media evaluation slide show

Thriller film evaluation

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

The media product we used was a short opening sequence to a thriller film. By definition a thriller is an exciting or suspenseful story- which I believe is what we have created. In a conventional thriller film the protagonist must overcome something bad/evil, with suspense built up through out the film, until the point where they have achieved their goal. In our thriller film we meet these conventions as the protagonist is on a mission to get away from her abusive ex-boyfriend and grow as a person, although he comes back and kidnaps her, putting an end to her progression to a new life, and leaving the audience wondering what will happen next. A typical thriller film also has enigma, which leaves the audience questioning situations and aspects of the film, having to puzzles clues together in order to reach an answer, which then come together to create different, and necessary, parts of the story. In our thriller film opening sequence we created enigma by showing clips of an unknown, creepy man in a dark room, with short clips of his face- which is quite unnerving- revealing little, yet enough, about this character. This man has a ring on his finger, which then appears on the abusive ex-boyfriend’s hand in the flashback that the girl has. This ring once again reappears when a hand is put over the girl’s mouth when she is kidnapped on her ‘date’. Once these three clues of the reoccurring ring are pieced together, the audience can understand that the man in the beginning, who is meant to be the boy she would be meeting, the ex-boyfriend, and the kidnaper are all the same person.

Using, developing and challenging forms and conventions- using conventions by definition

Our films is a psychological thriller, as we focus they unstable emotions and erratic behaviour of our character, the abusive ex-boyfriend. We used and developed a typical thriller psychological thriller, also through the story line of kidnapping. A thriller film which we have taken inspiration from is the film, The Lovely Bones. We have done this by having similar themes, storyline and characters. For instance, The Lovely Bones is a story of a normal teenage girl who is kidnapped and murdered by a man she knows. In our film opening, a teenage girl is also kidnapped, although it is not revealed what happens after this.

We also have taken inspiration from the new, Oscar awarded film, The Room, which is about a woman who is held captive with her son, by her rapist. The story-line, themes and tone of this film is similar to ours, with a kidnapping of a vulnerable young women, and the life which leads on. Due to the following and success of these films, we can tell that a film with similar themes, characters and storyline will hopefully draw in a similar audience and be equally as successful.

Using, developing and challenging forms and conventions- storyline and character

The iconography; mise-en-scene and setting of a thriller are also typically dark. In our media product we have used and developed this feature. Firstly, we did this with the setting, by using an urban city, with cold and grey weather. This setting is quite common of a thriller, and the grey weather creates pathetic-fallacy of the protagonist, who feels helpless, but is trying to move on, and it also puts emphasis on the tone of the film- which is quite dark.

The lighting in the opening scene of our product is low-key lighting- which once again reflects the character in the scene, who is dark and violent. The grainy effect and this iconography, along with the lighting and mise-en-scene, are similar to the style to Skins. Although Skins is a television drama, we decided that we liked the lighting and cinematography, so decided to replicate it in some ways. I believe that this has had an interesting effect on our film, creating a specific style, which is noticeable to our target audience of 15-25 year olds, as the Skins series is very popular this age group.

Using, developing and challenging forms and conventions – mise-en-scene

Skins- grainy, low-key lighting, set in an urban area

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

The type of media institution that might distribute our thriller film, would be an independent and British/National film institution and distribution companies. Some distribution companies which may take an interest in distributing our film may be Cinedigim or Passion River, as all two companies distribute independent films. Cinedigim would be a suitable distributor as they associate themselves with independent films and also has a good foot-hold in the American market, which would be good for the global distribution of our film. Passion River would also be a good company as they associate themselves with unique, topical independent film- which our film fits the criteria of, as it is topical, with rape-culture and domestic abuse being an important, current social topic.

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

As our film meets the criteria of a British independent film, such as having a British majority of cast and crew, and also representing settings, ideas and themes of British culture, we are likely to have support form British film institutions, as we are contributing to growth in the industry and flourishing creativity. Therefore, we would have the support of institutions, such as the BFI, who may help to publicise the film and distribute it in screening and festivals. For instance, they may show a screening of it at the BFI London Film Festival. Also as we are young film makes, trying to break into the industry, we are even more likely to have support from the BFI, as they have strong support for young British film makers, with the BFI having a Young Film Makers Association and awards, and also provide funding for such films. This will help to contribute to the promotion of the film, with advert trailers before film screening and adverts in their promotional material, and the film festivals. The film may also get support from independent cinemas, such as PictureHouse cinemas, as they fully support independent British films, with regular screenings, and they also promote them. Also pop-up cinemas such as Secret Cinemas, and Nomad Cinemas, are likely to distribute our film, as they distribute independent films.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?-distribution and film companies

Also as we are only a small production company, with little funding it may be difficult to promote our product, and draw in a large audience. A solution to this would be to have a multi-platform release, in which we release our product onto multiple platforms, such as on television, in cinemas, on digital servers and on Youtube, all at once. This is what the independent film, Field In England, did- and although it was small film, which may not have done well, with a staggered release in only independent cinemas, due to this distribution technique a lot of publicity and attention was created around the film, making it a big event and a film which people wanted to see. Therefore, by having a multi-platform release our film would have a higher chance of reaching a wider audience due to the excitement created by the films release.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?- multi-platform release

Our film is in association with Film4, as they produce and distribute many indie films, such as Field in England. By having this we would be able to have the prestige of this film company linked to our film, which would draw in more attention. They would also help fund the films distribution and promotion, which ,on our own as a company, may not have been able to do.

It also means that they would distribute our film, with premiers on their channels, such as Film4 and E4- which are aimed at our target audience. For this they would have adverts on their multiple channels, as well as on their website, which would help to promote our small, independent film, which otherwise may not get the same recognition. They may also have interviews with the cast and crew, which would screen alongside the premier, helping raise awareness to us as a film company, as well as our film.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?- ‘In association with Film4’

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

Who would be the audience for your product?How did you attract/address the audience with your media product?

The audience for this product would be young people aged 15-25 in general. Our target audience would be young women and teenage girls, as this is the audience who the story-line and the characters relate the most to. We attracted this audience by drawing on themes and stories which are similar to those which do, or are likely to happen, to people in this audience age group. For instance, getting into an abusive relationship is likely to happen to a vulnerable young woman, as they would look to a relationship for stability, comfort and confidence, and then remain in the abusive relationship due to fear of the unknown when out of the relationship.

Also it is relatable to young women to fear being kidnapped, rapped or sexually assaulted, especially in urban cities, with 90% of sexual assault victims knowing the assaulter- so this theme is very common for young people in general as it is common in society and culture, as well as the in media.

Addressing and attracting an audience- target audience

Another way in which we addressed the audience through themes and storyline, such as with ‘catfishing’- which is where someone is tricked in to a relationship online, with a person who says they are someone which they are not. Due to the growth in the use of social media, and dating site/apps, such as Tinder, there are now, more then ever, higher chances of being tricked into a relationship where someone is pretending to be someone they are not. Therefore, this is a topic which many young women and men can relate to, with it being a very real situation which could happen to anyone- attracting the audience as they have an affiliation with this subject.


We also addressed the audience and represented the social group, of young women and men, by making characters which are much like normal people. The girl in our film lives a generally normal life which she is looking to improve and has a generic look of a teenager, with an appearance that is up-to-date with current fashion.

We tried to draw similarities between our characters and the characters we took inspiration from, such as the television series, Skins. We decided to do this as the characters in this series are very relatable to teenagers from various different socio-economic backgrounds, therefore attract and represent a wide audience. For instance, the actress we used for Iris, had a similar appearance to the female characters in Skins, which is reasonably grungy, yet still fashionable.

The actor in our film could also appear like any normal young man, however the way we have portrayed him makes him more sinister, yet due to his age, appearance and fashion he is still recognisable as a youth, and so is relatable to our selected target audience. This allows the audience to relate to the character, story and film as the character is close to either themselves or their peers. Also the dialect of the characters in our film, is typical to this audience, so is another way of address.


Skinscast

Attack the Block cast


Our tertiary and secondary audiences would be young people living in urban areas, teenagers globally and parents with children who could end up in a similar situation to the one in our film. Our film appeals to people in urban areas as both characters are typical of young people living in urban areas, so they will recognise themselves in the characters. Films such as ‘Attack the Block’ have used this technique, as the film was very popular among urban youths, as they could relate to the characters.

We also addressed the audience of teenagers from around the world, by having a story which young people in western societies can relate too, as ‘catfishing’ and kidnapping are all common in these societies, and are something that young people in these societies may fear, and therefore be drawn to.

We have also addressed the audience of parents with teenagers, as it is a way they can learn about what can happen to young women, and also how it can be prevented. As every parent can relate to the fear of losing a child, this would attract this audience.


We would attract these audiences in general through trailers before films and below the line advertising, such a social media campaigns and on YouTube. As this is an independent film, which is likely to be distributed by independent institutions, and screened in independent cinemas, then we would also need to attract an audience who enjoy ‘indie films’. Usually with indie films, promotion is done by word of mouth, therefore a perfect way to attract our audience would be to create a large social media campaign, as well as try to get the independent distributors to help promote them. The type of social media campaign we could do could be by creating a following on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube- all of which can have account which have behind the scenes previews and trailers, which will build up anticipation for the release of our film and attract the desired target audience. The use of social media campaigns is also a way of attracting the target audience of young women and parents, as the majority of young people spend a lot of time on social media, so are likely to see promotion on it, and parents also pay attention to Facebook, so would see the promotional material there.

Addressing and attracting an audience- addressing an audience

By having connections with independent distribution companies, they would be able to help promote the film to attract the target audience. This could be done by an association with Film4 leading to promotional spots, such as trailers on their channels (on television and online), as well as promotion on their website, blog and social media pages. By having connections with distributors such as PictureHouse Cinemas, our film could attract an audience by having our trailer screened before films and adverts in the theatres. As our target audience would attend such cinemas, this is a good way of attracting them. We could also have a multi-platform release, as the film ‘Field In England’ did, by releasing the film all at once on multiple media platforms. This creates excitement around the film and will attract our audience.

Addressing and attracting an audience- addressing an audience

How does your media product represent a particular social group?

We represent the social group of young females through the themes in our film, and also the character. We represent young females through the character, Iris, as we believe we have created a strong representation of teenagers and young women living in urban areas, towns or cities. Our main character is a teenage girl, who lives a relatively normal life, has an average appearance, is pretty and dresses as the majority of young girls in urban areas do- thus represents the social group of young women in urban areas.

How does your media product represent a particular social group?- Young females

We also represent young women and teenage girls by the themes in our film, as subject of kidnapping, rape, sexual assault, ‘catfishing’, online dating, and abusive relationships, which are common to this social group. Around the world, in various cultures, and especially in urban areas, kidnapping, rape and sexual assault are all common to vulnerable young women- so this theme is a way of representing the struggle which relates to this social group. Also due to the growth of online dating, and social media, it is not uncommon for young girls, and young people in general to seek romantic relationships online. This makes it very easy for young women to be preyed on by sexual predators, as they don’t know who is on the other end of the screen, as in our film. In this way we also represent this social group.

How does your media product represent a particular social group?- young females and social difficulties

With our male character we have tried to represent the social group, of men who are likely to commit acts such as kidnapping and ‘catfishing’. Our male character has a rough appearance, and has a large build, making him intimidating. In the flashback scenes he also shows his violent nature, which are also stereotypical behaviour for someone who is a kidnapper. Also, kidnaps and rapes are done on 90% of occasions by a person who know the victim, may it be in person or virtually. So by having this character be an ex-boyfriend of Iris, it represents this social group.

How does your media product represent a particular social group?- male character

Urban teenagers

Domestic abuse

Catfishing

How does your media product represent a particular social group?

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

I have learnt a lot about technologies in this process, from production elements to post production elements. Firstly, I have learnt about film equipment. We used the Canon XF 100 camcorder to film, which has different focal lengths, so allowed us to get a variety of shots such as extreme close ups and establishing shots, helping to create diversity. By using this camcorder, I learnt how to use more advanced technology then I was used to which helped me to better my cinematography skills, and get a better understanding of the quality of equipment that is available, and how it can really contribute to creating a certain shot. We also used the Manfrotto Video Tripod, which allowed us to tilt, pan and have steady shots, which were all essential to our filming. This once again allowed us to have more variation in our film, by either having movement behind the camera, or having a steady camera for the tenser scenes.

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

For our sound recordings we used a Rode condenser mic. This was perfect for the scenes we were using as it was directional so would pick up the sound we wanted specifically in our scene, rather then the ambient sound as well as the sound we needed. To create background sound we used follie, from background sound we collected on our shot days, as well as from website and the database on our school computers.

For lighting in our film we used a mix of ambient lighting and a light set. The lighting set we used was the Dedo light set, along with blue gels. We used these in our opening scene to create a blue hue, which was meant to be a reflection from the scene, which made the scene look more sinister and creepy, with the low key lighting creating a menacing shadow over the mans face to help reflect his character. In our second scene we use the ambient lighting of the room as well as fairy lights, to create a warm hue, to create a sense of calm, comfort and innocence when the girl was in her own home, contrasting with the character in the previous scene, who was also part of her previous life. In our outside shots we used natural lighting, as it was easier in the locations and also create a more natural effect. As it was quite grey outside, this created a gloomy lighting, which helped to set the correct tone for these scenes, which are quite scary, tense and upsetting, with the girl being kidnapped and taken back to her past traumatic experiences.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?- sound and lighting

Camera and sound equipment- Canon XF 100, Manfrotto video tripod and Rode condenser microphone

Lighting equipment- Dedo lighting kit and blue gels

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

I have also learnt a lot about post-production. We have been using the editing software, Final Cut Pro X. This is a software I have never used before, and was generally easy to use. Once I became use to the software the process became easier, with features such as colour balancing, transition effects and editing tools were useful, adding new levels to our film, helping to create a higher quality product.

In order to find the fonts for our opening titles we took inspiration from the information on Art Of The Tile website, which has a wide array of opening titles from a variety of films. We also took inspiration from opening sequences we found on YouTube, or ones we already knew. Once we had found a few which we liked, with the opening titles to the program ‘Zodiac’ being our favourite and went to find our own font- we wanted a font which was like that of a type writer, but slightly messier. We used websites such as 1001Fonts and DaFont. We made a short list of our favourites and then decided on the one we like best which downloaded and used for our film.

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

For the music for our film we research soundtracks of media products we already knew, such as American Horror Stories. We decided that we wanted an electric sound, that was steady yet haunting. We use the websites Incompetech and Soundcloud to find royalty free music to use. Once we found the perfect soundtrack we downloaded it and imported it onto our project. While we were filming we concentrated more on the images we filmed, rather then the audio as we decided that we would be able to re-record the audio track and use follie from the school audio database. We then added sound effects to create more of an atmosphere in certain scenes and to emphasise certain aspects of our film, such as the train arriving in the station, when Iris is having flashback of her past before her date.



Final Cut Pro X editing software

1001Fonts.com

Incompetech.com

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

For our preliminary task we wrote a short scrip, and shot a single, simple scene, which demonstrated our understanding of over the shoulder shots, an eye-line match shot and the 180 degree rule. Although, this task was limited, we still got to get a good understanding of the equipment and the editing software, as well as planning in preparation for the filming of the scene. In addition to our preliminary task, we also pre-pared, filmed and edited the remake of a film, with me in a separate group to Wini and Sophia. In the remake, we also learnt how to use the equipment, how to utilise our time efficiently in planning/preparation, and also how to use the post-production software. Also, by Wini and Sophia being in a different group for our film remakes, we were able to combine our experience of these two different films, to improve our film through our mixed expertise.

Progression since the preliminary task- preliminary task

We have learnt a lot in the progression from the preliminary task and our remakes. For instance, with planning and preparation for our film. As we had done the remake and preliminary task, we were aware of how much planning would be involved in making our media product, so we made sure we were extremely prepared, with a lot of time and effort put into this stage- with production call sheets, shot lists, as well as being prepared for all situations and filming extra footage. This planning stage really helped us be practical and organised when making our film, so that the filming went as smoothly as possible. Also, by doing both the preliminary task and the film re-make, we were able to gain experience in using the equipment, such as the cameras and editing software, as well as learning about filming rules, such as the 180-degree rule, and how to use the film equipment, and also how to use the editing software. By knowing all this prior to making our final thriller film, we had the knowledge and experience to make sure that we were able to make a film on our own, without any doubts or confusion.

Progression since the preliminary task- progression

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