In what ways our media product uses forms and conventions of real media products
Before starting our short film we had to research into existing films. First I researched into a range and variety of existing short films, to establish the main conventions used within all short films. For example, establishing that credits, certificates, and a range of camera shots/angles all become strong elements within conventional shorts. I then went on to research into short films of the 'thriller' genre, to gain even more knowledge on forms and conventions of which we should use, to make our film look more realistic and professional. For example, lighting in thriller genre films would have a clear difference to other genre's as it is more dark and gloomy to add atmosphere and suspense. Also looking at the conventional themes and iconography of thriller shot films, enabled me to learn more forms and conventions whilst starting to develop ideas of what we could do for are own. Again, for example, thrillers usually include a 'victim' or a 'murderer/stalker'. This enabled me to delve into narrative structures and techniques of 'thrillers' also.
The settings we chose for our film, also use conventions of existing thriller short films. As shown in the image below we used a dark, isolated area as the key location for our kidnap scene. Many thriller genres portray settings like this to add the to obscurity and eree-ness of the film.
Camera angles were also something we used a lot of within our short film to follow key conventions. For example our first shot-establishing shot, reflects many establishing shots we had researched in to, by being a conventional 'pan' of the setting, to create a understanding for the audience and insight into the location. Also by using high angles within some of our scenes of the victim links to the portrayal of the vulnerability of her and the high angles of the 'stalker' showing his superiority and power.
(Here I will insert video's of myself talking over video clips of our establishing shot. Explaining how and why we used this-conventions.)
To emphasise our genre we used a typical 'victim'/'stalker' plot. Allowing us to develop around the plot and to increasing build tension and suspense in our film, something our target audience, (of which we established in our thriller research), appeals to. Essentially being 'thrill seekers', this meant the more nail-biting our film the better, to create the 'adrenaline rush' they want from watching a thriller film. The recognition of repetition lead to anticipation and expectation for a viewer, (in our case our cut shot of the train).
The Sound and music we chose also is a form and convention of existing 'thriller' short films. We used sound to contribute to the build up of tension in our film, something we discovered as an effective technique when researching. The songs we chose also reflect the mood and atmosphere we were trying to create, for example our songs were dramatic and mysterious, whereas if we were creating a children's short, our music would conventionally be happy and up-beat.
Finally, we used major forms and conventions of all shorts films, by including a ratings certificate, ident and credits. All of these contribute to making the film essentially look realistic. This gives the illusion to a viewer that we are an existing film company, by using such iconic features. Below is some clips of how and why we used these:
(Here I will insert video's of myself talking over video clips of our bbfc certificate, our ident and our credits. Explaining how and why we used these-conventions.)
Within my ancillary tasks they also show key uses of forms and conventions. Through my research into existing reviews and film posters, I was able to learn the iconic features and layout styling, of which I manipulated into my work. This essentially made them also look professional and realistic, ensuring as a package the two promote the film very well.
In what ways our media product develops forms and conventions of real media products
There are many ways in which our film develops forms and conventions of real media products. Through my research as I was able to learn the key elements of short films and the iconic features within 'thrillers', it allowed me to reflect on there work and develop it into my own ideas. The use of 'victim' within thriller genre films, allowed me to develop this into a plot, of which I thought up the idea of a conventional 'stalker'/'victim' plot, but developing this to make it original through our decision of no dialogue, and the use of a dual narrative.
Also we were able to develop the characters in our short film, to be suitable to the 'thriller' genre. Establishing characteristics of the victim and stalker in our film enabled us to build the main body of the film. Shown in my 'Planning For Filming post', I established the victim to be a 'typical' teenage girl, who is also vulnerable and intriguing. Whereas I wanted to stalker to be mysterious and spooky, captivating the eree plot. Capturing the audiences attention, and enabling them to create an 'emotional attatchment' to the girl wanting to know what happens to her and why, and a 'dislike/fear' of the stalker, someone people would 'love to hate'. This would therefore engage the audience and keep them watching, ensuring not only our film follows forms and conventions but entertains the viewer.
After researching more into our target audience of the thriller genre, if revealed that they take enjoyment from trying to work out and guess what would happen next for themselves. I therefore used an Enigma Code, developed it into our plot and manipulated it to make our film more appealing to our target audience. An Enigma code is where the film maker controls what the audience sees or knows, setting hints and clues as to what might happen next. This allows them attempt to work it out giving them 'pleasure of the text':
When the 'readers' recognise the codes, they get 'pleasure of the text' and this pleasure is enhanced and emphasised when there is overlap between the fictional narrative (what the audience is watching) and the 'real' narrative of day to day existence. In other words, the closer the makers of the text come to representing recognisable codes from the audience's own lives, the more pleasure of the text the audience gets.-litnotes
Going back to my research post : Thriller Short Film Research, and comparing our film to thriller ones, is clear evidence of how we have developed forms and conventions of them into our own.
In what ways our media product challenges forms and conventions of real media products
Our short film challenges the forms and conventions of real media products in many ways, to make it more original and unique.
The first way in which we challenged existing forms and conventions was through our creating our dual narrative. Disrupting the conventional linear narrative. A dual narrative is where a story is told from two points of view or times. This then highlights different elements of the same situation. Creating a Dual narrative was something we wanted to do to make our film more exciting giving the audience the element of surprise, leaving them at the edge of their seats as to what happens next. Also by ending the film on a cliff hanger, not establishing what happened to the victim, leaving the viewer wanting more. This essentially challenges Todorov's theory, by disrupting it and not following the conventional circle of equilibrium, disruption, resolution, equilibrium. I feel this was the most effective technique we chose, as from our audience feedback it has proved to make our film more exciting and engaging. Also because it made our film more unique and gave the audience the power to make their own ending.
We also challenged forms and conventions by choosing to not include any dialogue within our film. This was something I felt very strongly about as I feel having no dialogue made the film more engaging. It allowed the plot to be more emphasised, to grab the viewers full attention and allow them to be overcome by the tension built. I believe it makes the film more mysterious and captivating. This was something that was also praised within our audience feedback, and was successful.
Below is a short clip of myself and Abigail Stafford, discussing how our short film challenges conventions:
Transcript
Abigail: Hi I'm Abigail Stafford
Lucy: And I'm Lucy Matthews
Abigail: And we're going to talk about how our film PULSE challenges the conventions of real media products. The first way in which our film challenges conventions is the repetition of our cut shot of the train passing by. Usually in short films and features films there are various cuts used and loads of editing techniques are used to implement these cuts, however in our film only the video of a train passing by is used. The repetition of this allows the audience to build up a relationship with footage they're seeing and acknowledge that this is the cut between the two narratives. Also because the train is moving it shows the motion between the two narratives going from the future back to the present.
Lucy: Our film also challenges conventions by having no dialogue. We believe this an effective way of engaging the audience and make them become attached to the character in a more emotional way. It also builds tension and suspense, a main convention of a thriller short film shown through our research. We also wanted the expression of the body language to be portrayed stronger through no dialogue.
Abigail: Another way in which we challenge the conventions of typical media product is in our ending, in an iconic film where there is a stalker and a victim usually you find out at the end what happens to the victim, so whether they're freed or attacked. However in our film, we've left it quite open ended as you can see by the broken camera shot at the end this is the kind of cliffhanger which allows the audience to be more engaged with the film as they wonder what happens as it unanswered and because they're engaged they are more part of the film themselves as they participate more and they'd like to find out what happens and so intrigues them to watch more.
Lucy: Also our film challenges the linear narrative by having a dual narrative this goes against Todorov's theory, something which was found effective in thriller films. It gives the element of surprise for the audience and allows them to be more engaged with the storyline and also is an effective way of building tension and suspense again.
Abigail: So they're the four main ways in which our short film has challenged the conventions of real media products.
Overall I feel the key elements of which challenge forms and conventions from our film is through the
narrative, reflective of an iconic girl gets kidnapped fairytale, however isn't portrayed through Todorovs theory, as we leave our plot on a cliff hanger, with no resolution, to link back to equilibrium.
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