Evaluation Question 1:

Locations:

We chose to film the dream sequence in a park, as it seemed a wide, natural space that was empty enough to show the exclusivity of the dream of Margot and her subject, Eva. This contrasted well with the second location of the crowded house, where the atmosphere was still bleak, but slightly more claustrophobic, reflecting how Margot feels trapped in comparison with her dreams of freedom.

Iconography:

The close up of the medications on the table is specifically important as it establishes Margot unstable nature and possible issues with mental health suggested through the iconography. Inspiration for this came from Requiem for a Dream, where Sara inspects her black-market diet pills, and the camera uses a close up of them lined up on the table.

Themes:

Our films took inspiration from other films with a similar dynamic between two female characters, one with a dominant personality and the other infatuated with this. Thrillers such as Girl, Interrupted and Black Swan present this type of relationship as a focal point of their plot. We mainly conformed to this theme of a thriller, as it is less common than other traditional aspects of the thriller-genre, and therefore can be produced in our own way without seeming repetitive.

Title: We decided on the title Margot is it is simple and effective. We took inspiration from other Thrillers that used the protagonists name as the title, such as Leon.

Camera: The opening shot of the intertwining branches of the trees is inspired by the end shot on Malick’s historical drama, The New World. The shots focusing on the tree branches swaying show the isolation and eeriness we wanted to open our film with. 

Editing - As the character Margot awakens, we purposely featured close-ups of her personal belongings, which we intended to give clues to the audience about her as a character and the slightly bizarre nature of the plot. 
 Genre - Our film is rooted in the psychological thriller genre, implied through the inclusion of pill iconography to denote the mental health issues experience in the film. It gives an idea as to the later themes of the plot, similar to the opening of Se7en where the viewer sees the murderer indulging in obsessive record-keeping. 

Plot - Loosely based on Todorov's narrative theory, in which two characters begin in equilibrium, but a disruption leads to a series of event that cause tension, until finally resolved. Our narrative of obsession spiralling out of control echoes that of Black Swan, in which an already unstable female protagonist, living in isolation,  begins to self-destruct as she becomes more infatuated with another character. Eventually all this tension implodes, but in our plot the main character has a revelation that leads to finding solace in her life. However it is implied that she never complete peace. 

What amendments/changes have you made from your original plan that show you can challenge the generic conventions of a thriller? - We left out showing any interaction between Margot and her mother so as not to overtly imply the damaged relationship between, and instead suggest things about her more subtly through the use of iconography. We have shortened the amount of time we see Margot outside and stylish, action visuals, and so focusing more on her home life, establishing more intimacy with her.

How does the use of lighting challenge the forms/conventions of a thriller? - Many thrillers create and suspense by featuring sequences in typical dusk/night-time lighting, but we chose have the sequence progressing through early morning lighting, that gradually gets brighter in parallel with the soundtrack. This reflect comedies such as The Devil Wears Prada, but in this context gives the illusion of normality before Margot's impending breakdown.