Evaluation Question 1- In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media product?

Although our film is a stereotypical gangster movie set in modern times, the fact the opening scene is a point of view shot subverts the stereotypical genre of gangster film. The point of view shot was used to signify the ins and outs of a gangster’s life. The circular plot of the film, making the end of the film as the start uses Barthes enigma code as it provokes the audience to question how the character got to where he is now, and what were the events leading up to this. The fact the opening scene is filmed in a common urban house creates verisimilitude as it signifies to the audience that this scene happened in their world and connects the audience to the character and setting. This also subverts the stereotypical gangster movie as most gangster films mis-en-scene are set in fancy houses of the stereotypical “rich gangster” character. This also provokes jouissance in the audience as it breaks the ordinary conventions of the gangster genre and defeats their expectations. But as the genre I am doing is gangster, i still kept the gangster aspects to the film through the codes and forms of the genre. One of these being the stereotypical drugs, alcohol and gun props and these intertextually link to the gangster genre and when people see these props they instantly know the genre of the film, as the weapons and drugs and money instantly strike connotations of the gangster genre. This provokes Plaisir in the audience as this is what they know and it reaches their expectations. The fact the non diagetic sound of the Rap genre soundtrack has been used connotes how this film has all the key codes and conventions of a gangster genre but creates a sense of modern day which makes this film apply to the young demographic as well as the older generation. This also forms a hybrid genre and uses Levi Strauss binary opposite to create a clear distinction between old traditions of the genre, and new features that the consumer want and need making this film appeal to the target audience and also makes the film conform to the codes and conventions of the genre whilst breaking the expectations. It also creates a sense of post-modernism as it is the combination of old traditions and new music to form a new idea that people enjoy and do not expect. The non diagetic sound of police sirens, gun shots, screaming and crying and the use of the heartbeat sound effect all occur mentally to the character but have been raised so the audience can hear and to create effect for the audience, that they are the character. Although these sounds are cliché and very stereotypical they use Todorovs equilibrium theory to connote that a disequilibrium has occurred somewhere within the movie which the character is recalling now. This conforms to the typical codes and forms of the gangster genre, but as the film is first person these sound effects are needed to further enhance the story of the genre. This also uses Barthes enigma code to provoke the audience to ask questions on what the character has seen, done and felt during his life and how he has got to the point of drug taking and alcoholism again conforming to the stereotypical codes and conventions of the genre. Likewise in Goodfellas the diagetic sounds of gun shots and stab wounds are there to connote to the audience the events that are taking place but these also conform to the typical gangster genre.