Question Seven

Question Seven

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

Looking back at my preliminary task, I feel that I have made a number of improvements from the initial task to my full product. My final product went through a number of alterations from the initial script for the opening to the finished piece. I feel that my initial shot list did not include enough close up shots therefore the audience would have felt too distant from the scene for a thriller opening. This was apparent after the first round of filming as I felt like the scene did not have the tense atmosphere that I intended. This put a major set back in my schedule as I had to reshoot a number of the shots which I did not think were successful however, after creating an extensive shot list and a storyboard for the opening, the quality of final product is much greater than it would have been through my original shots as I have drawn the audience in to the scene and forced them to sit up close to the action through uncomfortable situations. 

Another key thing I have learnt throughout is the importance of time. Whilst creating my preliminary task, we had a considerable time frame in which to complete the product. Although I had a large time frame in order to complete my thriller opening, as a result of issues with shooting, i.e. locations being unavailable, I felt pushed on the time front in order to meet the set deadline.

Question Six

Question Six

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

Question Five

Question Five

How did you attract/address your target audience?

Question Four

Question Four

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

"From the early planning stage....."

Question Three

Question Three

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

I believe that my media product would interest many major institutions within the film industry, Film4 being one of these. I believe that an institution such as Film4 would be interested in the product as it is a British film with the potential to appeal to a large American audience due to the elements my product shares with several successful American classics such as Se7en and American Psycho. The company has supported a number of incredibly successful British films in it’s lifetime, films such as Trainspotting which was released not only in Britain but also across the pond America where it was also received with critical acclaim. I feel that my media product would not only appeal to my target audience, but that it could also appeal to members of the general public who find pleasure in the mainstream cinema, this is as my opening offers a storyline which people cannot just lay back and follow, but also do not have to have to think too hard about as the plot basically follows the generic trait of a detective hunting a killer. 

However I do feel the media product may also have potential to be a television movie. I do not feel my film could be distributed as an arthouse movie as it shares a number of elements with broadly known thrillers such as Se7en which had major commercial success. However I do not feel that my media product opens up any opportunities for franchises as it is set in the 1980’s and would have a closed ending, meaning there would be no option for a sequel/s regarding the product’s main characters.

Question Two

Question Two

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

I feel that my media product represents a number of different social groups.  Through the use of young actors, I am representing young police detectives who are relatively new to their jobs. I am presenting them as somewhat incompetent as they fail to catch the killer and seem to have turned on each other. I feel that a variety of classes are represented throughout the piece such as middle to upper class business men through the serial killer as his costume suggests he comes from a high earning job and is quick to guard is wallet as it falls to the floor, killing someone to ensure that he gets it back. 

Gender is represented in a very stereotypical way within my media product as the male characters of the opening, excluding the tramp, all have appear to have respectable jobs through the dialogue and costume used.

The only female character however is presented as being a ditzy blonde, not knowing what to do when she is suddenly attacked by the antagonist, she appears to wait to be killed by him. She is also shown to be from a lower class than both the killer and detectives as she is staying in this dark seedy hotel and also through her costume appearing to be much more common. The name of the woman is also not mentioned signifying that she is not seen as worthless.

This representation of women as weak and worthless whereas the male characters are intricate to the plot of the opening links to my target audience which mainly consists of males between the ages 18 and 45. Although I believe my film mainly targets reformers who seek quality in their cinema, I believe that this depiction of men and women also targets succeeders who support the idea of stability in their cinema and would therefore feel comfortable with this 

stereotypical representation of gender. 

Question One

Question One

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