Erol Akin's AS Foundation Portfolio Evaluation

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

 Conventions of a Thriller

Throughout the creation of our film we worked to include many of the conventions typically associated with thriller films. For example the pace of editing during the course of our opening is something which we felt was key in the building of tension for the audience. Overall we have 42 shots in a period of two minute sequence, which results in the sequence being very past pace as each shot averages about 3 seconds. Additionally, included in this number of shots were several different camera angles such as high angles, low angles, and point of view shots. These can be seen in the story-board below. This is an element of continuity editing as it allows the audience to see all of the action which is taking place and in doing so prevents them from missing events which are crucial to the plot.

As well as editing and camera shots, we used sound in multiple ways in our film to introduce and create the thriller genre. Firstly, the use of non-diegetic background music, which corresponds to the pace of the action in the sequence. We used three different types of music during the sequence which helped to raise suspense. As well as this we used different Foley sound to create sound effects. For example the use of the gun shot which also collaborates with the sound of thunder at the end helps to create drama.

Another convention which we took into account when producing our film is the use of mise en scene to construct the desired genre: a thriller. Mise en scène includes everything about the setting and the actors of a film, as well as costumes and make-up, and props. One obvious way in which we focused this to specifically create a thriller theme is through our use of setting. We decided to film the opening sequence in the woods, which creates a dark atmosphere as well as a sense of isolation which plays on the audience’s fear of the unknown. This element contributes towards the creation of a psychological aspect to the classic thriller genre. As well as this, we focused on the positioning of each character in relation the camera to reveal their emotions as well as to build characterization. For example, we used extreme close ups of the protagonist – Spark – which contributed towards the construction of a restricted narrative, as well as giving us the opportunity to show the audience clearly the makeup we used on his face – building his image of a tough gangster. This is an example of how different elements of mise en scene work well together in our film.

Equilibrium - a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced.

In terms of including traditional approaches to the narrative, we came up with ideas following the following stages of narrative:

1. A state of equilibrium

2. A disruption of that order by an event

3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred

4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption

5. A return or restoration of a new equilibrium

An example of a film which exactly follows this structure is Die Hard:

1. John McClane (Bruce Willis) is coming home to his family for Christmas and all is calm. (The equilibrium)

2. Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his team of terrorists take over the nakatomi building which is hosting a Christmas part of which McClane and his wife are attending.

3. (2 points of recognition) McClane isn't in the room when the terrorsits storm in so is able to move up the builiding when he hears screaming. People outside of the building realise there's a disruption when a police man's car is shot at from the building.

4. The police try sending in a SWAT team in which fails. The situation is solved by John McClane throwing Gruber out of a high floor window which kills him.

5. The equilibrium is restored when the police got McClane, his wife and the other hostages out of the building, and the McClanes leave in a police car.

However, we decided to begin our opening sequence in the ‘disruption of equilibrium’ stage, as the plot of our film is not liner (a classic feature of many thriller films). This is a slight twist on the traditional stages of narrative, which is used to create our desired genre, and is a technique which will capture the attention of the audience as the answers to the questions that are provoked in the opening sequence would be answered throughout the rest of the film.

 b) Then do the same for your own thriller opening, again explaining how it follows the conventions of a thriller genre. 

Throughout the completion of our practical work I believe we included a variety of characteristics which are typical of a thriller film. The plot of our thriller film is based on a battle between protagonist and antagonist; while the aim of the protagonist is to restore justice after there is disruption to the equilibrium, the antagonist seeks to destroy it. This is the origin of the binary opposition of good versus evil. In terms of cinematography, close ups/extreme close ups of the protagonist are utilized in order to convey their emotions which intensifies drama and builds tension:

Additionally, shots of the antagonist are cut quickly to create a sense of anonymity by hiding their identity. This element of mystery is key in establishing an enigma which grips the audience’s attention. The difference in presentation of these two characters is also another way of emphasizing the binary opposition of ‘good vs evil’ which drives the plot of the entire film. This also introduces a psychological aspect to the thriller, as it plays on the audience’s fear of the unknown. An enigma can be established by an object, dialogue or a particular scene within the opening sequence of a film. 

In the case of our thriller film, the enigma is derived from the chronologically disrupted nature of our opening sequence. As the scene is actually the climax of the events which will take place in the main body of the film, the plot is non-linear and as a result the audience is given no context or explanation for the events that occur at the outset. This aids in the build-up of tension and creates the atmosphere of fear which is imperative to the thriller genre.

A
 structural aspect of traditional thriller films which we adapted for our own film is the use of non-linear narrative. Generally, flashbacks can be used to give further explanation to the plot, and to give insight into the events of the film. However, in our practical work we included the use of flashbacks to create a different effect; rather than to provide explanation of events, we used flashbacks to create mystery and therefore to heighten tension. While the traditional sequence of narrative is equilibrium, disequilibrium, attempted repair, then new equilibrium, the opening sequence of our film begins at the ‘disequilibrium’ stage. Additionally, our use of restricted narrative adds to this effect as it means that the audience knows only as much information as the character whose point of view is shown. Camera work techniques such as ‘point of view’ shots contribute towards the restricted narrative, as they show what the character is seeing and experiencing. In our opening, we used this particular technique:

In terms of editing, a lot of jump cuts are included to ensure that the audience sees all of the fast-paced events which are taking place. Cross-cutting is also key in editing as it can be used to build tension and therefore to create suspense. These are key features of a thriller film. Continuity editing is also used to provide narrative structure and to make it easier for the audience to follow the action. A film which is similar of this style is the Dark Knight. This film uses many fast paced shots throughout the opening of the film to ensure tension is made apparent right from the start, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats right through to the end.

It is typical of thriller films for antagonists to be covered in dark clothing, such as our main antagonist JD who is seen in the picture below to be masked in a black balaclava. This adds to the sense of his mysterious identity which contributes to the creation of enigma. Additionally the costume of the antagonist is contrasting to that of the protagonist – Spark – which emphasizes the binary opposite of ‘good vs bad’. Another element of costume is the use of make-up. This helps to build characterisation as these gangsters are made to look scary and intimidating. This is similar to the use of makeup in The Dark Knight which portrays the antagonists to be scary and threatening - creating unease for the audience.

Iconography

 As well as costume and makeup the setting is used to create the thriller genre. Our opening sequence is set in the middle of a forest which introduces an element of psychological thriller as the dark forest heightens fear of the unknown as it is an isolated location and has connotations of nightmares due to traditional stories. 

The gun is something which is iconic of a thriller film and something we felt was needed in our sequence to add to the suspense. It also used to help drive the plot forward as it is involved in key events. Violence is a key element of thriller films, and we felt that a gun was a more suitable weapon for our antagonist than any other as it represents a kind of unthinking and harsh cruelty:

Titles

The opening credits of a film introduce the most important member of the production. The sequence is as follows: name of production companies, director, producer, other key crew, executive producer, top billing actors followed by the movie title. However, a title sequence can also be used to establish or introduce character, setting, atmosphere or genre by the use of music or even superimposing the credits over the action.

For our thriller film, I created a logo for the production company HEC House Productions. This was used in our title sequence in accordance with conventions of film title sequence. I wanted this logo to appear professional and believe that I achieved this through the use of strong colours and a bold, minimal design:

A title sequence usually includes a teaser or brief introduction scene. However, an opening sequence includes an introduction to: the characters, the plot/narrative, genre, and mood – as well as utilizing a range of different camera shots and lighting, as well as music and sound to create setting.

Our film is named British Gangster, and in our title sequence the logo that I created with Photoshop takes inspiration from the title sequences of Tarantino’s films:

As well as appearing familiar to the audience by recreating a well-known style of title sequence, the silhouette of the man holding a gun is a method of introducing character as the audience immediately is aware of what themes to expect from the film. The use of colour is also important and contributes towards the creation of the thriller genre, as bright eye-catching colours are used. The orange and red tones also create connotations of blood, which is significant as violence is an inherent part of thriller films.

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Stereotypes

During the completion of our theory work, we decided that all of the characters in our thriller film should resemble a typical English gangster. We aimed to achieve this through their appearance, body language and facial expressions. While studying different types of thriller films we noticed that dangerous characters were normally dressed in dark clothing, and that this is attire which is most typically associated with criminals. Additionally we analyzed the key characteristics of the antagonists in these films, and these are the ways that our research into thriller films such as The Dark Knight aided our decision-making when it came to our own film. 

This picture of the protagonist of our film demonstrates how we used the style of his costume to portray his dangerous character:

  

My researched about different types of Thriller films is displayed on the blog, and includes analysis of The Dark Knight and The Butterfly Effect. Both of these films support the ideas behind the dark clothing which we used throughout our sequence. This screen grab here illustrates the effectiveness of having criminal or simply bad characters dressed in dark colours. This character disrupts equilibrium by brutally stabbing a female character several times, and as their identity is kept a mystery the sense of drama and tension is heightened. This is a technique that we decided would add enigma to our sequence as the audience will be left in suspense about who the masked figure is.

  

In making our characters have the stereotypical behaviors and appearances of criminals, we aimed to help the audience understand what type of film they are watching from the outset. This in turn helps to build their interest in the themes explored. A way in which we have attributed stereotypical characteristics to our protagonists is through the use of different camera shots. For example, we included several worms-eye-view shots of JD to make him appear a lot larger and therefore more intimidating. Additionally, we casted Harry to play this roll because he is well-built and tall - unlike Spark (played by Charlie) who appears to be skinnier and shorter. A typical aspect of a gangster film is a protagonist who is tall and muscular, as the main character generally has the stereotypical appearance of someone who is involved in a lot of action and fighting. This physique portrays their dominance as a male character, which indicates to the audience who is the more

powerful protagonist.

This screen grab of the POV of Spark clearly demonstrates how JD towers over him.

We decided that our main character – JD – would have a deep, dominating voice as this would help to portray his scary and authoritative manner. A common feature of many thriller films is that the protagonist’s voice sounds different from those of the other characters, as this helps to distinguish the more central character with higher status.  These characters are normally part of large gangs or groups - made up of people associated with high-level crime. These kinds of social groups tend to be associated with conflict, robbery and even murder. Throughout our sequence, JD chases Spark almost constantly - immediately conveying who is the more dominant character. It is typical in thriller films where there is a group of characters with this dynamic for
a ‘bully’ character to emerge.

In our thriller film, the reasoning behind making JD the ‘bully’ was to incite some level of sympathy for Spark in the audience. However, Spark is not a usual antagonist, as he takes part in similar levels of antisocial behaviour as other gang members. However, due to our use of POV shots the audience are able to feel more immediately connected to his emotions and therefore can more easily sympathize with this character. This technique leads to the establishment of an even greater enigma, as the audience may be led to feel guilty about being empathetic towards someone who is equally as much of a criminal as JD. 

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

    A media conglomerate (relating to a conglomerate, especially a large corporation), media group, or media institution is a company that owns numerous companies in various mass media; i.e. television, radio, publishing, motion picture, and the Internet. These are represented by the below diagram:

 

As our media project takes the form of a film/motion picture, the options to distribute via print, broadcast or music are immediately eliminated.

Media conglomerates are large, multinational media companies that own:

• Film Studio
• TV Stations
• Record Labels
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Books
• Internet platforms

A conglomerate has a lot of money to fund film production, and can also market their film through all of their subsidiary companies. This practice is known as synergy, and an example can be seen detailed below:

• Vivendi Universal make a film in Universal Studios.
• It releases the film’s soundtrack on Polygram, one of its record labels.
• The tracks can be bought online at MP3.com, one of its internet companies.

The film can be downloaded on Vivendi Telecom phones.

The film is then shown in its Odeon cinema chain.This shows why a particular media institution may be interested in distributing our film, as owning all of these assets makes it cheaper for the producer to distribute, market and exhibit the film. Because of this, their profit is maximised.

• However, an alternative option is independent media institutions that work outside of the major studies. Extra funding is often needed in these cases, as well as help with distribution. As a result, films made this way often struggle to get more than £1 or £2 million budgets – and it is considered a success to break even.
• An alternative option to both of these approaches would be to distribute the film ourselves. Advances in new media technology have made it possible for anyone to make films and showcase them on the internet on sites such as YouTube. Additonally, it is now a possibility to watch films on phones, games consoles, and digital TV on demand.
  Advantages and disadvantages:

Hiring a separate company to distribute our film would mean that we would have to share any profits made with them. This would typically be known as a 'cut' or percentage in order to provoke them to distribute our film as much as possible.

Both options have their advantages and disadvantages but for our low budget film it is unlikely that any major distribution company would be interested in distributing our film. Therefore we would have to look into distribution ourselves, which means taking advantage of social media and different platforms of distribution. Due to the technology age we live in, we would not be limited in our choice of method of distribution. This is an advantage of choosing to distribute ourselves. This type of distribution is beneficial for anyone who aims to promote their film globally due to the wide variety of different media platforms and large audience made up of people who use them. 

• If we were to distribute the film ourselves then we would most likely take advantage of different types media platforms. Due to Facebook having 1.59 billion active users monthly this would be something that would be good for distribution because of the high amount of active users.

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• Advantages to self-distribution 

• One of the main advantages when you are distributing a film yourself is that you have full control over how your film is distributed and where it is shown.
• Another key advantage is that you do not have to share any of your profits with a distribution company.
• Combats media ownership by media conglomerates. Concentration of media ownership is constantly increasing, as shown in the graph below:

 

This is an issue because:

1. Media conglomerates dominate the media industry
2. May lead to bias in news reporting
3. Globalisation of popular culture
4. Reduces diversity in ownership and production
5. Reduces competition between different companies

Disadvantages to self-distribution 

• This type of distribution means a lot of time is taken up looking for sales and sealing deals. It can take up a lot of your time and be very frustrating.
• It may limit your options for sales as distributors have established relationships with buyers.
• Another point would be that you need to very aware that you are not signing the rights of your film exclusively to one company.

On the other hand, if we were to use another company to distribute our thriller film then we would have very limited control on how the film is distributed.

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

Age restrictions

We decided to set the age restriction for anyone 15 years of age or older. This prevented much limitation to our audience size, as would be the case if we decided on an 18 age restriction, and this way we can increase the potential number of viewers. We thought this was especially important as our main target audience would be between 15-25, so restricting anyone under 18 would be counter-productive. 

This website ( http://sidhayward.pbworks.com/w/page/75072911/Thriller%20Audience) here was very useful to decide what age our thriller should be aimed at and the differences between a 12A and a 15.  

This type of thriller film attracts young teenagers and young adults due the fast-paced shots, intense mystery and continuous action. Additionally the level of enigma raised by our film causes high levels of endorphins to be released in the body, causing a rush of adrenaline. This rush of adrenaline is what makes thriller films appealing as it induces positive feeling. This may be another reason that the thriller film genre is particularly appealing to young adults, as the typical physiological changes experienced by teenagers include an enhanced ‘fight or flight’ reflex. The conflict between the building suspense of the film and the curiosity of the audience creates a sense of thrill, which is heightened among members of our target audience. 

This website - https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ - helps to explain about anything that may be innapropriate for any under the age of 15. It helps to give ratings around certain areas of the film which require an age restriction.

Although we have stated that our target age range is between 15-25, this does not limit audience members to only individuals who fit in this category. It simply means that we feel that this audience will bring in a large percentage of the profit from all viewers, and therefore we have specifically adapted our film so that it is fast paced with lots of action - and will therefore appeal to this age-range. Widening the demographic means that we can appeal to a larger audience, therefore generating a higher level of profit.

This graph clearly illustrates the most common age range for a thriller film. Although this graph shows from 18-25 we think that this is similar in age to our adopted age range.

This graph clearly shows the most common age for the category of a thriller film.  Although this graphic displays 18-25 we think that this is similar enough to use as evidence.

We decided to target our film more towards male audiences, due to the large amounts of violence and crime, as well as the high percentage of male characters in the film. This film could be seen as relatable to men on more levels than a female audience, due to the experiences they may have faced growing up and being accepted into certain social groups. JD and Spark are both leaders of their own social ‘groups’, and it may be that men can relate to the struggle for dominance that both of these characters experience. However, once again this does not limit our audience to solely males as women may well be able to relate to these themes equally. Our demographic is going to be kept as wide as possible - while still appealing to the classic target audience of films of the thriller genre - in order to maximise profit.

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

In an attempt to connect with our target audience, we created a more dominant character who, in some respects, could be seen as a bully due to the level of threat he is shown to pose throughout the sequence. This is made clear through the use of shots like worms-eye-view, POV and extreme-close-ups to convey intense emotion. We wanted our audience to be able to relate more to Spark, as he is the ‘weaker’ character and could be considered the ‘underdog’. For this reason, at the point where a kind of role-reversal takes place and Spark brings JD to the ground, beating him in the stomach, the audience’s emotions may be caused to change and therefore a sense of excitement is created.

Here is where the role is reversed in our sequence.  

However, one limit to the empathy that we wanted to inspire in our audience towards Spark may be that his character is from a similar background to JD - as both belong to violent gangs. In order to overcome this, we utilised camera work, character building and facial expression to help create a more innocent persona for the character of Spark. We decided to cast Charlie as spark due to his skinny, small physique as well as a younger looking face. Age dominance is a relevant and relatable theme to include in our film, as many audience members may have themselves experienced forms of bullying derived from an age gap between themselves and a colleague in the work place, or even casually by friends. Youth is often associated with naivety, and therefore the younger a person is the less they may be considered to know - making them an easier target. This theme is explored in our thriller film.

Although this is not a real picture it is a stereotypical example of a bully. 

Contrasting stereotypes 

The protagonists of our thriller opening have characteristics which are stereotypical of traditional gangster-style characters: emotionless and cold, and therefore intimidating. However, at the end of the sequence the enigma is heightened when Spark breathes his last breath, saying: “I’m sorry Bruce, please forgive me”. This contrasts the expected heartless stereotype of a gangster and what they represent. Spark was created as a vulnerable character to draw awareness to the fact that even in these criminal types of social classes there are still people who are victims of abuse. Additionally, it is emotive to the audience that he shows characteristics which are in contrast to the stereotype that he represents.

Towards the end of the sequence, Spark’s quick reactions allow him to tackle JD to the ground. This could be seen as a metaphorical message to the audience about fighting their bullies - or even their everyday problems. Most people in their life experience some form of abuse in one way or another: from a friend using humor at another’s expense to the extreme of physical abuse. This character allows the audience to consider the possibility of tackling the things that hold them back. Although Spark is typically seen as someone who commits crime due to his appearance, he is perhaps something more than this stereotype.

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

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

Obstacles 

While completing our project we have come across a number of different obstacles which we have tried our best to fix. One particular example of this is that when we began the editing stages of our process we became aware that our equipment could be seen in the background of multiple shots. With some help from the technicians the equipment has been covered up. Although we never actually made this error during the preliminary task, we decided that this was something we were certain we would learn from.

This part of our sequence is where we accidentally left equipment in the background of shot. 

However when you zoom in to this picture you will notice that no equipment can be seen due to clever editing.

Organisation 

Something which we did not do in the preliminary task before hand was our organization. During our preliminary task, we did not allocate certain jobs to specific members of the group and as a result the work-load was not equally distributed between all group members. We therefore decided from the outset of our final project to make sure that all of the jobs were equally shared and that we remained organized throughout. We ensured that this would happen by creating a group chat on Facebook. This enabled us to have contact with any member of the group at any time, and therefore allowed us to check whether someone had completed their part of the project and coordinate the tasks yet to be completed. This was very important, as the completion of our practical work was dependent on every individual completing their allocated tasks. I believe we remained enthusiastic about our work throughout the project - including the documentation itself to physically going out and making sure our setting was the right place to shoot (whilst considering health and safety).

Although this may seem like a simple form of organisation it really helped us to plan certain dates of when we were free to meet up and  keep up on the progression of team members too.

Time management 

As well as this, we attempted to stick to a schedule to keep track of our time management, and therefore ensured that we would not fall behind on work. This helped with our organization as we never had to worry about missing deadlines. Throughout our project we also learnt the necessity of proof-reading our work, as on a few occasions pieces that we failed to check over were submitted with spelling mistakes and bad grammar. However, we learnt from this over the course of our project and as a result there were many times we were up at 23:45 checking over our work making sure everything was complete.

Technical skills 

Our skills with the equipment have also improved a significant amount since we carried out our preliminary work, during which I remember that our inexperience with using the camera held us back. This resulted in us having to spend our time during break and lunch to film the rest of our preliminary sequence. However, during this project we were confident in using the camera – something which we were initially worried would hold us back due to previous experiences. We were also eager to learn new ways to use the camera confidently which meant that our skills improved as the project progressed. Another part of the project where our skills developed was in the editing suit. Although certain members of our group spent more time there than others, I believe all our skills have progressed enough to use FinalCut Pro effectively. We quickly became fluent in the use of cutting clips, placing them onto our timeline, speeding up and even slowing down. Although this may seem like a simple amount to learn, this was something we were not confident with in the preliminary task and therefore that has been developed.

This picture shows some of the sound decisions we made. We carefully decided on certain tracks and foley sounds for parts of our thriller opening as we knew what type of effect this would have on the audience. 

Presentation skills

Additionally, our presentation skills have developed enough to ensure that our work is clear and concise. This has helped to provide the audience with clearer understanding of our work, and therefore means that our film is more effective in capturing their interest. We tried to continue this clarity in our blog, and in order to do so we have shown members of our class our blog in order to obtain feedback on parts of the project. The structure of our work has been an important factor in our organisation due to the clear layout we presented our work in: we used bold headings, colour codes, pictures and even explanations to ensure our blog was easy to understand.

 

This picture shows clear presentation with pictures and even captions. 

This picture shows text highlighted with a key