Question 1

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

By: Victor Scarabelli

Before creating my media product, I’ve worked on a number of thriller films in order to gain a further understanding on common elements that are used to construct a thriller film.

 In some really successful thriller film such as Se7en and Memento, there were a number of codes and conventions shared between both productions:

• Use of Close-ups and quick cut editing
• Use of Rolland Barthes Theory (Hermeneutic Code)
• Artificial lighting
• Drama, Suspense music
• Crime and Violence theme

In my final product, I've include most of these common conventions when constructing my piece.

Cinematography

In the title sequence similar to Se7en’s title sequence I’ve included several close-up shots in order to provide semiotics to the audience.

In my title sequence I’ve made used close-up shots of the picture and the pills. These two objects in the title sequence creates iconography to the audience as they’re associated with the cause of the protagonist’s depression. These shots help to emphasize how these objects have changed the protagonist’s life such as his depression.

I also made use of close ups in the blood spelled scene, this close up shot help to draw the audience attention and at the same time following Rolland Barthes Theory (HER) creating the enigma as it will leave the audience wondering who's blood is it and why is it there. 

Cinematography

In my main title I used other common shots used in thriller films such as mid shots and high angle shots.

In my product I made use of mid shots and High angle shots when the protagonist wakes up from a dream and the protagonist is sat on his own afraid of his hallucinations. The mid shot allows the audience to focus on what is happening with the characters in order to emphasize his pain. The high angle shot help to establish the idea that from suffering from Trauma post death the protagonist became powerless and very emotional. This shot is most common in thriller films in order to present the audience the weak character in the story. I also made used of Tracking shot as the protagonist was walking down the alley way, in order to enforce the idea his hallucinations were just increasing to the point where he had nowhere to go to try to prevent them from happening, accompanied by a close up shot of the protagonist’s face in order to emphasize the idea of pain he was going through to the audience.

Se7en (1995, David Fincher): In Se7en there were also used of tracking shot of the protagonist going through flashbacks.

Mise en Scene

The lighting use was mostly high-key lighting in order to enforce the ghost like figure idea, this type of lighting helps to emphasize the idea of the protagonist being a young student which engages the audience to think that he spends most of the day at school. This lighting challenges the common thriller convention uses low-key lighting to increase the suspense.

The props also play a key role in my product as it draws the audience’s attention to decode the narrative of the film.

The photography was used to present the two main characters within the film. This helps to emphasize the emotional idea between brother and sister within the film providing to the audience the reason why the protagonist is the way he is by using Hypodermic Needle Theory. Photography’s are common items in thriller films such as Memento and Inception.

Memento (2000, Christopher Nolan): Leonard’s Polaroid pictures

Sound

In my Final product I’ve used a soundtrack that was played on the piano during the whole piece. At the beginning of the piece the piano music plays at a slow pace but increases the face when the video begins to increase as well. This type of sound challenges thriller conventions as they most use violin music’s to this begin a thriller.

I’ve also used different synchronized and unsynchronized sound effects to the piece in order to the emphasize the action being shown in the screen. This includes the loud sound of the protagonist waking up, girl giggling at the end of the piece when the ghost appears. These sound help to emphasize the idea of hallucination and as well as help to create the tension and suspense to the piece.  This is one of the common conventions used in thriller films.

Editing

In my final product I’ve used special effects in order to create a more realistic and psychological sense to the film.

I made use of blockbuster filter in order to outline the blood symbolizing that the blood was spelled in the past but still live colour. This effects convey the idea that the event had happened a long time ago but still ‘fresh’ in the protagonist’s mind creating the sense of distorted mind. These effects where used in the film Inception.

Inception (2010, Christopher Nolan): Use of Filters to convey the idea of dream.

I’ve also made use of bad TV in order to make a more sophisticate way to emphasize the distorted state of mind the protagonist was having. This effects aren’t conventional within most thriller film, most thriller films tent to use jump cut instead in order to create this representation.

Inception (2010, Christopher Nolan): Use of Filters to convey the idea of dream.