Script for Media Evaluation

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

My 2 minute film opening 'Abduction' is a action/thriller film focusing on a boy who had been abducted, which our first scene illustrates. After the titles the first shot we see is the boy tied up on a chair which is often used in action films when trying to seize a subject so in this way we are staying with conventions often used in this type of film. This shot was a medium-close up which helped us portray both his confusion and fear in the situation. This is often used in action/thriller films as it helps the audience understand the situation through expression and body language of the characters without revealing the whole storyline or leaving some aspects of the scene out to create that idea of mystery.

I also use aspects of miss-en-scene such as costume of both characters to create a mysterious feel about the opening. This is shown in the film 'Memento', which was prior research to my film opening. Although in the film Memento we do see the face of the power stated character, mystery is still there as they have no idea who he is or why he is relevant to the rest of film at this point. In mine however I developed this convention and only showed the power stated character through his outfit, not his facial expressions, as we never see his face. This is something I believe will keep the audience intrigued in the same way it did in 'Memento'. In my opening his outfit is of darker colours, giving the impression of an evil, mysterious and rather powerful character thus adding to the mysterious aspect which thriller films such as 'Memento' use.

Other conventions I used which are regularly used in thriller films were low key lighting, close ups and music that builds up the tension within the scene. I used all of these to add suspense and make the situation seem a lot darker and almost sinister. The low key lighting gives the audience a darker experience and suggests that like the dark lighting the film is also dark. Also as I said previously the close ups are used to display what is happening without giving the whole storyline away. As well as this it also shows us the characteristics and personalities of these characters and reveals how the may act later on in the film.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In my 2 minute opening there are 3 characters. The first character we see is Rob a teenager who is shown in a white shirt and jeans. From this we can already establish that Rob probably isn't associated with these criminals and doesn't really know who they are as his clothing and hair/make up. As he isn't damaged or 'messed up' in anyway it is clear he didn't put up much of a fight when he was abducted thus implying he is not within their social class and perhaps as rough, presenting him in a medium class. This contradicts a lot of conventions as medium classes in society are never really associated with criminals, it goes against all the social norms and shows a real class divide between Rob and the other character he is shown with. On the other hand it may suggest to the audience that even higher classes can be represented with criminals and that they are seen as 'under the radar'. This would make sense as Rob is clearly very clueless in the situation and a bit shaken up. However in the titles we see his presumed father to be disturbed or guilt ridden by the fact his son is abducted, suggesting he may know something about it. I used aspects of miss-en-scene to suggest that he is disturbed , this is done through the collection of props, for example the whiskey bottle and collection of 'missing posters' which suggest he is struggling with this and the alcohol is used to calm him down as perhaps he is aware of what is going on. My 2 minute opening subverts the stereotype of only lower classes being associated with the criminal world. One example of this would be Walter White in Breaking Bad who is shown as a regular teacher and loving father but is really deep within the drug world and cartel.

In my 2 minute video the gangster is being presented generally through his costume as it is all black which is a colour associated with evil and danger suggesting he is also an evil char act er. This could also reinforce the stereotype of the working class being associated with dangerous behaviour and criminal activity and the audience may believe that this character whom is abducting Rob is from the lower class as that is the common stereotype. Although the man is shown in rather trendy clothing and in general the outfit he is wearing is not too damaged or tattered so it could be that he too is also representing a middle class character. Which once again just like the father it subverts the stereotype of abduction and criminal activity being associated strictly with the lower classes. But obviously it is hard to tell what social class he is from as the character doesn't reveal much about himself such as accent or facial appearance. So it is hard to go by what social class he is representing this far into the film.

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

The movie openings I analysed for research (Insidious, Memento and The Hangover) were w that all 3 all distributed by the following distributors (Momentum Pictures, Pathe Distribution and Warner Home video) So they would likely distribute my movie as all of these movie genres included mystery, just like mine. All 3 of these also distributed the films I researched to the UK, which is good as mine would be mainly distributed in this area. From further research I would conclude that Warner Home entertainment would be most likely to distribute my movie as they have distributed a much higher quantity of drama, mystery and thriller films. They are also a much larger worldwide distributor and could be likely to distribute to a UK audience, which is the primary audience geographically as they would understand British jargon and social aspects as it is based in the UK. Although Momentum Pictures is also a very large distributor they tend to produce more horror films rather than drama and mystery genres. So in this sense Warner Home Video would be the smarter option as they would know how to distribute the film whether it be theatrically or home video and who to distribute it to e.g. cinemas, shops and internet movie websites.

Momentum Pictures (Insidious)- Mystery, DramaPathe Distribution (Memento)- Mystery, thrillerWarner Home Video (The Hangover)- Comedy, Mystery

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience to my film would be most likely between the ages of 15-30 year olds as my research shows that they are most interested in thriller/mystery films. In my previous research I put out 30 questionnaires to a variety of ages. Out of the 18 teenagers that answered (these were all 14-17 year olds), 14 said that their favourite genre was either thriller, horror or action; which is all included within my film, which my 2 minute introduction clip illustrates.It would start the age of 15 not only because they are primary age to watch this film but also because it would be the rating for the film as it includes torture, kidnapping and explicit language. I would also say that the gender associated with my movie would be predominately male. This is shown from my research as from the 14 teenagers that answered with their favourite genre as 'horror, thriller or action' 9 of them were male. Also all males above the age of 18 (6) that I asked said that thriller or action was one of their most picked genres for a movie. So it would seem that males often look for the action/thriller genre. 1 teenage girl also said that their favourite genre was 'horror,thriller or action' however the other 4 females of ages between 14-17 said their favourite genre was either comedy, romance or drama.

How did you address/ attract your audience?

As in the last question I established that my research showed the audience of my film were likely to be male teens/ young adults. To attract them to my movie I stuck to what my research had shown. I used the most popular genre that was mentioned to me by the young adults and teenagers. After knowing this would be the most popular genre I knew that I would have to comply to the conventions found in this type of genre and make my 2 min opening display a lot of this so the audience could keep a bag ue interest in the film. In the 2 minute opening we see a lot of conventions found in thriller/mystery that would keep the specific audience attracted to the film. For example I used the sense of mystery in general by not allowing the audience to discover who the kidnapper is. This intrigues the viewer and will make them want to watch the film to discover who the kidnapper is. As well as this I also used a lot of miss-en-scene that constructed a much darker and mysterious feel about the opening, conveying to the genre type. Firstly the setting and costume is used correctly and gives the audience knowledge about the underlying semantics of the costumes and what they mean e.g. the man in a suit walking around a modern house is clearly someone middled aged and probably a parent. The costume of the kidnapper is clearly very dark itself. Therefore suggesting that the character is too and may intend to harm or kill the child. This would intrigue the audience as it would add more suspense to the situation and the film in general. Once again it would also keep an idea of mystery as the audience do not know the motives of the kidnapper and would want to know what his intentions are. The setting also presents this as it is also dark, gloomy and rather sinister; which is presented through the darkness and little lighting. This convention is used a lot in mystery/thrillers to create suspense and produce an uneasy feel within the audience as it vivifies the idea of the unknown. So my opening addresses the targeted audience perfectly in this sense. Finally I feel my choice of backing music also addressed the audience well as it applied to the genre of thriller/mystery. The first song 'Echoes of Time' produced a rather odd almost disturbing sound which suited the situation well and gave that real sense of mystery through the high chimes and slow tempo. The second song I used 'Ash' built a sad sound to the situation of the father losing his son but as we pan through the house we discover new items displaying the kidnapped boy to be his son and as this happens the song turns to a more dramatic sound and faster pace. This suits the genre because as the information is being drip fed it builds up pace and this is due to the audience discovering more. Dramatic music is used a lot in these situations to impact the audience more.

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

Through my media product I have learnt how to use a variety of new equipment or new programmes or websites such as 'iMovie' or 'Blogger'. Through iMovie I have learnt how to cut, edit shots e.g. changing the contrast, voice over, how to export the movie (which would be at large, 960p x 540p) and how to put a music track in the background. The equipment I have used has been the camera I used to film the opening. I learnt what type of programme on the camera I should use to film. On top of that I also used certain aspects of the camera to either blur the background or the foreground. Although I never really blurred the foreground as it wasn't needed in my opening. For the filming aspect of the film I also used a stand for the camera allowing me to adjust the height of the camera meaning I can do all types of shots without another person filming e.g. high angle shots. I also learnt that to transfer SD card information to the Mac I needed to use a 'Card Reader file transfer' which is essentially a usb stick with a port for the SD card in it. As most of my film was based in a drama studio I often changed the lighting especially the spotlight which was adjusted manually. Through the drama studio I learnt how to use the whole lighting booth effectively. The website blogger I also found very helpful as it allowed me to access my work where ever I needed it and allowed me to present all of my coursework in an appealing way with minimal effort.

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

From my prelim to my actual full film opening I feel I have learnt a variety of things. The largest thing I have learnt is the use of miss-en-scene and how it helps the audience understand the story a lot better. For example in my prelim I didn't use any type of costume or make up to give the audience an idea of what was happening whereas in my full product I showed and hinted at background information of all the characters and not only through just costume and make up but props as well such as the whiskey bottle I used to make the dad of the abducted child to seem of higher class as he can afford more expensive alcohol. The use of miss-en-scene I used in my full product allowed me to like all 3 characters together in some association and show depth e.g. their background or personality.

I have also learnt how to use the camera in a way that will add the correct effect for the audience through such things as camera angles and shot types. For example in my full product I used more advanced shot types such as high angle shots to make the background character to appear more powerful than the other character who is tied to a chair. I used this a lot to suit the mood whereas in my prelim I used very little camera shots to create the correct atmosphere for the situation they were in. The shots I used in my prelim were a lot more basic for example all I used were shots such as shot/reverse-shot and long shots. However when it came to my full product I used more advanced camera shots such as panning which allowed me to follow the subject in that scene.

On top of camera shots I also developed my full product by using editing techniques such as cutting between shots which allowed me to show certain shots of the son who has been abducted which helped the audience link the boy as the fathers son. Once again this is miss-en-scene I used which I hadn't previously in my prelim. The fast cuts meant that the audience would be able to link the shots with the character as it is very fast and they are all together in chronological order.

Another editing technique I used that I hadn't previously was the use of changing the contrast and colour of the shots I had taken which helped me show the emotion of the character in that scene (which was sadness). This also creates the correct atmosphere and once again links the Dad to the son as the father would be sad at the loss of his child.

The last editing technique I learnt to use was voice over and adding background music to either give a negative or positive effect. In this case I used it to show sorrow or mystery, which is what I needed as mystery was one of the main genre types. The only voice over I used was when the panning shot comes across a radio at which someone talks about the abduction of the boy 'Rob McRiley'. This was another technique which helped me tell the story without using conversation. All these editing techniques have helped me create a much more emotive and serious full product which I previously couldn't have done.

One smaller thing I learnt to use was the camera stand which I didn't previously have whilst filming my prelim. The fact I had this available for me whilst I filmed my full product meant that I was able to get a wider variety of camera shots and from better angles. Thus meaning my full product could be of better quality as the shots I was now able to use were correct for the situation and helped me create certain atmospheres or show certain things. For example in my high angle shot of 'Rob' I could show the theme of him being inferior and weak in the situation.

Overall the development in my knowledge of filming and editing techniques has contributed to what in my opinion is a much better film in storyline and quality of shots.