Edited 31/03/17: Q1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Q2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

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   Our film opening reinforces several stereotypes which are commonly presented in the thriller genre. For example, our protagonist (Lila) is presented as weak and vulnerable which is common for female characters. This is primarily evident in our narrative; Lila is the victim of a kidnapping. The narrative convention of a woman being kidnapped by a man/men has been used in many thriller films, such as crime-thriller 'The Disappearance of Alice Creed' and action-thriller 'Taken'. The suggestion that she is vulnerable is emphasised through camerawork in shots such as figure 1 which is an extreme long shot, consequently presenting her as small and isolated. 'The Disappearance of Alice Creed' also used this technique, as demonstrated in figure 2. Parts of our film's mise en scene (as shown in figure 3) also reinforce hyper-feminine stereotypes because Lila's bedroom is quite girly, for example the wallpaper has a pink floral print. Additionally, the light blue colour of her jacket could be considered feminine and create connotations of fragility due to its pale tone. The portrayal of Lila as an innocent victim could also perpetuate the stereotype of youth as vulnerable.

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   Contrastingly, the older male character Mark (the antagonist) is presented as powerful. This is similarly seen through plot because he kidnaps Lila, overpowering her. This representation is also conveyed through elements of camerawork - for example, a slightly low angle shot (figure 4) presents him as intimidating. Furthermore, the composition of this shot reinforces his power because he is positioned on a third. This was also done to portray one of the kidnappers in 'The Disappearance of Alice Creed' (figure 5).

Edited 24/03/17: Q7. Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in progression from it to the full product?

   For our preliminary task, we worked in small groups to film a character walking, opening a door and passing through the doorway, then having a conversation with another character. This was a shorter task than our final project which was to make the opening to a thriller film. Our preliminary task was also simpler because we did not have much consideration for establishing elements such as character, mood and genre, which are vital for producing a professional-looking film opening. However, it was a valuable opportunity to practice several important skills and techniques which we would need to be successful in our final project.

   For example, we practiced several methods of planning to help us in pre-production. One method which we used was making a storyboard of essential shots; this was valuable both in our preliminary task and our final project because it helped us to visualise the progression of our narrative and remember to include a variety of shot types, especially shot types which would create effect (such as close-ups to draw attention to key props). Another form of planning which we used in our preliminary task was a floorplan which enabled us to see the paths which our characters would follow, therefore we could see the line of action in our films and know how to avoid breaking the 180 degree rule. However, our pre-production was much more thorough for our final product - we did detailed research about the thriller genre and analysed other films from the genre to see how they successfully created an atmosphere whilst establishing plot, character, location and theme so that we could gain inspiration and find methods which we could adapt to include in our own product.

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   Our preliminary task also helped us in our later production because we were able to familiarise ourselves with our school's equipment which we would use again later. We practiced using the digital cameras, gaining an understanding of their functions so that it was easier to use them efficiently when filming our thriller film opening. We also learnt how to adjust the tripods to change their height and change the angle of the camera, enabling us to achieve different angles to create effects in our film; in our preliminary task we used a high angle to present the protagonist as vulnerable (see figure 1), whereas in our thriller opening we used a low angle to present the antagonist as threatening (see figure 2).

   Another advantage of the task was that it gave us a chance to improve our teamwork skills. I worked with the same people in my preliminary task as I did for my final project, so we had already gained some insight into each others strengths to know how to distribute the work more successfully.

   We also benefited from our preliminary task when it came to editing our thriller film opening during post-production. We used Premiere Pro for editing both projects and our preliminary task let us practice using the software - for example, we learnt how to cut our footage by making in/out points and how to add transitions (such as dip to black). We used both of these skills when editing our final product, but for our thriller film opening we expanded our skills by also adding additional audio (including emphasised sound effects and background music) and adding titles/credits.

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   Overall, our preliminary task also gave us an opportunity to learn from our mistakes throughout the process of making it so that we could avoid them in our final product and achieve a higher quality. For example, we had some continuity errors in our preliminary task so we were more careful in our thriller film opening to avoid this. We also did not include a great enough range of shots so we tried to improve this in our final product too. Additionally, one of the shots in our preliminary task was accidentally shaky because we did not use a tripod to film it, which looked unprofessional; in our preliminary task we rectified this by always using a tripod when shooting. On the other hand, we could also learn from the strengths of our preliminary task and attempt to replicate them in our final task. For example, we used some similar shots in both products including a close-up of main characters' (the protagonist in our preliminary task - see figure 3 - and the antagonist in our final task - see figure 4) shoes as they walked to convey their movement, a technique which we had seen in other films (such as 'Kill Bill', figure 5).

   Overall, I believe that my skills and knowledge as a filmmaker have improved significantly through both projects. I have a better understanding of the importance of thorough planning for a film and know how to use some planning methods. Additionally, I have gained some production experience through working in a small team, improving teamwork skills as well as becoming more comfortable with using a video camera. Furthermore, I had not used video editing software before my preliminary task, but I am now confident with basic editing techniques. As well as practical skills, I have gained some historical knowledge about the thriller genre and its influences through our study of film noir at the beginning of our course.

Edited 22/03/17: Q6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

The greater accessibility of HD cameras is empowering amateur production because cameras can now be bought at a more affordable cost so more people can use them, increasing the democratisation of film production. Additionally, the improved digital literacy of the public means that it is easier for amateurs to try film production and successfully employ a variety of techniques. It is also easy to find guidance on using more creative film-making techniques by searching for tutorials on websites such as YouTube. Furthermore, new technologies are enabling more creative film-making because the public can access a variety of resources for free, such as fonts on websites like DaFont, increasing the range of materials that they can use in their films. New technologies are also enhancing opportunities for collaboration and communication because media products can be shared on a range of platforms which the audience can post comments or send messages on.

Q3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Which film distribution company is most likely to distribute your film?

Which cinemas would be most suited?
     Multiplex cinema chains, such as Vue and Odeon, might not be best suited to exhibiting our film because they mostly show mainstream films (whereas our product is an independent film). They especially show high-budget blockbuster films, contrastingly our film is low-budget. An independent cinema would be more suitable for exhibiting our film because they show more non-mainstream films. For example, Cinema City in Norwich could be very suitable for showing our film, especially because our film was shot in Norwich and the cinema often includes some locally produced films within its programme (it recently exhibited 'The Go-Between', which was made in North Norfolk, as part of the cinema's 'Made in East Anglia' collection). However, Cinema City has a mostly older audience who our dark thriller with a young protagonist might not be as appealing to. On the other hand, the cinema does attract some younger people too - it offers a student membership and even holds free screenings for students as part of the 'E4 Slacker's Club'. Therefore, our film could attract some students who would find it appealing as they could empathise with the teenage protagonist.

How could digital technologies offer new distribution opportunities?

   Increased digitalisation has made it easier for many low-budget independent films to be distributed due to the lower cost of distributing online. Furthermore, video-on-demand services also enable a growing audience to be reached due to its increasing popularity. Online streaming services (like Netflix) have become especially popular with young people - statistics from the British Film Institute suggest that in 2011 20% of people aged 15-24 viewed downloaded/streamed films at least once a week, and this figure is likely to have increased in more recent years - due to their affordable charges and their convenience as they allow a wide range of content to be accessed quickly at home . Therefore, digital technologies could help us to reach a target audience of teenagers and young adults. Another advantage of video-on-demand services is that they often distribute a variety of films in a range of niche genres, including films with the same genre as our film; Netflix has a category for 'independent thrillers' on its website.

Final Cut

Rough Cut

Figure 1

   Camerawork could be considered a strength of my thriller film opening because our shots are steady which makes the film opening look more professional. Furthermore, we have used a range of angles and shot types with some consideration of their effects; for example, figure 1 is a low-angle shot to present the antagonist as threatening and this is reinforced by the character's position on a third.

Figure 2

   Some aspects of our mise en scene are also a strength of the production, for example the location in figure 2 could be thought of as a metaphorical space (like the tunnel in the opening of 'Essex Boys', as shown in figure 3) which symbolises a transition into danger. Furthermore, the dirty environment (which includes litter on the ground and smeared graffiti on the walls) is suggestive of a grimy urban environment which creates conventional connotations of bleakness and hopelessness.

Figure 3

   On the other hand, the pace of editing is a weakness; I think that a faster pace of cuts towards the end of my thriller film opening would be more effective at building tension towards the climactic cliff-hanger, so this is something that I will refine for my final cut.