as media evaluation question 1

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

2. Narrative
• The Narrative follows the general conventions of a thriller as the plot
involves an enigma which isn’t revealed until towards the end of the film
and we also developed the plotline of the enigma being something that
leads to a conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist
• However it breaks conventions of the mystery thriller as it reveals the
antagonist and some of the scenes from close to the end in the opening
sequence.

3. Titles
• We follow the convention of using titles by putting the distributor presents,
then the studios followed by the cast with protagonist first followed by the
antagonist and then the production crew with the director at the end.
• Also we followed convention by putting the film title at the end of the
opening.

4. Characters
• The protagonist sticks to the thriller conventions for a protagonist as he is cool and
calm under pressure. Although he is an ordinary person with no training or skills.
• The antagonist develops the conventions as the character is highly intelligent but
rather than just a dual personality this films looks at the different perceptions as he
is a Police commissioner, this challenges conventions by using a police officer for
the antagonist when the general representations of cops is that they are on the
right side and either are the protagonist or trying to help the protagonist.

5. Soundtrack
• This followed convention of a thriller as we use a tense and ominous music
with a lot of bass to add suspense and a foreboding atmosphere to the piece
• This alongside the sound effects help to create an overall tense
atmosphere which is a thriller convention especially the single percussive
beat at the end of the piece which adds suspense and creates an enigma to
keep the audience interested

6. CameraWork
• The film sticks to conventions of the 180 degree rule within the shots by
staying on one side of the two characters especially when using shot reverse
shots for the interrogation of the protagonist by the antagonist.
• Also an establishing shot of the town hall was used and appeared first in the
film in order to follow convention and set the scene before introducing the
character.

7. Mise en scene
• Used Natural light with only a small amount of artificial light to stick to
conventions of dark dim lighting for a serious thriller film.
• The costumes were also authentic, formal and stuck to conventions of
typical dress for a journalist or a police officer.
• The locations stuck to convention as a abandoned house was used to keep
the characters isolated and feel vulnerable which stuck to the conventions
of the thriller genre by being designed to build suspense and tension

8. Editing
• An eye-line match was used so the conventions for an eye-line match was used but
within then eyeline match a focus pull was also used to add extra emphasis on the
hand this was developed the convention as it used a more advanced shot within
the eye-line match to enhance meaning and put more focus on the enigma of the
question.
• A match on action was used and the conventions were slightly developed as rather
than seeing the bullet from the gun shot the reaction shot was of the protagonist
to show the shock and emphasise the vulnerability of the protagonist in that
situation