Final Evaluation - Question 1

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

I believe that my film opening holds many forms and conventions of real media products. One of the ways this is done is through the camera techniques used. Throughout the extract, there are many close-ups and extreme - close-ups of the main protagonists face to help show his emotion to the audience through his facial expressions. In one of the scenes I have used a hand-held shot to track the protagonist through the hallway. A hand-held shot is also used towards the end of the extract on the antagonists weapon - knife. This is shown as he approaches the protagonist from behind. I used this shot to make the scene feel "uncomfortable" for the viewers to watch, relying on them having to concentrate harder throughout this specific scene - a typical convention of a thriller product.
In terms of the editing, I applied low - key lighting throughout the extract. This created a dark and suspicious atmosphere, reflecting the mood of the film - scary, mysterious...etc. This is a typical convention of a thriller product. Throughout the extract, I also used slow-paced editing. This I believe, provides the audience with time  to take in the smaller details shown in the movie that may be of importance in terms of understanding the plot or pre-judgements of what might happen next. Even though this may not deem to be a typical convention of a thriller product, I do believe it helps reflect the mood and pace of the movie, both of which are extremely important aspects of a thriller product.
The score used in the extract I composed myself using apple software, Garage-band. The score itself was composed through the uses of bass, drums and cinematic sounds alone. From this, I managed to create a dark, atmospheric soundtrack, creating the pace(alongside the editing) and allowing the viewers to anticipate what may happen next through the tension and suspense displayed throughout the extract. I also applied "stings" in various points to show when the protagonist spots something of importance or if something significant has changed within the scene, and the audience may need to know about it.
The movie is set at the protagonists home (during the night). This I believe reflects a typical thriller product. Because the film is shot at the protagonists home, it produces a more realistic and believable approach to the movie from the viewers perspective. This is also shown through the protagonists clothing. In this case, he is shown to be wearing a casual shirt, black jeans and boots. These are all examples of everyday clothing, however does display the sense that he may be from a middle or higher class background. The sheer nature of his clothing however suggests innocence, creating a sympathetic mood towards the character in that you know something bat is going to happen to him. The antagonists clothing on the other hand consists of a black hoodie, black trousers and black shoes - all black. Black is a typical way of displaying evil, making this an ideal colour for the "murderer". I felt it would be key to make sure that his identity was hidden throughout the extract, again creating a higher level of suspense towards that character - another well known convention of a typical thriller product.