Q1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

The Thriller genre is one that revolves around anticipation and suspense, and aims to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. A thriller usually consists of a battle between a protagonist character and an antagonist character which results in a series of events that create tension and suspense leading to the climax. The aim of the protagonist is to restore justice, whilst the antagonist seeks to destroy it.

There are many sub-genres within the main Thriller genre; these include crime, action, sci-fi and supernatural thrillers. The sub-genre of our thriller is crime/action because of the use of guns and chase sequences.

 

Cinematography

Lots of close-ups and extreme close-ups of the protagonist are often used to show emotions. They can also focus on props to aid the narrative. The shots of the antagonist will be cut quickly and conceal the character’s identity. For example: a shot of their back, a low key shot or a silhouette/shadow.

Sound
Music is a key element in film as it helps portray the mood and tone of a scene and its characters. In Thrillers specifically, it adds to the suspense and tension of a significant moment in the film. It will often start at a slow pace and then quicken to make a scene more dramatic for the audience.
 

 

Lighting/Colour

Lighting is mainly low key, creating harsh shadows on faces, bodies and props, which helps create a dark, mysterious and sinister atmosphere. Low key lighting is usually used during the more mysterious and sinister scenes, emphasising the suspense and tension, as well as creating an unsettling atmosphere. 

Colour is a key part of the mise-en-scene in Thrillers, as colours can connote emotions and thoughts. For example black can be used to symbolise death, immediately creating tension and leaving the audience feeling on edge. Red can be associated with blood, again linking in with death. Overall the colour and lighting link together, helping to create an appropriate mood. The characters being in dark colours can suggest that they are evil, killers etc. A dark setting can help to mask the characters and their actions as well, adding to the air of mystery.

 

Costumes

The use of costume within Thrillers is important because this deems how the characters are perceived by the audience. Due to this, the style of social realism is often used to make the characters more believable to the audience. Typically in Thrillers the antagonist will wear dark clothes to enhance the mystery that surrounds them and show that they are dangerous.

 

 

 

Setting/Props

Examples of typical Thriller settings include dark alleys or an urban city. Usually only a small range of colours will be used in the setting, these predominately being blacks and greys. This can be used to show how normal and plain life is, contrasting with the villains in the film as they create a dramatic and fearful atmosphere.

 

 

 

In Thriller films props can often aid the narrative, by revealing the identity of characters for example. A range of different props are used, but weapons such as knives and guns are predominately used to reinforce the violence and fear factor.

 

 

Our opening generally followed these conventions for the most part, for example the cinematography and sound fit the aforementioned descriptions; there are close-ups of the protagonist and props, as well as quick cuts of the antagonist(s) and the music quickens in tempo as the opening reaches its climax. The setting is also quite in keeping with the usual locations of thrillers: it is situated in an urban area and features dark colours to create a dramatic and fearful atmosphere. Additionally, so are the costumes and props- the supposed antagonists wear black, military-like attire and carry guns.