1) In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge conventions of real media products?
Editing played an essential role in the development of my film tasks. Based on my research of thriller films, I used techniques of the genre in my editing to challenge as well as conform to the conventions of the thriller genre.
The blue colouring used in my main task was inspired by the crime thriller film 'The Negotiator'. I used this to present the parallel story lines in the film. The colouring also was used to add mystery, as due to the tones, the images were not entirely clear which created an enigmatic mood. Furthermore, the negotiator uses the tones throughout the opening sequence. I used colour imagery to adhere to the conventions of thrillers, but to also use it as method to create originality.
The combination of blue and red in my piece was used to develop thriller conventions such as bright shocking colours and dark tones, by using colour to highlight the change in scene. The red tones at the beginning of my opening sequence present the thriller as a horror thriller, as red is often used to symbolise blood and gore. However, the blue tones convey the features of a psychological thriller. This is advocated by the special effects used in the filming. Inspired by the film ‘Undertow’, I decided to use distortion and blurring in the opening of my thriller. This was in order to present the film as a psychological thriller as distorted figures are commonly associated with psychological issues.
In conclusion, I used different techniques from my case studies to influence the filming of my preliminary and main task. By using these techniques I attempted to convey my piece similarly to a real media product by using and developing the conventions of thrillers, but I also challenged these norms to produce an innovative product.
Macarthy Productions