The document discusses how a student media project called "The Trojan Complex" used and developed conventions of real action film openings in its first 2 minutes. Key conventions included titles with credits, introducing main characters, establishing shots, announcing the film title with special effects, maintaining continuity between shots, establishing the genre through scenes of action/fighting, and using costumes and props. While the project aimed to implement researched conventions, it could have challenged them more. One convention that was challenged was using a unique font and typing effect for the titles rather than a standard fade.

1. BrandonHanlon
Question1:In what waysdoesyourmediaproductuse,developorchallengeformsandconventions
of real media products?
In our group,SilverBulletProductions,we researchedthe conventionsof real mediaproductsin
orderto understandwhatmakesan actionfilm.We noteddownimportantconventionsthatwe
coulduse in ourproduct,The Trojan Complex.We onlylookedatthe first2 openingminutes,asour
task wasto produce the first2 openingminutesof anactionfilm.
Titleswere somethingwe noticedalotwhile watchingthe first2openingminutesof actionfilms,
these titlesincludednamesof those whocontributedtothe film, mainlyactorsandactressesand
otherrolessuchas directors. We thoughtthat titleswere importantinthe openingsequence,sowe
addedthem.Ialso didresearchonthe titles,andIthoughtthat itwouldbe betterto have
somethinguniquethatfitsthe theme of the film, soIresearchedthe font,whichwascalledmatrix,
whichlookedlike itfitthe film asitisbasedaroundhackers.I alsoaddeda typingeffectwiththe
titlesastheyappearedandI addedkeyboardtypingsoundeffects.
We alsonoticedthatthe maincharacters were introducedinthe first2 openingminutes,we did
exactlythatand introducedthe protagonist,Agent37 andthe governmentinformant.Theseare the
maincharacters inThe TrojanComplex,andAgent37 wasthe firstto be seen,emphasizinghis
importance inthe plot.
In the first2 openingminutesof afewof the films,there were alsoestablishing shots,we attempted
to do this,howeverIthinkthatitcouldhave beenbetter,howeverwe still addedthistoThe Trojan
Complex,asitwasimportantto setthe scene.
Also,inmostof the openingsequences,the title of the filmwasintroducedwithaspecial effect.We
thoughtthat thiswasimportant,as to letthe audience know the theme of the filmandwhatthe film
was called.Whenediting,Iaddedananimatedmatrix effectinthe backgroundandthenI addeda
textoverlaywhichincludedananimation. Ialsoaddedsoundeffects.Ithinkthatthiswaseffective
as the matrix effectisusuallylinkedtohackers,whichiswhatourfilmisabout,it isalsoeye catching
for the audience.
We noticedthatcontinuitywassmoothinthe first2 openingminutes, whenfilmingwe triedto
make it as smoothas itcouldbe already,butwe didnotworry as I couldedititlateron. When
editing,Imade sure thateverythingtransitionedsmoothly.Unfortunately,Icouldnoteditthe video
ontothe phone foritto lookgood enough,we didplantoalreadyhave itbefore we filmed,andhave
it onthe phone butitwas not recordedintime. Thisvideoslightlybreaksthe continuityasitdoes
not lookright,whichcan make the audience notice.However,toimprove onthisif we everhada
videoona phone again,itcan be recordedintime forfilming.
Statingthe genre wasalso somethingwe noticedwhenwatchingthe openingsequencesof action
films,the scene issetfromthe plotand the camera shots,whichcanbe seeninthe first2 opening
minutes.Thistellsthe audience immediatelywhatgenre the filmis. We putthisinThe Trojan
Complex,we hadfastcamera shotsand action,such as fighting,gunshotsanddeath. Notstatingthe
genre inthe first2 openingminuteswillconfuse the audience astheywillnotknow whatgenre of
filmtheyare watching.
Mise-en-scene wasalsoimportantinthe first2openingminutesof anyfilm, thingslike costumes
and propswere importantsowe alsousedthisconventioninThe TrojanComplex. We hadcostumes
to representthe characters,forexample Agent37 hada militarycostume, andthis showsthathe

2. BrandonHanlon
has beeninvolvedinthe militaryorthathe’shad trainingandexperience infighting. The hackers
were dressedcasually,althoughtheyare wearingdarkcolourssuchasblack,and thiscolourcan
showthat the characters are darkand have a negative influenceinthe plot.Forpropswe had a gun,
a wire to representfibre wireandIDcards. We feltthatthese propswere important,andthatitwas
importantto use the conventionsof anactionfilm, andinclude propstoenhance the product.
I thinkthat mymediaproductusesand developsthe formsandconventionsof real mediaproducts,
as inour group we didour researchon whatmakesthe first2 openingminutesof actionfilms,we
noteddownwhatthese were,andimplementedthemintoourproductanddevelopedthem.For
challengingthe formsand conventions,we slightlylackaswe had justusedanddevelopedthe
conventions,howeverwe alreadyhad anideainmindforthe first2 openingminutesbefore we
researchedthe conventionsof the openingsequence of anactionfilm, we justaddedontothiswith
the research. To improve onthis,Icouldchallenge the conventionsmore.A conventionthatwe did
challenge howevercouldbe the titles,insteadof asimple fade ineffectandfade outeffectwhich
mostfilmshad,I researchedadifferentfontandaddedatypingeffect.