This document discusses the filmmaking conventions used in a student media project. It summarizes that the filmmakers initially struggled with continuity conventions but re-filmed scenes to improve editing. Maintaining shot continuity with techniques like the 180-degree rule helped the film's professional quality. The film contains elements of thriller, drama, and fantasy genres in its story of a bullied girl who uses magic for revenge. It draws similarities to the films Carrie and Mean Girls in its narrative but does not include parody or pastiche. The document argues the film relates most to Uses and Gratifications audience theory in how viewers could benefit from it.

1. IN WHAT WAYS DOES THE MEDIA
PRODUCT USE, DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL
MEDIA PRODUCTS?

2. ◦ In our A2 media project we focused on the importance of keeping to the conventions of continuity.
In the beginning of filming we struggled to keep these conventions , but when we realised our
mistakes we made sure to go back and repeat our filming of the scene or particular shot so that we
complied with the conventions which in the end made editing a lot simpler that it had before we
re-filmed. We also found that keeping within the conventions of continuity when filming not only
helped with editing but it gave our film a more professional look.
◦ When filming we made sure that we enforced rules such as the 180 degree line, meaning that we
did not cross these points with our camera at any time when filming. If we had broken this rule and
crossed the line then this would have dramatically decreased the quality and overall
understanding of our film as it would have confused the viewer when the background within the
scene each time there was a change of shot.
◦ For example shown as Mia walks through in the title sequence

3. ◦ Regarding the changing of a shot , especially when zooming in or out on a particular
object , actor or scene we made sure that we enforced the 30 degree rule. This means
that when ever we zoomed in or out we moved the camera 30 degrees left or right of
where we originally placed the camera, we did this in order to make sure that the
scene did not jump or jerk when it came to editing . We used the 30 degree rule rather
than just zooming in or out continuously as the camera could shake or the speed of the
zoom could be too fast giving the overall scene a less professional look.
◦ Shown here for example when Demi pours water over Mia

4. ◦ When focusing on giving our film a more professional look we decided that the use of
match on action would be one of the most important factors especially given the time
limit of the film. This is because it shortens the amount of filming time by cutting out one
continuous shot that could be rather long by changing it into two shorter shots. It also
gives a more professional look as the matching of changing of shots helped to make
the film flow continuously without joliting or jerking.
◦ For example Mia reaching down for the book

5. ◦ In terms of genre of film does not comply to just one category. Our film has aspects of mainly
fantasy , thriller and drama meaning that it would be difficult to compress all of these conventions
into one genre.
◦ Our film falls within the conventions of a thriller as we used music with a fast pace creating tension
and making the scenes intense ,un –nerving and leaving the viewer in suspense. The fear aspect of
the a thriller is also evident within our film as you are unsure what will happen to the three bullies
now Mia has found this book , also the death of the main bully and Mia herself also help to create
this.
◦ The film also contains bullying and other everyday occurrences for some teenagers , such as
college, friendship groups , popularity and unpopularity meaning that because these things are
everyday for most people and the problems within the film most people have faced, our film can
fall under the drama genre
◦ However the introduction of “the book of curses” and black magic gives our film a fantasy aspect
and I think by doing this it helps our film to fall in within the fantasy category
◦ Overall I think that if our film had to be narrowed down into one gene I think that it would be
categorised as a thriller as out of all of the three genres I have listed our film has more conventions
of a thriller for example the intense music and the basic story line.

6. ◦ Our film contains similarities to two completely different films. One film our own film has similarities to is
“Carrie” this is because both our film and “Carrie” contain a similar story line , of an outcast girl who is
bullied for being different and then seeks revenge on her bullies. The difference between our film
and “Carrie” is that in our film Mia seeks help from unknown magical beings in this case in the form of
“the book of curses” however in “Carrie” the magical being is within Carrie herself. Another film that
our film is similar to is “mean girls” even though this film has no fantasy or magical aspects it does
however link in with the theme of three girls bullying their way around school and an outsider girl
wanting to be a part of their certain “click” but in the end they reject her and the click is broken up.
Both of these films originally gave us ideas for our film that we have created
◦ Our film does not include any parody, this is because the basic idea and narrative of our film is not
comical in any way shape or form and we did not plan or intend it to be. We decided not to include
parody as we thought that it may effect our moral message that we were hoping to portray and that
by making it humorous it may stray away from seriousness of our message and possibly motivate
viewers into bullying like the characters within the film. We felt as a group that by including parody in
our film it may seem to the viewer to be mocking or some what being a hypocrite towards our own
moral message.
◦ Similarly to parody our film is not intended to contain any pastiche , this is again because we did not
want to take away the seriousness of our message and by making links with other films it may have
done so , and also the use of pastiche would not have fitted correctly with the narrative of our film so
it would most likely have left the viewer confused and not really understanding the message behind
the film or the film itself.

7. ◦ With regarding to audience theory I feel as though our film mostly relates to is “Uses and Gratifications”
this is because I feel that the viewer could gain a lot from our film.
◦ One thing that viewers could gain from our film is “ socialization” this is because our film contains a group
of three girls, this means that the viewer could understand or feel part of a group even if being part of
that group is a negative feature of our film . The viewer could also in someway also socialise with our
main character mia as they could sympathise or empathise with her , or even recognise the behaviour
within the group of bullies in their everyday life.
◦ Another thing that the viewer could gain is education. This is because they could be taught the
seriousness and the consequences despite how extreme they may be within our film of bullying and
understanding the need for morals and the importance and knowing right and wrong.
◦ The viewer could gain energy from our film as some parts are intense and leave the viewer somewhat
on the edge of their seat when the prospects of what may happen to the bullies after mia finds the book
are unknown , also the suspense of has happened to the first two bullies is carried out throughout the
film as you are left unaware of what has happened to them after there incident has taken place. This
type of tension and suspense could lead to the energy that the viewer is wanting to gain

8. socialisation

9. Education

10. Energy

11. ◦ Our film has similar features in comparisons with other films. The two main films that there are
compared most with are two completely different films from two completely different genres. One film
our own film has similarities to is “Carrie” this is because both our film and “Carrie” contain a similar
story line and narrative style of an outcast girl who is bullied for being different by her piers and then
seeks revenge on her bullies through the use of black magic that leads to her own death in the end.
The difference between our film and “Carrie” is that in our film Mia seeks help from unknown magical
beings in this case in the form of “the book of curses” however in “Carrie” the magical being is within
Carrie herself. Another difference between our film and “Carrie” is that the revenge and the death of
the main character all happen at the same point in the film , where as in our film the revenge is set out
in stages throughout the film , with the main character “Mia”s death at the end of film. The film “Carrie
"is also a similar genre to ours as it also crosses over between fantasy, drama , thriller and horror very
comparable to our film.
◦ Another film that our film is similar to is “mean girls” even though this film has no fantasy or magical
aspects and it is a completely different genre to our film it does however link in with the theme of three
girls bullying their way around school and an outsider girl wanting to be a part of their certain “click”
but in the end they reject her and the click is broken up.
◦ We used both of these films as a group in the begging when deciding our narrative , storyline and
genre and I think this is why our film contains aspects of both films , meaning that audiences who are
interested in either of these films may be interested in watching ours.

12. Carrie

13. Mean girls