Media evaluationBethan Head

In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms of

real media products?:• I set out to challenge to codes and conventions of the horror genre. looked at films such as the

Blair Witch Project, to get an idea of films similar to what mine could look like. I planned that my film introduction should be filmed in daylight, in a familiar setting. I chose the woods, con- sequently the name of my film. This instantly helped me to get the genre of horror right as it provided me with a reason for the young girl to be walking in the woods innocently

• Although I set out to challenge the codes and conventions, I tried to keep to the basic, and most important ones, when trying to put across the horror genre. The conventions I did keep were the obvious and necessary to keep the genre in mind. Conventions such as starting off innocently and then leading into the horror and using non-diegetic sound, such as suspension building music, to set the mood of the scene.

• I have stuck to the conventions of credits in opening sequences. This means that I correctly set out the titles in ways that all films do. This is the one thing I have kept the same as other horror films. It creates familiarity with the audience as this is the same throughout most other films whether they be of the horror genre or not.

Above: shot from Blair Witch ProjectBelow: establishing shot from my own media production

How does your media product represent particular social

groups?: • I think that with my film introduction using a familiar location and situation (a girl walking home from school through the woods) represents the social group of school child very well. This is because they can all connect with the situation and relate to how the girl is feeling. This would all make the film much more realistic for this audience.

• However, I think that this may cause problems with older social groups as they may have forgotten what this would be like and they may think that the storyline is way to stereotypical of horror. This is why I also tried to challenge the codes and conventions of horror, to make it more intere- sting for older social groups and to create a sense of something new that hasn’t been attempted much in the genre of horror. This would enable them to feel as if they were experiencing something new, exciting and different.

• I think that overall, I have represented all social groups well and that when a problems were found I did my very best to try solve them. Making sure that my film opening ran as smoothly as possible, ensuring that my end product was as realistic and seamless as was able.

• By the narrative of my film including a lone young girl I have stereotyped. Most forms of media use stereotyping to make more of an impact within their media type. This causes the audience to feel that the film is more realistic, although the girl has being a little stupid walking through empty woods on her own, it is a familiar location and situation for many of us. Meaning that the audience find it much easier to relate with the film.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and

why?:• My film would firstly be released into the cinemas. Being a horror film it is a popular genre and this would mean that cinemas would have more interest in my film over a Western film because it is much more likely to bring in large audiences, creating revenue for both the cinemas and I. After it has appeared in the cinemas, my film will be released onto DVD. This would be an opportunity for people who didn’t get chance to see my film in the cinemas to purchase it and enjoy, as well as for people who enjoyed it in the cinemas to buy it so that they can get continuous pleasure from it.

•The kind of media institute my film would be distributed on would be channels such as Sky Movies Premiere and Sky Movies Sci-Fi & Horror. Due to Sky Movies having a special password protected viewings, my film could be shown throughout the day and night ensuring that nobody under the age of 15 would view it because they must know the parental protection code.

• However, when it comes to terrestrial channels such as Channel 4, ITV1 or 2 and the BBC my film would have to be shown after 9pm and although this is not a mainstream time is would ensure that the right audience would be targeted. This has to be done because before 9pm is primetime and if it was showed at such a time families and people below the age of 15 may end up watching it. This would not be good as it may scare the children and families may write complaints to the channel and perhaps even the film company!

• Overall, I think that my film is accessible and interpretable for the audiences of such channels. And although, if showed on digital channels, I may not be able to meet my targeted audience, due to not every household having digital television, I think that it would be successful to premiere it on both kinds of channels to make sure that people who have not been able to see it at the cinemas do.

Who would be the audience for your media product?:

• My media product has been certified at 15. this means that anyone above the age of 15 is permitted to purchase access my film, whether it be on DVD, TV or in the cinemas.

• However I would say that my film actually targets teenagers of the ages 15 to 21. This is because of the storyline behind my product. As a teenage girl is walking home from school and decides to take a shortcut through ‘The Woods’. This would not be as relatable or realistic to viewers above the age of 21 because it may have been a long time ago since they were at school and they will have forgotten the subtle dangers that this walk home could bring. Targeting people the same age as the girl walking home from school enables them to be able to relate to the story. This would give it a sense of realism and make it that touch scarier because it would create the feeling that this could happen to the viewer themselves!

• Although my media product is targeting 15-21 year olds, I do not think that I have ruled them out of seeing this film as although thestory is about a school girl walking through ‘The Woods’, everyonehas walked through ‘The Woods’ at some point in their life.

How did you attract/address your audience?:

• I used a familiar location, that my audience would easily recognize and it would trigger a sense of subtle horror. This is because it makes the viewer feel as if the story line could actually happen to them. I have also used an actress around the same age of my target audience, this makes it even more realistic for the viewer. And although people from my audience may not still be in school, and therefore would not have to walk home from it, they would still have had an everyday occurrence within ‘The Woods’ whether it just be for walking or because a shortcut has been made on the way home from somewhere.

• I have also looked closely at similar films to mine to see how they have reached decisions upon targeting their audiences. Like mine, The Blair Witch Project is certified at 15. I have therefore closely looked at the shots and locations where this has been filmed so that I could get a good picture of how my audience can and have previously been targeted. I found that this helped me a lot, as it made me see how real film companies have done to attract their own audiences.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of

constructing this product?:

• Working with different technologies has effected my work in various different ways. Using iMovie has enabled me to manipulate images for my production, such as my producer ident, extremely easily. Being a photography student I was able to do this very easily! I was also able to easily edit my film, once recorded. This meant that within a couple of weeks, my editing was almost complete and I was close to having a complete production.

• One problem I faced was that I had to learn how to use a new technology, this being iMovie. Although it was a new technology to me I did pick up the basics quite quickly enabling me to get back on track with my editing as soon as possible. Another new technology related issue I came across was working and understanding how to use the video camera. I did do limited camera work at GCSE, but there was a lot for me to learn about functioning the video camera. One problem I had was trying to focus the camera lens so that there was no blurring in my clips. Once I had overcome this problem by zooming all the way in and then out before recording, everything else seemed to run as smoothly as possible.

• Overall, I found digital technology extremely enabling to my work. Without the likes of iMovie and Adobe Photoshop my film and its other work that supports it would not be half as good as they are because of digital technology.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full

product?: • Looking back upon my preliminary task has made me realize how much I have developed my skills and learnt throughout this practical production. Back when making my preliminary, iMovie was new to me and my skills were not fully developed.

• Also working a video camera was relatively new to me and to have to fit in 3 newly learnt camera shots/angles was a big task. Our preliminary task actually tuck us a few times to get right. We tried it in two locations in our school, one on a stairway and one in a small room just off a classroom. We decided to use the small classroom to make sure that we got the match on action shot, reverse shot and 180 degree rule as good as we possibly could do. One of the main things I learnt from my preliminary task was that working alone would be the best idea for me. This was down to having unpredictable partners. This discovery meant that I could get along with the practical production when and where I wanted to, without having to consult others or rely upon other people being in school to get on with the blog and editing. This was probably the biggest decision I had to make and without making this decision I don’t think that my media production would be anything like it is now.

• When comparing my preliminary to my final media practical production product, I think it’s fair to say there is little to no similarities. The editing has been seamlessly put together making it easy to follow and to suggest vulnerability when necessary. The sound has been carefully chosen to compliment and to cause suspense when needed, in-fitting with the horror genre. My camera work has been researched into to make sure that it suited my genre, could be easily interpreted by my audience and to ensure that it looked good. Overall, I think I have learnt a lot of new skills that I can take on with me throughout my A Level Media Studies course and that I have created a believable horror film opening that could be enjoyed by persons of the ages 15+.