This document analyzes how a media product uses and challenges conventions of real media through its portrayal of extraordinary events occurring in ordinary situations. It provides three examples from the media product to illustrate this. The first example shows a close-up of Barack Obama in an ordinary bedroom to depict an extraordinary assassination plot unfolding in a normal setting. The second example depicts the main character arriving home on an ordinary street to set up the juxtaposition of normality with the character's extraordinary secret activities. The third example analyzes a close-up of an envelope establishing narrative enigmas about the character's secret life that the viewer expects will be resolved.

1. Task 1. In what ways does your media product use develop or challenge forms and conventions of
real media products.
Extraordinary events happening in ordinary situations.
This is a close up shot of the picture of
Barack Obama with a dotted duvet and
hot wattle bottle in the background.
We chose a close up shot to show its
narrative significance. To make an
ordinary situation we picked the
location of this bedroom as it was an
average bedroom with no unordinary
features. To build the mise en scene
and develop the convention we added
the hot water bottle onto the duvet.
This could show that the character
needs comfort and also could suggest
that he has a partner (also hair
straighteners are seen in the scene
before) – part of an ordinary life.
The picture of Obama shows the extraordinary event. Just before this close up there is shot of the main
character crossing out the eyes on a similar picture stuck on the wall (suggesting he has murdered this
character) this suggests the same is going to be attempted on Obama which is an extraordinary event.
This extraordinary event is occurring in a ordinary bedroom is using the convention of extraordinary
events in ordinary situations. The pictures stuck on the wall are unordinary and are in juxtar position
with the ordinary bedroom.
This mid-shot of the main character walking
into his house shows a sub-urban Cambridge
street in the background. To use the convention
we picked this house mainly as the area it was
in. It isn’t run down or majorly affluent but is
ordinary. Also it is in Cambridge which has a
reputation as a good area. It is a busy street
with traffic going past showing life and people
going on their day to day business. With the
mise en scene we made the main character is
wear a suit which suggests he has a normal 9-5
job. This sets up the ordinary location and
character situation for the extra extraordinary
events which are going on in the characters life.

2. There is often a scene near the end of the film in which the protagonist is in peril.
This close up reaction shot shows the main
characters reaction to opening the letter to
find the picture of Obama. This is near the end
of our opening sequence and the characters
expression shows his unhappiness about the
picture he receives. He then throws the photo
out and leaves the room showing that he is
annoyed. It isn’t quite peril but it is a low point
for the main character and near the end of the
sequence.
A crime at the core of the narrative
This close up shot shows the main character
crossing out the eyes on a passport/police
record style photo. This suggests the
character has been murdered. It drives the
narrative and is the point where the
characters sinister side as a murderer is
revealed. The other photos in the background
suggest that the character has murdered
many targets as well in the past. The next
scene shows the similar picture of Obama
and this is the crime which is the core of the
narrative.

3. A narrative pattern of establishing enigmas which the viewer expects to be resolved.
This shot of the letter is close up to show its
significance and the letter brings up several enigmas.
The audience can see the illuminati symbol (even if
they don’t know what it is it looks intriguing as
symbols are not normally on letters like that) and
those that do, know that the illuminati is allegedly a
secretive organization run by Satan and question why
the main character would be getting letters from
them. This is later resolved when the character is
identified as an assassin. Also the ‘hello again’
written on the letter suggests to the audience that he
has received these letters in the past. Also the letter
has no sign of stamps or address which shows it has
been personally delivered making the viewer wonder
who has delivered it. The viewers expect what is
inside of this letter and the reasoning/characters
involvement will be uncovered.