Evaluation Question 1

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?


Here are 9 key frames from other films together in one photo, I will be discussing them in terms of media devices and conventions.

I will start by discussing the first photo on the top left, this image is taken from Love Actually and shows two characters hugging in a close up shot. There is also a similar scene happening in the image on the top right, this key frame is taken from another love story the notebook. Both these film genres are romantic and a convention that appears often in this type of film is the two main characters have allot of screen time together and particularly when each of them are close like hugging and kissing. This is to indicate the closeness of the two characters, so in summery it is a classic convention in romantic films to show the two people who are supposed to be in love close to each other and that they are very comfortable in each others space. I have chosen to discuss these films because they are romantic like our short we created.

The image at the top middle of the group is a shot at the start of Zombie Land, a thriller film. I picked to discuss this film because our film in the peer feedback of our treatment was described as a romantic thriller. The image shows the convention of action packed life risking shots like the man falling of the balcony, as he falls he smashes through some of the text of the opening credits. This is also a common convention of most films where the opening credits match and give an insight on what is to come in the film.

The image on the middle left is taken from the romantic comedy film 'While you were sleeping'. It shows the main female character saving her crush. This film starts off following all of the classic conventions of a romantic film but then becomes a lot different towards the second half of the film and a lot more realistic. The film goes from being a perfect love at first sight story but then she realises as she gets to know the man and his family that she falls in love with his brother and as used as a tagline on a poster for the film it is 'a story of love at second sight.' This film challenges the conventions of classic romantic films.

In the middle of the collection of images, is a scene from You, me and Dupree, it shows the two main characters engaging in conversation in their kitchen. They are sitting in there kitchen at the breakfast table face to face in a very formal way, this could be a device used by the creators to show that this is a routine thing they do so they can sit down and talk about each others day.

On the middle right there is a scene from The Adjustment Bureau showing the two main characters enjoying a meeting outside of their homes. This is a common device to indicate that the two people are dating but not in a committed relationship.

On the bottom left and right there are images of ending credits for James Bond: Golden Eye. These credits overlay over the film and then the film fades out to black. These credits mostly follow the standard and dominant conventions of film end credits, they are white on a black background and they scroll from the bottom up and start with the top billed cast.

On the bottom middle of the group of photos put together with Adobe Photoshop CS4 is a film poster for a psychological thriller 'Single White Female' in this film the woman is portrayed as being obsessed over another woman, this could be considered as challenging the convention that women are often obsessed by males.    

Here are 9 key frames from our short film. Now I will be discussing how we have used or challenged the devices or conventions I established above from other films.

In the shot on the top left it shows us following the convention of the dominate male (Brian) saving Karen this is not like in the film While you were sleeping because that film challenges the convention whereas our short we have chosen to follow the convention but by doing this we re-enforce the dominant ideology that men are supposed to be strong and heroic. 

On the top in the middle there is a medium close up shot of Karen looking up to Brian this is yet another media device to show that the woman (Karen) is smitten by the male character and to again make Brian look more powerful.

In the middle left picture we have used the media device of the two characters holding hands and sharing each others space to show the mental closeness they have gained. We have also followed the convention that I established above which is in romantic films, the main  characters are close to each other in lots of the shots and they share the screen alot.

Directly in the centre of the photo collection, a close up shot is shown of Karen face is clear to the camera. This is so we can see her emotions and show that they are more significant than Brians. Additionally, this shot follows the convention of a romantic film showing the two characters close up in an intimate moment.

Directing your attention to the two photos of the main characters in the bottom row, these show Brian's resentment of the relationship, this is challenging the conventions of a romance film because normally the two characters go on to have a long happy life together where as in our narrative, you are lead to worry for the female characters sanity and personal safety.

The final picture ( bottom right) shows our ending credits of the film which follows the common convention of the films which is as established above, white text on a black background which scrolls upwards and begins with the cast going down in order of rank.

That is how our short film uses and challenges media forms and conventions.