The document discusses how the opening of a student-made motor sport film uses and challenges conventions of the genre. It uses conventional titles and credits, but an unconventional protagonist who is disabled. Locations like the race track are conventional. Costumes subvert stereotypes to show how the protagonist has changed. Camera work uses standard establishing and tracking shots. Editing contrasts fast-paced flashbacks with slower present-day scenes to convey a change in the protagonist's life. Overall the narrative draws on conventions like settings but also subverts expectations through the protagonist's disability.

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

2. Genre
Titles –
We named the film ‘Driven’, this has a double meaning, it
links to his career and also to his mind set to get him to
where he is, I think that the name links all elements of
the film together and also creates mystery for the
audience. The film is a motor sport film so the name
links to the genre well. The designing of the Title was
influenced by audience testing, as a group we picked a
few individual fonts and presented these to a focus group
along with a questionnaire asking for their opinions, from
this we figured out which fonts were the most popular
and why – this allowed us to make are final decision. The
Title appears at the end of our opening, this fits really
well with the voice over and creates mystery for the

3. Credits –
We choose to do the credits is quite a conventional way,
they fade out slowly – this is with in good keeping with
our narrative. I think that our credits are similar to most
films but it is the way that we found most fitting with our
opening.

4. Characters –
In our opening it is clear that our main character is a protagonist
this is very stereotypical for a film of the genre Motor Sport. I
think that in some ways we do have an antagonist character
however it is the same character as the protagonist, I feel that he
is the only person that stops himself doing anything.
Further on in the film the audience maybe introduced to secondary
characters, currently there are a few extras in the fan scene, these
would probably stay as extras rather then becoming secondary
characters but there is that option.
Our main character is unconventional of a motor sport film, this is
because he starts of disabled which subverts the stereo type of
racing drivers being very active and energetic.
The opening of our film and the characters in it can be compared
to the opening of ‘Rush’.

5. Settings/ locations –
When filming the opening to our film we stuck to the very
conventional locations of a race track/ environment, this is
shown in films such as Rush and The Need for Speed.
We are very lucky that the Silverstone UTC is located on/
next to one of the most famous racing circuits and we were
given the opportunity to use this facilities.
When filming there were some limitations such as
• Timings – we only had 1 college day to film everything we
needed to on the track
• Locations – we had to get permission to use certain
locations on the track such as grandstands, we had to make
sure that the circuit were contacted well in advance so that
we were able to do so.
• Distance – Working as a group meant that we had to find
time and a place when everyone was able to film and where
everyone could get to considering we all live in different
villages and surrounding areas
I think that if were to do it again there is a few
improvements/ changes that could be made, I think it would

6. Costumes –
Conventional costumes for a film of the Motor sport
genre can vary, there will nearly always be a race suit,
and some sort of Fan/ pit girl. Stereotypically racing
drivers are wealthy so even when they are not in a car
they are seen to be dressed well often with sunglasses
on.
In the opening we subvert this stereotype – our main
character is seen in warm layered clothing, this is used
as a contrast to when he is wearing a race suit – this is
used to show how his life has changed. The costume of
the character can also be seen to encode his age and
how this accident has aged him and changed him into a
lot less active and energetic person, the complete
opposite to what he once was.
All the other extras in the opening are wearing casual

7. Camera work –
As a group we used lots of establishing shots – this is
conventional of a Motor sport genre film to set the
location of the film. The shots we used in our opening
help to show the narrative of the film as well .
We used a range of shots and techniques such as –
• Establishing
• Pan
• Track
• Close up
• Hand held shots
• Focus pull
These were used to help create mystery and a fast pace
for the audience

8. Editing-
We have used editing in the opening to create an
atmosphere for the audience for example a filter has
been used on the flash backs to make the narrative
easier to understand, as well as the speed of editing
changing between the past and present to show the
change of speed in his life.
The present has a slower speed of editing to show how
boring and ordinary his life is, nothing exciting is
happening.
The past has a much faster edit showing the excitement
and energy that his life use to be life.
The comparison between the 2 makes it clear to the
audience that something has happened.

9. Narrative –
The narrative has been created through the wide variety
of shots and edits, this makes the story line clearer and
easier to understand for the audience. Most of our
opening could be classed as a conventional Motor Sport
film however some parts of it could be classed as
subverting these conventions.