2. In what ways does your media product use, develop or
challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of
film openings)
• Watching and analysing film openings was a major help to my production, as
it showed me how much attention to detail you must give it. That a different
camera angle is used to create a different effect.That, for example, a close up
shot shows us a character’s emotions, whereas a mid-shot or wide-shot is
better used for giving the viewer facts and general information.
• It also gave a me a lot of insight into how a thriller opening should look, that
it should confuse the viewer and give them a sense of uncertainty and that
the titles and credits should match this.Also the music used, should have a
low bass tone to it, to create an sense of fear and foreboding in the viewer.
3. How does your media product represent
particular social groups?
• My production is universal and therefore targeted at a wide range of
audiences.The characters within my production are both middle class and
educated.Anyone can empathise with the situation of the protagonist, who
is framed for murdering his wife.The way the protagonist is dressed does
not challenge the middle class stereotype, as he is dressed smartly in a shirt
wearing suit trousers with glasses.
• The antagonist does challenge this stereotype, as he is dressed as any young
person would dress regardless of class or income bracket.This theme is
deliberate, as it would appear that the antagonist is the one being
interviewed for a crime because he is younger and dressed in casual clothes.
When the audience see that it is actually the older character in the
handcuffs they start to ask questions, helping with our theme, a
psychological thriller, where one thing is thought to happen but it is the
complete opposite.
4. Race
• My production’s protagonist and antagonist are both white males, there are
no black or minority ethnic characters. However, it could be any two
characters of any race in this position, because it is not peculiar to England
or to white people. My production does not contain any on screen violence,
which is stereotypical for a black character- if we did choose a black
character who was the violent one, then it could be considered
stereotypical.
5. Age
• The age of the people who would view our movie would be 18-28 year olds,
17% of moviegoers (2013).The protagonist in our movie is not at a similar
age to the demographic, he is middle aged.Whereas the antagonist in the
movie, the one with perceived power is aged 17. It is uncertain whether my
production supports the view that young people are stronger than old
people, as it is the older character who is morally stronger as he is the
‘good-guy’, but he must be strong throughout to escape this situation. My
production does challenge the view that old people are smarter, as it is
usually an evil older person causing a series of bad things to happen to a
younger person.Whereas in this, the younger person, in the opening, holds
negative power over the older person.
6. Gender
• Although in my production two males play the protagonist and antagonist,
these parts could equally be played by two women or a man and a woman
as long as there is a considerable age difference between the two characters.
The production fits in with the stereotype that men are stronger than
women, as it is a woman who gets killed (the protagonist’s wife) and it is up
to the male protagonist to find out why this happened.
7. Sexuality
• The sexuality portrayed in my production is heterosexual, as it is more
traditional- a wife being murdered and then a widower finding out what’s
happened. It is also presumed that the antagonist is heterosexual, even
though it is not known, but there are very few homosexual villains.
8. What kind of media institution might
distribute your media product and why?
• As my production is a low budget, low quality film I am unable to get backing from large institutions such as Columbia
Pictures and Universal Studios, but I would share the film onWordpress, the platform that we are using to record our
film opening journey,YouTube, as it is the most famous and world widely used video publishing website,Twitter, as it puts
you in direct contact with anyone who may be interested by allowing you to ‘hashtag’ any important information and
Facebook, as it allows you to set up a fan page and to ‘invite’ friends of your’s to like it.
• On the other hand, if the film was high budget it would be taken after, the outline (storyboard) being created, to a studio
or independent investor to decide the purchase rights to the film.A larger crew would be brought to make the film, with
a screenwriter who would adapt the initial idea to film format, producer, director, and a larger cast.The film would then
be completed and sent to a studio, for example Universal, Sony orWarner Brothers.The studio chosen would then
make a licensing agreement with a distribution company, for example 2 C Distribution and 20th Century Fox Film
Co.LTD- it is the distribution company that decides how many copies of the film to make.The distribution company also
holds a screening for prospective buyers representing various theatre groups.The buyers would then negotiate with the
distribution company as to whether they wish to lease the film.The prints are then sent to the theaters a few days
before the opening day, and the theatre then shows the movie for a specified number of weeks (engagement).At the end
of the engagement, the theater sends the print back to the distribution company and makes payment on the lease
agreement.
9. Who would be the audience for your
media product?
• The audience we would target would be 18-28 year olds, 17% of moviegoers
(2013), as although the main protagonist in the film is a middle aged
character, the antagonist, the one with perceived power, is young.
10. How did you attract/address your
audience?
• Throughout this project I have learnt how to use,Wordpress, Celtx and have
learnt how to work with the various camera angles.Wordpress was the
main platform I had to learn to use, as it is where we are required to post
everything we do during our filming. I found Wordpress very easy to use, and
I was able to post and upload material to it with minimal effort.This is
because, I have ran a blog in the past Tumblr blog in the past, and both
platforms are very similar. Celtx was used to produce an authentic looking
script, as I was unable to put the information in and get the format I needed,
I had to come up with my own format using the tools given.This made it
harder and more time consuming to use. The camera angles were very easy
to learn, as I had to use them at the beginning of the course to analyse other
movie openings, and then again when I wrote the initial script telling
whoever filmed the piece where to shoot.
11. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel
you have learnt in the progression from it to full
product?
• I have learnt so much during this course, the most important thing is
teamwork as I have never really been in a team before, it also showed the
strengths and weaknesses of everyone in the group. For example, I learnt
that I really need to concentrate whilst I and other members of the group
are filming, as I walked through one of the shots whilst filming.
• The preliminary task taught use how to successfully use 180 degree rule,
this was vital in the main film opening as we filmed two people speaking.
