Question One
Our media product brief was the opening sequence to a thriller film. The sequence had to be at least two minutes long. I worked by myself in a group, although I had the help of two other people when filming as I couldn't play all parts.
One convention of the genre is that the victim is usually female. The victim is usually portrayed as a defenseless female running fro the killer, the audience can see this in films like 'Scream' where the victim runs away from an unknown killer. This is done because it shows the female as being weak and that she will not be able to survive the attacks from the killer. This convention is important to include because it allows the audience to understand how terrifying the killer is, and how hard he will be to stop, as the audience doesn't see the killer, so the audience rely on the response from the victim in the scene from 'Scream' to gauge the lethality of the killer.
A different convention of the thriller genre is the inclusion of a male killer. The audience often see the male killer be able to overpower and kill multiple victims during the film without being caught or killed until the end of the film. This has been done because it allows the audience to see the power he has as an antagonist and how he will be hard to stop for other characters. The purpose of this is to have someone counterbalance the weaker, female victims, and set up a character that everyone will have trouble defending themselves from. The use of a male killer is shown in 'Disturbia', as the victims in the film have to oppose the male killer who is able to overpower the characters at multiple instances.
A more mise-en-scene related convention is the use of weapons. In thriller films, the killer usually uses a form of weapon, like a knife or an axe, in order to easily kill their target without drawing too much attention and putting them through pain. This is done to show danger in the scenes that the weapons are in, and that people in the scenes face the possibility of getting seriously injured or even killed. The purpose of this is to show how much power the killer has over his victims as he can end their lives when he chooses to and with as much brutality as he wants. An example of weapons shown in films is in 'The Shining', where the killer, Jack, uses an axe to chop down a door to get to his victim and potentially use it on her.
A convention used in thriller films is that the setting is usually an abandoned setting where no one will find the killer and be able to stop him. In most thriller films, the events of the film will take place in an abandoned building or forest so that no one will stumble across the scene of the crime. This is done so that the the victim will have nowhere to run and have little chance of escaping the killer. The purpose of this is to connote to the audience that the victim will have a slim chance of escaping from the killer alive. An abandoned setting shown in a thriller film is the remote bathroom setting of 'Saw', where the two victims are unable to escape and have no way to escape the room, as all doors are heavy and thick metal doors.
A useful convention of the thriller genre is that the killer's identity should be hidden from the viewer to create an enigma. For example, in a thriller film the killer will be masked and so the victims will be unable to identify the killer, allowing him to get away without anyone capturing him. This has been done to create an enigma for the audience in that nobody will know who the killer is, and so have no way of finding a weakness. The purpose of this is to show how unstoppable the killer is, and the victims will have a particularly hard time bringing him to justice. This is shown in 'Halloween', as the audience see the killer, Michael, wearing a novelty clown mask to cover up his identity so nobody will know that he is the killer.
A different convention of the thriller genre is that the film will use on-screen sound for effect. Some films will esu people banging on doors or running down hallways, usually from the killer. This is done because it creates suspense in the audience so they know that these sounds indicate that something big and potentially dangerous is coming for the victim will come for the victim. The purpose of this is to show that the victim will come to an inevitable death or fight with the killer. This is seen in 'The Shining', when the killer Jack chases his victims down a hallway and begins to bash the door in, creating a repetitive sound, made to simulate a heartbeat and how the victim will lose hers soon.
The use of a female victim is present, from my research, in the the thriller film 'Scream'. The audience see the girl running from the killer throughout the intro but she is finally killed by him at the end. The purpose of this is to show the killer's strength and ability to kill whoever he wants, whenever he wants without feeling any remorse about it.
The use of a male killer is shown in the film 'Disturbia'. In that film, the male killer is able to overpower multiple women, the male victim and the victim's mother. The purpose of this is to create suspense for the audience, as they want to know if the victim will be able to stop the killer before he kills them.
In my research, I found that the film 'Halloween', uses weaponry in the events of the film. In this film, we see a point of view shot of the killer using his knife to kill his sister, by stabbing her. The purpose of this is to show the brutality of the killer and how he has no qualms with killing people when he wants to.
In my research, I found that the film 'Saw' uses an isolated setting for the location and for effect. The film takes place in a small, dirty, isolated bathroom, with no way for the victims to leave due to heavy metal doors barring them away from the public and anyone that can help them. This has been done to show that the victims will have to work to find their own way out and outsmart their captors. The purpose of an isolated setting is also to show that the killer will be able to get away with the murders if he is not stopped.
In my research, I found that the convention of the killer's identity being hidden is shown in the thriller film 'Halloween'. In this film, the audience see a point of view shot of the killer picking up a mask, iconography, and putting it on his face, obscuring his identity. This has been done to make sure the audience does not recognize the killer's identity and further the enigma as the people trying to catch him will not know the face they are looking for. The purpose of this is to show how it will be difficult for the victim to track the killer and bring him to justice, as they don't know who he is.
The use of on-screen sound is shown in the thriller film 'The Shining' for effect. The audience see the killer trying to chop down the door, with each thud being loud and repetitive, one after the other. This has been done to sound out the impending doom of the victim as the killer is getting closer to killing his victim. The purpose of this is to create suspense as the audience do not know when the killer will break through the door, and be able to kill the victim.
In my media product, there are some similarities with 'Scream', in that we both have a female victim that gets killed. In my opening sequence, the female victim is first attacked by the killer, runs away, and is then killed by the killer, this is shown through the cinematography for the scene, as the audience see a long shot of the female victim getting stabbed. This has been done to show how she is weaker than the killer and will be unable to fight back against him. This mirrors the opening sequence of 'Scream'. I took inspiration from 'Scream' as it was a conventional thriller film that the audience can relate to because it takes place in a domestic setting, meaning that the audience can see themselves in the victim's shoes, increasing the suspense, as well as both pieces having a female victim. I decided to have a female victim because it would be more conventional and get sympathy for the victim as she wouldn't stand a chance against the killer.
Although, unlike the killer in 'Scream', I wanted the victim to be able to immobilize the killer until the audience thinks she has gotten away, then out of nowhere she gets stabbed by the killer. This is shown through the non-diegetic sound used in the scene where the victim is running away from the killer, as the sound of violins gets higher as she gets further away from the killer. This was done to connote the heightened sense of suspense in the scene, as the audience doesn't know if she will get away or not. I did this because it would make for a surprise in the audience as they think the victim has gotten away, then out of the blue she gets stabbed by the killer. I did this because it would make for a surprise in the audience as they think she will be able to escape, but the killer manages to get the jump on her.
Another similarity my opening sequence has with 'Scream' is that the mise-en-scene setting is the victim's home. In my opening sequence, the audience can see that the events take place in the victim's home, and just outside. 'Scream' also uses the victim's home as a setting for the opening sequence. I used a domestic setting because I feel it creates a relationship between the victim and the audience as they feel as if they are in the victim's shoes, being in a place where the same scenario could happen.
Both my media product and 'Scream' use a knife in the piece when the killer attacks the victim. In my opening sequence, the audience see the killer wielding a knife to attack and kill the victim. 'Scream' features a knife as the victim talks on the phone to the killer, she plays with a knife in the block, connoting the danger she will be in and her oncoming death. I used a knife in my opening sequence to connote the danger that the victim is in, and how the audience should understand that she will most likely die, due to her not having the ability to protect herself properly.
My media product and 'Scream' focus on keeping the killer's identity hidden. In my opening sequence, the audience see the killer in the woods at night, wearing a balaclava to hide his identity. The audience can see in 'Scream', that the killer isn't seen in the opening sequence because he does't appear at all, remaining mysterious and allowing the audience to create an enigma in their own heads as they don't know what to expect from the killer, instead using the victim's expression as a means for finding out what the killer. I made the killer's identity hidden in order to create tension in the audience as they don't know who the killer is and what his significance to the plot is.
My media product and 'Scream' also feature on-screen sound that is used in a foreboding manner. In my opening sequence, the audience hear the sound of the victim screaming . The audience can hear, in 'Scream', the sound of a phone ringing as the scene starts, creating a shock in the audience as the action takes them off guard and sets the pace for the beginning of the film as it shows the audience that it will be fast paced and she will have to think quickly to survive. I used the on-screen sound of someone screaming because it connoted that she was in immediate trouble and was going to get hurt, the scream being used as a scream for help to the audience, although they feel suspense as they know they can't get in to help her.
A different convention of the thriller genre is the inclusion of a male killer. The audience often see the male killer be able to overpower and kill multiple victims during the film without being caught or killed until the end of the film. This has been done because it allows the audience to see the power he has as an antagonist and how he will be hard to stop for other characters. The purpose of this is to have someone counterbalance the weaker, female victims, and set up a character that everyone will have trouble defending themselves from. The use of a male killer is shown in 'Disturbia', as the victims in the film have to oppose the male killer who is able to overpower the characters at multiple instances.
A more mise-en-scene related convention is the use of weapons. In thriller films, the killer usually uses a form of weapon, like a knife or an axe, in order to easily kill their target without drawing too much attention and putting them through pain. This is done to show danger in the scenes that the weapons are in, and that people in the scenes face the possibility of getting seriously injured or even killed. The purpose of this is to show how much power the killer has over his victims as he can end their lives when he chooses to and with as much brutality as he wants. An example of weapons shown in films is in 'The Shining', where the killer, Jack, uses an axe to chop down a door to get to his victim and potentially use it on her.
A convention used in thriller films is that the setting is usually an abandoned setting where no one will find the killer and be able to stop him. In most thriller films, the events of the film will take place in an abandoned building or forest so that no one will stumble across the scene of the crime. This is done so that the the victim will have nowhere to run and have little chance of escaping the killer. The purpose of this is to connote to the audience that the victim will have a slim chance of escaping from the killer alive. An abandoned setting shown in a thriller film is the remote bathroom setting of 'Saw', where the two victims are unable to escape and have no way to escape the room, as all doors are heavy and thick metal doors.
A useful convention of the thriller genre is that the killer's identity should be hidden from the viewer to create an enigma. For example, in a thriller film the killer will be masked and so the victims will be unable to identify the killer, allowing him to get away without anyone capturing him. This has been done to create an enigma for the audience in that nobody will know who the killer is, and so have no way of finding a weakness. The purpose of this is to show how unstoppable the killer is, and the victims will have a particularly hard time bringing him to justice. This is shown in 'Halloween', as the audience see the killer, Michael, wearing a novelty clown mask to cover up his identity so nobody will know that he is the killer.
A different convention of the thriller genre is that the film will use on-screen sound for effect. Some films will esu people banging on doors or running down hallways, usually from the killer. This is done because it creates suspense in the audience so they know that these sounds indicate that something big and potentially dangerous is coming for the victim will come for the victim. The purpose of this is to show that the victim will come to an inevitable death or fight with the killer. This is seen in 'The Shining', when the killer Jack chases his victims down a hallway and begins to bash the door in, creating a repetitive sound, made to simulate a heartbeat and how the victim will lose hers soon.
The use of a female victim is present, from my research, in the the thriller film 'Scream'. The audience see the girl running from the killer throughout the intro but she is finally killed by him at the end. The purpose of this is to show the killer's strength and ability to kill whoever he wants, whenever he wants without feeling any remorse about it.
The use of a male killer is shown in the film 'Disturbia'. In that film, the male killer is able to overpower multiple women, the male victim and the victim's mother. The purpose of this is to create suspense for the audience, as they want to know if the victim will be able to stop the killer before he kills them.
In my research, I found that the film 'Halloween', uses weaponry in the events of the film. In this film, we see a point of view shot of the killer using his knife to kill his sister, by stabbing her. The purpose of this is to show the brutality of the killer and how he has no qualms with killing people when he wants to.
In my research, I found that the film 'Saw' uses an isolated setting for the location and for effect. The film takes place in a small, dirty, isolated bathroom, with no way for the victims to leave due to heavy metal doors barring them away from the public and anyone that can help them. This has been done to show that the victims will have to work to find their own way out and outsmart their captors. The purpose of an isolated setting is also to show that the killer will be able to get away with the murders if he is not stopped.
In my research, I found that the convention of the killer's identity being hidden is shown in the thriller film 'Halloween'. In this film, the audience see a point of view shot of the killer picking up a mask, iconography, and putting it on his face, obscuring his identity. This has been done to make sure the audience does not recognize the killer's identity and further the enigma as the people trying to catch him will not know the face they are looking for. The purpose of this is to show how it will be difficult for the victim to track the killer and bring him to justice, as they don't know who he is.
The use of on-screen sound is shown in the thriller film 'The Shining' for effect. The audience see the killer trying to chop down the door, with each thud being loud and repetitive, one after the other. This has been done to sound out the impending doom of the victim as the killer is getting closer to killing his victim. The purpose of this is to create suspense as the audience do not know when the killer will break through the door, and be able to kill the victim.
In my media product, there are some similarities with 'Scream', in that we both have a female victim that gets killed. In my opening sequence, the female victim is first attacked by the killer, runs away, and is then killed by the killer, this is shown through the cinematography for the scene, as the audience see a long shot of the female victim getting stabbed. This has been done to show how she is weaker than the killer and will be unable to fight back against him. This mirrors the opening sequence of 'Scream'. I took inspiration from 'Scream' as it was a conventional thriller film that the audience can relate to because it takes place in a domestic setting, meaning that the audience can see themselves in the victim's shoes, increasing the suspense, as well as both pieces having a female victim. I decided to have a female victim because it would be more conventional and get sympathy for the victim as she wouldn't stand a chance against the killer.
Although, unlike the killer in 'Scream', I wanted the victim to be able to immobilize the killer until the audience thinks she has gotten away, then out of nowhere she gets stabbed by the killer. This is shown through the non-diegetic sound used in the scene where the victim is running away from the killer, as the sound of violins gets higher as she gets further away from the killer. This was done to connote the heightened sense of suspense in the scene, as the audience doesn't know if she will get away or not. I did this because it would make for a surprise in the audience as they think the victim has gotten away, then out of the blue she gets stabbed by the killer. I did this because it would make for a surprise in the audience as they think she will be able to escape, but the killer manages to get the jump on her.
Another similarity my opening sequence has with 'Scream' is that the mise-en-scene setting is the victim's home. In my opening sequence, the audience can see that the events take place in the victim's home, and just outside. 'Scream' also uses the victim's home as a setting for the opening sequence. I used a domestic setting because I feel it creates a relationship between the victim and the audience as they feel as if they are in the victim's shoes, being in a place where the same scenario could happen.
Both my media product and 'Scream' use a knife in the piece when the killer attacks the victim. In my opening sequence, the audience see the killer wielding a knife to attack and kill the victim. 'Scream' features a knife as the victim talks on the phone to the killer, she plays with a knife in the block, connoting the danger she will be in and her oncoming death. I used a knife in my opening sequence to connote the danger that the victim is in, and how the audience should understand that she will most likely die, due to her not having the ability to protect herself properly.
My media product and 'Scream' focus on keeping the killer's identity hidden. In my opening sequence, the audience see the killer in the woods at night, wearing a balaclava to hide his identity. The audience can see in 'Scream', that the killer isn't seen in the opening sequence because he does't appear at all, remaining mysterious and allowing the audience to create an enigma in their own heads as they don't know what to expect from the killer, instead using the victim's expression as a means for finding out what the killer. I made the killer's identity hidden in order to create tension in the audience as they don't know who the killer is and what his significance to the plot is.
My media product and 'Scream' also feature on-screen sound that is used in a foreboding manner. In my opening sequence, the audience hear the sound of the victim screaming . The audience can hear, in 'Scream', the sound of a phone ringing as the scene starts, creating a shock in the audience as the action takes them off guard and sets the pace for the beginning of the film as it shows the audience that it will be fast paced and she will have to think quickly to survive. I used the on-screen sound of someone screaming because it connoted that she was in immediate trouble and was going to get hurt, the scream being used as a scream for help to the audience, although they feel suspense as they know they can't get in to help her.
A very proficient and detailed analysis of conventions identified in your research, as well as those included in your sequence. you have explained their purpose and effect on the audience as well as why you chose to include them. You have compared your sequence to existing products and thought about the overall success. Include pictures to support points made
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