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PRELIMINARY WORK ON THRILLER FILMS:SEVEN, MEMENTO• Before constructing my media product, I watched a number

of existing thriller films, in order to gain an understanding of the common codes and conventions that are used in order to portray the genre.

• In classic thriller films, such as Seven and Memento, there were a number of conventions that were shared between the two films:

• Themes of Crime and Violence• Use of close-ups and quick cut editing• Implemented use of Barthes Code of Enigma • Artificial lighting to create shadows• Dramatic, suspenseful music

• I considered these common conventions when constructing the idea behind my film, and thought about how I might use these to convey the thriller genre.

THRILLER/DRAMA

• I wanted to create a film that explored a topical issue within society today, focusing on the effects of Post Traumatic Stress on soldiers returning form Afghanistan.

• To do this, my film had to challenge the normal conventions of common thriller films, which is why I decided to classify my film under the Thriller/Drama sub genre. This challenged the common ideas behind a thriller film.

• The main inspiration for using elements of the drama genre came from the BBC Miniseries “Our Girl”, which shared similar ideas with my media product.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: MAIN TITLES• Similarly to the title sequence of Seven, I used a number of

close up shots to provide context and meaning for the audience

I used a close-up shot of the picture frame and the dog tags during the title sequence of the opening, when the character had just woken up and when the character was getting ready, in order to create iconography for the audience; these features are associated with the pain and past experiences of the protagonists. This also helped provide preferred reading to the audience so that the understood that the character was the protagonist.These shots also help to emphasize how the protagonist's past experiences have shaped his life so much, such as his contraction of PTSD.

I used the close-up of the radio just before the start of the main title sequence, in order to to synchronize the sound of the voice over with the action on screen, so that the audience understood that the protagonist was listening to Maggie Jones’ report. This then created a sound bridge as the scene continued

The close-up of the trainer was also used when the character was getting ready, in order to foreshadow the run that the character was about to embark on; it also helped draw attention to the forms and the pill bottles on the table by using shot composition, as I used the Mise-en-Scene to inform the audience that the protagonist suffers from PTSD, using the Hypodermic Needle Theory.

Relations:Seven- Title sequence uses a number of close ups of objects that have an overall meaning within the context of the film e.g. Close-up of journals

CINEMATOGRAPHY: REMAINDER OF FILM• I also made use of other common shots in thriller films, including use of mid shots and

wide shots. I also implemented the use of POV shots.

• I explored the use of camera movements such as panning and tracking; this was inspired by a sequence in the BBC drama Our Girl.

I made use of long shots and mid shots when the protagonist was running and during the majority of other activities, in order to establish the location for the audience, as well as provide a better point of view of what was happening in the scene. This is common in most thriller productions.

I used a POV shot during the protagonist’s flashback in order to interpellate the audience into the action being shown on screen; the jagged movement of the camera represented the character running in the war zone.I used camera tracking as the protagonist was running down the street, in order to symbolism the journey that he was going through during his flashbacks; this helped to emphasize the pained expression on the protagonist's face to the audience when accompanied by a close up shot.

Relations:Our Girl-Similar tracking shot used during the protagonists flashbacksSeven, Memento, Our Girl- Long/Mid Shots used often

USE OF SPECIAL EFFECTS

• Special effect played a key role in creating a sense of psychological illness around my character and conveying the idea of flashbacks.

I used the blurred Vignette filter in order to symbolize that the character was having a dream/nightmare, conveying the idea of a distorted state of mind to the audience. This was also used in the film Inception during dream like phases.

I used the Glow filter in order to signify to the audience that the character was having a flashback, which is often used when conveying non-linear narratives. The glow effect also showed red glows which helped to connote the danger that was approaching in the film.

I used the Bad TV stylization in instances where the protagonist's was experiencing his panic attack, in order to symbolize how the life of the protagonist is fragmented and jagged, as he struggles to distinguish between reality and illusion. This effect is not conventional within most thriller films; most thriller films result to using jump cuts in order to create this representation.

Relations:Inception-Use of filters to convey convention of a dream

PACE OF EDITING • Towards the beginning of my film, the editing used a much slower pace,

challenging the idea of common thriller films whilst fulfilling the idea of a drama.

• As the film progressed, the pace of the editing increased as more action and suspense became present on screen, as expected in most thrillers.

These stills depicts one of the flashback sequences in which the character is in the war zone before the death of his comrade; these four shots occur within a short time period of around 7 seconds, indicating the fast pace that I began to introduce towards the end of the film with my editing. This provided action and suspense which helped to excite and engage my audience, as is done with a number of thriller films.

Relations:Seven-Uses fast paced editing during the chase scene

MISE EN SCENE• I included common aspects of Mise en Scene that would be expected in a

thriller films; however, the idea of the military is one that challenged the idea behind common thriller films, which is why I looked to include the drama sub-genre in my piece.

I used authentic military uniform and prop weaponry within all the flashback sequences in my piece to build up the narrative and identify the character as the hero under Propp’s character functions; this illuminated the social background of the character, as well provided a source of suspense and action for my thriller. This was done by using the Hypodermic Needle Theory, in order to inject the information in to the audience. The military is not a common focal theme within thriller films, which focus more on the average life of a middle class character or the police force. I used this to challenge the thriller genre, by introducing the drama sub genre to the piece. I made use of fake blood when the protagonist’s comrade had been killed, which is a renowned element of Mise-en-scene within thriller films. This creates a sense of realism for the audience and symbolises the danger and horror of the protagonist's situation. My choice of location was difficult, as it was hard to find an authentic location to represent Afghanistan; I chose a heathland in order to convey the idea of the country’s mountainous region, which helped enforce the realism established within the piece. Mountains are not necessarily a common location in thriller films, which are usually based in busy cities/towns or deserted forest/woodland, which is another way my film challenges the genre. Relations;

Our Girl-A thriller/drama with similar themes of the militaryLone Survivor-A war film that contains elements of the thriller genre within.

USE OF ICONOGRAPHY AND SEMIOTICS • Iconography is a common convention of most thriller films, which I felt

I needed to include in order to provide emotional depth to the audience that would aid their understanding, which was further emphasized using semiotics.

The photograph was used to establish the main characters within the piece, providing preferred reading for the audience; it also helped to emphasise the emotional turmoil that the character was going through within the film, informing the audience of the reasons behind his illness (Hypodermic Needle Theory). Photographs are common icons within thriller films; this is seen in Memento, where each photograph is symbolic of an event in the protagonist’s past, which is similar to the use of photographs in my piece.

The dog tags were semiotic of the protagonist’s contextual military background, and acted a constant reminder of the comrade he had lost in battle, creating Iconography. They also helped to convey the themes of the film to the audience, such as friendship, the military and remembrance. The use of small props was also seen in Inception, where each character had a totem.

The medication packaging and PTSD leaflet were used to signify to the audience that was suffering from a mental health disorder, by using the Hypodermic Needle Theory. This helped the audience understand the reasons behind the character’s flashbacks, foreshadowing the upcoming events in the he film. Text is used to inject information into the audience in a number of thriller films, such as Man of Steel.Relations:

Memento-Iconography of photographsInception-Using small objects as icons/symbolsMan of Steel-Using text within a piece to inform the audience, such as a newspaper

USE OF SOUND • I used an original sound track within my piece that was played on the piano during

the second part of the opening, when the pace of the sequence increased; Most thriller/dramas tend to use synthesized music or the violin, showing how my music challenges common conventions.

• Like most thriller films, the music introduced pace to the piece which helped to build suspense and tension for the audience to interpellate them with the action on screen.

• I used a number of synchronous and asynchronous sound effects in order to emphasize the action on screen; this included the voice of a soldier over the radio, sound of gun fire and the rotor blades of a chopper during the flashback sequences. These helped to emphasize the themes of the military as well as create a sense of realism in order to build suspense for the audience; this is common in most thriller films.

• I also used a voice over at the beginning of my piece when the character was getting ready; this was similar to the voice over use in Man of Steel, which depicted the voice of journalists talking about the life of the protagonist, Superman. This helped to provide context for the audience so they could understand the situation, as well as foreshadowed the upcoming panic attack that the character was about to have.