In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Firstly, my opening incorporates the generic convention of a non-linear narrative within thrillers. There are flashbacks in the very beginning of the opening, depicting Scarlett and Emma's previous relationship based around the tree with the scarf tied around it.
This was to show that there is history between them, and makes what happens to Scarlett much more tragic, as the audience have seen a prior, happier aspect of their lives. The narration is also a convention of thrillers, for example in 'V For Vendetta', where Evie is talking right at the beginning of the film, over a flashback visual.
Violence against women is also a generic convention of thrillers, as they are usually based around Propp's typical 'damsel in distress' that requires saving either from the threat of violence, or actual violence against them. For example, in 'Girl on the Train', there are multiple threats and actual violence against the main character, from both her ex-husband and the husband of the woman who has gone missing.
This threat is seen in my thriller where Scarlett is being stalked, and is eventually attacked. The threat of this violence is especially terrifying to the audience due to the low POV shot shown below - it shows that Scarlett isn't even able to see the threat, and is completely oblivious to it. This makes her helpless at the hands of whoever is stalking her.
The convention of someone being either murdered or missing is also evident within my thriller - Emma, at the end, does not know where Scarlett is, and this enigma code causes the audience to wonder which of those things has happened to her. They are never given a full explanation, and can only assume; this means that the rest of the film is essential for them, as they must know what actually happened to her.
I also decided to use a generic thriller setting - the woods - to make it easier for the audience to relate to the opening; almost every place has a wooded area, meaning that their fear is accentuated - they are close to a place where this could happen.
Point of View shots were utilised in the middle of the opening, to give the stalker more solidity - they seem more real, rather than just an accumulation of noises that could be in Scarlett's head, but are also not too real, so they are not a physical body that can be given a face. I did this believing that when something has no discernible identity it is scarier; you're never completely sure who they are, and so they could take the form of anyone you could think of. This plausibility increases the fear that the audience feels. Moreover, the POV shots aid the tension felt within the scene, as the audience are put in the position of the stalker, which is quite uncomfortable. The shaky cam further suggests that the stalker may suffer from mental instability, making the audience fear their perceived unpredictability.
Demonstratively, I decided to challenge the thriller convention of having an adult, heterosexual male as the lead of the film. Alternatively, I chose the lead to be a female, homosexual teenager, as to subvert the typical conventions and aid a more diverse representation within the opening. The two lead characters, Emma and Scarlett, go against the typical representation of youths, females, and gay characters. They are not loud and disruptive, as youths are usually portrayed by films and programmes, and the flashbacks help to show their relationship as a happy, healthy one - unlike what is usually shown of same-sex relationships in the media. The media often portrays them as very sexual, and mostly unhealthy, and portray them as wearing different clothes to heterosexuals and having different attributes (for example, lesbians having short hair and wearing plaid clothing.)
In addition to this, both Scarlett and Emma subvert Propp's theory of a damsel in distress - although both female, neither portray the classic features that would have them put in that category. Scarlett herself is curious, looking for the stalker rather than running from him, and when realizing he is behind her, she makes no attempt to scream. Emma also goes against stereotypes of females by having no detectable melodramatic nature; she stays quiet and calm, and her voice and movement show no discernible panic at what is happening.
The use of conventions within this thriller suggest that it may have the sub-genre of crime; the violence against women is typically prominent within hybrids such as crime thrillers. However, it can also be seen as having the sub-genre of horror, due to the fact that Scarlett is stalked.
Gone Girl influenced my thriller opening as I wanted a female character that was not only strong, but also seemed quite emotionless and hard to understand. Although Emma is in a relationship with Scarlett, she doesn't seem particularly full of emotion, or scared, and thus her character is almost like Amy with her slightly psychopathic nature. Despite demonstrating some care for her, she is in no way loving, and the audience is caught quite off-guard by this. It suggests an enigma code of who Emma really is.
