Q1

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

Trailer

Initial Trailer Research

At the start of the course I wasnt sure which genre I wanted my film trailer to emulate so I conducted research into various categories of film.
After researching horror, social realism and western alongside many others I was able to identify key conventions of genre whilst gaining a broad understanding of their formalities. I was particularly inspired by the unique characteristics of film noir; I was excited by the stylish visual approach to this type of film and intrigued by the pessimistic mood the directors tried to create. This encouraged me to choose and explore film noir for my A2 coursework; I quickly had ideas of how I could both subvert and follow this genres technical and narrative conventions.

Initial Film Noir Research

Link to initial film noir research post: http://creedchs.edu blogs.org/2013/06/ 27/genrecharacteristicsfilm-noir/

Trailers which influenced my work

My work was particularly influenced by the films The Big Sleep and Double Indemnity as linked below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= VjJlBnfyiI4 (The Big Sleep 1946) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK rrAa2o9Eg (Double Indemnity 1944)

By researching these films I gained knowledge of genre conventions, I found out that film noir productions:
- use stylistic transitions such as swipe, spiral and curtain effects which reflect the characteristics of film from the 1940s and 50s - often follow the events of a troubled protagonist (who usually provides a voiceover throughout the film/ trailer) - often explore issues of greed and/or jealousy - contain a crime/ murder element which leads to mystery and investigation - typically use quite a lot of text throughout the trailer to introduce actors and narrate the story to the audience; therefore creating suspense - usually contain props such as guns, cigarettes and alcohol which serve to enhance and create certain moods such as disorientation and danger

Film Noir - Conventions

Link to my PowerPoint exploring film noir themes and codes: http://creedchs.edublog s.org/2013/12/27/352/

Western Film Inspiration

Although I was predominantly inspired by film noir productions, I found myself adapting technical conventions from the western genre into my own trailer. I was particularly inspired by The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as linked below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdkSuurdb DA (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 1966)

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly inspired my own production in terms of camera angles and setting:
(My trailer)

Firstly, I emulated the use of close ups of the face and weapons during the show down scene of my trailer; this helped create tension and suspense

(My trailer)

Secondly, after being inspired by the western genre I decided to film in a more rural and country setting. Whilst this subverts from film noir conventions (which are usually filmed in bleak, city based settings) the country provided me with brighter filming conditions. In this respect my production is a unique hybrid of film noir and western

(My trailer)

Genre Theory
Throughout my coursework I knew it was important to consider and bear in mind genre theory; this helped me target my audience and market my productions appropriately.
John Fiske defines genre as attempts to structure some order into the wide range of texts and meanings that circulate in our culture for the convenience of both producers and audiences Genre is crucial in the film industry as filmmaking is expensive and production companies dont usually want to take too many risks otherwise they will lose a lot of money. However whilst studios often like to repeat or emulate past successes, exploiting genre is no guarantee of success itself. Whilst I was making my trailer production I kept in mind that audiences like repetition but they also like novelty; therefore I stuck to many film noir conventions and only subverted from a few

Link to my genre theory research: http://creedchs.e dublogs.org/201 3/06/27/genretheory/

Followed Conventions
As well as technical conventions Ive also addressed and challenged narrative and genre conventions
Lighting - for indoor shots I followed conventions of this genre and used spotlight effects to create shadows on the actors face to create depth and exaggerate their facial expressions. However a lot of my shots were taken outdoors with natural sunlight which subverts from film noir conventions; I filmed in these lighting conditions after being inspired by the western genre
Transitions - I followed conventions of film noir in terms of transitions. As well as using the standard blunt cuts, dip to black transitions and blending of shots, this genre uses more stylistic transitions such as swipe, spiral and curtain effects. In order to keep my trailer true to it's genre, it was important I included some of these transitions

Voiceover - I followed conventions of film noir and used a voiceover at the beginning of my trailer to help introduce the characters and storyline. This helps engage the audience as theyre given insight into the inner thoughts of the protagonist
Text on screen - use of text in film noir trailers is a common occurrence and they are used to: suggest the story line, introduce the main actors and entertain the audience. Because it is such a key characteristic of film noir I included quite a lot text in my trailer Camera angles I used some canted/ dutch angled shots in order to create a sense of disorientation and danger (a convention of film noir). However, in some respects I subverted because I also used close up shots usually associated with the western genre for the showdown scene

Music - in terms of music I used a soundtrack of The Big Sleep (1946) which, like most film noir productions, used over-the-top dramatic jazz/ orchestra music; this sound is associated with both the time period and genre of film

Black and white - an obvious convention of classic film noir I followed was the fact I edited my footage to be black and white. This created an authentic and genuine vibe to my production and made the genre clear

Props - in terms of props I stuck to conventions such as guns, cigarettes and alcohol. By using these props I was able to tell the story more truthfully and it helped confirm to my audience they were watching a film noir trailer

Mise en scene - I felt it was important to stick to conventions when it came to costume; my trailer is meant to be set in the 1940s/50s era and dress helps to communicate this to the audience. Furthermore by using darker/ lighter clothing I was able to create a binary opposition of good vs evil

Pace - in terms of pace I again stuck to conventions of film noir. This genre of film is not known for snappy, fast paced shots but instead for longer and a more stylistic approach

Challenged Conventions
Although I predominantly stuck to conventions of film noir, I did subvert from a few of the genres forms
Location - film noir productions are typically filmed in bleak, dark and dingy city settings. However as previously mentioned, after being inspired by the western genre I decided to do a lot of my shooting in more rural, country locations. This provided me with natural lighting conditions which meant the outdoor shots required less editing compared with my indoor shots

Stereotypes/ characters - in some respects I subverted from film noir conventions in terms of casting; I used actors who are younger than what you would usually expect. I did this in order to target a younger audience as well as an older one as explored in my audience research linked below

Audience research: http://creedchs.edublogs.org/2013/12/27/film-noir-target-audience/

Link to final trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =576_0ayfUxQ

Poster

Poster Research (codes and conventions)

Before constructing my film poster I began by conducting some general research into film products to gain a broad knowledge of their conventions, I found out that: - they need to be eye catching and interesting for the viewer - they usually have one main cover image in order to attract audience attention - the films title is usually written at the top or bottom of the poster in the largest text - key information relating to the film is displayed around the main image; this information could include actors, release dates or reviews

Link to my film poster research: http://creedchs.e dublogs.org/2014 /02/14/filmposter-research/

My Product
I took a lot of the inspiration for my own product from this film noir style example I followed conventions of film poster media and placed the films title at the bottom of the page. However I made it yellow so that it would stand out more to the audience I also followed film poster conventions by adding in some key information around the main image. Film noir productions tend to use actors names to encourage the audience to watch it Regarding my main image, I edited it so that it had a posterized effect. This is not a convention of mainstream film posters but it is a style heavily associated with film noir productions which is why I thought it was appropriate to use it

Final Product

Magazine

Magazine Research (codes and conventions)

Masthead - usually placed horizontally at the top of the page; the font, colour and style is meant to make it stand out on a magazine shelf

Font - magazines tend to stick to a maximum of 2 or 3 different fonts on their front covers otherwise they look haphazard; font size varies but larger fonts are generally used for the masthead and coverlines. Font colour usually conforms with the cover image Cover image - the image is usually of the main actor/ actress in the film which is being promoted; its typically a mid shot or a close up with the person looking directly into the camera in order to grab the readers attention. Their clothing is usually taken from the film itself Coverlines these advertise what else is inside and are placed on the front cover to interest the reader

My Product
I took a lot of the inspiration for my own product from this example My cover image is very conventional in terms of film magazine media. My actor is stood central in a mid shot camera angle and is looking directly into the camera. I did this because it helps grab readers attention Im trying to target a younger audience than what you would normally expect for a film noir production and in this respect Im challenging conventions. Because of this I chose Total Film to advertise my film due to its mainstream appeal I made sure I didnt use more than 3 fonts on my front cover using any more risks making the product look haphazard and designless. I also used coverlines to entice the reader and make them want to read more

Final Product

Final Products

https://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=576_0ayfU xQ