Evaluation Questions

1.In what ways does your media product use, develop and challenge forms and conventions of real media products? For our A2 project, Mollie and I were asked to create either a theatrical or teaser film trailer, and we chose to do a teaser trailer. Teaser trailers normally last from 30 seconds to 1 minute long, and just give the audience a slight idea of what the film is about, without giving too much away. I really like the idea of a teaser trailer as I think it really draws potential viewers in , as teaser trailers are normally left on a cliff hanger, therefore creating curiosity and hype over a film. We decided to create a teaser trailer based around a few genres: Social Realism, Crime and Drama, and Comedy. The reason we chose a variety of genres is because we took inspiration from a collection of similar films: Spring Breakers, Project X, Kidulthood and The Hangover. All of these films have one big thing in common: partying. Mollie and I both really liked the idea of centering our film around a big party, and all the drama it entails. From doing research on these 4 films as well as researching the codes and conventions of the actual genres, we were able to get a good idea of what we needed to include in the trailer in order to meet the criteria. We decided to focus our trailer on a rebellious group of teenage girls who throw a party, where there is a lot of dramatic events etc. In our trailer, we mainly followed the codes and conventions of a social realistic film. The general conventions of this genre include run-down buildings and areas used for the setting; the costumes very basic for example, jeans, tracksuits, trainers and hats; and unprofessional actors following semi-improvised scripts. The reason this works so well is because it really creates an authentic feel to the film, as many people can relate to the setting etc. However, at some points in our trailer, there are party scenes including fluorescent flashing lights and loud music. This is where we challenged the codes and conventions of social realism, as these scenes were a lot more exciting and chaotic compared to the dull feel of films such as This is England. For my film poster, I looked at the posters for all the films we were taking inspiration from, and noticed they all had quirky, vibrant colours and comical aspects to them. I had so many different and conflicting ideas of how I could best represent my film trailer, until I had the thought of just using all my ideas in the same poster, by creating a collage of various pictures I took on my DSLR Camera whilst filming for my trailer. These photos were taken over a series of weeks at actual parties I attended with my friends. I love the idea of using real pictures opposed to staged ones, as it adds to the authentic feel of social realistic films. Some of the pictures were taken by my friends, I gave them the camera and told them to take photos or film anything funny or interesting that happened at these parties. I got the idea of asking other people to take photos from the makers of Project X, who revealed that a large percentage of the actual movie was filmed by the actors who were given iPhones and told to film anything they saw appropriate for the film. Personally, I love this idea and feel that it turned out really well, as my poster is beginning to tell a story of a truly chaotic night. For my film magazine, I chose to base it around the popular British magazine Little White Lies. Little White Lies is unmistakeable when sitting on a shelf with other magazines, as it does not follow the usual codes and conventions of film magazines: it does not follow the usual A4 measurements of magazines, and the only text that is featured on the cover is in the iconic logo, along with the barcode. It also only features one image, usually a close up shot of the main character in the featured film, and it is always artistic. For my cover, I used a photo I took of my friend Jessica on my DLSR camera, and edited in Photoshop to give in a cartoon effect. I feel that I properly followed the codes and conventions of Little White Lies, and feel that the outcome was successful. 2.How Effective is the Combination of your Main Product and Ancillary texts? Whilst producing my film trailer, poster and magazine cover, I always made sure to keep in mind my general theme, so that when they were all put together, they would tie in well with each other and would be clear that they are all promotional packages for the same film. I used very vibrant and electric colours in all my products, so to catch the eye of older teens. I used footage and photographs that all look very ‘real’, so it looks as if the film is based around a real life party that people would want an invite to. My poster is made up of lots of little pictures, so that it starts to tell a story of a chaotic and comical night without giving too much away. My Little White Lies inspired magazine cover features a single picture of one of the main characters from the film. The picture shows her winking directly at the camera, suggesting she is hiding something, meaning she is fun and mischievous, therefore enticing potential readers and viewers to find out what she is hiding. I feel that all three products add up properly to create a fun promotional package for my film, through the usage of the same colour schemes, the same people, and the same ideas. 3. What have you learnt from your Audience Feedback? After creating a draft of each product, I asked friends and peers for their thoughts and feedback on my work, and asked them to comment on what they would change and what they liked. From this, I got a good idea of how to relate to my target audience, as the majority of the people that I asked were included in the specification of my target audience! In order to gather this feedback easily, I first started off by doing a short interview with various friends in school, filming it and uploading it to Youtube. This was quite helpful and expanded my use of different media, however I wanted to ask a larger range of people; something I could not do in school and with a camera, as some people had good feedback but were not comfortable with being filmed. From this, I decided it would be a better idea to approach people on Facebook, as it allowed me to upload my work and request that people leave comments on the posts for me to review and change my work accordingly. 4.How did you use Media Technologies in the Construction and Research, Planning and Evaluation stages? In order to complete my A2 project to the best of my ability, I had to use a range of technologies to create my products. I found all the new technologies that I now have access to helped me greatly, as they ensured that I reached a high-quality, professional finish on all my work. Blogger First of all, and probably most importantly, is Blogger. I have used blogger to publish my work throughout my AS and A2 courses, and have found it very interesting and useful being able to hand my work in in this format. It makes it easy to show the development of my ideas, and allows my teacher to easily track my progress, and give me feedback. The only disadvantage of using blogger, is that it is not always accessible on all devices, and I also encountered problems when uploading videos and Prezi’s, but I think with more practice and teaching on it, I would be able to use it to the best of my ability.

Final Film Trailer

Final Film Poster

This is my final film poster. After taking inspiration from various similar films, I decided to stick with the theme of quite comical pictures, but decided I liked the idea of creating the illusion of a night filled with lots of different events and dramas, so I decided to use lots of various pictures and create a collage, giving potential viewers a taste of what the film will include.  I kept the text very minimal and simple to really emphasize the photos, just giving the key information.

Film Poster Research

These are all posters I have found of similar films to mine. This includes Project X, Spring Breakers, Kidulthood, 21 & Over and The Hangover. All of these films are based around alcohol-fueled partying, and the aftermath of it. Most of the posters are quite vibrant in colour and have quirky aspects about them; for example, the monkey in The Hangover poster, the police car in the 21&Over poster etc. I really like all these posters as they keep people guessing about what is going to feature in the film.

Film Magazine

This is my final magazine cover. I decided to take inspiration from Little White Lies because I love the simplicity and effectiveness of it. I used a photo that I took of my friend Jessica, who is acting as the main character of the film. I chose that particular shot of her winking at the camera because it suggests that she is mischievous and up to something, meaning a potential reader would be enticed to find out more about the film.

Film Magazine Research

Little White Lies is a popular British Film magazine that is either published twice a month or once every two months. It has an iconic simplistic, cartoon style, and is instantly recognizable on a magazine stand. It is stocked in shops and cinemas, including HMV, WHSmith’s, Urban Outfitters , Curzon Cinemas, Picturehouse Cinemas and Everyman Cinemas.

            Every issue   features an artistic take on the lead character in the featured film, accompanied only by the Little White Lies logo, which consists of a white circle with black writing. The artistic feel of the magazine gives it a uniqueness, and suggest that it is not just a magazine, but an actual piece of artwork.

            I think Little White Lies would be perfect for my film, because it has a laid back and unique feel about it, which matches my film. The simplistic cover draws potential readers in, and entices them to find out more about the featured film.

Audience Feedback

After posting our film trailer draft on facebook, Mollie and I asked a few friends for feedback, so we could find out what they liked, what they disliked, and any suggestions they had.

Film Trailer Draft

Chosen Characters

This is a list of the main characters in our film; It's based on a group of girls who throw a party which gets out of control. Project X is based on 3 'geeks' but it's mainly based on one of the boys as the party is held at his house; we're copying this but having Roisin who's playing Lola as the main character. 

Lola- main character - Lola is care free, dangerous and extremely rebellious. She lives 'in the moment' as she doesn't care about the consequences of her actions. She's the most popular out the girls and throws a party as her parents are away. 
Mitzy- minor character - I film parts of her getting ready. 
Alexa- minor character - She only apears in the party scenes.
Mercedes- minor character - She only appears in the the party scenes.
Chanel- minor character - I film her getting ready. 
Ronald - minor character - He's one of the boys in the fighting scene. He appears to be slightly weaker than Dom and timid.
Dom- minor character - Dom is the other boy who participates in the fighting scene, in comparison to Ronald; he seems strong and capable.

Codes and Conventions of Social Realism

Font

The font in the titles of social realism films is nearly always sans serif. Social realism is normally centred around the working class, and a serif font would come across too expensive and perhaps more middle class. Serif fonts are also usually used because it looks like less effort has gone into it, and laziness is a stereotype of the working class, especially in films,

Some films will take this a step further, and add their own style to a sans serif font. For example, ‘This is England’ has titles which are made to look like graffiti, an issue which is shown in the film. This also matches the stereotype that the lower classes take part in vandalism.

Positioning

The positioning of titles depends very much on the film. Some social realism films are not shy about portraying their social issues, and can be quite ‘in-your-face’. In which case, the titles are likely to be displayed very overtly over the action, or maybe completely inlayed, so that they cannot be ignored. However, other social realism are more subtle about the way they present their issues, and they may portray them in order to shock the audience, or make them feel sad, guilty, sympathetic, etc. In which case, the titles will match this sombre mood, and may be placed towards the side or in a corner, where they are not distracting from the central action, which is of the utmost importance if you are trying to induce negative feelings in your audience.

Of course, titles are not set in stone according to genre, and the content of the film ultimately decides the positioning of the titles in many cases. Like other films, some may position their titles so that they won’t be a distraction, or some may be overt, to really emphasise the content of the film. A good example of an exception to the usual conventions is the opening of ‘Trainspotting’, a social realism film in which not only are there very few titles, but the few that do exist are shown when there is either no or little action on screen.

Effects

Effects are not used lavishly in social realism films. The audience generally does not expect the titles to come jumping onto the screen, letter by letter in an array of colour. This is because many social realism films revolve around simple lives. Simplicity is the operative word here, and because social realism relies a lot upon the interactions between people, distracting titles are not desirable. Instead, effects such as simple fades or wipes are used. Mostly, titles will simply appear and disappear.

Here is a good example of credits in a social realism opening. It is ‘This is England’. The font is sans serif and as mentioned above, the font looks like graffiti, matching an issue in the film. The positioning is very simple. Names are placed either at the bottom if they are actors, or at the side if they are technical staff and such. The titles simply fade both in and out.

Narrative

It is quite difficult to determine definite conventions for Social Realism; however, there are some general themes which occur:

·         Characters from the working class

·         Social issues affecting these characters. For example, gang culture, violence, narcotic abuse, murder, bullying, or a loss of some kind, be it house, job, or a bereavement

·         Economic factors play a part. The audience tends to get the impression that the characters would not be in their situation if they had more money. For example, take the character of Shaun from This is England. If he had more money, he would not have worn flares to school and therefore not have come in contact with the skinhead culture.

·         When new equilibrium is established, often the equilibrium is entirely different to the original, or something important has happened to ensure that the situation will not happen again. For example, at the end of Trainspotting, Renton vows to live the life he decided he would never live.

Enigma Codes

Social realism focuses heavily on characterization, meaning that the enigma codes that arise often revolve around the personality of characters. Some examples of popular enigma codes in social realism films are:

·         The audience is often left to wonder why characters behave in a certain way, as the audience will often have the moral high ground regarding social realism.

·         Can certain characters be trusted? As certain characters in social realism films are involved in crime, it is often left to the audience’s judgement to decide if a character is a protagonist or an antagonist, until this is officially revealed. For example, in Somers Town, the character of Tomo is very polite for someone his age. His politeness makes the audience assume he is the protagonist, but his behaviour which is not typical of his age and the fact that he is the main character (so is likely to become involved in the social issues mentioned above) also makes the audience feel he may be the antagonist.

·         As well as character behaviour, the audience is often left to question character choices? For example, why do characters allow themselves to be swallowed by the issues that surround them? Why do they not escape when they have the chance?

Mise-En-Scene

 It is common for filmmakers to use mise-en-scene to emphasise the lifestyle of characters. For example, location is used to great effect. An example of this is in This is England, where the location features graffiti, dirty buildings and boarded up windows and doorways. Perhaps the feature which defines this as a working-class housing estate is the use of terraced housing. These features are common of locations in social realism films.

However, this emphasising of lifestyle does not stop at locations. Props and costumes often reflect the locations and they too emphasise the lifestyle lead by characters. Take the teenagers in the opening sequence of Kidulthood. Costumes in this sequence include dishevelled uniforms, short skirts, and lots of jewellery from the girls, whilst the boys favour tracksuits or hoodies. Props include mobile phones and knives. The props and costumes directly reflect the lifestyle of the teenagers and the (almost) subculture they have created for themselves. This is a particularly effective use of props and costumes, but the same technique is often used to a lesser extent in other social realism films.

Lighting is often used in a way similar to that of pathetic fallacy, in that it reflects the mood, situation, thoughts or feelings of the characters. Whilst no obvious examples come to mind, this is a general theme throughout social realism films.

Despite these conventions, mise-en-scene is perhaps the most general aspect to films, in that it depends hugely on the narrative and context of the film in question.

Editing

This depends on the action displayed in the scene. As a rule of thumb, fast paced action equates to shorter shot lengths, and choppier editing, to emphasise the reason for the fast-paced action. In these sequences, transitions are less likely to occur, as this would disrupt the speed of the shots. As for slower-paced sequences, the editing is more likely to become montage-like in order to reflect the emotion or seriousness of the situation. Transitions are more likely to be used, and music tends to play a larger role. An example of a fast-paced sequence is the opening sequence of Trainspotting, in which the characters Renton and Spud are running away. Shot lengths become shorter and whilst music does not really intensify the situation to any great extent, the speech made by Renton more than makes up for this. An example of a slower paced opening is This Is England in which the audience is forced to focus on the characterisation of Shaun. Therefore, the opening is made up many longer-lasting shots.

Cinematography

A very general list of conventions comes to mind when thinking of cinematography in social realism films:

·         There tends to be a greater emphasis on ‘unimpressive’ camera movements. For example, the likelihood of finding high-speed tracking or panning in a social realism film is low. Instead, social realism prefers camera movements which reflect the situation. So, whilst there is little action, there is minimal camera movement, the camera may not move much or at all, an example being when Shaun wakes up at the beginning of This is England. On the other hand, when there is more action, the camera tends to move, but only slightly more. For example, the camera may shake during a fight.

·         Due to Social Realism focusing upon the situations faced by people, close-ups are often used to show the character’s reactions to the situations that face them. Close ups may also be used to make interactions between characters more effective. For example, a scene could be made more intimate if the characters are zoomed in upon, as they will seem closer.

Sound

Sound is a very general area regarding social realism, but there are two types of music which are favoured quite heavily:

·         Music from the era, area or subculture. For example, This is England featured songs such as ‘Come On Eileen’ and ‘Tainted Love’. These songs are very much associated with the 1980s, and in particular, the music that was popular in Britain at that time. Songs from eras allow the audience to make themselves aware of social problems at the time, as well as making situations / scenes more realistic. Music from certain areas works very much the same as well. By using music from the area in question, the audience becomes aware of social problems surrounding that area. This too also adds to the overall realism of the film. An example of music from a subculture is the music in Kidulthood .Music in this film features rap, hip hop and other similar modern music styles. Using music from a subculture has an added effect in that it allows the audience to become aware of the lifestyle lead by characters, as well as allowing them to become of social issues surrounding the subculture and adding realism to the film.

·         Music reflecting particularly poignant moments. Music is often used to heighten emotions in emotional scenes. If a scene is particularly dramatic, strings may be used to intensify the feelings experienced by the audience. At a tense moment, perhaps a heated argument or a fight, percussion may be used to reflect the fast-paced upfront scene.