1. USING, DEVELOPING & CHALLENGING
FORMS AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL MEDIA
PRODUCTS?
Production Logos
I originally created my production logo on adobe Photoshop and then
animated this image on Sony Vegas, I was never satisfied with the final
product as I believed it lacked professionalism and I thought it would create
a poor initial impact when placed at the beginning of my sequence. After
learning Sony Vegas skills such as special effects and inserting text and
titles I decided to create a production logo solely through this program. I
wanted to express some of the skills I had learned within my production logo
and I believed this increased the quality of the final product. I wanted to use
audio that would appeal to my target audience therefore I decided to use the
same artist with my production logo as I did within my opening sequence.
Titles
I wanted to inform my audience of the certain information provided on
screen via the use of a simple, effective and sophisticated font. I did not
relate this font with my film genre as I believed the main objective behind
each title was to show who had done what within my project. Also I thought
that a complex font would take the audiences attention away from the
sequence itself. I used the colour white to contrast against most of my shots
within my sequence as this then stands out and informs the audience as to
what they need to know.

2. Enigma Codes
Within my opening sequence I made sure I did not give away too much detail
which would result in the storyline being completely revealed within the first two
minutes. I held back details of the story and held back when presenting my characters
to my audience. However I used the enigma codes to ensure that mystery lingered over
my teenage boy character as I wanted the audience to get to grips as to what type of
character he might be. The use of a knife as a prop stereotyped the young man but also
created enigma as it made audiences think, why does this boy have a knife in his back
pocket? The use of fire also may be related to destruction later on in the film and this
visual energy is often dangerous however I presented it in two ways. These ways
juxtaposed each other to create deep meaning behind the simple actions. The use of a
lighter to light a cigarette contradicted the caveman working to build his fire and this
highlights an idea that todays world may take things for granted.
Action Codes
To build tension I included action codes within my media product, this helps to indicate
that something is going to happen later on in the film. It is important to hook the
audience within the opening sequence and by making them guess as to what is going
to happen it keeps their attention and wants them craving more. The use of music
builds tension and creates intensity behind the simple actions taking place on screen,
within my feedback I received a lot of general ideas about however the storyline is not
revealed however when asked whether they’d be interested in watching the rest of the
film they responded with a ‘yes’. I think action and enigma codes are the key to holding
an audience throughout the opening sequence therefore I made sure certain aspects of
my product satisfied these codes. The opposites of the pure natural environment and
the violent caveman club make the audience think that something is about to happen
which maintains their attention as they are fully focused on what is about to unfold. The
symbolism behind the weapons used within the sequence also satisfy the action codes
as they are instantly recognisable and paired with what damage they could do.

3. Binary Oppositions/Genre Conventions
One of the main features within my film opening sequence is the idea of
oppositions of characters. The two different time eras come together as we
witness two different characters living their normal lives as they would in
their time. I believe that the concept of different time eras is a unique one,
however my main inspiration ‘attack the block’ has explored the concept of
two different worlds (humans and aliens) coming together. I developed my
own ideas as to what type of characters would create a good contrast and I
believe the opposition of caveman and ‘chav’ challenges the usual ideas
behind an action/comedy. In typical comedy films you tend to have an
authoritative character alongside an idiotic counter-part. Within my narrative
the caveman is perceived as socially awkward and senseless however I
wanted to challenge the initial conventions of comedic characters by adding
a twist later on in the film. I planned to have the caveman transported
through to the current day and then win over the female protagonist which
would ultimately concrete his authority over the modern day ‘chav’.
Therefore the initial portrayal of each character is flipped on its head and
introduces them in a different light.
As well as challenging the normal conventions of a comedy I decided to
utilise some common themes within an action genre. I planned to have the
female protagonist being ‘rescued’ by the heroin after a lengthy ‘battle’. This
also explores conventions of romance which ultimately would broaden my
target audience to both male and female genders. Therefore the character
oppositions creates a unique approach when creating a comedic genre and
the introduction of the female protagonist would widen the potential
audiences.

4. W H AT K I N D O F M E D I A I N S T I TU TI O N M I G H T D I S T R I B U TE Y O U R
MEDIA PRODUCT AND WHY?
The production company is responsible for creating the funds needed to produce a
media product. It may also be accountable for the budgeting, casting, pre-production,
production, distribution and marketing for the film.
I believe that my film would be produced by an independent company such as ‘Film4
or Big Talk Productions’. Examples of films produced by these companies include:
‘Attack the Block’, ‘Inbetweeners Movie’ and ‘Hot Fuzz’
Although all of these are independent films they have been hugely popular within the
UK and this reflects how well these companies are able to operate on a lower budget.
The success in audience figures also echoes how well they can market comedy
genres as each example has an aspect of comedy and has reached a large audience.
‘Film4’ would be the main fundraiser behind the project and would control how this
money is distributed throughout each level of production. The partnership with ‘Big
Talk productions’ has produced one of the main inspirations for my opening sequence
therefore the merging of these two companies would be the ultimate way forward in
terms of production. The experience of working with a similar concept to my film
would benefit the quality of the final product, as well as this ‘Film4’ is a well
established independent production company which would draw in an audience that
is familiar with Fim4s previous productions. Personally I think my film would operate
in a niche market as the main audience is focused in the UK and my chosen
production companies have previously created products that have been hugely
successful in this country. To distribute to this market I would use social networking
such as Twitter and Facebook, this market attracts my target audience of males 15-
25 who operate social networks as a hobby therefore this method of distribution
would be highly successful. Also Youtube would be key to distributing the trailer for
my film, ‘Evolution’ and the normality of hard copies of DVDs would be sold after the
screenings in cinemas around the UK. Online streaming of films such as ‘Netflix’
seems to be a growing feature within the distribution chain so by offering this service
I believe my film could reach a mass UK audience.