Katie Willoughby- AS Media Blog
Tuesday 7 May 2013
Saturday 20 April 2013
Evaluation Question 7...
"Looking back on your preliminary task, what do you feel you heave learnt in the progression from it to the full product?"
Evaluation Question 6...
"What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this media product?"
Evaluation Question 5...
"What type of media institution would distribute your media product and why?"
A media institute is a production company or firm which would distribute a film to certain cinemas. For example, a Hollywood blockbuster such as Harry Potter is distributed by Warner Bros. to the largest cinemas around the world such as ODEON and VUE.
A media institute is a production company or firm which would distribute a film to certain cinemas. For example, a Hollywood blockbuster such as Harry Potter is distributed by Warner Bros. to the largest cinemas around the world such as ODEON and VUE.
The types of films that these large companies would distribute would involve huge, A-List stars, teamed with award winning directors and a very sizable budget.
My film however, had none of these. Therefore realistically, the chance of a production company such as this or 20th Century Fox distributing my film would be practically impossible. Theoretically, however, I feel that even if my film were professional and had a larger budget, the type of media institution that would distribute my media product would be different to the mentioned above.
Based of the narrative and story line of my film, I feel that it would fit better being distributed by a smaller, British film company such as Warp, or maybe even an independent company. I feel this because my film challenges quite a few norms and conventions of Hollywood films and it could be a risk for larger film companies to distribute my product.
I also feel that it would be distributed to smaller venues such as CinemaCity as opposed to ODEON etc. I think this because I have decided that my main audience would be viewers that label themselves as 'Mainstream Plus' or perhaps even 'Aficionados' at a stretch because it lacks certain qualities that mainstream films contain and that mainstream audiences thrive on.
Friday 19 April 2013
Evaluation Question 1...
"In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge conventions of conventional films?"
In cinema, there are a number of conventions that are widely used in the majority of films, including the way the character looks, the narrative, the genre conventions etc.
For example, the conventions of a romantic drama would include:
-A cityscape
-A young attractive female
-A young attractive male
-The two meet by chance and fall in love instantly
-Things are going well between the two and suddenly a crisis strikes which threatens to ruin the relationship.
-The crisis would be resolved and all would be happy again.
-Suddenly however, a tradgedy occurs forcing the two to terminate their relationship in a tearful finale.
I feel my film uses several conventions of the film industry in general which I feel makes the film appealing to mainstream views. My film uses conventions that are often found in characters. The actors in my film are slim, pretty teenage girls, some of which are blonde, which is seen as the norm for female characters, even in cinema today. Also, the girls are all wearing make up and look quite glamorus which adds to the convention further. Had this been a hollywood blockbuster, I would have casted the actresses to look this way because I feel it really contributes to the convention.
My media product also uses norms found in the horror or psychological thriller genre. The setting is a secluded road at night time, where the only source of light is the orangey street light from behind the actress. There is no one around and the pathway is over-looking a black, scary looking lake. These are typical things which would be found in a horror film. Also, slow, ominous non diagetics are present which is instantly recognisable as a feature to a scary film. Regarding the characters and story line, the pretty young girls are seen as 'the damsel in distress/ which is very common.
Developing a convention in a film can be quite difficult- it requires a lot of skill to be able to take a convention and take it a step further, and not many films do this as it can sometimes go unnoticed. I feel like I have slightly developed a couple of conventions in mine, but not fully developed them. For example, the typical convention of a female character would be as described above, but there would only be one. I decided to have it so there are 6, thus developing the 'normal' idea of female characters.
Also, I used flashbacks in my film (which already challenges the traditional narrative). Flashbacks are usually known to be in black and white to be able to fully distinguish between reality and the past. However, due to the contrasting tones in the scenes between flashbacks and the present, I didn't feel the need to make them black and white, so this could be seen as developing the conventions of flashbacks.
My media product challenges a lot of conventions set by film directors and producers. These include conventions in the characters. I have challenged these conventions by having the focus shared between 6 girls as opposed to 1. This is also challenged further because none of the girls in the opening would appear as a leading character had the film been continued. This is rarely seen in the industry. The typical narrative of films has also been challenged in my media product. It is commonly known that the traditional structure of any film, or even any type of media product e.g books or television shows starts with 'the beginning', continues to 'the middle, and finished with 'the end'. This may seen obvious. However, mine has flash backs cut into it between scenes, which messed with the prospect of a beginning, middle and end, because they are jumbled up. The film also begins with a voice over and a black screen. This is rare in cinema.
In cinema, there are a number of conventions that are widely used in the majority of films, including the way the character looks, the narrative, the genre conventions etc.
For example, the conventions of a romantic drama would include:
-A cityscape
-A young attractive female
-A young attractive male
-The two meet by chance and fall in love instantly
-Things are going well between the two and suddenly a crisis strikes which threatens to ruin the relationship.
-The crisis would be resolved and all would be happy again.
-Suddenly however, a tradgedy occurs forcing the two to terminate their relationship in a tearful finale.
I feel my film uses several conventions of the film industry in general which I feel makes the film appealing to mainstream views. My film uses conventions that are often found in characters. The actors in my film are slim, pretty teenage girls, some of which are blonde, which is seen as the norm for female characters, even in cinema today. Also, the girls are all wearing make up and look quite glamorus which adds to the convention further. Had this been a hollywood blockbuster, I would have casted the actresses to look this way because I feel it really contributes to the convention.
My media product also uses norms found in the horror or psychological thriller genre. The setting is a secluded road at night time, where the only source of light is the orangey street light from behind the actress. There is no one around and the pathway is over-looking a black, scary looking lake. These are typical things which would be found in a horror film. Also, slow, ominous non diagetics are present which is instantly recognisable as a feature to a scary film. Regarding the characters and story line, the pretty young girls are seen as 'the damsel in distress/ which is very common.
Developing a convention in a film can be quite difficult- it requires a lot of skill to be able to take a convention and take it a step further, and not many films do this as it can sometimes go unnoticed. I feel like I have slightly developed a couple of conventions in mine, but not fully developed them. For example, the typical convention of a female character would be as described above, but there would only be one. I decided to have it so there are 6, thus developing the 'normal' idea of female characters.
Also, I used flashbacks in my film (which already challenges the traditional narrative). Flashbacks are usually known to be in black and white to be able to fully distinguish between reality and the past. However, due to the contrasting tones in the scenes between flashbacks and the present, I didn't feel the need to make them black and white, so this could be seen as developing the conventions of flashbacks.
My media product challenges a lot of conventions set by film directors and producers. These include conventions in the characters. I have challenged these conventions by having the focus shared between 6 girls as opposed to 1. This is also challenged further because none of the girls in the opening would appear as a leading character had the film been continued. This is rarely seen in the industry. The typical narrative of films has also been challenged in my media product. It is commonly known that the traditional structure of any film, or even any type of media product e.g books or television shows starts with 'the beginning', continues to 'the middle, and finished with 'the end'. This may seen obvious. However, mine has flash backs cut into it between scenes, which messed with the prospect of a beginning, middle and end, because they are jumbled up. The film also begins with a voice over and a black screen. This is rare in cinema.
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