2. In what ways does your media products use, develop or challenge forms
and conventions of real media products?
The types of conventions that are common in the action thriller genre are low key
lighting, flash backs, shadows, black and white, action and fast tension music. In
our media film we used flashbacks as it is common in thrillers. We chose to do it in
black and white to represent a very emotional past as if it was in colour then it
would show a more happy moment. Low key lighting was very common throughout
the movie as it created a dark setting and suspense, we chose to use a room in the
school where we could alter with the lighting. We used a board to block the light
coming from the window and switched off the lights and this meant we can use our
own lighting to focus on certain objects. For example we focused the light on the
photos that Bella was looking at in the room and this meant that the audience can
only focus on that particular object and not get distracted by anything else.
3. Originally Bella was meant to have a gun however we could not find the prop and
therefore we had to just put in a fighting scene and it was necessary as we
researched about the action code (Roland Barthes) where violence and a fighting
scene is initiated in order to solve a problem. The fighting scene was a bit difficult
to film however we were able to choreograph a fight and just experimented with
the camera angles. Enigma code is also used in the film as in the photos in the
opening sequence there is a boy and it makes the audience wonder ‘Who is that
boy?’ ‘Why is he significant?’ ‘Why does she have photos of him?’
4. The idea of using photos in my opening sequence was inspired by the
Se7en opening credits which is a thriller movie and the camera focuses
a lot on objects such as pictures. I liked the idea of the photos as this
adds to the idea of enigma. Originally in my film I wanted to use quick
cuts between the flashbacks and the present however it was very
difficult to edit and was not finished in time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEq-4fua3lM
5. How does your media product represent
particular social products?
Bella is a working class lady, this is not necessarily obvious in the film
but the fact that she has no one with her to help her do the dirty work
shows she is working class some who are of higher status would have
paid for someone to do their dirty work. Additionally she does not
really have the money for guns and ammo and therefore just deals with
the enemy in an old fashioned way, by fighting. We decided to conform
with the stereotype of working class being mischievous and someone
who likes to get down and dirty. Bella is someone who is heartless,
brave and someone who is determined to find her mother’s killer. The
representation is more positive as it follows the idea of a woman being
able to stick up for herself and be as violent as a man can.
6. Bella is meant to be the new Zoe Saldana as the whole plot was based
off the film Colombiana. Bella witnessed her mother get killed in front
of her and as she grows up she trains to become a professional assassin
and to hunt down the murderer of her mother. With Bella we wanted
to have the traits that Cataleya had in Colombiana,Bella is someone
who had a close relationship with her family but is emotionless with
everybody else the same way Cataleya in Colombiana cares for her
uncle and was distressed when her Grandma got killed. In Colombiana
you can tell Zoe Saldana is a trained assassin as she keeps cool in
whatever situation and doesn’t show hesitation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51riQI8nfR4
7. What kind of institution might distribute your
media product and why?
Lionsgate would be the institution that might distribute our
product and this is because our media film is an action
thriller and Lionsgate produces a lot of action and thriller
films such as John Wick, The Expendables,
