1. Is the product a clearly recognisable opening sequence?
Yes because the characters are introduced and the main storyline is begun, which is Jason being hired to assassinate Vinny T which also establishes the hook of the film and gets the audience interested. The genre is also made clear as British gangster as we use the conventions of the genre. It is expected in the opening sequence for the genre to be clear to the audience.
2. Is the genre apparent?
The genre is apparent as British gangster because there is use of the conventions of that genre, the characters wear suits and have cockney accents for example. The non diegetic music also establishes the genre as it is fast paced and makes the audience aware there will be action a main convention of British gangster.
3. Who do you think the target audience is for the product?
The target audience is late teens to young adults, mainly focusing on males
4. Do you think the product would appeal to the target audience?
Yes because the target audience can relate to the actors who are young males like the target audience. The conventions of British gangster in the sequence are apparent so they know exactly what type of film they are watching from the start. The music suggests it will be a fast paced British gangster film full of action which will appeal to the target audience.
5. How well do you think the following technical areas have been addressed?
Cinematography: The opening shot of a mansion is a good establishing shot and a variety of shots have been used during the opening sequence. For example a tracking shot was used to show Jason walking down the alleyway to meet Micky.
Sound: Diegetic: The characters speak with cockney accents which is good because it is a convention of British gangster films
Non diegetic: The music was good because it was fast paced and upbeat much like the scene
Editing: Continuity editing was used to allow the sequence to flow smoothly. A shot reverse shot was also used effectively during Jason and Micky's conversation.
Mise-en-scene: The settings of the alleyway and pool room were good choices as they are typical settings in the British gangster genre. The suits the characters wear also work well because suits are worn in a lot of British gangster films such as Snatch.
6. Overall how successful is the finished product? Give an example of something that could be improved and something that worked well.
The variety of shots worked well together and the genre is clearly shown from the conventions used in the mise-en-scene such as the suits and sound such as the cockney accents. To improve on the sequence you could make it a bit longer. Overall I think your product is successful.
Friday 1 May 2009
James Monahan Media Evaluation
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Our media product uses British gangster conventions. An alleyway and dark pool room were used for the setting, these being one of the conventions of the genre as they are two places used commonly in British gangster films. Our treatment also uses a general convention of British gangster in which the main character is a small time hit man who is forced into a power struggle between two big time crime lords and comes out on top, an underdog convention used in many gangster films. We also use the convention of power and money that is in the genre. In our opening sequence we use credits to introduce the characters as they appear which is a convention used in some British gangster films, another convention would have been using a voice over to introduce the characters but we decided it worked better to just use credits as the opening sequence tells the audience what they need to know already. Our diegetic sound ties in with conventions used in British gangster films with the characters having London "cockney" accent Our non diegetic soundtrack also fits in with the British gangster conventions as it is fast paced which is generally used in the British gangster genre.
2.How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our product represents gangsters in Britain. The audience can see from their suits and the house that Vinny T owns that they are higher class criminals who have a lot of power and are more likely to have men to work for them then to be doing the work. They are also seen as power hungry and ruthless with Micky telling Jason to kill Vinny T so he can take his power and money.
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
The media institution most likely to distribute this film would be a large company that has already distributed a British gangster film, a company like Sony for example who distributed Snatch or Universal Pictures who distributed Lock stock and two smoking barrels. The film would be distributed across cinemas in Britain as the film will be mainstream and would expect a good box office.
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
Our main target audience would be from the late teens to young adults as that is the audience for most British gangster films. The actors are young as well and so are easier to relate to by late teens and young adults than older adults. The lifestyles of the characters are lively and exciting which is more likely to appeal to the younger generation which is another reason why we chose them as our main target audience.
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
People who like British gangster films will already be attracted since it is the British gangster genre and we use many conventions of British gangster film, rather than trying to alter the genre, so it is guaranteed to be similar to mainstream British gangster films. For example organising a assassination in the opening sequence, promising action which is a main convention of British gangster films. Fast non diegetic music plays throughout the opening sequence which tells the audience it will be a fast paced film full of action which is appeals to our target audience the most.
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
We have learnt how useful the tripod is and how hard it is to keep the camera steady without it. We have also learnt how useful programmes like iMovie are in the editing process. Allowing us to edit our shots to place them in the correct order and length, as well as being able to use credits and add music to the media product. The practice from the preliminary task really helped us learn how to use the software effectively. Although the more complicated things such as adding the soundtrack which was not practiced in the preliminary task was harder to do we worked hard on it and eventually got the hang of it so that the non diegetic soundtrack works really well with the product and it is easy to hear the diegetic sounds as we raised it to a higher volume and lowered the non diegetic sounds volume when needed.
7. Looking back at the preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
From the preliminary task we have learnt how to first use a camera and we have improved in our handling of the camera throughout the filming of the full product. Now that we had experienced filming we were better at shooting the scenes we needed and choosing a place, angle and height for the camera to be to get the best shots. We had also learnt from the first task how helpful planning can be in the filming process and we needed a more detailed plan for the full product so we thought more carefully about the storyboard and treatment. As we began filming we knew exactly what shots we needed to do, how long we needed the shot for, the script for each shot which allowed things to run smoothly. We did look through the storyboard throughout filming and thought of ways to improve it if we thought it could be improved.
The mise en scene for the full piece had to tie in with the British gangster genre to keep the products verisimilitude, so for our setting we used a dark pool room and an alleyway both being used in many British gangster films. We learnt how important our opening shot was and we made it a shot of a big house which established the scene of where the pool room is and also showed how rich and powerful the character Vinny T was to have such a house from a life of crime. We wore suits as that is what is normally worn in gangster films. We also used a pool cue in one of the opening shots to establish it is a pool room.
I think are best improvement was in the editing process, we organised it really well in deciding which shots worked best and which shots would not be needed. It was important are shots worked together and that we had a variety of shots so as not to be repetitive and to keep the audience interested. We also used the editing to include credits during the product to show the film name and characters, as they appeared, to introduce them as main characters. The main part to the process was choosing a non diegetic soundtrack that would fit it in with the scene. We had three original choices that we felt all fitted in with the genre and picked the one we thought would work best with the product, after we finished editing it with the product we felt we made the right choice as it seemed to work really well together.
Our media product uses British gangster conventions. An alleyway and dark pool room were used for the setting, these being one of the conventions of the genre as they are two places used commonly in British gangster films. Our treatment also uses a general convention of British gangster in which the main character is a small time hit man who is forced into a power struggle between two big time crime lords and comes out on top, an underdog convention used in many gangster films. We also use the convention of power and money that is in the genre. In our opening sequence we use credits to introduce the characters as they appear which is a convention used in some British gangster films, another convention would have been using a voice over to introduce the characters but we decided it worked better to just use credits as the opening sequence tells the audience what they need to know already. Our diegetic sound ties in with conventions used in British gangster films with the characters having London "cockney" accent Our non diegetic soundtrack also fits in with the British gangster conventions as it is fast paced which is generally used in the British gangster genre.
2.How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our product represents gangsters in Britain. The audience can see from their suits and the house that Vinny T owns that they are higher class criminals who have a lot of power and are more likely to have men to work for them then to be doing the work. They are also seen as power hungry and ruthless with Micky telling Jason to kill Vinny T so he can take his power and money.
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
The media institution most likely to distribute this film would be a large company that has already distributed a British gangster film, a company like Sony for example who distributed Snatch or Universal Pictures who distributed Lock stock and two smoking barrels. The film would be distributed across cinemas in Britain as the film will be mainstream and would expect a good box office.
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
Our main target audience would be from the late teens to young adults as that is the audience for most British gangster films. The actors are young as well and so are easier to relate to by late teens and young adults than older adults. The lifestyles of the characters are lively and exciting which is more likely to appeal to the younger generation which is another reason why we chose them as our main target audience.
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
People who like British gangster films will already be attracted since it is the British gangster genre and we use many conventions of British gangster film, rather than trying to alter the genre, so it is guaranteed to be similar to mainstream British gangster films. For example organising a assassination in the opening sequence, promising action which is a main convention of British gangster films. Fast non diegetic music plays throughout the opening sequence which tells the audience it will be a fast paced film full of action which is appeals to our target audience the most.
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
We have learnt how useful the tripod is and how hard it is to keep the camera steady without it. We have also learnt how useful programmes like iMovie are in the editing process. Allowing us to edit our shots to place them in the correct order and length, as well as being able to use credits and add music to the media product. The practice from the preliminary task really helped us learn how to use the software effectively. Although the more complicated things such as adding the soundtrack which was not practiced in the preliminary task was harder to do we worked hard on it and eventually got the hang of it so that the non diegetic soundtrack works really well with the product and it is easy to hear the diegetic sounds as we raised it to a higher volume and lowered the non diegetic sounds volume when needed.
7. Looking back at the preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
From the preliminary task we have learnt how to first use a camera and we have improved in our handling of the camera throughout the filming of the full product. Now that we had experienced filming we were better at shooting the scenes we needed and choosing a place, angle and height for the camera to be to get the best shots. We had also learnt from the first task how helpful planning can be in the filming process and we needed a more detailed plan for the full product so we thought more carefully about the storyboard and treatment. As we began filming we knew exactly what shots we needed to do, how long we needed the shot for, the script for each shot which allowed things to run smoothly. We did look through the storyboard throughout filming and thought of ways to improve it if we thought it could be improved.
The mise en scene for the full piece had to tie in with the British gangster genre to keep the products verisimilitude, so for our setting we used a dark pool room and an alleyway both being used in many British gangster films. We learnt how important our opening shot was and we made it a shot of a big house which established the scene of where the pool room is and also showed how rich and powerful the character Vinny T was to have such a house from a life of crime. We wore suits as that is what is normally worn in gangster films. We also used a pool cue in one of the opening shots to establish it is a pool room.
I think are best improvement was in the editing process, we organised it really well in deciding which shots worked best and which shots would not be needed. It was important are shots worked together and that we had a variety of shots so as not to be repetitive and to keep the audience interested. We also used the editing to include credits during the product to show the film name and characters, as they appeared, to introduce them as main characters. The main part to the process was choosing a non diegetic soundtrack that would fit it in with the scene. We had three original choices that we felt all fitted in with the genre and picked the one we thought would work best with the product, after we finished editing it with the product we felt we made the right choice as it seemed to work really well together.
James Monahan Other groups conventions
British gangster- Lock stock and two smoking barrels
British gangster mixes violence with money being a central part in most whether it be stealing money like in the Italian Job or owing money to a dangerous character as in Lock Stock and Two Smocking Barrels. The scene begins showing two main characters selling stolen goods until the police arrive and as they run a voiceover introduces them. This shows them as small time criminals which suggests they are more likely to owe money then to pull off a big money heist originally.
Romantic comedy- Notting Hill
In a rom com a boy will meet a girl they fall in love have an obstacle to overcome and then they get together at the end. The main characters will often come from different classes, as is the case in Notting Hill. This is indicated from the start as Julia Roberts is shown constantly throughtout the credits having photographers all around her everywhere she went. Hugh Grant also mentions it during his voiceover talking about his small quiet life in Notting Hill.
Spaghetti western- The Good, the bad and the ugly
Spaghetti Western is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western film that emerged in the mid-1960s, so named because most of them were produced by Italian studios. It follows the general conventions of westerns with desert scenary, guns, horses and good vs bad. The opening sequence is a long credit scene with a upbeat rhythm playing throughout, gunshots can be heard and a man on horseback can also be seen. The Good vs Bad can be seen in the title.
War- Saving Private Ryan
The War genre is usually about naval, air or land battles, the experiences of the soldiers, patriotism and remembering what has happened . The opening scene of Saving Private Ryan shows a old man walking through a world war II military grave yard with the American flag being shown for patriotism. There is then a flashback to world war II as allied ships are attempting to reach enemy land under heavy machine gun fire showing the experiences of the soldiers as some are sick while others drown from the weight of their gear as they abandon their ships.
Horror slasher- My bloody valentine
Slasher horror usually follows a serial killer who wears a mask and normally the killer is one of the characters who is known to the audience. The sequence begins in typical fashion with people in masks, a woman then removes her mask and goes into the arms of the other masked person, the person seems only interested in a tattoo of a heart on her chest and all of a sudden seems to fill with rage as he drives her through a pickaxe he had put on the wall with the pickaxe sticking out exactly where the tattoo was. This showing the gore that is sure to be on show throughout the film
British gangster mixes violence with money being a central part in most whether it be stealing money like in the Italian Job or owing money to a dangerous character as in Lock Stock and Two Smocking Barrels. The scene begins showing two main characters selling stolen goods until the police arrive and as they run a voiceover introduces them. This shows them as small time criminals which suggests they are more likely to owe money then to pull off a big money heist originally.
Romantic comedy- Notting Hill
In a rom com a boy will meet a girl they fall in love have an obstacle to overcome and then they get together at the end. The main characters will often come from different classes, as is the case in Notting Hill. This is indicated from the start as Julia Roberts is shown constantly throughtout the credits having photographers all around her everywhere she went. Hugh Grant also mentions it during his voiceover talking about his small quiet life in Notting Hill.
Spaghetti western- The Good, the bad and the ugly
Spaghetti Western is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western film that emerged in the mid-1960s, so named because most of them were produced by Italian studios. It follows the general conventions of westerns with desert scenary, guns, horses and good vs bad. The opening sequence is a long credit scene with a upbeat rhythm playing throughout, gunshots can be heard and a man on horseback can also be seen. The Good vs Bad can be seen in the title.
War- Saving Private Ryan
The War genre is usually about naval, air or land battles, the experiences of the soldiers, patriotism and remembering what has happened . The opening scene of Saving Private Ryan shows a old man walking through a world war II military grave yard with the American flag being shown for patriotism. There is then a flashback to world war II as allied ships are attempting to reach enemy land under heavy machine gun fire showing the experiences of the soldiers as some are sick while others drown from the weight of their gear as they abandon their ships.
Horror slasher- My bloody valentine
Slasher horror usually follows a serial killer who wears a mask and normally the killer is one of the characters who is known to the audience. The sequence begins in typical fashion with people in masks, a woman then removes her mask and goes into the arms of the other masked person, the person seems only interested in a tattoo of a heart on her chest and all of a sudden seems to fill with rage as he drives her through a pickaxe he had put on the wall with the pickaxe sticking out exactly where the tattoo was. This showing the gore that is sure to be on show throughout the film
James Monahan Horror- Torture porn Conventions
The conventions of torture porn films are death, blood, shock, violence, torture, tension and victims. Saw follows these conventions in its opening sequence.
The scene starts in darkness and faint outlines of a man gasping for air as water goes down a plughole, this is a mixture of shock and confusion for the audience as they can't tell exactly what is happening. Tension is built through periods of silence and darkness as the character continues to gasp for air and expresses his confusion of his situation. The lights are turned on by a second character and instantly the room fills with light as rows of lights turn on, and there are close ups of everything in the room which sum up the conventions.
A very grotty washroom can be seen with blood all over the walls and floor. Two men are in opposite corners chained bu their ankles to pipes this signifies them as victims. Between them is a corpse holding a handgun and a cassette player this shows death and the handgun suggests there will be violence
The scene starts in darkness and faint outlines of a man gasping for air as water goes down a plughole, this is a mixture of shock and confusion for the audience as they can't tell exactly what is happening. Tension is built through periods of silence and darkness as the character continues to gasp for air and expresses his confusion of his situation. The lights are turned on by a second character and instantly the room fills with light as rows of lights turn on, and there are close ups of everything in the room which sum up the conventions.
A very grotty washroom can be seen with blood all over the walls and floor. Two men are in opposite corners chained bu their ankles to pipes this signifies them as victims. Between them is a corpse holding a handgun and a cassette player this shows death and the handgun suggests there will be violence
James Monahan Seven opening sequence
1. what do we learn about the character?
The two main characters are police detectives, Somerset and Mills. This is the first time they have worked together. Somerset is close to retiring and he is a cautious man who wants to know every detail, Mills is almost a direct opposite a young and cocky detective.
2.where and when is it set?
It is set in a big city in the USA, it is during the contemporary time
3. What has happened what do we expect to follow
There has been a murder and they have both come to investigate it, I expect that they will be more murders until they solve the case
4. What generic conventions are being used
Use of colour, black and white with red appearing every so often in the opening credits to signify blood
The two main characters are police detectives, Somerset and Mills. This is the first time they have worked together. Somerset is close to retiring and he is a cautious man who wants to know every detail, Mills is almost a direct opposite a young and cocky detective.
2.where and when is it set?
It is set in a big city in the USA, it is during the contemporary time
3. What has happened what do we expect to follow
There has been a murder and they have both come to investigate it, I expect that they will be more murders until they solve the case
4. What generic conventions are being used
Use of colour, black and white with red appearing every so often in the opening credits to signify blood
James Monahan Blog Questions
1. I think the storyboard was the most valuable aspect of the planning stage as it gave us a good idea on what camera shots we were going to use.
2. I learnt about continuity editing which allows it to flow and all the camera angles that can be used such as tracking shots
3. It helped a lot as the editing process helped put the shots together properly and without it the film would not work properly
4. We had generally positive feedback, our variety of camerashots being the main positive
5. I think our best technical aspect of the finished task was the camerawork, the variety and timing of each shot really seemed to work well together
6. The aspects I would improve would be, firstly the lighting of a couple shots as they put a character in the dark and I would also make sure the editing was better timed
2. I learnt about continuity editing which allows it to flow and all the camera angles that can be used such as tracking shots
3. It helped a lot as the editing process helped put the shots together properly and without it the film would not work properly
4. We had generally positive feedback, our variety of camerashots being the main positive
5. I think our best technical aspect of the finished task was the camerawork, the variety and timing of each shot really seemed to work well together
6. The aspects I would improve would be, firstly the lighting of a couple shots as they put a character in the dark and I would also make sure the editing was better timed
Harrison Smith Audience Feedback
1) Is the product a clearly recognisable opening sequence?
The sequence is clearly an opening scene because it establishes the characters, setting, genre, narrative and opens the story for it to be developed later on.
2) Is the genre apparent?
The genre is apparent because generic conventions of British gangster are used, such as suits.
3) Who do you think the target audience is for the product?
Older teenagers and young adults are the selected target audience.
4) Do you think the product would appeal to the target audience? Give reasons for your answer.
It would appeal to target audience because it uses gangster conventions and is also fast paced. It would also appeal to target audience because the actors used were teenagers
5) How well do you think the following technical areas have been addressed – give examples for each:
Cinematography: Good variety of shots used, the opening scene in the pool room was a bit dark it could have been lighter. The opening shot of the mansion is a good way to open a British gangster film.
Sound: Good use of music for the genre because it was upbeat.
Editing: used continuity editing and the cross cutting shots was good.
Mise-en-scene: The pool room, alleyway and suits were a good choice for British gangster.
6) Overall how successful is the finished product? Give an example of something that could be improved and something that worked well.
I liked the narrative, variety of shots and the way you used mise-en-scene to show it was British gangster, to improve your product you could have made it a bit longer. Overall I think your product is very successful and it’s going to be a hit.
The sequence is clearly an opening scene because it establishes the characters, setting, genre, narrative and opens the story for it to be developed later on.
2) Is the genre apparent?
The genre is apparent because generic conventions of British gangster are used, such as suits.
3) Who do you think the target audience is for the product?
Older teenagers and young adults are the selected target audience.
4) Do you think the product would appeal to the target audience? Give reasons for your answer.
It would appeal to target audience because it uses gangster conventions and is also fast paced. It would also appeal to target audience because the actors used were teenagers
5) How well do you think the following technical areas have been addressed – give examples for each:
Cinematography: Good variety of shots used, the opening scene in the pool room was a bit dark it could have been lighter. The opening shot of the mansion is a good way to open a British gangster film.
Sound: Good use of music for the genre because it was upbeat.
Editing: used continuity editing and the cross cutting shots was good.
Mise-en-scene: The pool room, alleyway and suits were a good choice for British gangster.
6) Overall how successful is the finished product? Give an example of something that could be improved and something that worked well.
I liked the narrative, variety of shots and the way you used mise-en-scene to show it was British gangster, to improve your product you could have made it a bit longer. Overall I think your product is very successful and it’s going to be a hit.
Harrison Smith Coursework Questions
· In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
The genre of our media product is British gangster so it uses conventions from the genre. First the setting used in our scene is a pool room and an alleyway, These are both familiar settings scene in British gangster movies. Our story also follows the conventions of British gangster because it is follows a small time Hitman (Jason) who works for a criminal that is very respected and feared (Mickey). Mickey gives Jason a job which involves killing another well respected criminal (Vinny T), so Jason has to kill anyone who stands in his way to work his way to the top. This story displays conventions such as money, weapons and drugs that our familiar with the British gangster genre. Our dialogue also uses the conventions of British gangster as they talk to each other in a harsh manner using cockney accents. Our mise-en-scene uses conventions of British gangster as the two crime lords are dressed in smart suits. It also challenges the conventions because the low life Hitman is dressed quite smartly whereas they usually look scruffy. We did this because we wanted to show that Jason was serious about his work. Our cinematography used a wide range of shots seen in gangster films such as close ups, long shots, establishing shots, tracking shots and over the shoulder shots. Also our sound uses conventions of British gangster because we used the song black and white town by the doves which are a British band which sing in alternative rock. Our opening sequence uses conventions of British gangster because it is set in a big mansion, in the pool room. Our characters in the opening scene are also dressed in suits which is a convention used in many gangster films.
· How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our media product represents the backstreets of London and the gangsters that control them. Our product is stereotypical because the gangsters are ruthless killers that desire power, respect and money. The gangsters in our movie are men which represent them as being more powerful than women and also more cold blooded. Our product represents young people badly because the gangsters are young actors. Lastly it represents wealthy class as being rich and powerful because they are the boss's, and the poorer class are pushed around such as Jason is.
· What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
A British institution such as Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group would distribute our product because it is a British film about the backstreets of London so it would appeal to the United Kingdom, and they have also distributed films such as Snatch which is British gangster.
· Who would be the audience for your media product?
Our target audience would be young adults living in the UK as it is a British film not suitable for children because it contains violence. I think it would be popular with young male adults because the actors are mainly male and the genre is preferred by males.
· How did you attract/address your audience?
We attracted the audience by setting the scene in the opening shot. The scene we showed was the opening scene which introduced the main characters and story. In the scene we see the plan of the assassination so it promises the audience that it will happen later on. The scene hints on violence and crime lords which is what the audience want to see in a British gangster film. We also attracted the audience by rolling the credits in the opening scene this showed them who the main characters were and what their names are. Lastly we used alternative rock music in our scene which promises action, this drags the audience in so that they want to see more.
· What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
We first learnt how to use the camera to record the images we wanted. We then learnt how to record the scene and store it onto the tape and then load it onto imovie on the mac. We also learnt how to cut what we have recorded so we can edit any mistakes. This was really useful because it allowed us to cut as much as we wanted to get the scene to run as smoothly as we could. We learnt how to edit the shots so we could watch it all at the same time, this helped see what worked and what didn't. By watching our scene on imovie we learnt how useful the tripod is because it’s very hard to keep the camera steady without it. We also learnt how to import music into our scene so that we can play it at the same time we watch it. We also learnt that you can fade the music in and fade it out as well as adjusting the volume, we used this to our advantage so that we could hear the voices over the music. Lastly we learnt how to cut the soundtrack so that we could repeat a part of it as many times as we wanted, this helped because we cut the beginning of the song and played it over in the beginning of our scene, to add a build up effect.
· Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
The preliminary task helped a lot with the final task because it was a guide to help us produce our product. It showed us how important the planning was, because we could use the storyboard and script while we was filming so that we didn’t forget anything and we already knew what to do. It also helped us pick a location because the different shots required a certain atmosphere. We have also learnt how to use the camera a tripod to its full potential to produce well structured shots. From doing the preliminary task we also learnt a lot more about editing. We learnt how to cut our clips down and then fit them in together which helped us a lot in our final product. It was important that our clips fitted together and that there were no mistakes so that the final product flowed very well. We also learnt how to use credits in our product, this was useful because we used them to introduce our characters and who was playing the part of that character. Although we didn’t use music in the preliminary task we used them in our final product. The soundtrack was very important as it drags the audience in. We choose a song that really works well with the setting, it was a hard job editing the soundtrack to fit in with the shots but we did it in the end and it all works very well together creating a well produced media product.
The genre of our media product is British gangster so it uses conventions from the genre. First the setting used in our scene is a pool room and an alleyway, These are both familiar settings scene in British gangster movies. Our story also follows the conventions of British gangster because it is follows a small time Hitman (Jason) who works for a criminal that is very respected and feared (Mickey). Mickey gives Jason a job which involves killing another well respected criminal (Vinny T), so Jason has to kill anyone who stands in his way to work his way to the top. This story displays conventions such as money, weapons and drugs that our familiar with the British gangster genre. Our dialogue also uses the conventions of British gangster as they talk to each other in a harsh manner using cockney accents. Our mise-en-scene uses conventions of British gangster as the two crime lords are dressed in smart suits. It also challenges the conventions because the low life Hitman is dressed quite smartly whereas they usually look scruffy. We did this because we wanted to show that Jason was serious about his work. Our cinematography used a wide range of shots seen in gangster films such as close ups, long shots, establishing shots, tracking shots and over the shoulder shots. Also our sound uses conventions of British gangster because we used the song black and white town by the doves which are a British band which sing in alternative rock. Our opening sequence uses conventions of British gangster because it is set in a big mansion, in the pool room. Our characters in the opening scene are also dressed in suits which is a convention used in many gangster films.
· How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our media product represents the backstreets of London and the gangsters that control them. Our product is stereotypical because the gangsters are ruthless killers that desire power, respect and money. The gangsters in our movie are men which represent them as being more powerful than women and also more cold blooded. Our product represents young people badly because the gangsters are young actors. Lastly it represents wealthy class as being rich and powerful because they are the boss's, and the poorer class are pushed around such as Jason is.
· What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
A British institution such as Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group would distribute our product because it is a British film about the backstreets of London so it would appeal to the United Kingdom, and they have also distributed films such as Snatch which is British gangster.
· Who would be the audience for your media product?
Our target audience would be young adults living in the UK as it is a British film not suitable for children because it contains violence. I think it would be popular with young male adults because the actors are mainly male and the genre is preferred by males.
· How did you attract/address your audience?
We attracted the audience by setting the scene in the opening shot. The scene we showed was the opening scene which introduced the main characters and story. In the scene we see the plan of the assassination so it promises the audience that it will happen later on. The scene hints on violence and crime lords which is what the audience want to see in a British gangster film. We also attracted the audience by rolling the credits in the opening scene this showed them who the main characters were and what their names are. Lastly we used alternative rock music in our scene which promises action, this drags the audience in so that they want to see more.
· What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
We first learnt how to use the camera to record the images we wanted. We then learnt how to record the scene and store it onto the tape and then load it onto imovie on the mac. We also learnt how to cut what we have recorded so we can edit any mistakes. This was really useful because it allowed us to cut as much as we wanted to get the scene to run as smoothly as we could. We learnt how to edit the shots so we could watch it all at the same time, this helped see what worked and what didn't. By watching our scene on imovie we learnt how useful the tripod is because it’s very hard to keep the camera steady without it. We also learnt how to import music into our scene so that we can play it at the same time we watch it. We also learnt that you can fade the music in and fade it out as well as adjusting the volume, we used this to our advantage so that we could hear the voices over the music. Lastly we learnt how to cut the soundtrack so that we could repeat a part of it as many times as we wanted, this helped because we cut the beginning of the song and played it over in the beginning of our scene, to add a build up effect.
· Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
The preliminary task helped a lot with the final task because it was a guide to help us produce our product. It showed us how important the planning was, because we could use the storyboard and script while we was filming so that we didn’t forget anything and we already knew what to do. It also helped us pick a location because the different shots required a certain atmosphere. We have also learnt how to use the camera a tripod to its full potential to produce well structured shots. From doing the preliminary task we also learnt a lot more about editing. We learnt how to cut our clips down and then fit them in together which helped us a lot in our final product. It was important that our clips fitted together and that there were no mistakes so that the final product flowed very well. We also learnt how to use credits in our product, this was useful because we used them to introduce our characters and who was playing the part of that character. Although we didn’t use music in the preliminary task we used them in our final product. The soundtrack was very important as it drags the audience in. We choose a song that really works well with the setting, it was a hard job editing the soundtrack to fit in with the shots but we did it in the end and it all works very well together creating a well produced media product.
Harrison Smith Treatment
Target Audience: Adults 18
Genre: Adults 18+
Characters: Jason the hitman, Micky the boss, Vinny T the gangster.
Plot Development: London, ,Modern day, backstreets, alley ways, industrial areas. Vinny T has high status and power has a lot of authority and people who work for and protect him. there is another character Micky who hires the main character to become a hitman for him to take out various people and get him to the top. Micky gives Jason the job of killing Vinny T. Micky will inherit his power and status and Jason will receive little for his efforts and its a life risking job because of Vinny T's protection.
Jason kills Vinny and is on the run from his henchmen, Jason goes back to Mickey and Mickey makes a quick escape to prevent being killed by Vinny's henchmen. Jason chases Mickey down and he kills him. Jason is then caught by Vinny's henchmen but offers the money he got now Mickey is dead and Jason inherits Vinny T's status, power, authority and money. Jason is now top of the chain and has all the power in the underworld of the gangsters.
Genre: Adults 18+
Characters: Jason the hitman, Micky the boss, Vinny T the gangster.
Plot Development: London, ,Modern day, backstreets, alley ways, industrial areas. Vinny T has high status and power has a lot of authority and people who work for and protect him. there is another character Micky who hires the main character to become a hitman for him to take out various people and get him to the top. Micky gives Jason the job of killing Vinny T. Micky will inherit his power and status and Jason will receive little for his efforts and its a life risking job because of Vinny T's protection.
Jason kills Vinny and is on the run from his henchmen, Jason goes back to Mickey and Mickey makes a quick escape to prevent being killed by Vinny's henchmen. Jason chases Mickey down and he kills him. Jason is then caught by Vinny's henchmen but offers the money he got now Mickey is dead and Jason inherits Vinny T's status, power, authority and money. Jason is now top of the chain and has all the power in the underworld of the gangsters.
Harrison Smith Blog Questions
1) The most valuable aspect of the planning stage was the story board because we got to lay out all the camera shots we were going to use.
2) I learnt about continuaty editing and all of the different camera shots such as long shots and close ups.
3) The editing proccess played a major part in completing our film because we got to cut shots to make them fit in, and make the films less boring.
4) We received possitive feedback Especially our range of camera shots.
5) The best technical aspect i feel is the variety in the camera shots and the time in which we cut them to make the film flow well.
6) The aspects i would improve is the lighting because some shots are darker were others are lighter. I would also improve on the editing as some shots dont fit in because the props are in a different possition.
2) I learnt about continuaty editing and all of the different camera shots such as long shots and close ups.
3) The editing proccess played a major part in completing our film because we got to cut shots to make them fit in, and make the films less boring.
4) We received possitive feedback Especially our range of camera shots.
5) The best technical aspect i feel is the variety in the camera shots and the time in which we cut them to make the film flow well.
6) The aspects i would improve is the lighting because some shots are darker were others are lighter. I would also improve on the editing as some shots dont fit in because the props are in a different possition.
Monday 27 April 2009
Robbie Jay Audience Coursework Feedback
1. Is The Product A Clearly Recogniseable Opening Sequence?
Yes, it is a recognisable opening sequence because it establishes the hook of the film which makes the audience want to watch more, which is the fact that Jason, the main character, is about to embark on his journey, which is also introducing the storyline/plot/narrative. The characters are introduced and the genre is made aware to the audience through the use of generic conventions of a British Gangster film. These are all what is expected from a opening sequence of a film.
2. Is The Genre Apparent?
As stated before, generic conventions of a British Gangster film are used in the opening sequence, the characters wear suits and speak in Cockney accents, which strongly resemble previous gangster films made such as Snatch and Lock Stock, which we're big influences on this film. The settings contrast to show power within the gangsters, the powerful and wealthy gangster Vinny T is shown in a large house however the lighting reflects his personality, dark and evil. Then Mickey and Jason are shown meeting in a rural and unattractive ally, which reflects their status but also their power and wealth levels, they are clearly a much smaller force within the gangster hierarchy.
3. Who Do You Think The Target Audience Is For The Product?
The target audience for this film is young males, from older teens to late twenties, early thirties.
4. Do You Think The Product Would Appeal To The Target Audience?
Yes, because the opening sequence is fast paced, it grabs the audiences attention and makes them want to watch the rest of the film because it leaves them with a cliffhanger. The British Gangster conventions are displayed effectively in the sequence and makes the target audience know exactly what the genre is. The actors are late teens and are males and this means that the target audience can relate to that because of age and gender similarities. Also the settings are very reflective of real life, which means they can also relate with that.
5. How Well Do You Think The Following Technical Areas Have Been Adressed?
Cinematography - This has been used very well because there are a variety of shots used within the product, for example there are close ups of the characters, to introduce them to the audience and also to show their emotions and there are also point of view shots to show the scene through the characters eyes.
Sound - There is a good use of sound within the sequence, the non diegetic sound, which is the music, works well with the sequence because its also fast paced and upbeat which matches the tempo of the scene itself. The diagetic sound also works because the characters speak with a cockney accent which is a generic convention but also fits with the characters personalities.
Editing - The editing is continuity editing which works well with the product and helps it acheive what it aims to. There is use of shot reverse shot when Mickey and Jason are in conversation, which is also a very effectively used tool. The pace of the editing is quite fast and hits the audience at a quick rate, but still lets them take everything on board and understand it.
Mise-En-Scene - The mise-en-scene has been used to reinforce the genre and to aid the overall effect the sequence wants to create, the suits worn by the characters shows that they are powerful individuals and are not the type of people you want to anger. The settings of the alleyway is also well used because its a typical setting that would be expected for a British Gangster film.
6. Overall How Successful Is The Finished Product? Give An Example Of Something That Can Be Improved And Something That Works Well.
Overall the product is very successful in what it trys to create, which is a tense atmosphere and putting the audience on edge to make them want to know more. It also trys to create the British Gangster genre feel which is does effectively using the conventions. The narrative is something that is successfully executed within then product. However, the opening sequence could be a little bit longer by adding in more shots or dialogue for example.
Yes, it is a recognisable opening sequence because it establishes the hook of the film which makes the audience want to watch more, which is the fact that Jason, the main character, is about to embark on his journey, which is also introducing the storyline/plot/narrative. The characters are introduced and the genre is made aware to the audience through the use of generic conventions of a British Gangster film. These are all what is expected from a opening sequence of a film.
2. Is The Genre Apparent?
As stated before, generic conventions of a British Gangster film are used in the opening sequence, the characters wear suits and speak in Cockney accents, which strongly resemble previous gangster films made such as Snatch and Lock Stock, which we're big influences on this film. The settings contrast to show power within the gangsters, the powerful and wealthy gangster Vinny T is shown in a large house however the lighting reflects his personality, dark and evil. Then Mickey and Jason are shown meeting in a rural and unattractive ally, which reflects their status but also their power and wealth levels, they are clearly a much smaller force within the gangster hierarchy.
3. Who Do You Think The Target Audience Is For The Product?
The target audience for this film is young males, from older teens to late twenties, early thirties.
4. Do You Think The Product Would Appeal To The Target Audience?
Yes, because the opening sequence is fast paced, it grabs the audiences attention and makes them want to watch the rest of the film because it leaves them with a cliffhanger. The British Gangster conventions are displayed effectively in the sequence and makes the target audience know exactly what the genre is. The actors are late teens and are males and this means that the target audience can relate to that because of age and gender similarities. Also the settings are very reflective of real life, which means they can also relate with that.
5. How Well Do You Think The Following Technical Areas Have Been Adressed?
Cinematography - This has been used very well because there are a variety of shots used within the product, for example there are close ups of the characters, to introduce them to the audience and also to show their emotions and there are also point of view shots to show the scene through the characters eyes.
Sound - There is a good use of sound within the sequence, the non diegetic sound, which is the music, works well with the sequence because its also fast paced and upbeat which matches the tempo of the scene itself. The diagetic sound also works because the characters speak with a cockney accent which is a generic convention but also fits with the characters personalities.
Editing - The editing is continuity editing which works well with the product and helps it acheive what it aims to. There is use of shot reverse shot when Mickey and Jason are in conversation, which is also a very effectively used tool. The pace of the editing is quite fast and hits the audience at a quick rate, but still lets them take everything on board and understand it.
Mise-En-Scene - The mise-en-scene has been used to reinforce the genre and to aid the overall effect the sequence wants to create, the suits worn by the characters shows that they are powerful individuals and are not the type of people you want to anger. The settings of the alleyway is also well used because its a typical setting that would be expected for a British Gangster film.
6. Overall How Successful Is The Finished Product? Give An Example Of Something That Can Be Improved And Something That Works Well.
Overall the product is very successful in what it trys to create, which is a tense atmosphere and putting the audience on edge to make them want to know more. It also trys to create the British Gangster genre feel which is does effectively using the conventions. The narrative is something that is successfully executed within then product. However, the opening sequence could be a little bit longer by adding in more shots or dialogue for example.
Monday 20 April 2009
Robbie Jay Media Studies AS Coursework Questions
Media Studies AS Coursework Questions
1. In What Ways Does Your Media Product Use, Develop, Or Challenge Forms And Conventions Of Your Real Media Products?
The film that my group created is a British Gangster film, it generally uses the conventions of media products rather than subverting against them. The sound for example is the appropriate type, it builds up some tension and puts the audience on edge, it aims to tell the audience the kind of genre the film is. The diegetic sound is also what is expected from a British Gangster film, London accents that make the characters look rough and aggressive. The three main characters in the film are also introduced and clearly established so the audience are informed. The opening sequence starts the storyline, which is a typical convention that is expected, It leaves the audience wanting to know what is going to happen next. The settings are also either dark or secluded with nobody else around, this indicates to the audience that the privacy is needed by the characters because of the illegal things that they are involved in, this is also an indication of the genre of the film.
2. How Does Your Media Product Represent Particular Social Groups?
The social group that are being represented in this film are gangsters. This group are being represented in a positive way in some ways but also in a negative way but this is expected from the audience because gangsters don’t abide by the law. They are being represented positively because the three characters are dressed smartly in suits so this tells the audience that they take care of their appearance and like to look good. Also, one of the characters are shown to own a large, well-kept house which also gives gangsters a positive representation. However, there are also some negative representations of these characters, the first is that they are shown to be involved in things such as drug dealings and they are also shown to be aggressive and impatient. Micky also tells Jason to kill Vinny T, therefore they are being displayed as cold-hearted killers and will do anything to get money, power and respect.
3. What Kind Of Media Institution Might Distribute Your Media Product And Why?
This film would most likely be a mainstream British film because of how the opening sequence is constructed, which means it would have a reasonally big budget and follow the typical conventions of the British gangster genre, which this film does. This is a British film but it expects good box office so it will be distributed by a Hollywood distribution company, for example Snatch, a British Gangster film was distributed by Sony, which is a large Hollywood distribution company. The film would then be distributed to multiplex cinema sites and large cinemas across the country. Because this is a high budget, Hollywood film it will appeal to a large amount of audiences, this is why it would be distributed nationally.
4. Who Would Be The Audience For Your Media Product?
The target audience for this film would be older teenagers to young adults and possibly adults too. This is because the actors of the film are young and the lifestyles they lead are not what most adults can relate to as how their life is, that is why the younger audience will be more interested. However the storyline isn’t the sort that would be restricted to a young generations film, so some adults may take an interest in this film.
5. How Did You Attract/Address Your Audience?
The genre of the film will automatically attract anybody that likes the British Gangster genre, at the very start of the film, fast paced music plays and this indicates to the audience that something is going to happen and puts them on the edge of their seat and this attracts them to watch more of the film. The end of the opening sequence sets Jason, the main character, on the main storyline of the film, so the audience are attracted to the film to know what happens.
6. What Have You Learnt About Technologies From The Process Of Constructing This Product?
I have learned from constructing this product how to use a camera professionally, with the tripod and making sure its suitable for editing. I learned about how the variety of shots are vital for a media product to look professional and to flow. I also learned that shot length is another important factor because if a shot lasts for too long or is over too quickly it affects the whole piece and can have a positive impact. I also learned the editing process, what is involved and how to carry it out myself. For our editing we used the iMovie program on an Apple Mac computer.
7. Looking Back At Your Preliminary Task, What Do You Feel You Have Learnt In The Progression From It To The Full Product?
Mise-en-scene is extremely important in creating a media product, it needs to be chosen carefully because it is so effective and can define the whole product. I have also learned about the pace of editing, if you set the pace of the piece fast then it will create a certain effect and set a mood however if the pace is slow it will create a completely different effect and the mood will contrast greatly, so the pace needs to be chosen wisely. Finally, I have learned how important planning is for a film to be created and assembled efficiently, the storyboarding is a vital task because it tells the director exactly what shot is next, the shot length and type and any sound that is accompanied with it. Without the storyboarding the filming of the media product will be almost impossible and it will be of a low standard.
Tuesday 27 January 2009
Robbie's Blog Questions
1) The most valuable aspect of the planning stage in my opinion was the storyboard and the shotlist, this is because it gave the group a straight forward and easy plan to follow and saved alot of time when we was filming.
2) The things i learnt about camerawork was how to cut the shots to make each shot a different length, this ensures that the pace isnt always the same and that it doesnt get tiresome for the audience.
3) The editing really helped me understand how a media text is constructed, becuase when filming is complete its only 50% completed because the editing plays such a major and important role. A high amount of care and thought needs to go into the editing process because whatever happens in the editing part is the final peice that the audience will be viewing.
4) Our final peice recieved some positive feedback in the sense that our camera shot variety and length created a good and professional effect, the mise-en-scene is another aspect that recieved some positive feedback.
5) The technical aspects that I am most pleased with about our final piece is the fact that we have used alot of camera shots and they differ in length which really does create a good effect and make the peice flow.
6) The aspect that i would change is the lighting because some of the shots turned out very dark because of the sunlight in the windows, and also i would redo some of the shots because in some places the shots dont seem to flow perfectly and there are slight jolts.
2) The things i learnt about camerawork was how to cut the shots to make each shot a different length, this ensures that the pace isnt always the same and that it doesnt get tiresome for the audience.
3) The editing really helped me understand how a media text is constructed, becuase when filming is complete its only 50% completed because the editing plays such a major and important role. A high amount of care and thought needs to go into the editing process because whatever happens in the editing part is the final peice that the audience will be viewing.
4) Our final peice recieved some positive feedback in the sense that our camera shot variety and length created a good and professional effect, the mise-en-scene is another aspect that recieved some positive feedback.
5) The technical aspects that I am most pleased with about our final piece is the fact that we have used alot of camera shots and they differ in length which really does create a good effect and make the peice flow.
6) The aspect that i would change is the lighting because some of the shots turned out very dark because of the sunlight in the windows, and also i would redo some of the shots because in some places the shots dont seem to flow perfectly and there are slight jolts.
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