: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? question 1

Evaluation 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

we were given a task to construct a film opening for our media course work; whilst we were planning and preparing for the task we had to consider ways in which our product would fit or challenge the media conventions and forms of real media products of the same genre . Below are nine frames of various footage from my film opening in which i feel challenge the conventions and or fit them  our film opening is categorized under  the sub-genres of action/political/crime thriller 

 shot/ frame 1 
to the left is the opening shot, of the film opening ; this fits the conventions of a thriller film because it creates an enigma for the audience , as they may be wandering  why   those pictures  stuck on the wall  or what does it represent ?  this helps grab the audience's attention from the first shot and they may want to continue watching so that they can find out why the pictures are there The dark lighting also contributes to the mystery as dark lighting is usually associated with mystery or danger  . In  most action thrillers; creating tension is essential for keeping viewer / audience engaged  so in our  film opening  we had to consider what we could include in our footage to create tension .As a group we decided to use a panning shot to open the sequence  this is effective as an opening shot as you feel that  the camera is taking you on a journey it is also a close up shot so that the whole wall is  not revealed straight away  so that it leaves an area of surprise for the audience .

shot 2 

framework 2 camera work and editing 
in the second shot / frame the protagonist is revealed to the audience 
he  is searching for something important it is later shown that he was searching for a range of passports . this gives the audience some insight into the character maybe he is running or planning to leave the country his frantic searching shows the audience that he could be in a rush . the editing used in this scene helps 

mid-shot 

As the shots go from a long-shot  to a mid-shot; to a close up of his arm 

close up shot 

We decided to use these shots whilst he was searching because it draws the audience in by getting closer and closer so it can reveal what he is searching for in addition in action- thrillers /man on the run there is often a large amount of fast editing used to communicate the panic expressed by the actor or to mimic the fast action taking place .

            Framework 3 the title of the film 

the effect is  a waving motion that appear on a cu shot of his face

The title of the film appears  in white block capitals  across the screen  this highlights the fact that it is essential for the protagonist to remain one step ahead .We chose not to have the title on a black background because we thought it would be equally effective as one of our inspirations chose to have the titles overlap or appear on the footage and it has proven itself effective . We chose to make the colour of the font white as it fits the basic conventions of a thriller in addition i feel that it would take away from the action going on the screen causing it to be slightly static  .When the title appears on the screen the effects that were applied on the title fit one of the main emotions that are portrayed in the film opening which is panic  the title then fades out into the footage . the title gives the audience a sense of  what the narrative s about without revealing too much of the plot  ; the effects placed on the tile also mimic the words as if the title is walking onto the screen.


 frame four how the characters are introduced
we decided to introduce the main  protagonist to our target audience earlier on in the opening sequence  we introduced him using a long-shot  of him searching for something this is good as it shows the audience that he is up to something and he is not static  he is also alone which could suggest to the audience that he is the central character . the protagonist is also frantic which could suggest to the audience that what he is looking for is important

shot of when the protagonist is introduced

in the opening of the film we also introduced another character using  a flash back which was filmed as  a mid-shot  she reveals vital information about the main protagonist to the audience . The fact that she is alerting the protagonist could hint to the audience that they are friends and she cares about his well being . Though she is a protagonist she is not the central focus of the film opening which could suggest to the audience that the male protagonist is more significant or the central focus of the film.

close up shot of the protagonist's face 

Frame 5 lighting 
 For the majority of the film opening we used dark lighting to highlight the fact that he is incognito and does not want to be found . In this shot he is using a flashlight, which usually does not omit bright light we used a flashlight to add to the concept of him being in  incognito;  instead of using the lights used in the room the protagonist  uses a torch; this could suggest to the audience that he is in hiding . we used blue lights to light the scene so that the scene was not lit too brightly but the right amount so the audience would believe that he is in hiding  .The dark lighting used also adds to the tension created by what is going on; it also gives an eerie  feeling to the film;in addition it also adds to  the area of mystery.  The thriller films  that use this technique usually achieve this very well   .  Because the film is lit so darkly we had to keep the lighting consistent  we tried to achieve this by using  a blue light through a diffuser  we  also attached the light to the camera .

converted loft location 

 frame 6 : setting and location 
We chose the settings and locations carefully
the scenes in which the protagonist is searching and packing were filmed in a converted loft  we chose the location because it seemed secretive and confined and closed in which also mimics the protagonist's feelings  as he is on the run  he may feel confined and closed in by those who are pursuing him . on  the to the left  in the screen shot you can see an inkling of light breeching  through the darkness this could suggest to the audience that his main hope of escape is through the door; it could also suggest that there is freedom  outside in his escape and that his main target in this opening scene is  to escape .

alley way

our  second  choice of location was an alley way  we chose the location because we thought it was secretive and could help convey the message of the flashback well  . in the flash back scene  the character was standing in the middle of the frame to show that she is caged in .and that the information that she is telling the protagonist is top secret . the fact that the scene was filmed in an alley way and not in the open could suggest to the audience that the message is not to be conveyed outside of where they are ,as the walls also emphasize this as she is literally boxed in . the lighting used in this scene shows that what she is saying is helping the protagonist though what she is saying   may not be all good news but she is offering him hope of survival and escape .


                                                                               Frame 7 genre and how the opening suggests it 

frame 7 

In the screen shot on the left there are some features that show that the film  is  classified as  a man on the run thriller film ;as the male protagonist is packing his bags filled with the vital documents, that were located  on the wall; in addition there are a range of passports that are located besides his bag which  could suggests to the audience  that he is leaving the country or plans to leave; the packing creates tension because you may feel that  he may be caught as he is packing frantically.  These factors suggest that this film is also located in the  thriller sub-genre man on the run  the scene is also lit darkly so  it shows that this could be classified in the thriller genre .

pictures on the door 

the pictures that were placed on the wall have reference to the government and pass events that have taken place  this could show the audience that what he is investigating has to do with government issues or has something to do with the government ; this could suggest that the film is also categorized in the political thriller sub-genre .


f

frame 8 flashback effect 

frame 8 special effects:
This frame shows the use of special effects,  i n the particular scene of when the protagonist has a flashback ,of a previous conversation wit h his ex  colleague . Using final cut express gave us the the opportunity to experiment with different techniques and effects . the shot of the protagonist's face is a constant close up shot  we used  different angles of a close up  so his expression could be conveyed across well we also thought that a close up shot of the protagonist  was more convincing when he was going into the flashback this also creates more variations of shots.
 I used cross cutting to achieve the effect of the flashback in addition i also used the pen tool within final cut express to achieve the fading effect  that is displayed in the screen shot  the fading shot focused on the scene with the female character talking using a point of view shot to the male protagonist's face using a range of close up shots . i additionally used an effect on the flashback to make the lighting slightly lighter than the original footage; furthermore i used an effect on final cut express called blur this gave the flashback a shaky effect which corresponds with the emotions that were being conveyed across in the flashback. when the flashback had ended i used an effect on final cut that made the footage play in slow motion .

frame 9

frame 9 how suspense is created 
The final frame shows how suspense is created; the shot is a high angle shot of the protagonist making an escape;  as he running down the stairs sirens are being heard in the near distance ;which tells the audience that he may be caught and discovered . in this shot the exit is lighted showing his route of escape to the audience  it may also suggest that  there is hope of him escaping  unharmed . the darkness behind him suggests that there is no going back which corresponds with the voice over "This is where my life changes ." where the film opening ends is a good way to create suspense as it is left on a cliff hanger ;as he is leaving the premises whilst the sirens are going on it leaves the viewers wondering whether or not he made it out okay.  then the sequence transitions into a black screen as another title appears
this leaves the viewers in suspense  which is essential to create  in most thriller films 


below  are nine key frames that have inspired our film opening  from the nine frames i will pick the essential frames that inspired / influenced our film opening the most 


































frame 1 the title of the film 

the title of the film has over lapped on the footage like our film opening  the title is is in capital letters it is not too bold big and in your face but the lettering is of normal size the title fades in and fades out i think that the title is successful not all titles need to to  be huge or bold to have an impact i noticed the title even though it is small it stands out from the others  . the title should usually give a clue to the audience on what the film is about (the narrative ). without revealing too much of the plot it could also have the audience guessing who is the machinist or what is the machinist.  The fact that the title is not in your face  could mimic the character of the male lead  as he may be weak and fragile  in the movie or not well . other thriller  film openings usually have the title separate

 from the actual footage they would have the title positioned on a black background  the fact that our film title is on the footage challenges some of the basic conventions of a thriller 

 frame 2 
how the characters are introduced 

The character Bourne is introduced  when he wakes up from a flashback and begins to search for some aspirin  the camera shows him from a medium shot the lighting is dark but the visible light is surrounding the character which could suggest  to the audience that he is the protagonist  as the scene begins with him the audience could also assume that he is the central character   the tiles that are shown in the shot could also hint to the audience where he is  in a bathroom . the body language suggests that he is trying to remain calm though he has awoken from a night mare  like our film opening the main protagonist is shown searching for something . the female character is introduced when she hears that Bourne is awake  this suggests to the audience that she is his love interest she is shown worrying about him this fits the basic conventions of a thriller film opening because the story begins to unfold   like with  our film opening the female protagonist  shows concern for her friend  by warning him 

 frame 3 location and setting 

the  location is secluded and secretive  like our film opening it is effective as it creates mystery for the audience as they are wondering why all of those documents are placed on the wall  the lighting is surrounding the wall which shows the audience that the those documents are of relevance or are very important  the way the documents are positioned are organised and not scattered this could suggest that who ever placed them there is thoughtful and strategic

camera editing and effects 

this shot is similar to our ending shot of him exiting before we see a pursuit we as the audience are wondering whether he will make it out of the embassy or be caught by his persistent pursuers in a lot of the chase scenes within the Bourne trilogy there is fast cut / edits this helps create tension and keeps the viewers engaged in my film opening i attempted some jump cuts that would correspond with the dynamic music that was playing . in this screen shot his exit path is highlighted by the lights on the ceiling in our  film opening we decided to light our protagonist 's exit path also .

This shot if from the film  the Bourne Ultimatum when he went into the flash back  the close up shot of his face reveals his emotions as he is experiencing the flashback he looks confused and slightly agitated which could suggest to the audience that this flashback is involuntary . when our protagonist was experiencing  his flash back we wanted to convey across the same emotion or expression we also used a low angled close up shot 

the effects used in this flash back scene is effective as it looks disorientated just like Bourne's memory this flash back appears hazy to reflect the condition of his memory the effect used here makes the flash back appear more effective as it is not clear so it shows the audience that he has trouble remembering exactly what happened in addition the sound  also appeared  disorientated this gave the flashback a dreamy feel  . when it came down to creating the flashback in my edit I used motion blur I did not go over board as we decided that our main protagonist would not suffer from amnesia so the  effect I chose showed that he had no trouble remembering this past event