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

BRICK CONTACT SHEET

MY MOVIE CONTACT SHEET

These contact sheets show sequentially- the title of the film, setting/ location, costume/ props, camera work and editing, Title font and style, story and how the opening sets it up, genre and how the opening suggests it, how characters are introduced and special effects.

The media product in which we have created uses many aspects of developing or challenging conventions of real media products, through inspirations from researched thrillers and use of a variety of media.

One of the first media types we were influenced by was existing films for example Wallander and Brick. We were inspired by some of their footage and how they edited their films, however we altered the techniques to our specific genre so it suited our story and wasn't directly the same. For example we have also, like Wallander, taken slow, sharp cut close ups of the victims body laying in the water, inspired by the setting and the clip tempo and speed. We have really thought about our Mise en scene within the frame, so the audience can really feel the coldness and pain the victim feels laying in the water.

We used characters to challenge typical stereotypes for example a killer would usually be a Male, however we decided to use a girl as the killer to add a slight twist and difference to the film. This also is another way to grab the audiences attention as the may underestimate her actions and not expect what she's done. Similarly this is also the case in Wallander which was one of our main inspirations, however we have just used one murderer instead of two.

On the other hand, the victim is also a female, just like in the film Brick. We thought by basing our movie on 'ENVY' and girls being stereotypically 'sly' and 'jealous' of one another, the use of the same female gender of murderer and victim, this will emphasise the title and also the hatred relationship between the two, leaving the audience wondering, what was the cause of all this?

Our victim also shows key conventions throughout the opening, with important and deep meanings when analysed. For instance she's dressed in black to match the stereotypical death image and emotion, however it also enhances a sinister and painful atmosphere as black is the general colour worn to funerals- an event due to a past death.

Another key element is the victims eyes open as she's dead lying in the river. This enhances how the murderer has no respect and kindness towards this victim as if she did, to show peace and rest, she would have closed her eyes shut herself.

Not to over complicate our thriller we used a simple, yet cleverly composed sequence of shot types for example, establishing shots, black outs, close ups, tracking shots and panning to set the scene. These shots create tension and a relationship between the audience and the victim as it creates sorrow and sympathy towards the victim who's been attacked and murdered, left in this river maybe not to be found for a while.

A key shot of ours was inspired purely by brick. This is the first opening shot in which we see any of the victims body. It shows her arm, revealing her black bracelets, laying in the stream with an ahead view of the riverbank, creating a sense of despair, loneliness and isolation. The significant ripples in the water helps towards the weak and torturous atmosphere of cold and helplessness.

The shot of the murderer walking away from the scene was inspired also by Wallander, showing just the back of the head, only hinting their feminist gender by the small frame and hairstyle.