Evaluation Question 1In what ways does your media

product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions

of real media products?

Evaluation Question 1Conventions of the

thriller genre used in The Hypnotist:

“Fast-paced and frequent action”

“The conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional as opposed to physical”

“Primary mood: ‘fearful excitement’”

“Ordinary citizens accidentally drawn to danger”

“Resourceful heroes who must thwart the actions of more powerful and better equipped villains”

“Characters who switch sides or who cannot be trusted”

“The use of a staircase as a motif for impending danger or suspense”

Evaluation Question 1

“Fast-paced and frequent action”

The frequent visions of Rupert’s create a non-linear narrative that jumps from the visions back to the session in the doctor’s office. The murder scene is a particularly strong representation of this fast-paced and frequent action. We regularly jump back to the tense office scene while the hypnotist mysteriously injects his patient.

Conventions of the thriller genre used in

The Hypnotist:

Evaluation Question 1

“Fast-paced and frequent action”

Each time the shot returns to either location (1: the alleyway, 2: doctor’s office), the action intensifies which increases the audience’s anticipation for the next shot.

Conventions of the thriller genre used in

The Hypnotist:

1

3

2

4 5

Evaluation Question 1

“Fast-paced and frequent action” Non-linear narrative:

Memento follows a man suffering from short-term memory loss using pictures and tattoos to identify the man who he believes shot his wife. The opening sequence, which is also the end of the film, travels in reverse chronological order and is shown in colour. The sequence begins with a Polaroid picture of a dead man and when the sequence begins we see the picture go back to its undeveloped state before a man is shot in the head by the protagonist. Afterwards, the colour changes to black-and-white representing a chronological sequence. We showed the changed in narrative using a fade-to-white which gave the effect of a “flashback”.

Conventions of the thriller genre used in

The Hypnotist:

The opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmK0eQ2GC6U

Evaluation Question 1

Although this is not achieved in the opening, the two main characters create the basis for this thriller convention to unravel in the remainder of the film’s plot. The character of “Rupert” is vulnerable in comparison to the antagonist doctor who has the power of his medical knowledge. He uses this to manipulate his patients into carrying out violent crimes. However, by seeing that Rupert is capable of being equally strong and powerful suggests that he can be resourceful in the remainder of the film.

“Resourceful heroes who must thwart the actions of more powerful and better equipped villains”

The plot would continue by following up on more of the doctor’s patients who have also committed murder. The audience will discover that the doctor is behind each and every murder that will result in his victims (the patients) fighting back for justice.

Conventions of the thriller genre used in

The Hypnotist:

Evaluation Question 1

Each of Dr. J. Smith’s patients are “ordinary” however by chance (by being advised to choose his services) they fall victim to become murderers through his mental influence. We gain the sense of the ordinary through Rupert’s genuine confusion and disorientation which clarifies that he was not intended to become a murderer.

“Ordinary citizens accidentally drawn to danger”

Conventions of the thriller genre used in

The Hypnotist:

Evaluation Question 1

This thriller convention is used in North by Northwest and Source Code. Cary Grant and Jake Gyllenhaal’s confused and disorientated reactions are how we wanted to convey the character of Rupert.

“Ordinary citizens accidentally drawn to danger”

Conventions of the thriller genre used in

The Hypnotist:

North by Northwest: Cary Grant

Source Code: Jake Gyllenhaal

Evaluation Question 1

“There is one thing that I get to offer you, and that is hypnotherapy” (1:05) is the ‘chilling’ line that will commence the action scenes of Rupert chasing down his victim. This intends to leave the viewer anticipating what is to follow while feeling slightly on edge after already having viewed the visions that have made Rupert appear mental and obsessive.

Conventions of the thriller genre used in

The Hypnotist:“Primary mood: ‘fearful excitement’”

Evaluation Question 1

I noticed that this was relatively similar to the ‘Coin Toss’ scene in No Country For Old Men. The response to the simple question of: “heads or tails?” was either life or death for Chirgurh’s victim. This scene contrasted the rest of the film because it consisted of mainly dialogue- the ‘fearful excitement’ builds because of this odd extended scene of speech.

Conventions of the thriller genre used in

The Hypnotist:“Primary mood: ‘fearful excitement’”

Coin Toss scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLCL6OYbSTw

Evaluation Question 1

We attempted to develop our film into a ‘psychological’ thriller by focusing mainly on the mental conflict. “Mental” conflict is displayed through the patient’s visions and the influential hypnotherapy of the doctor. Although an incident of “physical” conflict occurs during the film (the injection), its purpose is to affect Rupert mentally to cause him to continue having visions until he carries out the murder. The same applies for when Rupert attacks “Angela”; although it is physical conflict, the prominent force that drove him to do it was initially through mental conflict.

Conventions of the thriller genre used in

The Hypnotist:“The conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional as opposed to physical”

Evaluation Question 1Conventions of the

thriller genre used in The Hypnotist:“The conflict

between the main characters is mental and emotional as opposed to physical”

The Hypnotist is very similar to Danny Boyle’s psychological thriller, Trance. Plot:“An art auctioneer who has become mixed up with a group of criminals partners with a hypnotherapist in order to recover a lost painting.” (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1924429/)Official Trance website and trailer

http://www.trancethemovie.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvTW1JecmZo

Evaluation Question 1

This applies to the doctor’s character- although it isn’t made explicit, there are subtle hints that alert the audience that Dr. J. Smith is not genuine and may be the cause of Rupert’s aggressive visions. Rupert also has two sides to his character- while on one hand, he is being victimized and quite clearly cannot control what he is doing, we cannot trust him entirely because we know that he is capable of something as drastic as murder.

Conventions of the thriller genre used in

The Hypnotist:“Characters who switch sides or who cannot be trusted”

Evaluation Question 1Conventions of the

thriller genre used in The Hypnotist:“Characters who

switch sides or who cannot be trusted”We have taken influence from Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock to create the character of the deranged doctor. Like Norman Bates, the viewers are lead to believe that he “wouldn’t hurt a fly” because he is in a position of responsibility. But over the course of the film, the possibility of the doctor being the root of Rupert’s obsessive and violent visions (and later, his obsessive and violent actions) comes through in flaws of his conversations. While Bates begins to stutter and chew violently, the doctor in The Hypnotist becomes overly confrontational in conversation. Additional cluessuch as the injection and the matching photo were included in order to establish the doctor’s possible involvement within therelatively short time frame that was allocated for the film.

Evaluation Question 1

“Fast-paced and frequent action”

This is a Hitchcockian convention which is used in his films. They are visible in Suspicion (1941) as Cary Grant carries what appears to be poisoned milk for his wife and again in Psycho (1960) where Detective Arbogast is killed. We have attempted to re-enact this symbol that is typical of a Hitchcock thriller as the film begins. This scene will introduce Rupert, with his identity concealed to build suspense, approaching the doctor’s office which will be revealed to be the root cause of his self-conflict.

Conventions of the thriller genre used in

The Hypnotist:“The use of a staircase as a motif for impending danger or suspense”

Evaluation Question 1

“Fast-paced and frequent action”

Conventions of the thriller genre used in

The Hypnotist:“The use of a staircase as a motif for impending danger or suspense”

Suspicion (1941)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk8FW9atXuw