6th Febuary 2017

THRILLER COURSEWORK: EVALUATION STAGE 1

How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups and issues?

Part One: CONVENTIONS

My film opening consists of conventional, symbolic and technical codes found in thriller films. I have partly challenged some aspects of conventional codes to create shock and tension, for example, the setting of a horrific murder in broad daylight and clear sights of civilization.

Taken from the Fantasy/Thriller "Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)", the beginning zoom and turn shot of Alice's eye was referenced and used in my film opening. I found the shot effective to set the mood, and take time to build tension.

Taken from the Crime Film/Thriller "The Fugitive (1993)", the tracking shot of the protagonist running was referenced and further explored with such of parallel editing, in which the reminiscence of the events after the killing and some plot is revealed, along with the moods of tension and suspense.























Below are some more examples from the film opening consisting of conventions used or challenged...

Part Two: REPRESENTING SOCIAL GROUPS AND ISSUES

My film opening aimed to portray the social groups of serial killers and psychopaths. In the construction of my antagonist, I researched the traits of a psychopath from a credible study conducted by Robert D. Hare in 2003.

My antagonist consisted of the highlighted traits of a psychopath that represents a darker killer for the intensity of the thriller film. An example of the application to my film in representing social groups of psychopaths is the category of "interpersonal" at "manipulation", shown through subtle symbols of the micro-elements, such as the editing of the last eye level close-up of the killer as an ending shot similar to the trailer to Silence of the Lambs (1991), where Lecter's face is shown with quick cuts and loud inhuman voices to allow the audience to associate fear with him and remember the haunting face.

Hannibal Lecter's haunting yet remarkable stare
in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

My antagonist is also largely inspired on the character of Hannibal Lecter, where his characteristics are sophisticated yet seeming simple, slow moving to suggest predatory aspects of his cunning and cold mannerism, and the dominance of this presence through contrasting formal appearances to horrific and gruesome murders.

In my film opening, I chose the shot to be placed as a last shot to leave the audience with the image of the haunting killer for a scary and intense mood to last with their impression on the film. 

The antagonist in my film opening, mimicking that of  Lecter's
face after a build-up of plot to show his dominance

The manipulation in this is the fact that the detective's scrambling of evidence papers- which symbolize the piecing together of information that the audience is supposedly doing- lead to a POV of the audience becoming the investigator themselves and lowering the papers down to reveal the antagonist staring in center position. This strongly suggests that all evidence leads and revolves around the antagonist, and his dominance over the dead victim, the police, the audience's expectations and ultimately the film itself is exercised effectively in ending the film with his breaking of the fourth wall as a manipulative and calculative killer.

The build-up of the POV shot to the eye level close up, suggesting
the antagonist's dominance and further emphasizes his association with
the murder; spawning more questions and tension.