1) The opening of the student's thriller follows conventions of the genre by having the main character be the killer and including a character profile, like in "American Psycho" and "Gothika". 2) It also uses visual elements like blood and ominous music to shock and create tension, drawing from techniques in "Seven" and "Jaws". 3) However, it deviates by showing the killing through a Soviet montage rather than directly, and by having a younger killer character than is typical in thrillers.