Coursework Evaluation Questions

In what ways does your media product use, develop or

challenge forms and conventions of real media
products?

My opening sequence conforms to the thriller genre which

means it uses the typical codes and conventions of a thriller
film as well as of opening sequences in general. The way it
conforms to a typical opening sequence is firstly through the
use of the distributor and production company logos. These are
always shown at the beginning of the film so that the
institutions involved get credit for their work on the film. Next
up in my opening sequence are the names of the cast and crew
which are often shown in opening sequences for the purpose of
star power so that the audience may recognise any actors or
actresses (as well as the directors) that they know or like. This
will then draw them into the film and is very conventional of
opening sequences. I made the text for the films title and the
names of people red which connotes danger and blood which is
conventional of thriller films and foreshadows death. Something
which is seen at the end of my opening sequence. The shots
used in at the beginning before the title is revealed are
establishing shots of open fields. The lighting is low key and is
dull which connotes a bad atmosphere and that something bad
will eventually happen. The shots show no people which creates
an isolated feeling which is also conventional of thriller films.
The non-linear narrative used when the shots of the garage and
of the main character running create a disorientating feeling
which is common in thriller films and is why non-linear
narratives are used. I also use a lot of close-ups in the
interrogation scene as well as props such as rope and weapons
which are all conventional of thrillers. Overall I use the forms
and conventions of real media products through the micro-
elements of the opening sequence. However, I also challenge
the conventions by not using conventional weapons and
instead using sticks and bricks which arent typically used in
thrillers. The lighting in the interrogation scene is also high key
which contrasts against the dark tone of the scene which is
going against the typical conventions.
How does your media product represent particular social
groups?

The social group represented in my opening sequences is

teenagers. In my product I represent them as violent and as
people who are always getting into trouble and involved with
drugs. I do this through the dialogue and their appearance.
They talk about how the main character messed up on a deal
and that is why he is tied up in a garage and eventually killed.
The hoodies and jeans represent them as stereotypical
teenagers as they arent taking much care in their appearance.
The low key lighting also shows how they are getting involved
in bad things and also how they may be angry or dangerous.
The different micro-elements work together to represent the
teenagers as dangerous and also as stereotypical due to their
appearance and blank facial expressions.

What kind of media institution might distribute your

media product and why?

My film is likely to be distributed by an independent company

due to the nature of the film. Mainstream films tend to be
distributed by large institutions for a large budget and usually
feature basic content which will appeal to a global audience.
The story is usually an adaption or part of a franchise and
usually stars famous actors who cost a lot to work with.
Independent films dont have these kind of issues to worry
about due to the small budget and as a result have a lot more
creative control over the story. My film is independent and
wont feature CGI or star any famous actors. It will be realistic
and gritty which means it wont have a global audience but
instead a national or a local audience. As a result, it will be
distributed by an independent company or a small institution as
a large institution wont take the risk of making a small amount
of money. An example of a distributor like this is A24 films who
usually distribute small independent films such as Ex-Machina
or Moonlight.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

My target audience will be mainly males due to the violent

content and the overall dark tone of the film. It will be a niche
audience due to the realistic and gritty content which doesnt
appeal to most people. The kind of people Im targeting to
watch my film will be aged 16-26 due to the age of my actors
and the fact that they will find it easier to identify and relate to
the characters which will overall make the film more gripping
and will draw them in even more. They will fall into the E class
in society due to the fact that people of a higher class tend to
watch films that the upper class society make them feel they
have to watch. My film is very gritty and violent and is set in a
small village like location which means it wont appeal to the
higher classes which is why people in the E class are my main
target audience.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I attracted my audience firstly through my cast. Because of the

16-26 age group that Im targeting its important that my
characters are of a similar age as that means its easier for the
audience to identify with their problems and makes the film
overall more gripping. To achieve this, I recruited two actors
(Ray and Hamza) who are aged 16 and 18. This will instantly
appeal to a young audience of a similar age in the same way
that a film about the elderly will attract an elderly audience
more so than a young audience. The other way I attracted and
addressed my audience is through the casual clothes as these
are something which teenagers will most likely recognise and
therefore feel more comfortable watching the film. The drug
related theme as well as the casual look will appeal more to a
young audience who are discovering these sort of themes and
are becoming more and more used to violence and realistic
themes. Therefore, they will feel more comfortable to watch the
film and will most likely pass on a good word about the film to
other people of a similar age.

What have you learnt about technologies from the

process of constructing this product?

I have learnt a lot about the cameras used for filming and how
they operate. Before this film I had little experience with larger
more expensive cameras however after making this film I feel I
have learnt a lot. I have learnt about how the aperture controls
the depth of field in a shot which is important when it comes to
blurring out less important objects to show what the main focus
of the scene is. I learnt that the higher the aperture the less
concentrated the focus is and everything can be in good detail
whereas a small aperture allows for everything except the main
subject to be blurred out and just the main subject to be in a
sharp focus. As well as learning about this part of the camera I
have also learnt about the major difference a lens can make
and how it is important to keep the focal length in mind as this
can affect the distance that you can shoot at. I found that using
the lens with a smaller minimum focal length meant I could
include much more in the frame without having to move the
camera too far away from the subject. I also learnt a lot about
editing and how important it is to use suitable transitions as it
can seriously affect the film and the films tone if the wrong
transitions are used.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel

you have learnt in progression from it to the full
product?

One of the biggest problems with my preliminary task was my

sound as it meant that the dialogue was inaudible and
therefore one of the clips main tasks was failed. From this
mistake I learnt that a good microphone is necessary so for my
final product I used a working mic which picked up the dialogue
very well and meant the story was made a lot clearer. I also
learnt that planning the film in advance is vital as I planned my
preliminary on the day and didnt have a clear idea in mind
which meant that when it came to filming it wasnt continuous
as I didnt have a clear idea. However, with my final product I
made a shot list and a storyboard which meant that on the day
I already knew exactly what I was going to do and how and that
I could focus on helping the actors rather than figuring out what
shot to use. Another area I improved greatly upon from my
preliminary was the camera shots used. In my preliminary I
used the most basic camera shots and angles however after
watching it and receiving feedback I learnt that basic camera
shots result in a basic film which is something I wasnt
attempting to make. To improve on this, I learnt about all the
different camera shots and what they represented which
resulted in my final product now including a POV shot, a
tracking shot, and multiple low and high angles to represent
authority and a lack of it. Overall I have learnt that good film
needs good time management as well as lot of knowledge
about the films genre and how to make that clear to the
audience.