1. 1. In what waysdoesyourmediaproductuse,developorchallengeformsandconventionsof real
mediaproducts?
I decidedthatan initial
In the initial openingshot,Icutto the radiobothin orderto
emphasise the importance of the “breakingnews”andto
establish the plottothe audience.Italsojustifieshavingthe
song“One Way or Another”playinginthe background –the
usage of thissongisa foreshadowingof the eventsof the film
opening.Thistechnique hasbeenusedinfilmssuchas
‘Goodfellas’ withthe openingtitlessong‘Ragsto Riches’whichforeshadowsthe outline of the film.
For my film,itworkswell inmyopinionasitbothgetsthe audience behindthe filmwitha well-
knownsongand immediatelygivesimportance andrelevance tothe radioreportthat quicklyfollows
as it hasthe audiences’ attention. Ialsomade reference toapractise of director QuentinTarantino’s
filmproductswhere he oftenusessongsthatcompletelyjuxtaposethe actiononscreen.Techniques
such as the song“Stuck in the Middle with You”,an upbeatsongusedina violentandtorturous
scene in Tarantino’sfilm‘ReservoirDogs’.Iused myupbeatsongbyBlondie tojuxtapose the
followingactiononscreenasit worksshockinglywellinTarantinofilmsbymeansof extendinga
scenesmemorability.
Thisframe chosenisa representationof editingeffectsthatI
addedwhichultimatelyassistedthe narrative of the film
opening,givingabackstoryto the action onscreen througha
flashback withanaccompanyingvoice over.Thistechniquewas
one that I developedandchallengedfromthrillerfilmopening
‘The Fugitive’ whichfeaturedablackandwhite prelude tothe
storyline.Ichallengedthisbyplacingthe flashbackasa narrative enhancementasopposedtothe
start of a story. Althoughmyuse of flashbackina filmisthe more conventional approachasitadds
to character backstoryand explainsthe charactersinvolvementwiththe narrative and connectionto
the man featured inthe radioreport.
2. 1. In what waysdoesyourmediaproductuse,developorchallengeformsandconventionsof real
mediaproducts?
By meansof trulyestablishing thatmyprotagonistwasa police
detective,Iusedthisframe torepresentthisthroughprops.
The costume had beenvisible fromthe initial frame of the
character but couldbe seenasopento interpretation;assuch
thisframe was importanttoensure the audiences
understandingof hisrole.The use of a detective’s identity
badge as well asa gun, pairedwiththe diegeticsoundof police sirensinpreviousframes,Ibelieve
give the audience aclearinsightintothisman’sprofessionandthushisrole inthe filmopeningand
ultimatelythe filmandallowsmise-en-scene toactas the representationof genre conventionsin
thisframe. Anaudience member’sfeedbackof myfilmregardingthissaid“Ilikedthe policesirensat
the start as it introducedthe genre andgave hintsof the storyline”.Propsare oftenusedinfilmto
give indicationsastorole of characters withinthatfilm, forexampleonce againlinkingmyopening
to that of ‘Goodfellas’the charactersof the filmandtheirpurpose isestablishedthroughpropsand
soundwhetheritbe diegeticornon.The prop of a knife beingusedtokill aman ina trunk andthe
proceedingline“Asfarback as I can rememberIalwayswantedtobe a gangster”givesan
immediate show tothe audience of whothe charactersare and theirrole.Idevelopedthisinmy
openingwiththe use of the gunand badge,heightenedwiththe radioreportsearlierwords
“decorateddetectives”whichIbelievegivesanobviousindicationtothe audience thusconfirming
genre conventions.
Havingestablishedthe protagonistasbeingvulnerable
throughthe lack of contact aroundhim, thisframe was
importantinshowingthe firstsense of immediatedanger to
the character whichisa conventionfrequentedinthriller
openings. The filmopeningforJawsisone of the mosticonic
of all time andone of itsmostmemorable featswasnot
physicallyshowingthe shark.Itoyedwiththe ideaof thisformy openingof notseeingthe intruder,
howeverultimatelydecidedtochallenge thisconventionby havingabrief glimpse of the intruder
secondsbefore the titlesinordertocreate a sense thatthe audience wouldwanttowatchon to
findoutmore about thisillusive andbrief character.AlthoughIdiduse formsof the ‘Jaws’opening
by havinga large buildupbefore the climacticstage of the openingbyhavingthe antagonistexact
hisattack. Thissimilaritywashoweverdevelopedby,unlike ‘Jaws’,havingthe presentcharacter
knowthat dangerwasloomingandbuildthe actionon screenaroundthat.
3. 1. In what waysdoesyourmediaproductuse,developorchallengeformsandconventionsof real
mediaproducts?
These twoseparate partsof the final framesandtitleswere done inthiswaytofitthe genre
conventionsof athrillerandalsorepresentthe narrative of the film.The smoke effectoverthe titles
was done inorderto create a sense of the unknown,inthe sense thatthe wordsare hiddenandonly
uncoveredbya force.Thisbearscomparisontothe antagonist whoisinthe shadowsand isonly
slightlyseengivingamysteriousauraandmakesthe audience wanttosee who isbehindthe smoke
as it were, alsothe factthat the exact words“RememberMe?”are saiddirectlybeforehandwhich
subtlyallowsthe audiencetounderstandthe contextof whichthe film’stitleisin. Thischallenges
conventionsof some thrillerssuchas‘Kill Bill’whichfeaturesthe on-screentitle before the words
“Kill Bill”are spoken,givingadifferentinterpretationof the placementof the film’stitle. Ideveloped
multiple filmopeningstitles aseachtendto representtheirfilmnarrative inacertainway,for
example in‘CasinoRoyale’(2006) the openingtitlesfeature alarge proportionof playingcard
conventionsinordertoconveythe filmsmainnarrative,agame of cards. AlthoughIchallengedthis
by havingthe titlesstraightafterthe action,asopposedtoa whollyseparate partassuch backingup
whatthe audience hadjustseen –rather thanforetell which‘CasinoRoyale’does.The titlesalsofits
the conventionsof the genre,oftenplainfontsbutaccompaniedwithasortof effectthatputs the
filmsownspinonthe title,forexample the police like flashlightsontitlesof ‘The Fugitive’andthe
skyscrapersonthe titlesof ‘PanicRoom’.
