2.How does your media product represent particular social groups?
3.What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
4.Who would be the audience for your media product?
5.How did you attract/address your audience?
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 learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Number One
Our film draws on many of the convention pushing camera work and sound effect work of alternative cinema. A film that it is very obviously influenced by is Donnie Darko. The sound effects that we use create a kind of eerie enigmatic code, which is not dissimilar from Donnie Darko. I think that this vastly improves the standard of the film, as it is the non-digetic sound effects that complete this film and without it, it would not have the same kind of atmosphere or suspense as it does.
The camera work is also very alternative. It draws on the cuttingly real, convention breaking style of hand held camera work from films like The Blair Witch Project. We decided to use this because it really makes you feel involved in the film and makes it look very every day, and therefore, more frightening. I think that this effect is created in a successful way and i am happy with the way the film is shot.
In terms of mainstream success, our film perhaps doesn't have the mainstream appeal that is needed in order for it to become a "blockbuster". However, i think it could become a cult film among a select audience, in the same way that films like "Donnie Darko", "Dawn Of The Dead" or "The Warriors" have.
This means that it is the kind of product that the "VineWood Studios"'s institutional convention comes before rather than the "Warner Bros." one, as it does not appeal to the mass audience that such a large institution craves. This marks the general "indie" feel of the film which we intended to create, and are very happy with.
Number Two
The two characters in our opening both represent their own social groups. Adam, with his smart red tie, representing a direct business approach. This perhaps reflects from me and Joe's negative impressions of business people, perhaps attaching negative connotations to people who wear red ties.
Jack is represented ad just an average WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) guy and there is nothing unusual about his representation, with white boxer shorts to represent innocence and the decision to keep his topless to represent his venerability was also a considered one. He represents society's overall weakness to the power of "the dark" therefore making the impact of the possession more prominent.
The lack of minority or female representation in the film could be seen as an issue by some. However, we decided that using minority group (in terms of ethnicity) or female characters would not give the same amount of impact, as our target audience are mainly also WASP. The choice to dis-include female characters was made after the decision that we wanted the character topless. If we had wanted a semi-nude female character, it would not have been appropriate for our target audience, because it would make the film have an "18" certificate or in fact may it have been censored after complaints.
Number Three
The type of institution that would sponsor our film would probably be more independent, or "art house" because of the niche cult audience that our film would attract. It is also an alternative film in terms of use of camera work, use of sound effects and production. I feel that me and Joe would also perhaps only take sponser from and alternative institution because of the creative "box" that working for such a large company such as "Universal Studios" forces you to rest within. The film is designed as an "art house" film rather than a "blockbuster".
Number Four
The audience for our product is mainly WASP males, who are a fan of alternative cult films, such as "Donnie Darko" and "Dawn Of The Dead". However, we have had some positive feedback from people outside of our target audience, such as 23 yr old female who prefers Romantic Comedies said "it's not my usual thing but i really enjoyed it" after seeing it independently online. Perhaps the next step is to look into what other audiences we attract, such as horror fans.
Number Five
The main attraction to our WASP cult film fan audience is the alternativity of the different elements of the film. The actual narrative is key and the film doesn't have the conventional film "hooks" as shown in "teaser campaigns" as the content of the film is mostly atmospheric, so we rely on our audience to be on a higher level of film critique and to have eclectic appreciations of films to relate to our alternative and archetypal conventions. They will probably be part of Morley's "Active Audience" (to the effect of films such as "Donnie Darko"). In terms of the "Uses and Gratifications" theory, it will satisfy thier need to view refreshingly archetypal film work, and to view "art house" media production. However, i believe there is also enough conventional material for general film-goers to relate to, as we planned to mainly follow "Toderov's five point narrative structure" and the mis-en-scene and character establishment is easy-access enough not to over-alienate more mainstream audiences, giving the wider appeal that is important in the eyes of organisational sponsership.
Number Six
There is wide use of technology in this film, because in order to get the effect that was originally envisiged, we had to use other pieces of software other than a video editing programme. The list of programmes we used involves some very mainstream names, including Adobe Photoshop CS4, Apple's iMovie HD Ver 4.0.1 and Garageband 2008, Boinx iStopmotion Ver 2.1 and Logic Express 8 The editing of the film was completed using an Apple iMac, however some of the effects (for example, this one) were completed on an Apple Macbook. The use of technology, i feel really adds something to the film, and it has meant in many cases we haven't had to settle for less than what we originally intended the film to look like. However the limit of technological specifications of our editing workstation meant that the editing process was sometimes aggrivating, as they were just not fast enough to deal with the intense level of media they had to deal with (in terms of the mass of sound and video effects used to create our film).
The drive to make the film in our vision has really helped me to improve my compliancy with the advanced software packages we used, and using a cross section of knowledge to compile just the right effect. Often, we had to use more than one peice of software or video effect to get the right look for a clip. An example of this is the scream heard at 1min.33. We used Garageband to record a female voice, then put this sound file into Logic to use the more customisable and advanced reverb and echo settings, using a Graphic EQ and comression techniques and then exporting the sound in a lossless compression to achieve the peircing, shrill, crystally-distorted tonal quality the voice had.
Number Seven
We completed this question as an audio file which can be heard here
The pre-runner film can also be viewed here-
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