Question 1 evaluation: Ilarna

1. In what way does your media product
use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products
By Ilarna Nche

2. There are many conventions in films which
define there genre. Like in a thriller, there are http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4QdvEkWkFE
many common conventions which identify why
a thriller is a thriller. With lots of research and
planning, our thriller opening needed to build
up enough tension whilst still giving the
audience an insight in what is happening.
Normally in thrillers there is a crime in the
narrative which keeps the audience intrigued.
This is mainly caused by the antagonist.
Sometimes it can be an object that makesup
the narrative. (like a haunted house)

3. Narrative
The narrative in our thriller contains some convention in which the audience can feel a fearful atmosphere. These include:
•A dark attic
•A power cut in the house
•Eerie Sounds
•Masked Antagonist
Narratives are made up of a complex structure with false paths and clues, this helps the thriller gain a strong enigma for the audience to keep
watching and try and figure out the situation until it normally concludes with a red herringorcliff hanger. We used the element of surprise
and mystery when the masked person jumps from behind the victim. This immediately highlights the fact that the masked person is the
antagonist as the antagonist is about to attack the victim and the sound drones which specifies that the person is notfriendly. This produces
an enigma because the audience would want to know who is behind the mask.
Like in our thriller we have not shown an establishing shot of where the location is, which weakens the audience’s knowledge giving the
antagonist an advantage.
In our narrative, we started off with the antagonist in the attic. The convention is immediately seen as there is a darkened room which sets
the atmosphere for the audience.

4. Fonts & titles
The idea of naming our thriller, came around when we discovered what it was about. As our thriller was about someone creeping up on victims
in their houses, we thought that it would be a good idea to have the main storyline influenced on our thriller title. So after gathering loads of
names, we thought a one worded title would be most appropriate as many great thrillers have one worded titles. It makes the audience
question the movie and gain more ideas of what it could be about. Like Se7en, Frantic, Taken, Derailed, Salt, Disturbia etc.
The titles of Intrusion was made in Final CutExpress. All our titles were made in the font called ‘I Still Know’ all in Capital and in white so it stands
out against the dark background.
The titles varies in sizes due to importance as we felt that the audience needed to acknowledge all the people who contributed to this film.
The conventions of credits and fonts from movies such as se7en and shutter island influenced our decision to make our credits in a similar way
to theirs. The shutter island opening credits is a bit similar to ours in terms of making the credits move in a distorted way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obvksJ7-4hQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEq-4fua3lM
The credits are similar to the movie seven in the way that fonts were scratchy and abrasive, connoting the audience to feel uncomfortable as it
complements the over layering of words and the brisk flashes, also we added a unique effect by enlarging some of the words causing them to
flash, in a fast-paced motion over the title credits.
The credits also shakes to show the audience that every moment is unsettling so that it doesn’t disrupt the tensed atmosphere already made
from the narrative. This was also inspired by the movie seven.
I particular like 1.48-1.51 in our thriller because the text is kind of interacting with the props in terms of the candle being forced to push out of
the way to let the text appear. Se7en

5. Location
In our thriller, we had two locations that the audience can see. The attic and the victims house. Even though you can’t
see an establishing shot of the two locations, it weakens the audiences’ knowledge and prevents them from knowing
where the antagonist is. It also puzzles the audience and makes them starts asking questions.
This inspiration is from Taken 2 because in this scene below, the audience don’t know where the protagonist is and so as
time is a theme in our thriller, it is in Taken 2 as well as, the girl (Kim) has to figure out where her dad is before its too
late. In relation to our thriller we have kept the location unknown leaving the audience to be kept intrigued to find out
where thevictim and antagonist is. However like in Taken 2 we have left clues to where aboutsthey are. The victims
house is in some middle to upper class area as at 0.38 there is a tall hedge and fence to show how private and secure
the victim is. As well as that the victim’s house has a long drive way, suggesting that he is isolated by other people
around him.
Taken 2 clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUg1BPIGEzo
From the beginning of the thriller we started off by showing the attic scene. So already the suspense is starting to build
up. Normallythrillers build up slowly, but we wanted to get straight into the atmosphere by showing a dark musky
location.

6. Editing
In terms of post production, we wanted to carry on making sure that
the conventions were enhance by overlay of sound and filtering. This is
because when filming the footage, it was in the daytime and so it
disconnected our thriller as it didn’t have as much effect than if the
footage was darker. In post production we made sure that our opening
created a unsettling atmosphere as we wanted to set the tone for the
rest of the movie. We did this by quick cutting to the next frame to
emphasise to the audience that thetone was building up quickly. This
worked well as it allowed us to quicken the pace of our thriller, like
when the victim is opening the door with his keys and suddenly, the
shot cuts to him walking through the door.
In post production we needed the transitions of each scene to move
smoothly and so looking at movies like safe house and dark knight
rises, they need to be quick paced but at the same time, they need to
run smoothly so it can increase the suspense and tension.

7. Character
In many thriller conventions, they don’t show the protagonist until
after the opening like Dark Knight rises and scream. Instead they show
the antagonist and his intentions. This makes the audience loathe the
antagonist and get an idea ofthe cause of the problem. It also sets the
audience up for what's to come.
Our victim influenced us by looking at other thriller openings where
the victim doesn’t survive that long. Instead they are mostly targeted
and murdered. Examples of this is like in the movie Harry Potter and
the Goblet of Fire where you see a victim and the antagonist. The
audience don’t see the protagonist yet and so by seeing what the
antagonist does, gives the audience a connection to the protagonist as
they know what the antagonist is capable of.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9hwiTjHO5I
Our antagonist hasa convention because they are masked which hides
their identity connoting the enigma and on who is behind that mask. As you can see, all of these
In many thrillers most antagonists wears masks or hides their faces so characters below are from a horror
they are not revealed. movie and so we have added that
convention into our thriller.

8. Cinematography
In our thriller we did this by quick cutting and using stationary shots
instead of panning frequently so that we didn’t disrupt the
atmosphere made. Many of the thrillers went along with the enigma
made through uses of camera angles and shot types, which effectively
misleads the audience into thinking something else.
We decided to take this on board by using a lot of close-ups to focus
on the victims reaction shots to draw the audience attention. We used
a panning shot on the phone for variation of the thriller as most of our
shots were stationary and didn’t include much movement.
We took in account that angles give thrillers new meanings by
changing the way the audience portray a character. So we took low
angle shots of the victim to show him that he is small compared to the
antagonist.

9. Sound
In thrillers I notice that the sound is the one of the most important
factors. Conventionally when a antagonist is about to attack their
victim, that is when the sound starts building up which increases the
suspense. A great example of this, is in this clip from scream 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD9-hH5gw8o
It shows us how the overlay of sounds builds up to a big climax where
it eventually stops in a traumatic silence.
This inspired us to do the same in our thriller. As the victim enters his
house, the sound starts building up and when the phone rings another
sound is added on top of that to increase the suspense.
Other conventions seen in our thriller is the creaky doors which is
naturally made without using Foley sounds. This complements our non
diegetic sound to our diegetic sound as it fits in perfectly. However the
phone ringing is an element of foley sounds.

10. Lighting
In our thriller, we used the convention of lighting, in the attic scene
especially, to create a tensed atmosphere and to connote the
antagonist’s intentions of attacking victims. The scene at the beginning
of our thriller highlights the antagonist searching around the attic.
With the help of low key lighting used in this scene, it helps enhance
the atmosphere by highlighting to the audience at what to look at.
I got influence of using low key lighting in the dark knight rises when
Batman and Bane are having a fight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrzvY0JNT0U
In this clip, the lighting enabled the audience to focus on the fight but
still takes in the atmosphere as the waterfall is visible in the
background adding more effect of the light reflecting off the water.
When the victim has entered his house, the audience can immediately
see that its daytime, with the help of natural lighting from the sun.
This helps highlight that the victim is innocent and connotes his
vulnerability as when he steps into his house, its very dark and musky.
This shows the audience that he is in danger and the dark lighting
made from the editing in final cutexpress, enhances that.

11. Pictures similar to other Thrillers