This document discusses how a media product utilizes, develops, or challenges conventions of real social realism genres. It outlines several conventions: location shooting to enhance realism; wide shots to depict oppressive themes; non-professional actors to feel more personal; semi-improvised scripts, though the discussed media product was unable to use this convention. The media product explores wider social issues and depicts triumph over adversity, like other social realism films. It followed many conventions but could have been more adventurous by not having a positive ending for the protagonist.

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

2. Conventions of Social
Realism
• Location Shooting
• Wide Shots
• Non Professional Actors
• Semi Improvised Scripts
• Wider Social Issues Explored
• Triumph over Adversity

3. Location Shooting
We were able to use our
surrounding area in our
production through
incorporating our own
houses as well as the
countryside. The location
shooting fit with the
conventions of our genre as
well as enabling our setting
to carry a more personal
and relatable feeling for the
audience. This is captured
constantly in other films of
the genre as it enhances
the realism aspect of the
production.

4. Wide Shots
Furthermore there was an
incorporation of a variety of
shot types; including wide
shots linking again with
social realism’s conventions.
The wide shots allow the
oppressive theme
commonly threaded
through numerous social
realism film to be more
clearly displayed. Our use
equally represents this due
to the way the environment
belittles the protagonist.

5. Non Professional Actors
The convention of having a non-professional
actor (due to the independent companies
lacking money to afford a professional) or at
least less well known actually aided us;
because of the lack of availability of a
professional one to us. Therefore the person
that plays the protagonist is non-professional
and gives a performance that is more personal
to him. His possible nervousness of performing
may have helped his acting as a result of the
character being more introverted and self-
reliant, separated from the normalities of
society.

6. Semi Improvised Scripts
Consequently of using someone with no previous
experience in acting we were unable to adopt
the convention of a semi improvised script.
However we were able to take inspiration from a
particular independent British film, “Dead Man’s
Shoes”. This production features a complete lack
of dialogue during its opening and this break
from convention allows it to present a greater
impact. Therefore we too challenged this
convention, solving a problem with the actor
and producing a better result that what could
have previously been achieved.

7. Wider Social Issues
Explained
Our overall narrative discussed
wider social issues, for example
the impact on children growing
up in a more poverty ridden area
but also the themes of isolation
and depression and the effects
that it can cause to people. The
narrative our production contains
is simple and basic but as a result
of this the topics and themes are
much clearer and the issues
suffered can be more easily
noticed by the audience.

8. Triumph Over Adversity
Finally is a convention that our
media product uses very strongly.
Since the narrative is all about
overcoming what seems impossible;
as well as breaking down barriers
and circumstances that the
protagonist has created for him. It’s
an obvious illustration of triumph in
adversity that has been showcased
in a large amount of social realism
independent films such as
Trainspotting and A Room for Brass.
Our production concentrates on the
effect the child can have on the
parent, making in extremely
relatable to the audience who are
likely to have a family . Therefore will
have experienced the strength a
child can provide however possibly
not to such an extreme.

9. How we could have done
better
We followed a large proportion of the
conventions and it may have been
better to possibly be more adventurous
at certain points. This could have been
done narratively by not having the
positive new equilibrium. Instead a
more postmodern approach could be
to have the protagonist in an eventual
worst state. This could be through crime
or a darker approach could be
through such neglect his son passes
away. The protagonist slips further into
his darker self and his life is not granted
the relief that our productions narrative
provides.