Evaluation: Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Before we created our opening scene as a group, I researched the different type of genre conventions that were involved in a spy thriller. This helped me understand what aspects were involved in this particular genre and helped me develop my knowledge of camera shots, mise en scene, editing and sound for a spy thriller. I had to be precise when I researched the conventions because spy thriller is a sub-genre and therefore this wasn’t the only other genre that fits under the Thriller category. There were many other different sub genres like crime thrillers, psychological thrillers, action thrillers, supernatural thrillers and mystery thrillers. Spy Thrillers and Action Thrillers have a lot of conventions which are similar for example camera shots and angle are similar especially when there are action and chase scenes which is a convention in itself, however the mise en scene can help separate the two for example in the costumes.

Typical Genre Conventions

Elements- Danger- Enigma- Cliff-Hanger- Exotic Location- Violence- Excitement- Investigation- Suspense- Tension

Sound- Eerie- Diegetic and Non Diegetic Sound- Fast Paced- High Pitched

Editing- Fast Paced Editing- CGI (Computer Generated Imagery)- Tracking Shot- Establishing Shot- Panning Shot Characters- Spy- Stalker- Victim- Hero/Protagonist- Murderer- Terrorists- Police- Agents- Criminals Hero- Secretive- Solve the Enigma- Reveal the Truth- Outsider- Moral

Camera Shots/MovementsTo help meet the genre conventions of a spy thriller I looked at camera shots and camera movements in various films including Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Quantum of Solace. These two films were my main focus however I also did some other research into certain films but only looked at key parts like chase scenes or flashback scenes instead of the film as a whole. In Quantum of Solace many camera shots and camera movements have been used which I have tried to use in the opening scene. Close up shots are common in spy thrillers therefore this is a genre convention which is typically used. These shots are used to show us what the character looks like up close and to show any facial expression, especially in moments of panic for example in a chase scene. An example of this in Quantum of Solace is at the beginning of the film where there is a car chase scene involving the protagonist, James Bond and a villain. James Bond's identity is revealed in a series of different close up shots which help show his facial expressions at different points in the chase scene. However I didn’t want the identity of Agent Boyer to be seen as a convention of a spy is that they have hidden identities and are often mysterious and suspicious when portrayed to the audience but Quantum of Solace is known as a James Bond film and the audience is already familiar with the protagonist and therefore there wasn’t a great need to hide James Bond's identity.

EditingIn our opening scene we included different editing techniques. During editing, we also included jump cuts which help both to create a dramatic effect and to shorten the shot length down. The jump cuts allow us to significantly decrease the length of a shot , which helps keep the audience focused. Also the sound and the jump cuts work together, because during editing we made sure that the music was in sync we the jump cut therefore the dramatic effect was even more increased.

In many spy thrillers, special effects are included, however due to the lack of resources we were unable to include this in our opening scene. However we included match on actions shots which spy thrillers often use to help make the shot look as realistic as possible also it gives the audience different viewing angles and appears like they can see more. Another editing technique we used was that in the editing process we used transitions. We used a lot of cut transitions which I was influenced from the film, Quantum of Solace opening scene. The cut transitions help move from shot to shot instantly.

Colour and LightingWithin spy thriller films, lighting plays a key part in creating a mood on screen. When filming, our location was an indoor car park therefore there wasn’t much natural light. However we had artificial lighting we helped create a mysterious feel in the setting which meets the genre conventions as lighting can help set the mood. Also a genre convention of spy thriller is that low key lighting is often used, because this helps create shadows which again create a mysterious and suspicious atmosphere for the audience. In the opening scene of Quantum of Solace, low key lighting was used for a significant amount of the scene which created shadows and this

SettingIn spy thrillers, one of the genre conventions is that the setting is often in an urban area rather than rural. In the film, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol there are many different locations that are used including Dubai, Moscow and India. However due to the lack of resources we had available we had to find a location that was close by, however to find a urban area wasn’t difficult as we live in the suburbs. Even though Mission Impossible has characters travelling all around the world there is a large portion of the film where the setting is in an urban area and is filmed in daylight, however the lighting involved in the settings used is low key and this meets genre conventions. We used a indoor car park because this meets the genre conventions because indoor car parks are typically located in urban areas with heavy traffic.

Costume/Hair/MakeupFemales in thriller movies, especially characters who are often the damsel in distress wear red to show they are attractive and the colour red helps the female stand out from the rest.

In spy thrillers, costume is very important and helps separate the spy thriller genre from the action thriller. Agent Logan ‘s costume had two influences from two spy thriller movies, Quantum of Solace and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Agent Logan’s costume consists mainly of the colour black which I was influenced by from the character Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible. I used the colour black as this is a convention of a spy thriller. The colour black also helps keep the identity of the agent secret as this helps them appear like a shadow which also works well with the low key lighting which we used. Apart from wearing the colour black, the clothing Agent Boyer is wearing is a suit, which I was influenced from the character James Bond who is a character in Quantum of Solace. Spy thrillers often have characters wearing suits or some other type of formal clothing as this makes them appear as a high class individual and also gives them a sense of power. Also the costume that Agent Logan is wearing is stereotypically used in spy thrillers especially for males however a character wearing a suit makes them look slightly intimidating which helps them appear more of a antagonist rather than a protagonist which we wanted to achieve in this character.

In spy thrillers a male agents hair is normally a dark colour which matches the idea of a hidden identity when wearing dark clothing but Agent Logan has blonde hair which challenges the stereotypes of a secret agent. Also the idea of blonde hair is stereotypically associated with unintelligent people but we have also challenged this stereotype as well, because in the opening scene we see Agent Logan out smart the protagonist and this shows that he is more intellectual superior.

Costume/Hair/MakeupIn spy thrillers, female characters are normally the damsel in distress and therefore the conventions of a spy thriller show that females are weak and have no control of what occurs. Also these types of characters often wear red to show there attractiveness and also the colour red is very bold and helps single them out in a crowd, however we wanted to challenge the conventions here because we wanted to show that female characters can be both attractive and yet still have power and control. Agent Boyer’s costume consisted mostly of the colour black which again like Agent Logan’s costume shows that they are a secret agent as the colour black looks mysterious and helps cover there identity and helps them appear like shadows. I was influenced from the character Jane, who plays a secret agent in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. This character wears the colour black when she is on a mission and helps make her look more intimidating and powerful to the audience. However we wanted to make her look high class as well so her clothing consisted of a blazer which makes Agent Boyer look more professional. But as well as making her look powerful, we wanted an element of sexiness so the shoes Agent Boyer wore were high heeled shoes, this made her appear taller and more like a woman on a mission.

In spy thrillers a females hair varies and there is no real typical hair colour because the spy thriller films that do have a female as a secret agent like to have a unique hair colour so there stand out and therefore become recognizable to the audience, whereas male agents have a dark hair colour to make them more intimidating. Agent Boyer’s hair colour is ginger/red so she stands out to the audience and therefore her overall look is recognizable.

PropsIn spy thrillers props are very common, for example in James Bond many different weapons are used in action scenes also James Bond is famous for having a wide variety of cars however due to our lack of resources we didn’t have access to vehicles and weapons. But we considered using a fake pistol however we were filming in a public area and having a realistic looking weapon could cause issues with the law. But the props we did use was a key which was the only prop we used, however we didn’t want to overcrowd the opening scene with too many props as this may distract the audience and cause them to loose concentration. But in spy thrillers, there is often a doomsday weapon which requires some kind of object to activate the weapon therefore the key that we used is the object that activates the doomsday weapon and by using this prop we met the genre convention. Also because this particular prop was revealed in the opening scene, the audience don’t know what this key can do or is for so this helps make the audience focus more and consider the different possibilities.

SoundSound is very important in spy thrillers as they help set the mood of the situation and emphasise events that occur. In our opening scene we have used music which increases in pace as the situation becomes more tense. Also when the chase scene is in motion the music becomes louder, fast paced and is in sync with the movement of the characters. I was influenced by the increase in music loudness and pace to create tension from the film Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, when there is a car chase scene when the protagonist is trying to stop the antagonist. The music builds up right to the end when a dramatic occurrence happens. We tried to do this in our opening scene and build up tension and suspense for the audience so when the final big event happens the music is to its full climax.

Also in Mission Impossible there is one scene where the protagonist and the antagonist are in contact through a walkie talkie. I though it would be good if we could adapt this into our opening scene near the end, so that it features in the normality scene. So in order to do this we added diegetic sound of a mobile ring when editing and we added a suspicious voice which replies back to the protagonist. This scene shows that we have included dialogue in calm scenes where no action is present which is a genre convention, also when the chase scene occurs we made sure there was no dialogue because in Quantum of Solace and other spy thriller genre films, there is never dialogue in action or chase scenes as this would distract the audience, also there is normally no ambient sound as a soundtrack is put over these types of scenes to create suspense and tension.