In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
My media product incorporates many of the key conventions of real media productions ranging from the genre specific story lines to the use of fast paced yet chilling music. The opening to my film has been influenced by some of the films I have analysed during the preparation for my own thriller. One of the main influences was the opening of Se7en, I was influenced by the way this film uses edit in the opening scene. The cuts between action and credits build up the tension and help to get across the genre of thriller.
In my opening I have used many different story line based conventions of a thriller film, such as at the end of my opening a crime happens to the main character. Although this isn’t a murder which is the most common crime that happens in thriller is still makes the viewer nervous and question what is happening. Another typical thriller convention used are the themes portrayed by my opening, these are the themes of identity etc... The theme of identity has been explored in the way that the person is dead with no way of identifying the killer. Films in the thriller genre often involve some sort of twist in the plot of the story. This convention is one of the main in making a film a thriller. My film is conforms to this convention.
In terms of the sub-genre of my film, I would classify it as a crime thriller. This particular genre is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include serial killers/murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, heists and double-crosses. Some examples of crime thrillers involving murderers include, Seven, A Perfect Murder, No Country For Old Men, Firewall, Hostage, Silence Of The Lambs, Kiss The Girl and Copycat.
Overall I would say that my film conforms to the forms and conventions of a normal thriller, this is because my piece is structured around many of the genre specific conventions that one would relate to a thriller movie. These include the storyline with a few twists along the way to keep up the suspense and a few other conventions. The one way I see my film challenging the convention of a real media product is by the main character. As my film is a Crime-Thriller these sorts of thrillers normally center around a policeman.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
In my piece the characters are two typical school children who have been put in detention and thier teacher. The main character. The protagonist from my film is a male school kid who until now had led a normal life but has been forced into an extreme circumstance. The other main character (who is not shown in the opening) is a ghost who has been roaming that class room since the school was built and now they are out for vengance.
In my thriller there is no real stereotyping of different classes of people. For example the men and women in my film aren’t shown as the men being the dominant and the female being the passive but they are both shown as being a mixture of the two.
Due to the themes explored and the way the characters are shown to behave in this movie I would say that this makes the film appeal to an older audience, I also feel that the hybrid-genre of the film makes it very appealing to a wide variety of people.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media
product and why?
I feel that with a large Hollywood budget that my film would suit the mainstream cinema. This is because the storyline and aura my film creates is very similar to that of many movies. The storyline, I feel is one that would not only grip the smaller indie film appreciators who would often go to a smaller independent cinema such as Greenwich Picturehouse but also those who go to a more mainstream sort of cinema like THE O2.
As far as my film being a TV movie goes, I feel would be the least appealing route to go down. This is because straight to TV films have to often have a lot of backing from the broadcaster that is showing them. Investing a lot in to advertising the film and other things. I feel that this would be the least viable route for my film to take along with my film being an internet only release. The latter is a bad option because it extremely limits the amount of exposure the film will receive as many less people would probably see it than if it were released on another type of media.
Given the budget my film would have if I were to make it, I would defiantly look down the independent film route. There are many reasons for this decision. The style in which the film is shot would most defiantly appeal to the indie film market and the level of acting would be unsuitable for a major Hollywood blockbuster were the level of acting is more important to some that the storyline, I feel this is the opposite in the indie film world. I would get my film played in the Greenwich Picturehouse; the reason for this is the size and location. Although it is an indie cinema it is a large one and is placed in the middle of a very busy part of London with bars that locals go to and attractions for tourists so it would draw a high audience.
Post release I feel there are many chances for merchandise and other things related to the film. Nowadays most films also have a game that go with them. I feel that this film would be able to produce a game and also there could be a prequel to show what happened to the 'ghost'.
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| Greenwich Odeon |
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| Greenwich Picturehouse |
Who would be the target for your media product?
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| Certificate Appropriate |
Whilst doing research in to my target audience I used the ‘Pearl and Dean’ website to see what groups of people based on class, gender and age went to see films of a similar story and genre to my own film. In doing this a then made comparisons between the data a retrieved and found that with this group of films there are certain trends in the audience. Here are two of the films I used during my market research.
How did you attract/address your audience?
I have used many different techniques to attract and address my audience, when I was deciding what techniques to use I referred back to my audience profile and used certain things in my film to try and attract the type of people who would enjoy my film.
One point in my film where I tried to shock my audience is the where the lights flicker on and off and the door locks by itsself. it leaves the audience confused and wondering who done this and how when there is only two people in the room and neither are near the lights or the door.
This links back to the generic conventions of a thriller, the main of which is the buildup of suspense and making the audience feel uneasy and nervous.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?
The camera equipment that I used for my filming was quite basic. I feel this was one of the main drawbacks of it in the end but also the best factor about it. The camera was a basic hand-held digital camera, and I used a basic tripod. The digital camera was very easy to use and was lightweight which made filming very easy. The Tripod I used had variable heights which was quiet useful while filming to check out different angles and camera heights. The disadvantages of the camera I used were that the quality of the video that the camera took. The footage was quite bad quality and took away from the professionalism of the piece.
During filming there were no real issues to begin with. I filmed me whole piece and I had then realized when uploading my piece to Final Cut Pro that I had videoed over a part of my film. I then had to go back out and re film that segment of the film.
To begin with I had no experience of using Final Cut Pro, but after editing my piece I feel I can now use the program efficiently. I can use all types of different cuts between to two different scenes like cross-fade etc. Another function I’ve learnt on Final Cut Pro is the ability to change the music on the film from the original audio to any other sound track.
Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel
that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full
product?
that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full
product?
Before my main task I had to produce my pre-lim task this was basically a simpler version of my main task. In this task I got a lot of experience of what goes into making a film even if it just the opening.
I learnt that the planning is the most important part of the process. I made my storyboard and working script before I even thought of filming my piece. This came in useful as when it came to filming my piece I knew what every part and what would happen, the camera shot I would use and the setting. The storyboard helped me know what order I had to edit and it and how it should run after it is complete.
I have learnt when certain shots are right to use and when. Such as the use of a high angle to show dominance etc… The main thing I learnt from my pre-lim task was the ability to use the camera, tripod and macs. If I never done my prelim I feel my main task would have been 10 times harder to produce.
Overall I feel that although my piece lacks professionalism, with the quality of the camerawork and the quality of the camera itself, the actual piece and all the work I have done to make it starting from my research and planning has not only fulfilled the task but gone above what I expected to be able to do.
