1. In what ways does your media
product, use develop or
challenge forms and conventions
of real media products ?
By Saima Uddin

2. Conventions of comedy films
• Bright places like towns and cities, in populated places
mostly and filmed during the day.
• Locations are usually schools for teen comedies, for social
comedies locations would be shot most likely in bars and
homes.
• Mostly natural camera work and medium shots to show
facial expressions.
• Funny dialogue, edited sounds to create humour.
• High key lighting.
• Socially awkward characters/smart people and quite
‘idiotic’ characters (accident prone).
• Subgenres e.g. Romance
• Exaggerated acting, lots of props that are used to create

3. Our film
In order to pursue the
comedy conventions we
set the main locations in a
house and a high school.
All scenes were filmed
during the day time and
we used comical theme
music in order to create
humour. The teacher
(George Donnelly)
portrayed quite ‘idiotic’
gestures e.g. when he
trips and all his papers
blow away.
Our short film’s
subgenre is social
realism which makes
it not the typical
subgenre most
comedies are which
is romance.

4. Our filmWe put the credits
as part of the film
by finding a
creative way to
present the cast
and crew. Putting
modern upbeat
background music
made the scene
become light
hearted and fun.
We did not follow the typical
convention of film titles fitting
with the film and giving hints
as to what the film might be
about. We used a bold and
simple title.We filmed during the day to
achieve the comedy
conventions of bright
populated locations. Here
shows a simple pavement

5. Our film
In our film we didn’t
depend on the
dialogue in order to
create humour instead
we used comedic
gestures. This screen
shot shows when
George trips on the
pavement making it
look clumsy and silly.
Medium shots and close
ups to show their facial
expressions.
Teen comedies are well
known for being located in
schools, because we
wanted to follow through
these conventions, we set
the film in school in most
of the scenes. Other

6. Our film
In order to portray the
comical ‘idiotic’ and silly
character, in this scene
George tries to kick the
ball but misses, which
creates humour for the
audience because of the
know fact kicking a ball
isn’t really that hard.
In contrast we harry
played a more serious
character compared to be
silly and ‘idiotic’
characters which are
typically portrayed. Harry
played the moody
teenager and this screen
shot shows harry getting
told off.

7. Our film
We edited in speech bubbles to the
birthday scenes. The speech
bubbles helped to give a comical
effect and also informed the
audience what the characters wish
is.
We included a twist for
the audience. When
George realises he no
longer feels himself
anymore after the wish
he begins to look
nervous and starts to
panic it creates enigma
for the audience and
makes the audience
curious to find out what
happens next.

8. Film poster
My film poster conveys the typical
conventions of a film poster because it
has a title, a tag line, credit block,
release date and company logos. Like
any other film poster, mine includes the
main characters to show audiences who
is starring in it. The purpose of the tag
line is to give audiences hints to what
the film could be about. One of my tag
lines is a rhetorical question, this gets
the audience to think about what the film
could be about. This makes them want
to go to see the film.
My film poster relates to the
comedy genre because its bright
and the title follows the theme of
the film which is based around
birthdays.

9. Poster examples
All these posters follow
the key conventions
which is portrayed in my
film poster.
e.g. main characters,
tag lines, credit
blocks and the

10. Film review
My film review follows with the typical
conventions of the Little White Lie film
magazine because of the unique rating
system they use which I have adapted
on my review, a picture from the film so
the reader is informed who the main
characters are, and also the release
date, directed by and starring all put
underneath the title which is below the
image.
I also used pink for the font to show that
my review is based on the style of Little
White Lies as they use pink font
throughout the magazine
In my film review I used a lot of
adjectives and metaphors to give the text
more enthusiasm as the reader reads the
review. I also used film language to stick
with the convention of it being a film
review.

11. Examples of film reviews