Alexis Still AS Media Evaluation

SLIDE TWO
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge
forms and conventions of real media products?
Our film ‘Paid In Full’ is a thriller, with a sub genre of crime thriller.
The conventions of a thriller are a distinct threat to the character/s
and typical dark settings that take away security for the audience. A
crime thriller shows criminality as a strong theme. Crime thrillers
usually emphasise action over psychological aspects. Central topics
include murders, robberies, chases, shootouts and double crosses
as central ingredients. Many of these aspects are used in our media
product such as murder, drugs, a double cross and stalking, and we
incorporated psychological aspects with the ‘mind tricks’ in the
bathroom scene.
To adapt our film to fit with the conventions of a thriller genre, we
had to apply the conventions to costume, characters, shots and
soundtrack.
Costume- Thrillers usually have characters in dark colours to
enhance them as a threat, and use lighter colours to contrast with
this for the ‘victims’ to show their vulnerability. We used this idea in
our film by dressing the exchange man and murderer in dark
colours: the murderer in black trousers and a hooded jumper, and
the exchange man in black trousers and a leather jacket.
Alternatively, we dressed the ‘victim’ in jeans and a bright shirt to
show him in stark contrast as the ‘good guy’ in the film compared to
the other men who were the ‘villains’.
The characters we created were also typical of a thriller film. The
‘good guy’ was shown to be popular, a typical youth enjoying
himself with friends on a night out. In this way, as a naïve and
immature young man, he is the ultimate victim and shows his
immediate vulnerability through his unawareness of the situation he
is in.
The murderer is also a typical character you might find in a thriller.
He immediately presents himself as deliberately isolated from the
rest of the group and a loner, and therefore is shown to be an
immediate threat, This can also be seen in the exchange man as he
is a lone character and has a sinister look about him that gives us
the impression that he is a person of authority and in control of the
situation he finds himself in.
We also utilised camera shots and composition in particular
reference to lighting by making use of shadow on the villains faces
to create the effect of a sinister and threatening character and
perhaps dual personality in that they have two sides to them. Close
ups of characters’ reactions and point of view shots were also used
to intensify the scene and create fear within the audience.
Soundtrack was also an integral part of creating tension and
suspense. We used typical suspense build ups in the soundtrack
such as high pitched violins to create tension and hold the audience
on edge. The use of a slow and sombre piano and drum beat in the
background of most of the film was also used to create an effect of
fear and of something approaching within the scene.

SLIDE THREE
My media product was produced using equipment similar to that of
a major film production. Although restricted in a school environment
by costs, time and availability of equipment, we used film
equipment and software that would reflect that used in real
productions. The equipment used was:
A video camera: this was, of course, used to film our production
‘Paid In Full’, and in the production we made particular use of its
features such as zoom in the party scene and night mode in the
street scenes and exchange. We therefore tried to make our film as
realistic and mature in its form of production as possible.
Software: iMovie- this program allowed us to upload our clips
directly from the camera pre-editing before it was moved into Final
Cut Express.
This program is similar to that that would be used by large
production companies and allowed us to edit clips, add effects and
transitions, music and titles. This side of the production and
completion of the media product was mostly done via this program,
whereas in the real film industry these different sections of editing
would be compartmentalised to different employment sectors to
create a final product. We used Apple Macs to access this software.

SLIDE FOUR
Our film challenges media conventions as it skews a genre. From
the opening of the film, you are led to believe that the boy who dies
at the end is the protagonist, but that fact that he is stabbed merely
three minutes into the film skews our views and shows in fact who
really has orchestrated the situation. You realise here that the film is
more about the relationship between the exchange man and the
murderer and their partnership, than the murder and the
circumstances of it. We are lulled into a false sense of security of
the true situation in the production and we are therefore surprised
by the real outcome. We focused most of our shots on the boy to
create this effect, placing him central to shots in composition, and
picking an actor that would stand out in a crowd. We produced his
costume with bright colours to make him noticeable to the audience
and placed particular attention on his progression throughout the
production, giving him the most camera time to create the
impression to the audience that he was vital to the film.

SLIDE FIVE
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our film shows particular representations of some social groups.
Youth culture is the group that is mainly represented, shown
particularly in the party scene. They are shown as noisy, ‘party
animals’, using illegal substances and committing crimes. They are
shown to have a lack of care and ambition and this is also shown
through the main characters. The ‘dangerous’ character of the
murderer is fairly stereotyped by how a criminal is expected to look
in dark colours, hooded and stern. This is also reflected in the
exchange man as he is also a dangerous character fitting a specific
stereotype. These characters are both a threat to society and are
recognisable as a potential threat in both costume and acting.
Youth culture is represented. Teenagers are the most prolific
members of society and have an ease of access to things that
others may not. We used music and setting to help reinforce the
representations of youths, using music with influences from dubstep
and grime artists. This helped reiterate the image of youths by using
a modern soundtrack typical of that found at a youth party.
Setting was also vital as we created the setting of the party scene to
be brightly lit and coloured, representing a younger set of guests.
Also the back streets and alleys we later find ourselves including the
film are recognisable as distinct areas where these sorts of crimes
may occur.
We represent some stereotypes in this film and show youths in a
potentially bad light as euphoric, almost hedonistic in their actions
and impulsive in decision-making.

SLIDE SIX
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product
and why?
Our media product ‘Paid In Full’ would be distributed by media
institutions that have younger audiences and a wide media
distribution.
Film4 is an independent film maker and distributor and have a
strong interest in independent films. They would probably distribute
our film as it is not mainstream in subject or production.
E4 would be a perfect distributor of our film as they market
programmes such as Skins and Hollyoaks that have similar themes
as within ‘Paid In Full’, with youth culture as a major aspects of their
programmes, films, and audiences lives.
Our film may also be shown to crowds at events such as the Cannes
Film Festival, where up and coming film directors and producers can
showcase their works. Many independent and art house films are
shown here, and, as our film is not particularly mainstream, it may
be shown at this festival to be shown as an independent film.
Our film would probably be released probably in autumn time, as
the evenings get darker, enhancing the realistic and potential threat
we wish the audience to feel from the film.

SLIDE SEVEN
Who would be the audience for your media product? How did you
attract/address your audience?
It must be at least certificate 15, because it shows the use of drugs
and there is violence within the film, however it is moderate, and
not sexualised or dwelled upon within the shots. We decided to
certify ‘Paid In Full’ with a 15 certificate by looking at the guidelines
of the British Board of Film Broadcasting.

SLIDE EIGHT
We used in particular soundtrack to attract and address our
audience, drawing them in with modern styles and bass beats
during the party scene and a modern- although sombre- beat for the
rest of the film. This soundtrack was appealing to young people who
may recognise music similar in style to that used in our film.
Also, the ability of the young target audience to access cross media
convergence systems would greatly benefit the marketing process
of ‘Paid In Full’.
The audience that this film is aimed at is older teens between the
ages of around 16 due to the explicit content and use of illegal
substances, up to the age of around early 20’s. We aimed our film at
young adults, as they would be most likely to empathise the
situations represented and the people shown.
The ‘protagonist’ was also a character that was produced as we
knew he could be empathised with and we used a modern or style
of music for the soundtrack, taking influences from artists such as
Borgore and the dubstep style to produce an enjoyable soundtrack
for young people that fit both with the plot and storyline and also
the audience it is aimed at.

SLIDE 9
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of
constructing this product?
By using the equipment such as the video camera, apple Macs and
software programs of iMovie and Final Cut Express, I leant many
techniques of production.
I learnt how to handle and control a video camera and tripod.
Although this was used with difficulty at first, we learnt how to
handle the functions of the camera during the preliminary task and
compose shots with ease.
I also learnt how to effectively edit clips and then add effects and a
soundtrack.

SLIDE 10
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have
learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
We developed greatly in technique and maturity in our approach to
the main task after the preliminary. I learnt from the preliminary
task basic skills that I was then able to develop to create the final
media product. I learnt how to:
-Manage time effectively to compromise between filming and
editing time and keep to a schedule.
-Organise efficiently, by booking the hall as a location for the party,
organising actors, extras and props for all filming sessions. The
preliminary task was fairly unplanned and so was not a great
success, so from that experience I knew it was essential to plan
ahead and organise efficiently.
-I learnt and became more confident about the camera, becoming
more aware of its functions and the ability to compose different
shots and create a clip that portrays a particular impression to the
audience.
-I was able to realise the significance of the composition of a shot
and potential angles to make the production more effective.
-Less is more. Our [preliminary task had a fairly extensive script
which, I think, in some ways hindered the production and made it
seem amateur. There is absolutely no script in our final media
product, and I think this is sometimes a much more effective way to
produce the storyline.
-I learnt how to edit clips with ease and insert transitions to create a
more powerful media product that has a strong narrative and theme
that follows the action closely and clearly.

SLIDE 11
In conclusion, I think that our final media product, ‘Paid In Full’, was
a successful production that brought together all the techniques I
learnt throughout the course and with the production of the
preliminary task. It shows advanced ability with the equipment that
we learnt from the previous task and as a finished product, shows a
mature and well thought-out approach to the film.