EVALUATION 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop, or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

1) FILM TITLE

My film title 'Recoil' is relatively conventional of the crime thriller genre, as it has connotations of guns and threat (like the recoil of a gun after it is shot), as well as connotations to a persons reaction to 'recoil' to a shocking/emotional event or piece of information ("to draw back in fear, horror, or disgust"), which reflects both the emotional and threatening atmosphere and plot of the film. In addition, 'Recoil' could also be interpreted as someone 'recoiling' out of the way of a bullet or a punch, suggesting that someone/something in the film is avoiding or swerving out of the way of danger or death. It also has implications of threat from the link to a snakes 'recoil' after striking at a victim, which could suggest something about a character being snakelike or devious.

2) SETTING/LOCATION

I wanted the setting of my film to convey loss, danger, and mourning, which is why I chose a churchyard, as it holds connotations of death and sorrow, especially when combined with the flowers and the ring, emphasising the loss my character is feeling. As the churchyard was empty while filming, it created a sense of loneliness and isolation, reflecting both the inner emotions of the character and the nature of the film. This uses typical crime thriller conventions of death and loss, although it is unconventional in the sense that it doesn't immediately explicitly show death or a crime. However, the second sequence doesn't show the location where the planning is happening, which helps create enigma about the characters and the film, as nothing has been made explicitly clear (although the articles reveal more about the crime thriller genre).

3) COSTUMES AND PROPS

The protagonists costume (Eliza) is a simple black suit, with a dark red top, a wedding ring, and pink carnations. I used this as I wanted to show how Eliza is in mourning for her wife (as black is a common mourning colour in Western society), but also to foreshadow her anger and her desire for revenge (as her dark, blood red top conveys rage, danger, and willpower, all of which will fuel her hunt for revenge). These colours are commonly used in crime thrillers - for example, in John Wick, Wick is shown to be wearing the same black suit he wore to a funeral throughout the film, and the protagonists in Se7en are introduced in darker, duller clothes. The wedding ring and the flowers both act to clarify Eliza's relationship with the victim, playing into the conventions of crime thrillers for the protagonists loved one to be put in danger/killed, while the flowers show the depth of Eliza's affection.

The antagonist (Jack Smith) is dressed in normal, everyday clothes (blue shirt, jeans, and a black leather hoodie). While this challenges the convention of an antagonist being easily identifiable as evil in some crime thrillers (such as the Joker, Bane, Two Face), it does match the convention in other crime thrillers in which the antagonist looks relatively normal while hiding their sadism (such as Mr White, Iosef, John Doe) - the audience can tell that something is 'off' about the character, but that feeling is not clarified until a pivotal moment. As dark blue can be representative for depth and expertise, it could suggest that there is more to Smith than meets the eye, and that he is skilled at what he does.

4) CAMERA WORK AND EDITING

While filming the church segment, I tried to make the editing and the camera work discrete, so that the audience focuses on Eliza's movements instead of the fact they are watching the film, but with slight jump cuts to represent how maybe Eliza is becoming more consumed with her grief and rage, showing her change in mentality. I also tried to include a point of view shot of Eliza looking across the church yard, bringing the audience into her situation and forcing them to see what she is seeing.

During the investigation board segment, I changed the filming/editing style to try and highlight the change of mentality and atmosphere after the churchyard, and to make the scene more intrusive and claustrophobic for the audience, making them uncomfortable and keeping them disorientated, in order to keep the enigma. As the music built up, I tried to increase the speed of the cuts to increase the tension and the sense of danger in the scene, to reflect how Eliza is almost spiralling/getting out of control while trying to track down Smith. In addition, the close ups in the second sequence show the audience articles from newspapers about serial murders and maps of Oregon, showing them both where the film is set and what is happening in this universe, as well as showing them quick flashes of the antagonists face.

5) TITLE FONT AND STYLE

The font used in the film opening is Bank Gothic size 22 in white. I used this because it is simple to read (as the white stood out against the background better than other colours), as well as looking similar to other fonts used in crime thrillers (such as John Wick). This font also looks relatively official, and could have visual links to fonts used in coding, which both could act to reflect the nature of the film. The later credits were put over a black screen in order to make them stand up, as well as to break up the fast paced close ups.

6) STORY AND HOW THE OPENING SETS IT UP

The story follows a woman who loses their partner and falls down the path of revenge with a growing obsession. I wanted to show this by having Eliza walk into a churchyard (a place with connotations of death and loss) and leaving behind flowers and her wedding ring, showing her relationship with the victim and the pain at her death. In addition, I wanted to show the switch between mourning and obsession, by switching from slow pans and wide shots to rapid editing and close ups. I wanted to show the situation of this universe (a serial killer on the loose in Oregon) by showing maps and articles, and the antagonist through quick flashes of him and his face. These photos were taken from behind fences and through windows, showing how Eliza's obsession has led to her stalking her suspect. The heightened emotions and enigmas raised by the opening would hopefully result in the audience wanting to stay and watch to find out what happens with both the story and the characters. Enigmas and a tense atmospheres are relatively conventional of crime thrillers - however, most crime thrillers (such as Se7en, Dark Knight, and Reservoir Dogs) use dialogue in their openings, while mine (like John Wick) subverts this convention.

7) GENRE AND HOW THE OPENING SETS IT UP

My chosen genre is a crime thriller, which often has conventions of enigma, obscurity, and death/danger, which I tried to show through omitting dialogue, having rapid cuts and extreme close ups in the second segment to create confusion, and showing Eliza's loss at the church yard with the flowers and the ring. Although the actual killing is not shown, the implicit information lets the audience decode that Eliza has lost her partner, and to create a link between her death and Eliza's hunt for the Oregon serial killer. In addition, the film title and the flashes of violent, unpleasant pieces of text ('helpless', 'violent, disturbed', 'gone through hell') reflect the danger the genre usually contains and conveys to the audience what themes they should expect from the film.

8) HOW CHARACTERS ARE INTRODUCED

The protagonist is the first character introduced, in order to present her as the main character and to show her importance to the story. She is shown as a normal, everyday woman who has lost her partner, and is in mourning. However, her gradual descent into obsession is reflected during the second sequence, and her underlying rage could be foreshadowed by her top, In addition, her lack of tears and the leaving behind of her wedding ring could suggest that she is done with mourning, and is leaving everything behind to catch the killer.

Although the antagonist isn't directly shown to the audience, there are pictures of him on her board, which show him as an apparently normal person, with some photos showing him to be acting suspiciously - for example, the photo of him looking out the window shows him as angry and unsettling. Aside from this, the audience is left in the dark about the antagonist, knowing only his name and his face.