Evaluation (Done)

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My media clip uses many different conventions from the thriller genre, many thriller films introduce the films with a establishing shot either being blurred in or being stylised (Seven and Casio Royale). With the story, we see very early on a state of normality, with that state of normality very quickly taking a turn for the worse, or that state being interrupted (Similar to Toderov’s Equilibrium Theory). My intro ‘Winter’ follows this trend, by having a rather normal state in the beginning, with the bus, and just a somebody wandering around town, then the whole scenario changes as he murders someone. However one way that I challenged the conventions of the Thriller genre, was not to have a likeable hero, or even a particularly ‘macho’ Protagonists (Like Jason Bourne form the Bourne Series or James Bond), and I did this because I wanted to create an uneasy feeling of watching the ‘anti-hero’ (if you could call him that), and I wanted him not to be your average thriller protagonist, I wanted him to look like an average person, so that you would never suspect anything. 

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My video clip ‘WiNTER’ is set in a unknown location (although it is meant to look somewhat European), and the genre I wanted to my product to be was of the Thriller/ Espionage genre. Within my media video I wanted to portray how youth many be manipulated from a higher form of authority. So in my clip in the beginning I wanted to portray the youth as generally very normal , such as getting the bus into town and going about town. However further on in the clip, I wanted  to portray the teenager as something more twisted and far more darker, as the clip progresses, and eventually committing possible one of the worse crimes: Murder. However I wanted to show that how the Youth can be manipulated through others, that’s why I had the scene where he has his phone with a text from the ‘Agency’.   I took reference from ‘Hitman’ films and the Espionage films in general and other thriller films that show Children and young teenagers being manipulated to do others bidding.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

To distribute my media product, I would think that Warner Bros would distribute my Film. Warner Bros are one of the oldest known film companies and publishers, and have a large range of different genre’s they publish and different types of films, ranging from small Indie films to large multi-million blockbuster films. Although Warner does have a large range, their usual genre is Thriller films and films based on spies and espionage. Which makes it a perfect fit for my film as it fits with Warner’s main genre.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my media product would be mostly men aged 16 - 40, due to the usual graphic nature of the thriller genre, it would be unsuitable for anyone younger a most Thriller films that are made are usually rated 15 or 18 (Memento, Seven). However, there have been a surge of Thriller/action films that have been toned down to suit a younger audience, which would allow them to target a higher audience (12A). But for mine I am targeting a far more mature and perhaps far more graphic take on the Thriller genre, which would most likely be suitable for 18+. 

How did you attract/address your audience?

To attract my audience, I wanted to use a soundtrack that would be in line with the usual conventions of the of Thriller genre.  A track that would have a very distinctive beat and feel atmospheric, which I feel what I got from the track I used (Alarmed/Lights by Faunts), as Faunts have done many soundtracks for other very atmospheric media products (Mass Effect).  As well I wanted the clip to have a very modern edge, and very abrupt editing on when each beat finishes. I wanted to do this to in still a sense of suspense to keep the audience interested and also keep in line with the conventions of Modern Thrillers of having a very disorienting introduction, and very stylised way of editing, with the story being confusing at the beginning, yet eventually as time continues you eventually see the true extent of what is happening.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Throughout the project, I have used a various amount of software and various amount of filming hardware, and through the project, have learned to use them effectively.  Such as Filming, I bought a new Canon 1100D, which is very different to your normal video camera, and has large range of option such as manual focus and white balance, which helps make my video more professional and looks more like a real into, with its higher quality resolution and in 720P HD. I also used editing software at home such as Adobe Elements 10, which is a professional video editing software, and despite have prior knowledge of older Video Editing Programs such as Adobe Premier Pro CS3,  I learned a lot form using the newer software, and was able to make my editing much more slicker and cleaner, and generally make my clip look more like something you may see in a real film. The Editing process, also taunt me a lot of new techniques, whilst daunting at first, seemed relatively easy later on, such as creating my own fonts and installing them, and creating brushes in Photoshop Elements for my logo.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

From progression from my preliminary task,. I feel that I have come leaps and bounds from where I started, I feel as if I have actually have a structured narrative and story, and have a real sense of how particular shots work, and what makes an interesting shot. For example, in my preliminary, I didn’t have a range of shots that I wanted, and I didn’t feel like I experimented that much. However in Winter, I feel like I’ve explored a large range of shots, such as dolly shots, Long shots, Extreme close ups, Focussing , shot reverse shots etc, which were, honestly completely absent from my preliminary. Aswell, I feel that I have learnt a great deal with music from my Project, originally I just shoved a song which I ‘thought’ was atmospheric, but didn’t really consider the mood, or why the song should really exist with the clip, however in my final piece, the music was one of the part I obsessed over, I want the clip to exactly hit on the beats with song, and fit the right mood and atmosphere that I wanted to create and also mimic an actual Thriller film intro.