violence and trauma. Also the font of
the title is childlike and as though writing stencil was used to write it, this suggests that the
thriller drama is surrounded by children.
8. This is a shot showing a team of forensics are entering a little boys room after he shortly
died so they could get clues. The lighting plays a crucial role within this shot as it could tell a
story on its own, there are several dull and dark areas which take up most of the shot in the
hallway, dark and dull areas connote death and tragedy. However there is a beam of light
that looks like it is coming from a room, this preferably being the little boys’ room, suggesting
the boy was happy and content with his life. With there just being one beam of light it
suggests that the boy was surrounded by danger and death but didn’t know as he was
happy with life, it also can suggest that it was someone he knew that killed him as thee dark
areas are surrounding him.
9. Shot number nine shows an authoritative figure standing behind a barbed wire however
he is not in focus the barbed wire is, this suggests that he is solely interested and focused on
crime and danger so much so he puts it before himself. As he is standing on the other side
of the barbed wire it implies he doesn’t agree with crime, within the drama series this is
exactly what he does as he is known to have a heart condition but puts the case first.

4. Evaluation: Question one
Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
1. This close up of the young girl picking and playing with the grass implies thatshe is still young, it also creates a calming atmosphere.
As she is picking grass itis as if it is foreshadowing thatshe is picked to get snatched.I have slowed down this action and had it in
slow motion this helped emphasis thatshe will be kidnapped.
2. This shot is our production logo which is also red which connotes danger and death, I also added a white bright glow to
representfaith and heaven. I had put these together as you would usuallyassociated danger and heaven together,this makes the
audience think and question ifwhat is going to happen is evil or not.
3. This was inspired bythe broadchurch shotabove (9) I had wanted the girl to look and be fixated on the balloon thatshe forg ets the
world around her, to do so we blurred the background and made the balloon in focus to emphasis this message.
4. This close up was inspired bythe Mayday shotabove (4) I felt that by having a close up of the main character will enforce a sense of
sympathy on the target audience as her facial expression is shocked and terrified.
5. This was inspired bythe mayday lighting shotas I felt the lights signified faith and hope,but more importantlyI felt that it highly
emphasised a search team.However there is a difference between the Mayday shotand my thriller as the shotI am presenting is
blurry as I wanted it to representthe uncertainty of what happened to her and that the faith that the people hold is very sl im.
6. This is an extreme long shotof a balloon in the far distance,the balloon representing the girl and the blue sky representing the world,
this emphasises thatshe is alone in the world and is slowlygetting lostin the distance.
7. My thriller logo is inspired by the mayday title as I liked the colour choices as they contrasted each other well,I did on the other hand
change the font and the width of the title. This is because byhaving the same fontas it wouldn’trepresentmythriller efficiently,
therefore I made the font thin to emphasises thatshe is either missing,and gives a clue that someone is hiding her.
8. This shothas brightflashing lights this helps heighten the tension and adds to the fast pace editing.It signalises thatthe young girl
character is scared and frightened that she is thinking irrationally.
9. This extreme long shotshows how they don’treally know each other as they have larges spatial gaps between them,also there are
elements ofediting in this as it we have purposelyblurred the shotto representconfusion and illusion.
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Theseare some examples of my own thriller, some of the
shots are similar because haveinspiredmy thriller.