Evaluation Question 1

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


The main objective of a thriller is to thrill. Therefore thriller conventions allow this to happen. The conventions of a thriller are the protagonist and antagonist. Thrillers also have a lot of suspense that keeps the audience on their toes and on the edge of their seats. With it comes a lot of tension, the tension creates an atmosphere that the audience feel they are a part of the film. In addition the dilemma; otherwise the thriller will cease to exist. The dilemma ensures that other conventions of a thriller are focused around it. Moreover the cliff hanger: this ensures that the audience will keep on watching to see the end result of the film. In more cases than often, there usually involves a car chase or a chase scene. This maintains tension and suspense already being introduced to the thriller. 

In our thriller we included several characteristics of a thriller. We included suspense,
tension,
dilemma and cliffhangers. 

When brainstorming our thriller opening sequence ideas we thought of the thriller, Taken. 


This was clear when we portray a young girl being, what we thought, killed but with a cliffhanger ending. In addition a female protagonist role we also replicated from Silence of the Lambs film.  





Moreover we also used a cliffhanger idea from the thriller North by Northwest.  

Evaluation

The main objective of a thriller is to thrill. Therefore thriller conventions allow this to happen. The conventions of a thriller are the protagonist and antagonist. Thrillers also have a lot of suspense that keeps the audience on their toes and on the edge of their seats. With it comes a lot of tension, the tension creates an atmosphere that the audience feel they are a part of the film. In addition the dilemma; otherwise the thriller will cease to exist. The dilemma ensures that other conventions of a thriller are focused around it. Moreover the cliff hanger: this ensures that the audience will keep on watching to see the end result of the film. In more cases than often, there usually involves a car chase or a chase scene. This maintains tension and suspense already being introduced to the thriller. 

In our thriller we included several characteristics of a thriller. We included suspense,
tension,
dilemma and cliffhangers. 

When brainstorming our thriller opening sequence ideas we thought of the thriller, Taken. This was clear when we portray a young girl being, what we thought, killed but with a cliffhanger ending. In addition a female protagonist role we also replicated from Silence of the Lambs film. Moreover we also used a cliffhanger idea from the thriller North by Northwest.  

The protagonist role is of a woman, the woman is seen chasing after the murder. In other thrillers the man is as the dominant, powerful protagonist role, while the woman was seen as the subordinate, helpless antagonist role. 


My media project conveys particular social groups in different ways, as it follows the conventional stereotypes of a hooded thug and black youth crimes. The different genders portrayed shows originality within thrillers. The woman now plays the dominant role, seen as stronger than what society tells us. The subordinate role, is portrayed by a man older than the woman. In addition, the use of black ethnic minorities depicts the stereotype of young black youths getting into trouble, causing a nuisance and committing crimes. The stereotypes we used in our thriller was the scary hooded youths. 


Our thriller would be distributed by an Independent UK film production company such as Metrodome via the Microwave Scheme. This is due the shared urban thriller genre that ours and the Metrodome released film- Shift is linked to. Our thriller- Bad Guy- can be viewed via Internet and Youtube. This is because our thriller is aimed more to young people which reflects the types of media that they encounter. Young people are much more experienced in the Internet and Youtube, as an angle of viral marketing is used. 


The audience of our thriller plays an important role as it decides how we should market it. The thriller is aimed towards young people, respectively to those who are 15 years old and upwards. This is because it contains young people, which are at a similar age. In addition there is use of informal language displayed by the protagonist of Bad Guy. This heavily reflects the urban young people who might watch our thriller. They would be more likely to watch our film, compared to other age groups, because they would be able to relate to those in the film. 


Bad Guy is able to hold the audience's attention, because it has several conventions of a thriller. It is eye-catching as it there is something happening in each scene, wether it be suspense or tension or a dilemma. The use of young actors, attracts the young audience. Not only the use of young actors allows our audience to be drawn in, but even in the costume/ use of speech used by the actors. This is because they experience this is in their everyday lives allowing them to engage with the characters. 
This would surely hold the attention of our audience. They would want to continue watching it after the initial 2 minute opening scene, because it will end it on a cliffhanger. This cliffhanger ensures that our audience, would be determined to find out what happens to the young female and the murder.


The duration of our thriller pre and post-production, I was able to acquire new knowledge about technologies. We have used several new and old techonologies: 

• Blogger
• Mini DV Digital Camcorders
• Final Cut Express
• Mobile Phones( with camera)
• YouTube
• SurveyMonkey 
• Freeplaymusic
• Glogster

We used these technologies pre- production and post- production. We used  Mini DV Digital camcorders were used for the filming, which was later edited using Final Cut Express. When it was finished editing we uploaded it onto Youtube which later went on to Blogger to upload all our post and video tasks. The use of FreePlayMusic were to add background music. In addition SurveyMonekey was used to gain data on films that we needed to research on. In addition the use of Glogster to create our mood board and mobile phones for our animatic. 

I gained skills in film taking, I was able to learn and apply my new knowledge in different camera angles. Moreover editing skills, I was able to gain, to help me edit my film. 


Our preliminary task helped us gain an insight to the different camera angles we should have included. In addition with our preliminary task, we would be ensured that continuity would play a part, therefore there would be fluidity scene from scene. I have acquired several skills since our preliminary task, which were to editing skills and camera skills. 

Primeval Extract

How is Gender represented in the Primeval Extract?

Gender in the primeval extract was show in a variety  of ways. At the beginning of the extract we see a young, blonde attractive woman controlling a digger while the other two gentleman tend the vegetable garden. This is quite surreal as a woman wouldn’t normally be involved with manual labour as it seen as quite strenuous and a ‘mans’ job. As we progress on with the clip, we are seen with a CGI animated tiger. A young man, jumps into a hole to protect himself while the young, blonde women in the digger helps to protect himself by scaring away the tiger. He screams out her name in despair for her to save him. This shows the dominance of the female gender. With these two aspects at just the beginning of the clip, we realise that gender roles that have been set by society has been changed. The woman now participating in manual labour, has also come to protect the man trapped by a CGI tiger.

There is also a change in music in contrast to when the woman was first introduced in the digger and when the man was chased by the tiger. The woman had a suspensful, mysterious non diegtic sound which contrasted to the mans jumpy, string orchestra as his life was truley in danger.

Further on when we are introduced to a young, brunette woman. We learn that she is trying to manipulate him into taking the fall for her. As he refuses, she heavily implies that the authorities will hear of his 'dog breeding' business to 'fight' them, giving him only a few days if he admits to a crime he hadn't commit. This shows a heavy female dominance and power she had over the farmer named Mr West, in the form of blackmail.

As he quotes that he is always 'harrased' and he wouldn't be 'pushed around' any longer the roles have reversed. She finds herself begging for him to put the gun down. The scene in particular, was shot in slow motion with suspensful music, because we feel the fear that this young woman is potraying.

Overall gender in the Primeval extract was seen as a dominant, superior group which belonged to the female. This is a contrast to how the male would normally be portrayed.

Shot List

Shot List
Scene	Shot Number	Description
Opening Sequence. Sister falls through the open door Shot of the brother.  Fade to black Brother is sitting on the bed. Shot of killing tools Brother puts on his gloves. Murder stands behind the brother The murderer strangles the brother The brother lies on the floor.	1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.  9. 10.	Shot of the sister Sister falls through the open door, covered in blood. The brother looking in shock at his dead sister.  Police and Ambulance siren can be heard. Line saying two weeks later.  Brother is sitting on the bed, looking to get revenge. Laying out his killing tools.  Gets his killing equipment out.  A shot of the brother putting on his gloves ready for revenge..  The masked murder stands behind the brother ready to strangle him.  Brother tries to put up a fight before giving up.  The brother lies on the floor, as if he is dead. Then he opens his eyes.

Animatic

Hello,

This is our animatic.  This is what me and Sveta achieved in class.

Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment

Group Members: Nnenna and Sveta

Location: Alleyway in Rainham 

Hazard	Person(s) at Risk	Likelihood of Hazard 1 – Extremely Unlikely 5 – Extremely Likely	Severity of Hazard Outcomes 1 – Very Low Risk 5 – Very High Risk	Risk Level (Likelihood + Severity) 2	Measures to Take to Manage Risk	Risk Managed? Y/N
Injury when filming in the dark.	People in the scene	5	1	2	Bring flashlights and shoot in a well lit place.	Y
Equipment being ruined.	No one	4	3	1	Ensure all equipment is packed away carefully.	Y

Contacts

Emergency Service: Hospital. King George/ Queens Hospital. 999
Robert Clack School:  Other Contacts:  

Costumes and Props

Costumes and Props

Character Name: Unknown Murderer
Costume: Ski Mask Track suit Trainers	Props: Rope
Character Name: Louise
Costume: Everyday clothes	Props:
Character Name: Samuel
Costume: Tracksuits Shoes	Props: Gloves Hat