This document discusses how the media product uses and develops conventions of real thriller films. It examines conventions like POV shots, sound techniques, editing styles, and character archetypes. Research was conducted on thriller openings, directors, and subgenres. Based on this, the film employs mysteries like an anonymous stalker kidnapping a girl. Conventions like tense music, silence, and jump cuts were utilized to create suspense as the film follows typical thriller tropes and genres like mystery thrillers to engage audiences. Unconventional techniques were avoided to maintain expectations of the thriller format.

1. QUESTION ONE: IN WHAT WAYS
DOES YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE,
DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS
AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA
PRODUCTS?
JOSH AND CHARLIE P

2. INTRO
• Through independent and group research we have discovered
different codes and conventions used throughout thriller films. I have
used my previous knowledge of conventions from the horror projects
last year and tried to use thriller conventions in the same way. To get a
real understanding of these we watched openings from professional
thriller films and by watching previous student films. Additionally, we
researched different directors and how they would use these
conventions and whether they would follow certain stereotypes.

3. EXAMPLE OF SOME THRILLER
CONVENTIONS AND TECHNIQUES
• Setting
• Themes
• Character-types
• Narratives
• Special Effects
• Sound
• Ideology
• POV
• Tracking shot
• Low key lighting
• Exaggerated Sound
• Silence
• Iconography
• Visual Style
• Dramatic Angles
• Jump cuts
• Obtrusive Editing
• Off Screen sounds

4. TECHNICAL CONVENTIONS- CAMERA
• In our final film,, we used several technical camera conventions such as
POV and tracking.
• We decided to implement POV shots into our final idea as it makes the
audience curious as to who is in the POV at the time and they can see
things from their perspective.
• We used it when the stalker was peering through the window at the party.
This creates suspense as we get to see exactly what the stalker is doing
from his view.

5. TECHNICAL CONVENTIONS- SOUND
• We also included many different sound techniques in our final film. Including
Eerie, tense music, Silence and exaggerated sound.
• Our film was heavily consumed by Eerie tense music to build up suspense
for each of the dramatic scenes. We did this as it makes the audience
connect with the film and feel what the characters are feeling.
• Silence was used at the end of the film where we purposely cut the music
early to create a dramatic ending to the film. It worked really well as silence
is really effective in a thriller film.

6. TECHNICAL CONVENTIONS- EDITING
• Conventions of editing include things such as jump cuts, transitions,
parallel editing, obtrusive editing, fast paced and slow paced.
• We included many transitions in between each of our clips as it makes
the flow of the film look smoother and neater.
• Also, we included slow paced editing at the start of the film to show
the stalkers point of location where he does the stalking. Not only this,
but the audience can see that his identity has been covered.

7. NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES
• Narrative Conventions include things like plot twists, flashbacks,
deadlines and making the audience work.
• The main one we decided to include was making the audience work
as we tried to make the narrative as complex as we could. By making
the audience work we can get them to really interact with our film.

8. CHARACTER CONVENTIONS
• There are several different thriller characters that can be used in thriller
films. These include criminals, stalkers, assassins, cops, innocent victims
etc.
• We included a stalker and young vulnerable girl.
• We included a stalker as it is very common in the thriller genre and we
thought we would use it and try it out ourselves. It also, makes an interesting
storyline.
• The young vulnerable girl was used as it is very stereotypical and easy to be
fitted into a thriller film and the audience will know what to expect but it has a
very interesting storyline.

9. THEMES
• The three different methods and ideas are Crime, Mystery and
Psychological.
• In our film, we have chosen to use a Crime, which includes a stalker
kidnapping a young girl.
• Crime sounded like the one that was more interesting than the other
two. Not only this but it was the one that we really wanted to include a
stalker.
• It’s good to follow conventions as it then suits the genre and the
audience will then be aware of the film that they are about to watch.

10. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH
• We also researched into different thriller sub genres and we decided
to take on the Mystery Thriller genre as it would leave the audience
guessing throughout the film. We chose this as we wanted to use a
stalker in our film and this sub genre made it perfect for us to choose it
• We didn’t have much inspiration from choosing our film but we did
have a few shot ideas that we liked the look of on previous student
and professional films.

11. IMPACT OF OUR RESEARCH ON OUR FINAL
IDEA• We made a survey monkey which we needed people to answer as we
were still were unsure of different parts of the film.
• The main answer we wanted from the questionnaire was whether the
stalker was to remain anonymous or not. The audience (80%) voted
that we kept him anonymous which we also agreed with as it keeps
the audience guessing throughout the film.
• After watching openings, and sequences we wanted go with a dark
theme as this also is very typical of a thriller film and we didn’t want
choose an unconventional convention.

12. SUB-GENRE: MYSTERY
• This a sub genre of the thriller genre.
• It differs from a regular mystery by being much more fast paced, with
the protagonist is in trouble from the antagonist.
• Storyline- we made the stalker anonymous to create the ‘mystery’
genre
• Location- We chose to have an abandoned barn as it also adds to the
mystery sub genre of a thriller film.
• Costume- The stalkers clothing is very dark which again creates the
mystery to the sub genre.

13. FILMS SIMILAR TO OURS
• The Call (2013)- Our film is very similar to ‘The Call’ as it has used the
same idea as a stalker and the use of mobile phones having a big
impact on peoples lives.
• Kidnap(2017)- Our film is very similar to ‘Kidnap’ as we have an
anonymous stalker who captures another character.

14. UNCONVENTIONAL CONVENTIONS
• We decided not to use any unconventional conventions as it would go
against the thriller genre and we wanted to have a film that you could
tell would be a typical thriller film.
• We kept the characters, locations and mise en scene all stereotypical
of a typical thriller film as it makes the narrative slightly easier to
understand as we have quite a complex storyline.