In what ways does your media product USE, DEVELOP or CHALLENGE forms and conventions of real media products?

Prior to creating my final product I looked at the typical conventions of psychological thriller films. I particularly looked at these films:

 

I used the convention of the protagonist battling with a mental and emotional enemy rather than a physical one; which is evident in the film 'Fight Club'. I was inspired by this and decided to use it because it enabled me to experiment with supernatural elements, for example hallucinations.
I also used a voice-over, to help the audience feel a stronger connection to the protagonist by allowing them to hear her personal thoughts and feelings. Again, I decided to use this after watching 'Fight Club' because I felt that the audience could feel more empathy for the protagonist and have a deeper understanding of the workings of the mind, which links to the psychological aspects of my chosen genre. 

I also developed the use of the Enigma and Action codes, like the ones used in the opening of 'Silence of the Lambs' because I wanted the audience to be intrigued and want to find out more about Emma, the protagonist. For example, in 'Silence of the Lambs' the audience become aware of the setting through the costume used; as shown below "FBI" in bold letters is printed on a minor characters hat. Action Codes like this answer the questions posed by Enigma Codes.

 I developed this by using props that could provide clues about Emma's life that the audience are not initially aware of and to hold the audience's attention with Enigma codes by intriguing them and encouraging them to question elements of the text. For example I used props, such as the Birthday card from 'George' that should intrigue the audience and lead them to question who George is. Also, the welcoming letter is an action code that reveals to the audience that the protagonist is getting ready to start a new Sixth Form and the tablets taken by Emma could suggest an illness, however it should create suspense by leading the audience to question if it is a physical or mental illness.

Whilst researching the genre and watching many psychological thriller films I noticed the convention of tense, non-diagetic music throughout the opening sequences. I challenged the use of music in my opening sequence as I chose to just use a simple, repetitive voice-over as I thought that the silences in between the voice-clips created an eerie atmosphere and heightened the suspense.
I developed the use of the jerky imagery used in the title sequence of 'Seven". I thought that the erratic, fast paced clips added a mysterious quality to the opening sequence. Therefore, I decided to include inserts of the character Jane to suggest that she is mysterious, ambiguous character and to enhance the tension and suspense of the opening sequence.