Question 1: In what ways does your media production use, develop, or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Question 1:

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

At the beginning of the course, myself and James Kent (group member) discussed thoroughly how we could either challenge, use, and even develop specific conventions which are found in the thriller genre. We did this because we could then plan and develop our process professionally and effectively by discussing soundtrack, costume, location and finally how we could relate all of these to the thriller genre in some way. This would then ensure that our "Opening to a New Thriller Film" would be unique.

Essex Boys (2000) - marshland 

My group’s thriller “Death Watch” is set in a modern Briton. The cinematography which is used in "Death Watch" was primarily inspired by Carol Reed’s “The Third Man” (1949) and the use of chiaroscuro lighting. Our location was primarily inspired by the ending scene in "The Third Man" (1958), and the use of gritty marshland in “Essex Boys” (2000).



One of the most iconic shots in our opening is the long tilted shot of a vanishing point with trees either side which both our characters walk down. This shot immediately establishes a connection between the ending scenes of “The Third Man” (1949) when Anna walks down the pathway towards the camera and away from the vanishing point. We've developed this shot and reversed it - the character(s) are walking towards the vanishing point instead which creates a scene of mystery - they are walking into the unknown. 

My group decided to create two edits each, one in colour, and the other in black and white. This then increased our choices of a final outcome. I preferred to use black and white instead of colour, the reason behind this is because of the use of good natural ambient lighting which was captured on film. The ambient lighting created a unique chiaroscuro effect throughout the entire footage. By using black and white, the contrast in the two colours create a very bold eye catching depth of field within the mise-en-scene.

The gloomy dark depth of field can be seen as if its reinforcing the generic conventions of the thriller genre - developing the scrapyard/marshland and area into a representation of a 'Noir-film' period where shadows dominate within the mise-en-scene. This is to give an ominous and mysterious atmosphere, thus possibly increasing tension. 


The opening scene of our thriller starts in a snowy location. The opening shots of the snow represent just how cold and chilling my group’s thriller will be. The snow will represent our thriller’s mood and atmosphere, much like the snowy location in the film “The Grey” (2011) – The snowy location in “The Grey” represents the wolves within the film. The wolves are represented to be cold-hearted, blood boiling, savage animals. The wolves establish the surrounding location to be dangerous, cold and frightening as the snow is their 'hunting ground'. 


The snow scenes which are used in my group's thriller are used to give an effect of time passing, this adds a sense of realism and a 'stalker'-type atmosphere. The predator is on the hunt, waiting for the right time to strike. Our first 'actual' shot is of the vanishing point, which establishes the location of the upcoming scenes and events.


The character's names within our thriller where very difficult to create. My group member and I then decided to use our own names. There where many reasons behind this, to start off with, by using our own names "Austen, and "James", our characters would be believable to the viewer. This is because 'over-ambitious' names would be unnecessary, preposterous and especially hard to believe.


Another reason behind this is that the name "James" is of a christian origin. The biblical name, "James" comes from "James the Just" who is mentioned to be the brother of Jesus. This felt suitable because our film is about two families. The two families could possibly relate to the loving relationship of brotherhood between James and Jesus. However, our film challenges this bond because the two families are in competition with each other, which will eventually leave Austen between the two opposing families and a possible threat. James sees an opportunity to 'stike' against his opposing family and their son Austen. This is then developing and challenging the idea and format of love between one another which can also represent the setting  and characters of our film to have a 'survival of the fittest'-like characteristic. Thus resembles much likeness of the plot of "Animal Kingdom" (2010) and also the hierarchy status between each family member within the film.

The main character in our thriller is called “Austen”. Austen’s costume is very plain. He doesn’t wear many brightly coloured clothes, but is aware of the latest fashion and styles - the patterns on Austen's uncolorful top represent this. The costume choice took inspiration from “Joshua Cody’s” costume from "Animal Kingdom" (2010) because he wears similar styles of clothing.

Our second main character is called James. The introduction shot of James uses a low tilted angle shot looking upwards which suggests he has a very powerful presence which dominates over other characters. The cinematography of this particular shot was highly influenced by the worm’s eye view of ‘Noodles’ in “Once Upon a Time in America” (1984) and the tilted medium shot of 'Harry Lime' in the doorway in “The Third Man” (1949).

Witness (1985) - lavatories

My group’s choice of location challenges the generic conventions of unglamourous claustrophobic settings which are found within the thriller genre. Examples of these generic conventions include the lavatories in “Witness” (1985), the interior of motor vehicles in “Essex Boys” (2000) and lastly the tightly damp venerable space of the shower in “Psycho” (1960). 


Instead of using such generic locations, our group has developed and implied them by using wide open spaces which are not tight or claustrophobic, such as the long shot of the pathway in our thriller production. Our characters do not fill the mise-en-scene in these scenes, unlike the close ups of Marion Crane in “Psycho” (1960) and The Bride in the 2004 “Kill Bill Vol.2” (graveyard scene).

The use of wide open spaces in my group’s thriller is used to portray vulnerability yet still having a chance of escape. This resemble much likeliness of the use of wide open spaces which are found in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (2007) – the entire film is set in a wide open space, as well as the wide open barren-like locations used in "Animal Kingdom" (2010) and “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” (1966).


My group's choice of location is unglamourous and desolated, this is a convention of the genre which we have developed. "No Country for Old men" (2007) for example features this aspect of location choice and setting. Vast wastelands are used to portray the vulnerability and isolation of the malefactor and victim(s).

Other films such as "Heavenly Creatures" (1994) and "Jackie Brown" (1997) have the malefactor committing the crime in broad daylight. The two young girls in "Heavenly Creatures" (1994) commits murder of one of the girl's Mother on a deserted path during broad daylight and in "Jackie Brown" (1997), Louis guns down Melanie in a car park, again, during broad daylight. This time frame is unusual as it is highly unlikely that the malefactor would commit the crime in daylight, otherwise he/she could possibly get court. Whereas under the cover of darkness, the malefactor could possibly vanish into the dark, gloomy, mysterious twilight. Mush like the disappearance of Harry Lime in “The Third Man” (1949).

After challenging a few the generic conventions, my group used a generic location for the ending sequence. This was the use of a scrap-yard marshy area. We've taken inspiration from the marshland in “Essex Boys” (2000) and used it to represent a shift in mood. The mood shifts from an area which our character could escape from to a closer, more tightly, claustrophobic environment where our characters begin to fill the entire mise-en-scene in a range of close ups and extreme close ups, thus representing a sense of danger which could possibly increase the tension, much like the shower sequence in “Psycho” (1960).

Extreme and close ups featured in our film greatly, especially towards the ending of our thriller opening. Close ups and extreme close ups are also a generic convention which are used in the thriller genre to restrict the audiences' view, creating a more in-depth profile of a certain character's view or even to show important props, such as the close ups and extreme close ups of the briefcase in "Pulp Fiction" (1994), which is an enigma and also in “Once Upon a Time in America” (1984).

Pulp Fiction - Brief case

My group have also used an enigma which is a generic convention within the thriller genre. An enigma is when an object is not fully explained, it is mysterious and puzzling to understand. We used an enigma because then our thriller opening would grab hold of the audience's attention so they would then carry on watching.  This enigma was: 'why was the malefactor following the protagonist?' (Why was James following Austen?).

Another iconic shot within our production was the use of the dolly zoom. The 'type' of dolly zoom which was chosen was of a character's emotions, highly inspired from a clip from "Jaws" (1975) 

This particular type of dolly zoom expressed the fear and terror of the character. Myself and James Kent attempted to feature this unique and visually unusual shot at the ending of our thriller opening because the dolly zoom strengthens the expressions and scare of the character at a specific moment. Our "Opening to a Thriller Film" would then cut to black suddenly, which leaves a 'jaw' dropping (no pun intended) ending which would leave the viewer in suspense to wherever or not our character Austen is alive - a key feature of a thriller film.


James' camera work: Dolly Zoom practice. 





The font of our titles where highly inspired by the title sequence of “Essex Boys” (2000). The font used in my group’s thriller is represented in a way which would suggest that a teenager has sprayed graphite on a wall. This is to show the chaos and the views of teenagers in modern Briton within our thriller opening.



“Essex boys” titles – Sean Bean.

     

My groups choice of soundtrack came from a website called http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/. The soundtrack is called "Interloper" and is by Kevin MacLeod.

To listen to the soundtrack, please click the link below:

http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/index.html?keywords=Interloper&Search=Search

The soundtrack which my group has used is very drum-based. The drums represent the heart beats of our characters within the mise-en-scene, but more focusing on our victim’s. The drum beats also strengthens the tension for the audience as some people, such as myself, do not like the sound of a heart beating. They find the sound very chilling and unnerving to listen to. The idea to use a drum-based soundtrack came from the two notes that play in the soundtrack for “Jaws” (1975). These also represent a similar feeling and sound of a heart-beating which the paste gaudily gets louder and quicker as danger approaches.

In conclusion, my group’s opening to a new thriller film uses a wide range of different techniques and intertextual references to media products, in particular the thriller genre which my group and I have studied. We have challenged the genre’s conventions in such a way that it almost reinforces the importance to have the audience in suspense. To use a wide open space as a location which some may see as a kind of “safety area” which our character could possible escape from, yet still using the feeling and mood of venerability is very bold move against the thriller conventions. I believe that my group and I have been successful establishing the meaning of the location, the slight intertextual references and lastly the iconic shots which gives our thriller an unique personality.