Evaluation Question one

1. QuestionOne –Evaluation
BethanyDavies
In what ways does your media product use, develop and challenge forms and conventions of real
media products?
I believethatIhave usedvariousdifferentconventionsof the thrillergenre withinmyfinal pieceby
incorporatingreal life mediawithinthe thrillergenre andinterpretingitinmyownway.
My chosengenre isthriller,whilstclassifyingmyfilmasanaction thriller.One conventionwhichI
have usedisthe use of fast pace musicaccompaniedbyfastpaced editing.Thisworkswell by
influencingthe audience tofeel tense andbuildsupthattensionuptill somethingdramatichappens.
I have usedthisconventionwithinmyopeningsequence byusingfastpacedmusicwithfastpaced
editingof:LS,MS andCU shotsof the male protagonistdoingstuntridingonhismotorbike.Ifeel
that throughthe use of fastpaced editingandmusic,ithasallowedme toachieve the aimof making
the audience feel tense (whichcouldaresultof a crescendoeffect) till along shotof the male
protagonistappearsof himridingintothe distance toseekhisrevenge.
AnotherconventionswhichIhave chosentoinclude isthe use of an enigma.Thisisfirstmade
apparentinthe firstsequence of shots.Thisisbecause the female character(the stuntrider’s
mother) answersaphone call,where she states,“Iknow.Ithas hithimhardestof all.”Thisis
effectiveasitintriguesthe audience andmakesthemquestionwhathave theyall foundoutabout?
This,inturn, makesthe audience wanttofindoutthe hiddeninformationthatonlythe characters
are aware of.
However,Ichose to challenge the conventionof usinglow keylighting –whichcreatesan eerie
atmosphere forthe audience andmakesthemmore onedge.Ichose to attemptto create thiseffect
by usinga dark colourscheme of the propsand clothingusedwithinthe shots.Forinstance,the
male protagonistwasridingablack andred motorbike whilstwearingblackclothingandawhite
helmetwithablacklens.Thisiseffectiveasitcreatesan alternative enigmaof whothe stuntrideris.
Because of the character’s representation –as well asthe dangerousstuntshe isdoing,thiswill
make the audience feel onedge.
Similarly,Ichose toavoidshowingthe audiencethe male protagonist’sfacial expressionsinorderto
enhance the mysteryof whohe may be.On the otherhand,it couldbe arguedthat I actuallyinclude
several CUshots of the character’s facial expressionsinthe beginningsequenceasI use a slow zoom
inshot to showthe mother’sface whenshe istoldherson hasbeenspottedouton hismotorbike.
Thisis effective asitshowshershockand worryabout him.She thendisplaysconfusion –whichis
shownbya slowzoomout.Thisis effective asitallowsme toportray the character’sfeelings
withoutusingdialogue.Thiscouldalsobe inferredtoinfluence the audience bymakingthemfeel
anxiousandconcernedandmake themrelate thissituationtotheirownpersonal life.
Overall,Ifeel thatIhave successfullyusedandchallengedconventionsof real mediatextswithinmy
openingsequence inawaywhichinfluencesthe audience well.