The document discusses the production of a short film and how it adheres to and challenges the conventions of real media products. It describes the influences of narrative and cinematography, the aim to engage a younger audience through social media, and the use of unconventional storytelling techniques, such as a twist ending. The production focuses on themes of representation, genre conventions, and aims to provoke thought around serious social issues like teenage pregnancy.

1. In what ways do your media products use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
MEDIA EVALUATION QUESTION 1

2. When making our short film, I had to follow certain codes and conventions to help make our sort film
look professional and challenge forms of real media product. By researching narrative, genre and
different types of cinematography. I researched about a girl, white and so you think you’ve grown
attached this helped with my decision on what I want my short film to turn out. Short films differ to
Hollywood blockbusters, in many ways for example, short films are usually 10 minutes long this done
in order to keep the audience engaged and the storyline is not too far stretched. Unlike Hollywood
films short films aims to keep the audience on their toes also allows them to think which goes against
the idea that media has been dumbed down

3. Short films also allows a space for creativity and there’s usually twist at the of the film, which gives the
audience a chance to learn and also make connotations and assumptions. In our production we have
in some ways challenged the codes of representation in a short film, for example, stereotypes that girls
are weak and unable to do what a man can do, also the male gaze theory. We made sure we switched
the roles of gender as this is more likely to engage the audience. However e have followed a typical
codes and conventions of a short film, but we also challenged technical ideas by adding soundtrack in
our film instead of going for a typical short film.

4. For our production we have decided to present our short film on YouTube and through social media
websites, this is because our film is aimed at a particular group of audiences, our target audience are
between the ages 17-25 as it is more likely for people in those ages to go on social media websites
like Facebook and You tube, we have used different angle shots in our production, for example over
the shoulder shot we used this in order to hide the main characters face and identity also for the
audience to see the other character and emotions. In this case the audience are familiar with the
character. We have also used point of view shorts in order for the audience to see through the
characters eyes.

5. As our sub-genre is social realism we have chosen working class area or our location in order to send a
message to the audience and we can’t afford a studio unlike Hollywood film, filming at a location gives
the audience a sense familiarity. We challenged technical ideas of adding a soundtrack because, we
wanted to be different and because our target audience ranges between teens and young adults we
wanted to keep them engaged and on their toes. We also want the, to be confused. For example, the
twist at the end of the film which turns out the kidnapper was a girl as unexpected, this challenges
propps ideas about the man being a hero and damsel in distress, as we don’t have a hero

6. Our production narrative structure was based on Todorov’s idea, however we found this not to be
useful because there was no hints during the film which gives off the idea that the kidnapper was a
girls and not a boy. We have a non0-linear narrative structure. The film about a girl helped us in
adding what our film was going to be about because, audiences were able to learn from it and also the
twist was unexpected at the end, this was when the girl threw a bag with a foetus inside the river. We
wanted to adapt our film so that in some cases as it help parents and teenagers prevent teen
pregnant. We want our audience to take something way from our film and at the end to be something
unexpected.

7. As our sub-genres are thriller and docu-drama we have added some codes and
conventions of a thriller and docu drama. For example, our short film is based on the
story of a missing child madeleine McCann, we also follow a typical codes and
convention of a thriller, for example we used wide shot to show the area of which the
kidnapping was, but we didn’t give too much away. We also use natural light and our
film was mostly shoot outside in the dark and we also used an abandoned room in
order to give our audience a wary feeling. On the other hand we could have kept our
kidnapper identity more hidden, however we don’t have money to purchase anything
in which will help keep our kidnapers identity hidden. We also follow Dogme 95 as we
have low/ no budget for our film production. We have also follow some aspects of
Todorov’s and Propps narrative structure, for example we have a protagonist and
antagonist, and we also have a victim.

8. Overall we researched different short films in order to get a sense of what we are doing also to help us
with our decisions. We have also followed and challenged typical codes and conventions of a short
film, However we need to make sure to also develop some ideas further.