Evaluation Question 1

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

My thriller incorporates generic conventions of a thriller such as the drug deal scene which is very common within crime thrillers. Also, my use of filming at night is supportive in the generic conventions as most crimes are known to take place when it's dark. I think my use of conventions definitely indicates what sub-genre my thriller is and the way it has been edited so it's out of chronological order would suggest it's also psychological as well as crime making it a hybrid. I was influenced by the film 'Momento' when it came to rearranging the order of my shots and with the special effects I have used as these are used extremely well in this film.
I have selected 9 frames from my thriller opening which incorporate or challenge generic conventions of thriller films. Some of these show how I have indicted the hybrid genre and how other thrillers have influenced my work. I have sectioned each frame into a different sub heading to show the ideas I had about the creation of my final thriller opening. 

Frame 1: The opening and how it builds the narrative

To create a suspenseful thriller, I decided to film through a pillow case to represent it being over someones head and it's a point of view shot of the kidnapper. I tried to make sure my camerawork was effective enough by not just simply filming in an ordinary way, I wanted to try something different. I only used a small variety of shots, most of which were medium shots and close ups. This is because I felt these shots would suit my narrative better as it would reflect the confinement the child is feeling once he's been kidnapped and also how the dad feels trapped by his boss who makes him participate in drug deals. My lack of long and establishing shots is justified because I wanted the audience to be engaged in the action taking place so they could follow my complicated chronology of events. If they see what happens close up then they are more likely to understand it and empathise with the characters.
Frame 2: My characters and how they are developed throughout

My main character is first shown taking part in a drug deal which adds to the theme of crime. Also, the young boy is not actually shown to start with which I decided to do in order to keep the suspense for the audience. Furthermore, I intended for the child and his father to be seen as victims which I believe their relationship together really helps to show this. The costumes of my characters develop the image of the male character being reluctant to take part in the drug deal which is not very stereotypical. Also, it's usually teenage boys who would be seen buying drugs on the street in thrillers however, I chose to use a girl as I felt it would work better as it's not what the audience would expect so it would entice them to continue watching the film. I wanted the audience to be intrigued by the opening which is why I decided not to only use stereotypical features.
Frame 3: Special effects

I used special effects to create suspense of the characters being watched. I did this by using a photograph effect so it looks like someone is taking photos of their drug deal as evidence against them. Also, the special effects of rewinding and fast forwarding the film in order to portray the stalker watching the videos back. I had to use a lot of colour correction to my video as a lot of my shots were extremely dark due to the time of day I filmed which was intentional for the outdoor scenes. Unfortunately some footage was too dark even with the lighting I used however, the colour correction worked really well for my thriller as the really dark footage was converted into a dream which meant a dream like colour effect could be added to it. These special effects help to build the narrative and gradually tell the story without giving away the ending which is also a common generic convention of a thriller.
Frame 4: Lighting

This shot makes my character look like a silhouette which really creates a sense of mystery which is a generic convention thrillers. The black clothing against the light I used in the background really highlights his outline which would suggest he doesn't want to be seen or that he is the protagonist of the film. This mystery will engage the audience and make them ask questions as nothing is given away. I didn't use too much lighting as I wanted the sense of it being night time and to create a more eerie atmosphere. However, I did use a light outside which created a shadow as he approached the door. This adds to the tense moment and allows the audience to feel uncertain about whether he is the villain or the protagonist.
Frame 5: Camerawork

I decided to film the child through the window to represent him being watched without him knowing. He appears oblivious to it all and this appearing at the end gives a conclusion to the rest of the opening. I liked the effect the shot had through the window as it created an eerie atmosphere which really added to the intensity of scene. I wanted to be creative with my camerawork so although I didn't use many different types of shots, I did use many different angles and tried filming through different objects such as sheets, pillow cases and windows in order to produce the most realistic effect. I feel that this really helped to develop the narrative as well because these different types of shots each have a purpose and therefore, fit in with the story.
Frame 6: How my thriller supports the genre

This image really captures the idea of someone watching someone and the consistency between this shot and the boy through the window creates the image of the boy being videoed. This would suggest that it is a crime thriller however, through my editing I realised I could make it a hybrid of crime and psychological. I have incorporated many shots which imply there is a crime issue for example, the drug deal, the kidnap and the stalking. The opening sequence of my thriller makes the audience ask themselves questions such as why is the man watching them? Why does the dad take part in drug deals? This means that my thriller is successful in following the genre in which it follows.
Frame 7: My thriller title

My thriller title is white text against a black background in order to make it stand out. I think it's more successful as it is simple and creates a dark, eerie atmosphere which is a key feature of a thriller. It appears on the screen with a zoom effect to symbolise its importance to the thriller. The use of capital letters for the title makes it bold in order to capture the audiences attention, which was my intention.  The word 'Leverage' means the power to influence a person or situation which fits in very well with my narrative as the drug dealers boss is overpowering him and the stalker has power over the kidnap situation. My titles comply with a successful film opening and often the title of a film will give the audience an idea as to the narrative of the film without revealing the plot.
Frame 8: Editing

The editing of my thriller took the longest because of all the special effects and titles I had to add to my original footage. I used a dream effect by changing the lighting with 'light rays' in order to show a transformation from reality into the child dreaming. I think this effect was successful and I liked it because it added to the narrative where the boy is oblivious to what is going on around him.
Frame 9: The characters relationship

I tried to show the close relationship between the father and his son to help the audience to empathise with them and understand that the dad doesn't want actually want to be involved with drug deals however, he needs money to support his family. To convey this I showed their relationship with the dream like effect in order to represent them being in their own little world, safe from the bad people in the world. This is the only time they appear happy is when they are together.