In what way does your media product use, develop or

challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

My media products uses and develops forms and conventions of real media products in effective ways in order to engage the audience throughout the narrative and satisfy their expectations. However I challenge forms and conventions so that it doesn’t always meet the predictions by the audience, this will enhance their attention and create a bigger impact on them; which will be the end results I am hoping for.

In my short film after researching a range of real media products that fit in to the romance-drama genre it soon came apparent that there are regular forms and conventions used that help to prescribe the narrative to the audience.

 Camerawork conventions used in real media products such as ‘Gone Goodbye’ helped me to aspire and create my film, as the director used continuous high angle shots which helped develop the vulnerableness of the protagonist in the short film so that the audience will be able to gain sympathy for him. I used this convention and used it in my own so that I was able to create the same effect, one example of this is when the protagonist in the first scene is sitting at the table, so that an immediate reaction can be made by the audience.

This complimented smoothly with other camera shots I used such as close ups of the protagonists facial features. This is a key convention that I have included throughout my short film and my ancillary tasks; this is because it is important that the audience gain a connection with the protagonist to create the mood to be upsetting and hollow. ‘Moments’ a short film I analysed use this technique continuously throughout the film and the bond that was formed once it had finished really helped develop and dramatize the ending. I feel that using this convention was a success as it showed from when I screened my short film at the Media Awards Evening, the feedback I was given was exactly how I wanted the results to be such as upsetting, sad and scared. I was also informally told that it definitely pulled on the heartstrings. I was pleased with the impact that it had on my audience. 

A convention that I have learnt most real media products use is the appearance of a character and how they are portrayed. In ‘Moments’ and ‘Greif’ a good looking actor plays the role of the protagonist, whereas in ‘Gone Goodbye’ a middle aged man plays the protagonist. Instead of challenging my audience I used this convention as it is important that I thought about my target audience and what would appeal to them. Due to ‘Moments’ and ‘Greif’ being targeted to a similar aged audience to what I had planned too I decided that it would be a safer option to follow the convention rather than challenge it, so that my film will be about to appeal to a larger market.

Moments

Grief

Gone Goodbye

Goodbye

When editing my short film I had already the knowledge that the durations of each shot is very important, the short film ‘Gone Goodbye’ used extremely long durations of shots to develop the tension before moving on to a next shot. I took this inspiration and adapted it so that I would have a long duration for a shot and then it would go to a black screen for a few seconds before introducing the next scene. I challenged this convention as it helped develop a delayed reaction to help intensify the scenes. This would emphasise the drama genre. As I found that it was important that I varied between romance and drama conventions considering it is a hybrid genre film, this encourages a larger target audience.

My short film uses symbolic codes, the elements help to visually narrate the narrative so that it is more effective and interesting for the audience to watch. The short film ‘Grief’ uses a rose as a symbolic code to represent the genre romance. The audience will associate this prop as a symbol for the lover who is not seen in the film. I was inspired by this code and used it in my short film so that it was able to create an upsetting mood that the audience will be able to distinguish to help create the mise-en-scene. 

To create sympathy certain conventions are used in real media products to be able to produce this. I found that the location was a key convention that really helped to develop the mood to be quite isolated. The film ‘Gone Goodbye’ used a big open rural space near a river which could be insinuated by the audience that the location was a connotation of his emotions and feelings. I adapted this idea and set the location of one scene in my film at a reservoir. This will engage the audience’s attention, as they are constantly wanting to know what has happened to the lover and set the mise-en-scene to be daunting and tension building due to the mix of emotions the audience will be feeling.

In all three real media products that I had analysed in fine detail it was clear that including a voiceover to narrate what the audience were visually seeing was an effective element to become more personal for the audience. The audience would be able to associate the voiceover to possibly their own lives or imaginations so that they are able to understand what the protagonist is feeling in depth. I produced a voiceover in my film after realising that a voiceover is a key convention found in romance dramas. The audience feedback I received from the Media Awards Evening informed me that it was a success when 31 out of 34 people who filled out the questionnaire said that the voiceover did feel personal to them. I was pleased with the results of this and how effective the convention is. 

A common convention used in a romance drama film is the music. The music is an extremely important element that creates the mise-en-scene to be the intended effect the director has in mind. The short film ‘grief’ uses music that is played by a piano. Audiences associate pianos as sad and depressing instruments due to the sounds they are able to make. I used this convention and found a piece of music that involved a piano and violin in order to create the mood to be upsetting for the audience, this complimented well with the running voiceover when I soon came to edit the film. 

I developed a convention of a real media texts by using quick short scenes of a point of view shot of being in a car driving fast. I used foreshadowing to slowly entice the audience of what could happen before finally there is a crash. This emphasis the drama genre from the hybrid and I purposely included it so that it would appeal to a wider target audience, due to the tension building it creates for the mood. I was inspired by this from the film ‘Moments’ where is uses a non-chronicle order.

Shot 1

Shot 2

Shot 3

I challenge codes and conventions of real media texts by implying that the protagonist isn’t as innocent as the audience may think. In the films I have analysed such as ‘Grief’ and ‘Moments’ the protagonists are portrayed to be innocent which creates the developing sympathy the audience feel for them, however in my film I challenged this convention because the protagonist is drinking alcohol. Alcohol is stereotyped as a negative appeal and drinking it; the audience will associate that she has done something wrong. This will question the audience’s predictions and entice them to watch further into the film.

I also challenge the forms and conventions of real media products by having a non-linear narrative that doesn’t cross between positive and negative themes. In the films ‘Grief’ and ‘Moments’ both of them are non-linear narratives however one scene is the present where it portrays a negative mood and the other scene used is going back in time to the memories that the protagonists have. I challenged this in my short film by not having any happy moments, the only reminiscing scene is the car scene which obviously the end events is the cause for the purpose of the film. I feel this worked more effectively as it helped develop the sympathy the audience have for the protagonist and makes the mood even more remorseful.

Present

Present

Present

Past

Past

Past

My ancillary task one was to create a film poster. I researched into all kinds film posters and established the main conventions that was found on every single one. The film name was the vital convention that was produced clearly after researching the film posters ‘Dear John’ and ‘My sisters Keeper’ I liked how they were positioned to be in the middle of the poster so that it will catch the audiences eye more effectively. Also another convention used is the main image. I was inspired by the ‘My sisters Keeper’ poster that had two images as it made it more intriguing to look at. I took this inspiration and applied it to my poster so that it helped to represent the film genre. As it is important that I thought about my target audience and what would appeal to them. 

I made sure that I used all the necessary conventions that were on all the posters I looked at such as the small text, the names of the actors starring in it or directors and the branding logo so that it will meet the audiences expectations of what a film poster looks like. However I developed a convention as the posters I had analysed which are ‘My sisters Keeper’, ‘Dear John’ and ‘Twilight’ all had specific dates of when the films were released, I challenged this and just wrote ‘Coming soon’ so that it will keep the audience interest to keep a look out for my films release date.

Another convention I challenged for my film poster was the colours I used. I was inspired by ‘Twilights’ film poster that it was quite dark which helps to emphasise the drama genre, this challenges codes and conventions as the colour black  does not have connotations that could resemble to romance, only the image of the protagonist holding the rose does. 

My ancillary task two was to create a film magazine review. Like the poster there are important conventions that must be included for the audience to be able to identify that it is a film magazine review. After analysing the film posters: ‘Spiderman 2’, ‘Due Date’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ I realised that all of them more or less included the following conventions: Mag title, Credits main image, Name of film, Film details, Body text, Second image, Verdict and star rating and a branding logo. I used all these conventions as they will help to not only promote my film in the magazine but give it a good reputation. 

I was inspired by the ‘Spiderman 2’ magazine review to the colour scheme used for the magazine itself. I used this and chose a darker blue to be the branding colour for the magazine as it makes it look professional. 

Overall I feel that my media product uses, develops and challenges forms and conventions so that it fulfils the audience’s needs and expectations. I feel I use and address them appropriately and professionally to represent a real media product.