2. In what ways does your media product use, develop, or
challenge forms and conventions of real media
products?
My media product follows, develops and challenges the forms and conventions of modern
media products. This is due to many features in both the trailer and the ancillary texts. The
magazine I created followed the layout of EMPIRE, and so I went about researching earlier
layouts of the popular film-culture magazine. Doing this I gained an idea of what images I
would need and how I would tackle editing them and adding features. I used a main image,
of three of the main characters, a common feature of EMPIRE, used to instantly gain the
readers attention. This is done so that they are hooked without having to firstly overturn the
front page. Secondly, the house style of black white and red, I used from EMPIRE, as they
usually follow a colours theme for each issue. I chose these colours to match the action-
thriller genre to the film which would follow. My trailer also uses sense of forms and
conventions of modern film. Firstly, using small clips of action shots at certain points, doing
this presents the audience with the more exciting features of the film and gives a good idea
of what to expect, similar to many other action trailers. Also, the sound editing used fits in
with codes and conventions, with it being quiet at certain points and not at others, this
represents the more horror-thriller side to the film, as it is based upon a zombie apocalypse.
The poster, also followed forms and conventions as it showed many of the common themes
expected on a poster. Mine having a main image with just one character not showing his
face, makes the film seem conspicuous, with characters not to be trusted. My poster also has
features such as a main title, and credits published in a small font at the bottom.
3. In what ways does your media product use, develop, or
challenge forms and conventions of real media
products?
4. In what ways does your media product use, develop, or
challenge forms and conventions of real media
products?
Throughout the A2 course in media, we learned that there were
specifically cast characters throughout films, such as the hero, the
villain, the escort and the rogue/badass. These were incorporated
into our own film, as the hero (Roy) is shown as the one who stays
good throughout the course of the film. The rogue/ badass
character (Aiden) turns against the group, and speaks out against
their actions, doing this makes the rest of the group see him as
untrustworthy, a common trait for this type of character. The escort
(Liam) is the one who is a more low key character, yet still provides
a good solid link in their ‘mission’ as he is one of the last surviving
members of the group and it is left to him to save the sister in the
end. The villain is he who captures the main character’s sister, as he
is the one who provides the problem and works in the shadows,
with the group having very little knowledge on him. Doing this, as
a group we created a similar setup to any other film. As these
highlighted characters can be seen in the majority.
5. How effective is the combination of your main product
and ancillary texts?
The combination of both my trailer and the ancillary texts is
important as they link strongly together, the texts providing
as an advertising base. Doing this gives a front for my ‘film’ to
be spread through advertisement in ways instead of on the
big screen. Posters and magazines can be placed anywhere
and so can be a huge tool to gaining more of an audience.
Putting these together with the trailer provides a
multiplatform method of advertising for my product. Doing
this makes for more of a reception as more people are
exposed to the advertising and so will be persuaded into
watching my product. In addition, my trailer, poster and
magazine all link, as the images depicted in the ancillary
texts match the footage of my trailer, and so effectively
advertise the content of my film.
6. What have you learned from your audience feedback?
VIDEO
Audience feedback is
a good method of
learning what you’ve got
right and what you
could have improved,
as explained in the video
with the original
feedback on the right.
7. How did you use media technologies in the construction
and research, planning and evaluation stages?
Throughout the whole process of this course, I have used media technologies to aid me in getting a
greater final product. Firstly, research had me looking for other magazines and so I immediately
focused on EMPIRE, using hard copies and the internet to find out what some of the front pages
looked like for my initial idea to spark. Doing this gave me good ideas on how I would construct
mine, with focus on house style, images and layout of content. The internet was my main usage in
order to find these as it left me a huge database of past EMPIRE issues, which I could sift through
and find the perfect idea to work from. Planning was also a great time to use media technologies,
as I began to make my initial ideas through use of Photoshop. Doing this gave me a more solid
idea of how my own final piece would come together, and so I was left with a more solid base to
work from. Also, I used Photoshop with trial and error before being able to make sufficient moves,
this gave me learning of how to edit and make things which would stand out in my final piece.
Lastly, my evaluation stage, which used many ways of media technologies. Firstly, I used
powerpoint, as it was an easy way to separate my questions in an easy to read manner. Second of all
because it is a much more efficient way of presenting work. Also, I used a webcam in order to
create a media response for the audience feedback. Doing this shows how I have used different
media platforms to answer the questions. Also, I have used audio clips for my audience feedback,
to show the feedback I received but on yet another platform of media technology. Using all of
these gives a more in detail and interactive response to the questions set in my evaluation and
shows how I can use them. I did have problems trying to use audio files as they were originally
videos which would not import to powerpoint, but using a file converter I could successfully
convert them to mp3 and they could be used alongside my video on the same slide.
8. How did you use media technologies in the construction
and research, planning and evaluation stages?
Editor's Notes
I have used the post apocalyptic film the road as inspiration for my final poster. This can be seen as the two main charactershave their backs to the camera taking the shot of the poster, pointing out that they are maybe on a journey or are runningaway from something. This also links with the title of the road as it shows them on a road, on which may be a long journey.I have done similarly to this, as my image shows someone walking away from the camera. I did this to similar effect also asit links with the title 24 hours, showing that this character does not have long left for something. It also symbolises the similarjourney to which the characters of the road seem to be embarking upon. Also, the effect on the poster I have done similarly,as the road uses an almost sepia overlay to the image, to make the world seem dull and dead, to which it is in this postapocalyptic film. I have used a black and white overlay for mine, as similarly I wanted to depict this idea of the whole world being dead and this character almost being the last survivor. The darkness symbolising the dark nature of the film. althoughthere are a few differences, such as the credits for the film not being sprawled along the bottom and instead a fewactors names along the top. I did differently to this as research showed me that a lot of posters did have credits alongthe bottom, and so I decided to develop my idea further and incorporate this for greater effect.
