In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

I felt that my product developed the conventions of the genre and matched in with real media products. I chose to do this as when researching into the conventions of teen films I found that these were the types of elements that appealed to my target audience. From researching I found out different elements about the conventions that I would need to include in my product such as with the storyline the audience needs to be able to relate to what happens, the location and the mise-en-scene. Having these elements in the product allows it to appeal to the audience. Along with working out what would appeal to my audience I looked into other teen films, looking at the conventions they put across such as the type of location used, with this I found that most of them are filmed in a school being that it allows the audience to gain a understanding as to what is happening. Doing the research allowed me to gain a better understanding of what needs to go into the film and how important it is to following the conventions of the genre in a way that would appeal to the target audience. This is why I chose to develop the different forms of the convention as I felt that it would appeal to the audience.

Finding out about the conventions helped me to think about the story I wanted to create, thinking about the ways in which I could create characters to appeal to the audience. I used the conventions in my film to help make it more realistic, creating verisimilitude to the film doing this made the film appeal to the audience. If I was to do the research again I would look more costly at the type of conventions that real media product use and then the way other films challenge these conventions, looking at the way in which they are able to do this. I would also look more costly at the conventions used in other genres of films and the way in which this genres uses set conventions. By doing this I would be able to gain a better understanding of the convention used in real media products. Though compared to my research I did in the preliminary task, the research I did in my main take was more in depth, allowing me to create a better product as I had a better understanding as to what I need to put into the film to make it appeal to my audience and fit in with the genre by having a clear understanding of what I need to put in the film and the conventions that go into the product to make it appeal to the audience.

The way in which used convention was in a way that appeal to my and developed the convention of teens, as I felt doing this I would be able to appeal to a wide audience and put across the right representations of the characters. Keeping to the conventions meant that I was able have an opening that was similar to other teen films, creating a product that fits in with other products out meant that I am able to appeal to the right audience and have market follows that allow me to create a wider audience of my film. Doing this I felt worked well and I gain good audience feedback about the way in which I used the convention. Though if I was to do it again then I think I would have include more elements that challenge the convention, as I think that this would appeal to my audience and make my film stand out form other they have seen.

 

   One of the main conventions that I followed was with the locations. I chose to film my product at a school this match in with the plot and allowed the audience to gain an understanding as to what was happening. The main action took places inside the school doing this meant that the action came across more powerful, with the audience being able to gain an understanding of what is happening. The location used I felt was stereotypical and it gain the character Lilly somewhere to sit creating a clear acting space for them. I chosen this location as I felt that the audience would be able to relate to it and that it was a believable place for the opening scene to take place in.   

From the research I found that a location is one of the conventions that are most used in teen films.  I chosen to use this location as I felt that it fitted in with the characters and using this location it would allow to me to take different shots and use different distances creating a better understanding of the characters for the audience. If I was going to do this again I think I would chosen a different location being that I had problems with the lighting because of the window but I felt that this location fitted with the convention and helped the audience to gain an understanding of the characters.

The costumes I used also fitted in with the conventions of a teen film. I chose to keep them in the conventions being that I felt that it would allow the audience to have a better understanding on the type of character they are. Using these costumes develop the conventions of the genre and fits in with other teen films. From looking in to other film I found that the type of costumes used reflects the character this is why I felt that it was important to chose the right costume that would reflect the character and doing it in a conventional way would allow the audience to know who the characters are from the start of the film. I chosen to use this type of costume as it appeal to my audience and allow them to gain an understanding of the characters.

 

 The costume of Lilly used the convention and the stereotypes of that character, I chosen to use this as it would allow the audience to understand the type of person she is and making it easy to identify who she is. The colours used for her costume make her bled in with the background. I chose to use these colours as from my research this was the types of colours that I found was used for this type of character and I felt that it would best show the audience who she is. Along with this I chose to have her hair tied up as I felt that it showed the audience her child like ness and from my researching felt that this was the type of hair that would best show her character. Also with this I used glass as this was the conventional way to show her a as a ‘nerd’. If I was to do this again I would leave Lilly's costume as it is because I feel that it creates the right effect of her and found that from my audience feedback that the use of costumes worked well.

The costume I create for Emma was done in a similar way following the conventions and the way in which I want the audience to view Emma. I chose to use drake colours for her as I felt that this would put across the type of character she is. Using the reds and the blacks puts over the way in which is the ‘evil’ character this was something that I found was conventional of this type of character in teen film and using the colours in this way would help the audience to know who she is. Along with this she has short hair which I felt would was conventional of the bully and doing this I hope it would bring over the type of character she is. I felt that the costumes I used for her worked well in with in with the convention and put over the character well to the audience.  I would not change Emma’s costume as I felt that it fit in with the conventions well and let the audience gain an understanding as to who she is in the plot of the film. 

Creating my characters in this way helped the audience to understand them. The characters that I created fitted in with the conventions being that they were based around the stereotypical view that they audience has on the characters with the language that I used to create them fitting in with these views I chosen to create characters that are conventional to my genre as I felt that this would appeal to my audience. Using costumes that matched in allowed me to creating a clear image of them to the audience. Fitting the costume in with the convention allowed me to put over the right image of the characters and help them appeal to my audience. Also doing this allowed them to fit into the storyline, this is conventional to the genre. Doing this would appeal to my audience more. If I was to create the costumes aging I would not change much as I felt that it put over the right image of the characters and had good audience feedback from the audience about the costumes.

From looking at the feedback I got back from my audience I found that they felt that the film opening was different from others films but you could tell what genre its. This is what I hope to active from my opening in that it develops the convention of the film and allows the audience to know what type of film it is. With this though some people felt that it was very conventional and it fits in with the genre because of the location and the characters which were the areas I tried to make fit in with the conversions most. Through looking at other film in the same genre I found that my film had elements that fit in with the convention and the genre but doing this means that my film might not standout overall to the viewing audience. Through from my audience feedback I feel that the way in which I have followed the conventions would appeal to my target audience and lit them have a clear understanding for the storyline. If I was to re-film that the conventions that I used I would keep the same being that I felt that these appeal to my audience but with this I would look into challenge the conventions to make my film standout more.  

One of the film that I analysed in my research was 'What a Girl Wants', I chose to research this as I felt that it fit well with the convention and was aimed at similar target audience as I was planning to aim my film at. The opening for the film is different to mine being that they use different techniques and has a different storyline to the one I created. This opening puts over different convention with it showing how there are issues with the parents relationship this type of storyline is typical of a teen film. In that the film looks at the relationship that face the main character this is close to mine being that it looks at the different types of relationship that face the main character similar to my.

The main action that happens in the opening is different from mine in that it uses a voice over explaining to the audience what is happening. Using the direct address to the audience helps them to gain a better understanding of the characters. Where as with the main action of the opening for mine it shows the characters in a dramatic situation. I found out that both of these were conventional but with 'What a Girl Wants' it uses a more typical opening.

The credits in the opening I found were similar to each other being that they put over the location of the film through with 'What a Girl Wants' it uses an animation opening with focus on the main buildings of the location. Looking at my own opening and comparing it with this one I felt that it fits in with the conventions of the genre but stood out against 'What a Girl Wants' being that it has a different style. From looking at this opening I felt that if I was going to make my film again I would try and create a voice over of the opening being that this is something that would appeal to my audience, fit in with the genre and lit the audience gain an understanding of the leading characters background.

 For my opening I chosen to put my characters in a dramatic situations as I felt that this would appeal to my audience but from looking at this opening I would look into the idea for put over the back story of the character more. As I feel that this worked well and would appeal to the audience but with this the audience feedback I gain saying that having the characters in this situation at the opening challenged the convention and worked well in showing the characters to the audience.