1. HOW DOES YOUR PRODUCT USE OR
CHALLENGE THE CONVENTIONS AND
HOW DOES IT REPRESENT SOCIAL
GROUPS AND ISSUES?

2. What are conventions?
Conventions are the generally accepted ways of
doing something. They are used to construct
recognisabletopics, characters and events, and
more.
We did a Teenage Drama film opening for a new feature film called "LYL" and we used a list of
typical conventions to make it look as a proper film opening sequence. During the pre-
production part we did our research. We looked at the opening scenes of "Ill Manors" and
"Kidulthood"becausethese films relate to out film. Even though we followed many conventions,
we challenged them even more.
An example of a real text
Our film opening

3. Nicholas Abercrombie
Conventions of a film opening sequence
are:
• Studio/Production Company Logo
• Idents
• Titles (institutionally ordered)
• Music
• Introducing film
• Introducing characters
• Enigma
• Media producers create familiar and safe
products that are recognisable and conventional.
Likely to be successful.

4. Conventions of a film opening
It is conventional for a feature film to have 2 or 3 idents at
the start of the film. We followed this convention and
created a couple of ident for our film. Here they are:
Examples of idents from Ill Manors

5. Conventions of a film opening
Feature films conventionally have the
titles in a specific order, which is:
• PRODUCTION COMPANY (distributor)
• PRODUCTION COMPANY (producer)
• Film Title
• Lead Cast
• Supporting Cast
• Casting Director
• Music Composer
• Costume Designer
• Associate Producers
• Editors
• Production Designer
• Director of Photography
• Executive Producer
• Producer
• Writers
• Director
We followed the
conventional order of
titles and here are some
screenshots:

6. Conventions of a film opening
Enigma
Who is he meeting on the bridge?
Why is he running/
What is he running from/
Where is he running?

7. Conventions of the genre
The location we used in our film opening
is very conventional for the genre - urban
atmosphere and inner city.
It helped to constructthe world of our
main character. Connotations of poverty
and deprivation.
Location

8. Conventions of the genre
In Ill Manors film
opening we could see
many locations,
both exterior and interior.
Here are some examples
of those scenes. Use of
establishing shots

9. Conventions of the genre
Sound
We downloaded sounds of
an opening door, birds,
nature, train track, running
and dogs barking from the
website called Free Sound.
Those sound effects were
very useful.
Use of wild tracks, ambient
sounds and foley effects.
Music contrapuntal similar to ill manors – like
binary ooposites, continuing with the theme of
popverty and deprivation against high culture
and success and sophistication. Creates the idea
that’s the character was born on the wrong side
of the tracks in fact there are train tracks in the
shot that connote this.
We challenged the genre in terms of music.
We used a music box recording of a Swan
Lake by Tchaikovsky as our main soundtrack,
which is a contrapuntal sound.

10. Conventions of the genre
Colour grading
• Black and white
Black and white colour
grading is not
conventional for teen
drama films, but we used
it to construct a serious
mood and tone to the
film. It suggests it will be
gritty and also helps
create a sense of realism.

11. Conventions of
the genre
• Young guy living in tough
conditions (conventional Teenage
Drama film)
• Wearing urban clothing
• Running to meet someone
Character

12. Conventions of the genre
Kidulthood (2006)
Kidulthood is a British film targeted
for teenagers. All the charaters
shown in a film opening sequence
are teenagers.
We see them in school, which is a
conventional locations for a
teenage drama film.

13. Technical conventions
• In our film opening sequence we used a lot of aerial shots, which is
conventional for the genre. We used them to establish the scene and show
we were in Kyiv, Ukraine. They give viewers a deeper understanding of the
location. We used a drone to take them.

14. Representation of social
groups and issues
Our film opening sequence represents a
teenager from rough areas in Kyiv, Ukraine. He
looks like a typical Ukrainian teenager and he
wears a stereotypical for a teenage guy
clothes.

15. The locations of the film opening
give understanding of his social class as well as
giving insight to his background. It suggests that he
was growing up in poor conditions. The
main character's clothes together with the
atmosphere of our film opening create the
sense of a troubled teenager, who is running
away from something. (enigma)
Representation of social
groups and issues