Media Evaluation

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

It was felt that the type of film that we were producing required emotional interaction between the two main characters and the antagonists to be seen clearly, so a mixture of typical mid-range shots were used to allow them to both be in shot and also see their emotions. Close-ups were used to enhance particularly emotional moments.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The social groups being portrayed are students and teachers. The students are the protagonists, and are depicted in a sympathetic way using regular close-ups to allow the audience to associate with them on an emotional level. The teachers are the main antagonists, and filmed to show this. In the same that Ridley Scott only showed glimpses of the alien in Alien (1979) to enhance the mystery and feeling of ‘unknown’, the teachers are kept hidden to create a sense of fear.

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

I feel that the product would benefit most from mainly online distribution, to maximise the ‘viral’ effect of modern media in society. A limited cinema circulation could be used to generate local and regional popularity.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The main audience would be teenagers, as they will find it easier to associate with the protagonists, also the characters throughout are media film are played all by teenagers so the audience could relate to their actions and emotions.

How did you attract/address your audience?

To maximise the impact of the media, it was felt that it should clearly define the character of what might follow. The media product is intended as an intense sample of a prospective film, in much the same way that the opening scenes of Wes Craven’s Scream (1995) depicts the film’s key elements of horror and sense of vulnerability in a little under five minutes.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

I learnt the key processes of capturing multiple takes on analogue media, and then editing and shortening the footage in a digital environment into a cohesive product.

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

I feel that the main thing that I learned was the importance of capturing a lot of footage and the effectiveness of editing the material into a finished product – the process of visual editing has allowed as much creative control over the final product as the writing of the script and dialogue.