Media Evaluation

I also decided to put a copy of the transcript there for fun....

This is my evaluation of my thriller opening media project, for AS media studies.

Question 1

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

My project uses the conventions of a real media product by having the beginning section in black and white. This is very film noir and is also true in ‘Momento’. I think ‘Momento’ is a very good comparison to mine, because it also uses a voice over and is not in chronological order, like ours. We also went for having a blond girl as the victim, which is quite stereotypical and used in many films to give the sense of innocence and naivety.

We challenged the conventions by having upbeat and modern music, rather than the traditional orchestral music. This is the only way I think we challenged the forms of real media products, however we had the idea of using the sound of handcuffs against metal, but decided that this was too cliché, therefore choosing against it.

We also shot in the day time in a busy public place which is unusual as the location in a thriller film is normally in a secluded deserted place.

Question 2

How does your media project represent a particular social group?

The criminal in this piece has an east London accent with a deep resonance in his voice making him sound like a man who you are immediately intimidated by. This is common in other thriller films as the criminals are often shown as to be rough looking and often have a much e than the other characters.

The victim in this piece is portrayed as being weak and vulnerable, which is a common stereotype for young blond women. She is also an ordinary girl making the audience relate and sympathise with her

Question 3

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

I think that Universal Studios would distribute our product, due to the fact that we share a target audience with the type of films they produce. They have made many different films with the same themes and I think they would be good at making the film, how we want it giving us freedom and advice where appropriate.

Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

I think that the audience best suited to my product would be male aged 1816-25. This is because; the film would be composed of quick moving action but would have intelligent twists. The main character is also young, giving the audience someone to relate to. The background music is quite modern keeping the young audience engaged and entertained.

Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

Our opening section was intriguing and encouraged audiences to want more by having good lighting effects and engaging action. We also used informal language to connect with the young target audience.

Question 6

What have you learnt about technology from the construction of this product?

I have learnt how to the use Final Cut Pro and soundtrack pro, which has given me a wider knowledge and understanding of how to creates a successful, engaging opening. This included cuts, fades, split screens, layering, voice over and contrasting effects. I also learnt how to dub non-diajetic sounds onto the timeline.

Question 7

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

I have learnt much more about editing and now feel confident in using black and white, audio dubbing, split screen, transitions and advanced camera movement. We had to think about the artistic style which were going for so using different angles and positioning lighting effectively. I also wanted to be more creative and so the freedom of doing whatever we wanted helped to inspire me a lot.

Overall I think that our media project was very successful and I learnt a lot from this experience.