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

The first picture is a screenshot from our trailer, and the second is a screenshot of the trailer of Shutter Island. We found that psychological genres used many types of special effects because this created further tension and suspense because through special effects it presents the protagonist as being unstable because their mind is unclear. In our trailer, we decided to use the conventions of a psychological thriller through our flashback scene. In this shot, we used a blurred special effect because we found that many real media products conveyed flashbacks through this type of effect. By using this convention, we were able to emphasise the psychological thriller because the flashback enabled us to show to the audience the protagonists past; the use of the blurred also conveys the confused state of mind of the main character. These two shots are an example of using the codes and conventions of real media products in our trailer. We decided to use the Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros logos as they have been associated to films that are similar to our trailer. For example, Legendary Pictures is associated with Sucker Punch, a film that has influenced our decisions in the making of our trailer. The picture on the left is our trailer and on the right, it is a screenshot of The Uninvited trailer. Here, we felt that through our shot we used the conventions of real media products. We saw that many psychological thrillers that we watched were very bleak and had a common theme: death. Therefore, we wanted to use this convention because it added enigma to our trailer as the audience would wonder who has died and what happened in the past. In this shot, the audience is shown a shadow that is approaching a grave and so it gave the trailer an eerie feel which was common amongst many psychological thrillers. Also, we felt that this shot set up the narrative clearly for the audience. The setting of the grave yard is typical of real media products in this genre because it presents the protagonist as being lonely and vulnerable because they have lost a loved one. The use of the grave yard was effective because it allowed us to show what the protagonist is going through, and it also allows the audience to feel sympathy for the protagonist.

We used the typical conventions of the horror genre by using close up shots and containing the action in very tight shots. These shots are common for horror films because the audience feels involved in the action and they work well to build tension. Therfore, when something scary or exciting happens, their emotions have been heightened causing either fear or excitment. When analysing the trailer for the film The Uninvited we took note of the repeated use of close up shots. When the main protagonist is grabbed by a hand that appears from under the fridge, an extremely tight shot is used. We thought that this shot was very effective as it exposes the audience to an extreme sense of terror. When filming our trailer, we used a similar shot where the protagonists leg is grabbed by a hand that appears from the ground. The tightness of the shot enables us to create fear and break the tension that has been built up throughout the trailer. When watching the trailer for the film Shutter Island a medium shot is used of Detective Daniels running towards and then behind the camera, this suggests that he is chasing something unseen to the audience which is typical of the thriller genre as chase sequences are often used. In our trailer we use a long shot of Eve running away from something however, the use of a long shot allows the audience to able to see that she is not being chased nor is she running towards anything. This suggests the psychological aspect of our film and conveys the main protagonists paranoia to the audience. The voice over by Doctor Clarke also emphasises the psychological genre of our film; memory is a curse, a disease that must be cured this suggests her mental instability which is typical of the psychological thriller genre.

When creating our titles, my group and I took inspiration from both The Uninvited and Shutter Island. The background used for the titles of The Uninvited is misty which suggests the film is a psychological genre as there is usually an element of mystery to the narrative. The mist also conveys the idea that the audiences view is being blanketed and that the theme of secrecy is incorporated into the film. Our background is similar as we have blue smoke lingering in front of a black screen;

this also suggests secrecy and a loss of clarity. The smoke also connects the title to the house fire in which Eves parents were killed. Layering the title over the smoke links Eve to the fire and creates suspicion towards Eves character. As inspiration for our typography, we looked at the titles for Shutter Island; A distorted and distressed style font is used which suggests the psychological genre and also conveys the theme of uncovering secrets. Also, the title almost seems weather worn which is suggestive of the setting of the film, a remote island. Our titles also have a distressed look which is a symbol of the main protagonists insanity being worn aware and her feelings of distress over the loss of her parents.

We have used the forms and conventions of real media products created within the psychological thriller genre as seen in the above shot depicting Eves first hallucination. As hallucinations are created within the mind this links to the psychological thriller genre as the films protagonist is lead to question her sanity.

Through presenting shots of the films main character questioning her medication, we have used the form of a psychological thriller as the audience is led to question whether Eve is the films protagonist or antagonist. This is further enhanced through the juxtaposition of insecure Eve and the professional Dr. Clarke. Examples of this can be found in other films such as The Uninvited through the character of Anns stepmother who is displayed in a negative light throughout the duration of the film, when it in fact turns out that her persona is an innocent victim to the protagonists mental instability.

Through our continual use of quick cuts, we have adhered to the forms and conventions of other psychological thriller media products. This is as through presenting a variety of shots from different locations and scenes, the audience is made aware of the protagonist mental instability as the fractured and disjointed shots aid in conveying her state of mind.