Question 1

My product  is a psychological urban thriller

Shot 1 Uses common conventions of thrillers by suggesting the organised, professional and criminal aspects of the characters, mise en scene and location. These themes of the genre stand out due to the layout of the tools. It is very similar to the shot below from Se7en, it not only establishes character, but allows the audience to infer certain characteristics of the pair. The shot also establishes the power struggle between the characters, accentuated by the division and space between the kidnappers. This shot somewhat challenges the stereotypes of male dominance in crime and in general, while promoting the female kidnapper to be more organised and more in control of the situation at hand.

Shot 2 somewhat emphasises the overall power of the criminals. They are lurking in the shadows which really puts across their immorality and capacity to carry out nasty tasks. The light in the window creates a juxtaposition, suggesting the kidnappers are stuck in their life of criminality, the shadows connote that although there is a different path for their lives there is an overwhelming sense that they will never be able to reach a moral high ground. In Double indemnity you can see the chiaroscuro ligting creating a somewhat similar contrast, bringing connotations of power and immorality.

 

Shot 3 is cut straight down the middle, not only separating the two characters physically but also in the eyes of the audience. The male kidnappers weakness and innocence is really highlighted. He is watched over by the superior kidnapper as he drinks water. The composition and mise en scene of the shot cuts through displaying his purity in the situation. Potentially the female kidnapper has forced him into criminality. The character makes a loud unproffesional noise when drinking the water, which causes the lead kidnapper to convey mild annoyance, further confirming her dominance. This convention is seen in Alice creed when the kidnappers are against the wall with the line down the middle. this geometry foreshadows the division of the partenership.                                 

Shot 4 shows the protagonist looking into the mirror, The audience gets an idea of her personality as she is checking her appearance in the mirror, this brings about ideas of a higher class. Following this, the shot is reflective, literally and figuratively. The lines in the shot point at the character which brings the attention to her. This is a common theme of the genre. In the third man, all lines point towards the character, making him seem encapsualted and trapped in his position. The same affect could be interpreted to my character as she is not safe in her own home.

Shot 5 Is an extreme close up of the protagonists face in the shed, there is a shadow cast across her face, which represents the metaphorical darkness and hopelessness washing over her. This technique is a common convention of thrillers, but more commonly used to signify corruption. This would mean that my thriller is challenging the convention as it is using the aspect to mean something other than what is typically expected.

Shot 6 is fast paced and extremely disorientating for the audience, which is good because they should feel sympathy for the protagonist. The scream cuts through the scene which further confuses the audience and and leads them to feel claustrophobic as the protagonist must feel that way too.

Shot 7 uses chiaroscuro lighting to cast a dark shadow from the character onto the door, this is a common convention of thrillers, used effectively by double indemnity (shot below), to show a dark side of the character and further encourage motifs of criminality and bad deeds.

Shot 8 is thee font I chose for My main title. It is dirty, grungy, and reminiscent of that used for Essex boys, a similarly dirty nasty film. I put it directly in the centre of the frame as although it is dirty and damaged, it directly translates to missing, but that isnt obvious to the target audience so it adds to the enigmatic feel of the film and fits perfectly with the genre/ sub-genre.

The final shot, shot 9, again shows the protagonist in the mirror, the mirror in which the audience will witness her being kidnapped in view of. It is off centre to increase the tension of the scene and its build up. The character is vulnerable in this shot as she is facing away from the camera and she is again getting unready. The colour pallet of this shot is very bland, the only source of personality coming from the characters clothes, this makes the room overall seem somewhat untrustworthy. The protagonist of se7en also has a dull colour pallet in his bedroom, which would connote that it is not a happy place, but somewhere where he must go. Linking to our thriller, this could suggest that the character does not enjoy being indoors, making her uncomfortable and therefore more vulnerable.