Ella's Evaluation - Question One

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? 

Throughout our thriller opening there are various elements conforming to the conventions of the thriller genre; such as typical elements of mise en scene, restricted narration, cinematography, sound and editing. Firstly, enigma is immediately portrayed with the introduction of our protagonist. We see various shots, including a close up of her hands whilst she anxiously plays with them, communicating she is nervous. This conveys an enigma as the audience are invited to ask who she is, why she is there alone and why she looks so nervous? This kind of enigma at the start of a thriller film is extremely common for example 'Zodiac' (2007) which also begins with two characters meeting and having a conversation. This set the mood of the whole sequence as it immediately creates tension a key theme in the thriller genre. Another generic convention of the thriller genre is the narrative, the majority of narratives centre around a crime eg. a theft or a murder. In the next scene we see our first protagonist walking around calling her sister Hannah as time passes. As this is happening text appears on the screen making the audience aware of the term 'white collar crime' before going on to the title 'White Collar Complex'. This conforms to the stereotypical Thriller genre as it conveys to the spectator the film is about a 'financially motivated crime' aka a financial theft.  Furthermore in the next scene we hear a gun shot connoting there has also been a murder. We then see the use of weapons within our opening sequence, we hear a gunshot and we also see Natalie, the first protagonist chopping vegetables with a large kitchen knife, similar almost the the one used in the famous 'Psycho' (1960). Further enigma is created by restricted camerawork. In our thriller opening we see an extreme close up mysterious mouth state "problem solved", the spectator may be unsure of who it belongs to making it more interesting. Especially combined with the intriguing dialogue. Finally the fact that we start at the end of the plot is typical of thriller. A series of/one important enigmas are set up in the opening sequence of a thriller film, it is further complicated during the first part of the film and only resolved at the very end. If we had made our thriller opening into an entire film, this is what we would have done.

 

 

Our opening sequence included a lot of generic conventions of successful thrillers, in order to communicate genre and be the best possible product it could be. Just like in the thriller 'Lucy' (2014) we have a female protagonist, which is true for many modern thrillers. Other typical conventions of thrillers such as isolation, like that of Natalie at various points in our thriller opening, isolated in her location and emotions. For example the isolation of Amy Dunne in Gone Girl (2014). Thrillers use costumes to clearly communicate to the audience the status, importance and role of a character in a narrative. In our sequence our characters wore designer clothing and jewellery such as; a Dior bracelet to communicate wealth. In the opening sequence for 'The Silence Of The Lambs' (1991) we clearly see a male character wearing an FBI hat suggesting its a crime thriller etc. 'Kill Bill" (2003) keeps the antagonist hidden in the opening by only revealing a hand another typical convention of thrillers.