The document discusses how the media product challenges conventions of real media. It analyzed film trailers to understand their codes and conventions. It created a story around the dangers of social media to inform teenagers. The film trailer includes production logos, appropriate audience warnings, memories of the friendship group, social media use, tense music and effects, and Facebook-style intertitles to challenge conventions. It aims to inform teenagers and help those struggling with online issues. The trailer overall follows conventions but includes unique elements like the intertitles and social media support to interest its target audience.

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

3. Analysing film trailers, helped me to gain a good understanding of its codes and conventions.
When discussing a group plot with the group, the ‘Unfriended’ synopsis stood out to us
particularly. We felt that there wasn’t enough films based around technology, social media in
particular. However, as a group, we felt strongly about the dangers of social media and so we
wanted to put across an important message to the audience, which is today’s fear of not knowing
who’s behind the computer screen. It highlights the problems of todays teenagers, which is giving
out information online, which may not turn out to be the best idea in this film trailer. Our aim was
to inform the target audience to be careful online, something that isn’t conventional of films they
are normally portrayed as an all round positive part of teenagers lives.
From research an planning, I saw that all film trailers included a film production name and logo at
the start of the trailer. I saw that sound was used purposefully and intentionally to create different
moods and intensity e.g. pace of sound fastened as cuts became quicker to create a tense
atmosphere, angled shots were used carefully portraying different meanings and intertitles are
used conventionally, to separate shots. Together with this, the film title, billing block and release
date is included at the end of the trailer.
After discovering different codes and conventions, as a group, we created a storyboard for our
own film plot. The storyboard helped us to physically produce drawn shots, timing of shots,
dialogue and intertitles etc. It was the storyboard that helped us as a group put down ideas to help
discover a sense of creativity. Our storyboard was a starting point to direct us when we film and
highlights what to expect during our shoots. Storyboards are conventional for many film
productions as it sets the tone for the film trailer, allowing different ideas and opinions to be
discussed and added.
Our animatic was our trial task, allowing us to feel comfortable using a camera and tripod etc. The
animatic helped bring the storyboard to life, and allowed us to encounter problems so that we
were more prepared for the production of the final film trailer.

4. At the beginning of most film trailers, they include the approval for ‘appropriate audiences’.
Appropriate Audience Advertising provides the distributor of the motion picture greater
flexibility to promote a motion picture in a manner that reflects its content and reaches its
intended audience without exposing a significant number of young children to the advertising.
This is conventional of film trailers as it tells the audience what to expect before watching the
trailer.
‘Unfriended’ film trailer‘#disconnected’ film trailer

5. Production company logo
As on the inspirational film trailer ‘Unfriended’ and most other film trailers, the
production company is featured after the ‘appropriate audiences’ cut. This is to show
the audience who has produced the film, allowing the audience to trust the
production, resulting in them being more likely to watch the film as it from a trusted
source. I have added this to the beginning of the ‘#disconnected’ film trailer, to again,
conform to the forms and conventions, making the trailer look professional.
‘#disconnected’ film trailer ‘Unfriended’ film trailer

6. ‘#disconnected’ film trailer ‘Unfriended’ film trailer
Friendship group memories
Like the film trailer ‘Unfriended’, I have used a soundtrack similar to the one off
‘Unfriended’ and ‘Nerve’. I decided to use a soundtrack that reflected the target
audiences taste in music. I decided to use a soundtrack that I know would be a song
they’d listen to as it attracts the audience to watch the film. This is similar to
‘Unfriended’ as they use a soundtrack that reflects their target audience. I have also
included memories at the start of the trailer, like ‘Unfriended’ with emotional music
that is sentimental to the friendship group featured in the trailer as it takes the
audience on a journey with the friendship group, connecting the audience with the
trailer which is something conventional of many teen drama film trailers especially.

7. Social media plays an important role in the film trailer, as much as it is in the ‘Unfriended film
trailer. We wanted to use media to attract the technophiles of our target audience who relate to
using ‘Oovoo’ as a way of communicating with friends on a daily basis. To make it realistic, we
have used different camera angles when video-calling in order for the audience to become
interested with what is being discussed. We have followed the forms and conventions of teen
drama/psychological thriller genre trailers as social media is heavily used in order to create a
further connection with its audience.
#disconnected film trailer
Video-calling

8. Intertitles
In order for the trailer to conform to the conventions of film trailers, our group
decided that intertitles would make the trailer more appealing to its target audience.
I wanted the intertitles to challenge forms and conventions though, by making them
more interesting. So, I thought it was best to use ‘Facebook search’ style intertitles,
infusing the trailer with snippets of information, edited in to keep the audience
hooked. I wanted to use the Facebook style instead of just using a black conventional
screen to, again, inform the audience that social media is heavily used within the film.
I feel that using ‘Facebook’ style intertitles, it makes it more interesting and different
to other trailers, giving it its unique selling point.

9. Tone of the film trailer
Like all trailers, the soundtrack, sound effects and shots all work together in order to create a certain
atmosphere and mood for the audience. In order to do this for our film trailer to fit in with the
conventions of most, we decided to add quick cuts, featuring negative scenes e.g. We added the
tense shots including discussing who the anonymous user was with no soundtrack (silence) in the
background, enhancing the tension and negativity that is about to arise.
I also took the role in including different notification sounds in order to create a realistic setting,
which is conventional for film trailers. ‘Unfriended’ included video-calling sound effects etc, so it
brings the acting to life, which is what we, as a group, wanted to create for the ‘#disconnected’ film
trailer.
We also included tense sound effects during appropriate cuts e.g. the diegetic dialogue of Sarah
saying “It was you, wasn’t it?”. I felt that by using this sound effect, it conformed to the forms and
conventions of most film trailers as they include short and quick sound effects in order to enhance
what the character is saying.

10. Film Title
#disconnected film trailer
Browsing across different film trailers, the film name is always edited in at the end
of the trailer, the last shot that the audience sees. I found that this is useful for the
audience to remember the film name and therefore, more likely to watch the film.
To fit in with the forms and conventions of film trailers, our group decided to add
the film name, ‘#disconnected’ at the end of our film trailer also.

11. Billing block
The billing block, consisting of the films, actors, directors, producers, and other crew
members was added in at the end of the film trailer, a shot after the film name. This is, again,
conventional of film trailers as it gives credit to the members that took part in the film trailer.
I took on the role of creating the billing block, so looked into the conventions of how they are
made. As you can see, I have conformed to the forms and conventions, in terms of font and
style. I have used capital letters and doubled lines, similar to examples that I looked at.
However, unlike a lot of film trailers/posters etc, I have included the films social media
accounts, bearing in mind our target audience are teenagers, so that they are fully able to
follow up on film updates, interviews and information about online safety etc. I have also
included our production logo, ‘Lucegan Productions’ so that it has a more realistic and
professional look. As well as this, I have conformed to the convention of adding the films
website page for those who may want to find out the age classification and other themes that
it may feature e.g. violence etc.
#disconnected film trailer Example

12.  I believe the film trailer as a whole has followed the forms and
conventions of most film trailers, but also has its own unique selling point
which makes it different to other trailers of the same genre. I have made
an effort to make the trailer original, coming up with the idea of the
‘Facebook search’ intertitles and theme which I believe will interest and
entice our target audience as it is fresh and new to the film industry.
Together with this, we wanted the trailer/film to be of comfort to those
who may have been through the same problems as the characters acting
in the trailer. So, by adding the films social media accounts and website,
teenagers that may have been through the same issue can seek help from
the website and social media accounts, something unconventional of
many films. By growing up in the modern day, we as teenagers ourselves
understand the struggles of some people going through online abuse so
we wanted to help those in need, as well as informing them about online
dangers. We feel by doing this, we are not just a production that wants to
sell as many tickets to see our film as possible, but we wanted to make
our media products a start for helping those who may suffer, attracting a
community of teenagers who can all work together in order to exchange
different safety facts and information so that social media is that little bit
safer.