AS Level Media Studies Evaluation Question 1

7/30/2019 AS Level Media Studies Evaluation Question 1

1/10

AS Level Media Studies

Evaluation Question 2In what ways does your media product use, develop or

challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Suzanne Cole


2/10

Alarm Clock

In the establishing shot the only part of a person seen is a hand and little else isrevealed so that the audience are unsure who the person is. Most people arecurious and by making it so that they can't see the person's face they want toknow who the person is, creating a sense of secrecy as it suggests that the

person doesn't want to be seen. This fits with the usual conventions of a thrillerfilm as it is conventional to convey a sense of secrecy such as in 'Enemy of theState' or 'Ronin'. The clock is positioned slightly off of centre to suggest thatsomething isn't quite right; something exactly in the centre would convey an ideaof fitting in yet the clock isn't, suggesting that the person whose hand enters theframe is disjointed and unpredictable, not fitting with society or with what isusually expected of a person, prefiguring what is to happen, causing a feeling ofunease.


3/10

Beths FeetThis shot is following a jump cut from one of the glass. By jump cutting from one to the other its jarring

signifying that the perspective has altered. This frame is in colour where-as those before it were in a blackand white filter emphasising that this is from a different perspective from those before it; it is the first

indication the audience has that two different lives are being shown however, I have deliberately made this

shot shorter than the others so that the audience see very little and are kept intrigued by the addition ofanother person and the possibility of the two people meeting. The sense of there being an oncomingmeeting between the two people is a usual form of a thriller, a similar technique is used in Ronin; the

camera searches a cityscape first before revealing DeNiro. I decided to instead create a similar idea byhow the frame is initially empty before the girls feet enter rather than searching a landscape as I thought

that this better fitted with my plotline.The most dominant thing in the shot is actually the background to suggest that the girl is currently of noparticular significance as she could be anyone. This subverts thriller conventions as the protagonist is

usually dominant, but I have deliberately done this to cause the audience to undermine her importance sothat at the end of the opening they are left to question why she is being targeted by the antagonist.


4/10

Beth is now however the most dominant thing in theframe, suggesting that she currently has a growingdominance and importance in the film however, her

hands are in her pockets undermining this suggestedgrowing confidence and importance. It suggests thatshe is actually anxious as she feels the need to hideher hands and keep them close to her body, causingthe audience to question why she is anxious. As shewalks the camera also tracks her, keeping her in the center of the shotand so in the focus of the audience suggesting to the audience that she is theprotagonist and should be trusted, much like is done is Enemy of the Statewhen the camera tracks the older man, not 'Glasses Man'. I have decided touse this same element of camera movement to remain true to a usual thrillerfilm and its conventions as it creates an alliance between the audience andprotagonist. I however have developed this by not showing her face so it's stillunclear to the audience whether she is the antagonist or protagonist.

However by having her in a colour filter and the other girl in black and white itnot only demonstrates that its a differing perspective, but also conveys an ideathat this girl (Beth) is open with the audience and more trustworthy than theother as the black and white filter creates a sense of shadows and darkness. Inthrillers lighting is conventionally darker and includes shadows when showing

the antagonist (such as in Taken), so I have made this distinction between thetwo people.

Beths Hands in

Pockets


5/10

LaptopIn this shot I have positioned the camera so that its over the shoulder of the antagonist. An over shoulder shot normally suggests

that the person in the frame is trustworthy and in a position of protecting the audience, yet she is the antagonist. I have done this tochallenge the audience as it creates a conflict of alliances as they dont know who to trust since they are still unsure who is the

antagonist and protagonist, despite the different filters; this is because I wanted to intrigue my audience and involve them. I haveused this idea from the opening of Ronin where there is an on -going conflict of alliance with either De Niro or the woman who is

shown. I used this particular element as it creates more confusion and so a sense of unease, reminding the audience that anythingcould happen. I however developed it by showing both perspectives extensively, allowing the audience to make their own decision ofwho to trust.

In addition the camera is positioned above her, suggesting an inferiority which conveys an idea that she is unthreatening in order tocause the audience to undermine her, making it all the more shocking later in the opening when the axe is revealed. In front of her anopen laptop can be seen, suggesting that she is open and honest as the audience can see what she sees, suggesting that she hasnothing to hide although, this is contradicted by the fact that her face still hasnt been revealed, again to cause further c onflict. This

conflict is conventional of thrillers and used in the opening of Enemy of the State fulfilling conventions but, I however dec ided to notshow my antagonists face, subverting them also as I felt that this better fit my opening, helping to create an atmosphere of

suspense.


6/10

Make - Up

There is then a series of shots with relatively quick cuts between them to show a

conflict of the two lives of the girls as the shots jump cut between the twoperspectives.

I included this shot of the antagonist as it details her putting on make-up, suggestingvanity and a sense that it is important to her how she looks to other people. I havedone this since in my first edit I showed too little of her as an ordinary person whichcaused it to seem as though she was a psychopath without reason. But by includingshots such as this which detail her doing ordinary, mundane things it gives her an

identity as well, moving my opening thoroughly away from the horror genre andfirmly in the thriller genre. It alters the audience's perceptions since where theymight have once thought her deranged, they now can see that she too is a personwith reason. This is a pastiche from the film Memento when two perspectives areshown but from the same point of view, in one of which a murderer is seen doingusual tasks. This particular technique I found effective to use in the beginning of myopening as it causes the audience to empathise for the girl before the openingdevelops further.


7/10

Title of FilmBefore this shot there had been two different soundscapes, one for each girl, to present the two characters

differently reflecting their own differences. The antagonists soundscape is slow and draw out creating a sense offoreboding, whilst Beths has a slightly quicker pace with the high pitched sound of another instrument suggesting

serenity or something harmonious and good juxtaposing the antagonist soundscape. In this shot however Ioverlaid both soundscapes to demonstrate a conflict of the two people as Beth walks up the steps leading to the

house. I did this as it is conventional for the protagonist and antagonist to have a conflict between them of interestsand ideals such as in the James Bond franchise and Tinker Tailor Solder Spy. I found that this particularconvention fitted my opening well as the aim of my opening is to create suspense, and by having an underlying

conflict throughout it built up an expectation for the meeting of the two characters, achieving this.

I positioned the title in the center of the frame and put it into a white font as its conventional of thriller films(Quantum of Solace, Vertigo). The font I chose as its reasonably plain and understated although, its larger thanany other credits in the opening to emphasise its importance. I have however subverted the usual background to

the title. It is usually plain or very simplistic however, I decided to lay the title over a shot with several differentthings in the back as this has connotations of being cluttered and conveys an idea that there isnt room for

anything extra, suggesting that the arrival of another person will disrupt the other girl.


8/10

Jasmines feet at

the top of the

stairs

I deliberately made this shot very quick so that

it is conventional of a thriller as quick cuts areoften used in in thrillers and other films such asInception; I found that it is particularly effectiveat this point as it makes the audience aware ofthe fact that the two girls are going to meet one another to create an atmosphereof foreboding. This has particular effect at this point as the beginning has all built up to thispoint by the use of the shots already discussed as well as other close-ups of the two girls.The audience have been aware of the two separate lives of the girls, but the shot beforethis details Beth at the bottom of the stairs and, by cutting to this shot of Jasmines feet at

the top it links the two girls, exciting the audience. By quickly cutting away again thissense of excitement becomes more urgent since it only allows the audience a glimpse ofJasmine. Additionally, as it cuts away to this shot the sound becomes louder and a muchmore solemn, shimmering sound is introduced, reminiscent of a horror film in order tochallenge the conventions of a thriller film and suggest that the opening has reached apivotal moment and something much more sinister is going to happen. I have done this topotentially cause the audience to feel discomforted, indicating what is yet to happen.


9/10

Axe RevealThis shot is also a quick cut for similar effect, and is cut just as the glint of an axe is seen. I cut it

away soon after so that it gave a sense of threat and foreboding as the audience are unable to seethe weapon anymore. I positioned the camera so that the stairs and Jasmines feet were central,

and the audiences main focus. This causes the axe to be slightly off of center and makes it all themore shocking for the audience when its suddenly revealed as there had been no hint prior to thisthat the character had such violent intentions. This is my plot twist and is conventional of a thriller

and has been used in films such as Batman Begins and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I decided touse a similar technique although developed it be placing it at the end of the opening rather than inthe middle, as I feel that it leaves a greater impact on the audience.The axe has connotations of

threat and violence, usual themes in thriller films, since Beth it seems is in jeopardy of the axebeing used against her. By revealing the axe as Jasmine walks down the stairs, it also has

connotations of the threat of violent consequences if she were to be passed, since she is on thestairs and so she has made them to be impassable. This given threat is conventional, used in

thriller films such as Irresistible.


10/10

Extreme close-up

of Beths eyes

This extreme close-up again brings the audience closer to the protagonist of theopening, and through the expression of her eyes I have fulfilled the conventions

of a thriller as it suggests that she is vulnerable and/or weak. This isconventional as it is usual for the protagonist to be flawed; this allows theaudience to identify with them (Also, a protagonist without a flaw is unrealisticand would probably irritate the audience!). This is evidenced in other thriller filmssuch as Skyfall, in which, James Bond is almost too independent, refusing helpform anyone else. By then having the two meet one another it suggests aconflict between the two; this particular shot is cut to after the antagonist isshown to be slow and confident. By then cutting to this it demonstrates adiversity of characters conflicting as the pace is suddenly changed to one that isquick and urgent.

By then cutting to black it suggests a loss of hope as the light is gone whilst theheartbeat reflects panic and vulnerability in the protagonist since its quick,conveying that she too is shocked. This conveys an idea that she was shockedat the same tie as the audience and knows as much as them, causing them totrust her and dislike the situation she is in.

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AS Level Media Studies Evaluation Question 1