Evaluation

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

When I was filming my project I tried to make good use of the long driveway, I filmed from various angles as Carey was walking to the front door, this was to show off the location as a ‘haunted’ house. I also used a voyeuristic view in a shot were I filmed through the trees, this was to give the impression that the character was being watched by something, you can see in my planning that this was the effect I was going for. During these voyeuristic shots I did not use a tripod, therefore the camera was shaking and this gave a ‘point of view’ shot and emphasised the idea that the character was being watched. Also when editing I used the ‘heatwave’ effect on iMovie in these shots to create a feeling of unease and therefore attract the audience. The non-diegetic sound I used would hopefully also help create an atmosphere of suspense as it is eerie and dramatic music, it also contains whispering voices to add to the effect of ‘The watchers’ watching the main character Carey. Lighting in the front garden was also used to create an atmosphere for the audience, there is a streetlamp and also lights on the house to light up the subject and show that the focus is on them. The editing suggests this also, the camera follows the main character and the use of fast editing at the end also builds up an atmosphere. I came across a problem however and that was filming in a room with mirrors, I had to work around this by filming from low angles so the camera was not seen in the background. I also had to show that the character watching Carey was the same person. to do this i needed two polo tops the same colour, and i filmed a sort of over-the-shoulder shot, to show 'the watcher' in the background.

                                          This shows Carey staring into the mirror from low.

                         This shot then shows behind Carey and that he is being watched, by himself.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In my thriller my main character is called ‘Carey,’ I found out in my research and planning that the name meant ‘dark.’ Therefore it was a perfect name for the main  character in my Thriller to create a dark and suspenseful atmosphere. My character is meant to be a deranged, inherited rich man living alone in his big house, this can suggest emptiness in his life. I tried to show this by the character always being on his own and by glaring hopelessly at himself in the mirror.

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

I found when researching that ‘New Regency’ were a company that distributes films and they are linked with 20^th century Fox. They are a big company and have distributed the recent thriller, ‘The Darkest Hour’ and a upcoming thriller, ‘Broken City.’ Therefore it would be perfect also to distribute my upcoming film ‘The Watchers’ as I aim to target a mass market audience also. on my own I also posted my thriller opening on youtube and Facebook, two of the biggest media institutions used Worldwide, therefore this can attract a mass audience also. 

Who would be the audience for your media product?

As I am targeting a mass market audience I would be targeting anyone who enjoys suspense and enigma filled thrillers. My film would not however be suitable for young children so anyone above the age of 15 would enjoy my film.

How did you attract/address your audience?

By using voyeuristic ‘point-of-view’ shots I will hopefully attract the audience as it implies that something will happen next. Also the tension building, deranged music can also imply that something can happen at any time and keep the audience on the edge of their seat. The thriller is also fast paced at times through the use of fast editing, this can also build up suspense and entice the audience. All of these features work together to pose a question in the viewers’ mind and encourage them to continue watching.

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

I have learnt a lot through the process, I have become more confident with using a camera and filming from different angles in order to create specific atmospheres. I feel I made the biggest step up however through the use of technology, I would have considered myself hopeless at using technology to edit films before the project. However my confidence has built and my skills have vastly improved using iMovie to edit and add titles to my film. I now really enjoy the editing side of things and would look forward to A2 media studies in that area.

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

During my preliminary I grew in confidence in all areas such as filming, producing and editing. It allowed me to take to the main project a lot more comfortably and confidently. The preliminary was a fun task to introduce myself and get used to using the cameras and editing on iMovie. I do also feel that I made a big step up when filming the real thing by using the technical aspects to create an atmosphere of a thriller. I picked up skills of filming match-on-action when filming my preliminary and I was able to use this when filming my main product. Filming the preliminary was a big help to me in order to develop skills before filming and editing my main project.