Evaluation Question 1

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


The conventions of psychological thrillers are detailed earlier in the blog, our media product makes use of a large majority of codes and conventions from within the genre beginning with the plot line: the plot lines of psychological thrillers are centrally based around the mind and psyche of the key protagonist, our product focuses on the events which occur to one particular individual and the way that he emotionally deals with the ordeals that are thrown at him and how this leads him to react, this is seen in many previous psychological thrillers such as " The ButterFly Effect" and "Vertigo" in which we see the actions of the protagonists dramatically effected by the events that have formed a drain on their psyche. Continuing the theme of character, the key Protagonists within psychological thrillers are most often of an older generation, this links in with the audience and the age range of the film, this is because older people are more likely to be interested in the adult themes so therefore are more likely to emphasize with an older character.
The settings of psychological thrillers often include Claustrophobic spaces, this adds tension to any scene and makes the audience feel crammed in. the example of a claustrophobic space within our product is the alley way in which the protagonist is mugged, this is following examples from films such as " The lives of Others" where a prison cell is used for an interview and in "The Jacket" where the protagonist is put in a straight jacket and put into a morgue draw.
The lighting is often that of a light and dark contrast to achieve a shadowy effect, and to make the scene seem dark to the audience but still remaining aesthetically pleasing, as well as quick paced cuts that ties in with the fast non diegetic music to increase the pace of the film and add tension to the atmosphere received by the audience.