Evaluation question 1 for my AS Level Media Studies film.

1. Evaluation Question 1:
In what way does your media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

2. Narrative
My film uses opening a linear narrative. Although this is quite conventional, it conforms
to the conventions of action thriller films. Generally, films open with an establishing shot
of the location to show the audience where the film is set, however I decided to keep
the location a secret as it creates a sense of mystery. I did show the Antagonist
approaching the house which briefly shows one of the locations, but, because the
house is very ‘normal’ it could be anywhere. As well as the location, I kept the
character’s identities and the situation itself quite hidden. This creates enigma and, as
this is just the opening scene, it would grip the audience and make them want to carry
on watching. I was told that the characters needed more introduction at the beginning
but the information given in opening scenes of films is generally made up of audience
assumptions. I didn’t want the characters to have a back story because it makes them
more mysterious, especially the Antagonist.

3. Camera
I opened the film with an extreme close up of the Protagonist, who is the main character. This
immediately makes the film very tense and gripping. The shots of both characters don’t reveal
much about their identity. The character you see the most of is the Protagonist because I
wanted it to be personal and show the audience that she is the person they should feel
sympathy for. The shots of the Antagonist show nearly nothing about her identity apart from
one shot near the beginning when she goes into the house. It does show her face but it’s so
quick that it leaves the audience wanting more as there isn’t enough time to fully create an
image of her in your head. The other shots used are mostly low shots of feet and shots from
behind her.
I used a POV shot when the Protagonist is running to show her desperation. Letting the
audience see what she is seeing puts them into her situation making them feel more
sympathy for her.
When she is running towards the dead end, I used a wide shot to show the audience that the
fallen trees are going to be in the way. Then it quickly jumps to a close up of her as she
realises that she’s trapped. This makes it intense and hints to the audience that something
bad is going to happen. To further foreshadow something bad, I included a shot of the
Antagonists feet from behind the tree. I focused into it to make it mysterious.

4. Editing
The editing techniques I used were quick jump cuts, fades and cross blur.
Action thriller films use a lot of jump cuts to make it fast paced and reflect the action.
Therefore, I used jump cuts between locations/shots to show how the film is moving.
When the Protagonist is running towards the dead end I used a jump cut to a close up
of her. This quick transitions heightens the intensity and shows that it is an important
disequilibrium for the film.
The fades and cross blurs I used were mostly to move smoothly between
locations/characters. However, the fade after the Protagonist has fallen over was used
purposefully with the music. Here is where the Antagonist is revealed and the music
changes to a more mysterious/intense piece. I used a fade here to reflect the music
and the change of mood.

5. Sound
All of the music/sound effects I used were found on websites such as YouTube, Purple-
Planet and FreeSFX. Before using any of these pieces/SFX I made sure that they were
copyright free.
The piece of music I used at he start is called Movement Proposition. This builds quickly at
the start is very fast paced which reflects the genre of the film. I chose this piece because I
wanted music that was fast paced but not up beat. I struggled to find a piece that didn’t
sound ‘happy’ and ‘jolly’ as I wanted it to be intense. However, as soon as I heard this piece I
knew it was perfect for my film.
The piece I used when the Antagonist is revealed is called Spy Tale. This is also very intense
but it’s slow pace makes it mysterious. I wanted the music to change here to identify that the
mood has changed. Also it clarifies that the Antagonist is the ‘bad guy’, and that something is
going to happen to the Protagonist because of the Antagonist.
I didn’t have the equipment to record good sound because the microphones supplied at
school don’t connect to DSLR cameras. This meant that there is a lot of background noise,
such as wind. Therefore, I muted the sound on most of the clips. Because of this, I had to
find SFX to make it more realistic. I think these give the film depth and realism.

6. Mis En Scene
Although my film is an action thriller, it has connotations of a psychological thriller because of the
suspense and the intense close ups of the Protagonists face.
Because of this, I used dark lighting to portray the darkness of the Antagonist and to make the
situation more scary. Also, the Antagonist wears all black because it has connotations of power and
mystery. It also makes it obvious to the audience that she is the ‘bad guy’ before they even fully see
her. In contrast, the Protagonist wears brightly coloured clothes to show her youthfulness and to
make it obvious that she is the ‘good guy’.
The front door of the house is red and the Protagonist wears red lipstick. I did this to link the two
because when the door opens it means there is danger in the house and she is in danger.
The only props I used were the memory stick and the gun. I got the idea for the memory stick from
Skyfall because in the opening scene they are fighting over a hard drive. I used the gun because it’s
very typical of action thriller films. Also, I wanted to create a moment of shock when the gun is
revealed.
My film is set in a house and in the woods. I opened the film in a very ‘conventional’ living room to
show that the Protagonist is an amateur and just a ‘normal’ teenage girl. I decided to set the rest of
the film in the woods because the seclusion creates tension. Being alone in the woods, in the dark is
something that is known to be bad, especially for a young girl. It shows the audience that something
bad is going to happen.