In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
During the planning stage we studied, in great detail, a number of other media products with the view of adapting their styles. We were greatly influenced by the styles used in various media products. Firstly, we looked at this clip of Rock'n'Rolla, a 2008 film from Guy Ritchie, with the intention of being influenced by the style and looking at how Ritchie uses the black and white theme in some posters and titles to present the Rock'n'Rolla characters.
We were also influenced by the camera work in the film and how they successfully used the cinematography and editing to create the intended character description and audience perception of that particular character. We felt that Rock'n'Rolla gives a similar style to Conflict Of Interest and is a very similar theme which is why we tried to adapt a few ideas from the film to ours.
Secondly, we looked at this music video from Madonna. It may seem very different to our film, however, we felt the underground-style music and unertone beat fitted perfectly with our film and this is where the idea of the heartbeat used in Conflict of Interest came from.
http://www.spike.com/video/hung-up/2682875
The third media product which we felt relates to our media product is from Sin City, the movie. We feel that the cartoon, black and white theme is very similar in style to ours however, creates a different image and different message than Conflict Of Interest.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
We used a distinct "underground" style, representing the London drug scene and underground criminal activity. We felt that the clothing chosen for Jason Cole, the man in search of his brother's suitcase, suited this style and represented him as a working-class man striving for wealth and status.
We created him around the intial story and wanted to create a character typical of London and those hovering just above the poverty line. We tried to emphasise his lack of comfort in the Middle/Upper-Class area and how his emotions were unstable, as shown by his rapidly increasing hearbeat. He tries to hide this by relaxing, listening to his iPod but as it turns off, we notice his nerves and volatile emotions. We feel that teenagers, mostly male, would be the target audience and would enjoy the theme and storyline of Conflict of Interest. They may also be able to relate to the heavy hip-hop music, the clothing used, and the strive and determination to succeed and to become wealthy like Simon Gray, the house owner and serious criminal. We also used various props to relate to the young audience, such as the MP3 player. The Rock'n'Rolla character in the film had a lot of similarities to Jason Cole and we wanted to highlight this with the black and white theme.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
The film could be distributed by two main companies, in my opinion. For the gritty British effect, as created by films such as This is England, Somer's Town or Dead Man's Shoes, Big Arty Productions would be a suitable distribution company. This may not be as profitable as others but could be a blockbuster if targeted to the correct audience and distributed succesfully. Another possible distributer may be Warner Bros Productions if we aim to target a wider audience and aim to make the film very profitable and popular. The film is versatile and flexible and could be distributed by either company with success.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
Our targeted audience would be teenage/young men ages 15-30. We feel that this film appeals to young, determined men, striving to make a success of themselves and who can relate to the story of Jason Cole. We made various decisions throughout the film which relate to this such as using an MP3 to relate to the youth audience. We also used contemporary undergound, heavy hip-hip to relate to the youth audience.
How did you attract/address your audience?
The questionnaire we used to ask our target audience changed a lot of things during the production process. We found that our target audience preferred a high-tempo beginning which enticed them to watch more. We decided to change the dialogue and scrap any interaction between Cole and Gray at the end of the film in favour of a racy ending to the film, leaving the viewer demanding the rest of the film. We also storyboarded the film with a view to little dialogue and the flexibility to adding that in. This fitted in perfectly with the demands of the target audience and meant the storyboard and finished film were both appealing to this audience.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Our first hurdle was using the camera, however, by only using still shots, we overcame this hurdle very quickly and did not compromise our ideas for the film because of our lack of experience with the camera. We picked up camera skills quickly and used them to various effect. Secondly, we used Final Cut Express, an editing program. This was, initially, very complex, however, we also picked this up and used a vast range of effects with the program to enhance the enjoyment of our film. We also used Cubase at certain points which was also complex and difficult to use but did not hinder any ideas and aspirations for the film. Livetype was also used in the DVD, which was very simple and incredibly useful and effective in terms of what we wanted to do.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the final product?
I feel that i have learnt an awful lot from the task set. I feel that my technical skills, planning skills, filming and editing skills have all been improved greatly and i have been able to apply the theory learnt to a film i made. I was able to apply mise-en-scene, cinematography, sound and editing to my film and my theory knowledge was useful in making the film. I also have found that using the technical equipment is alot easier and i have become accustomed to Macs and the equipment over the course of the task. I have found that planning is a essential part of filming and that without it, the film would definetely not be as succesful let alone, be made. Editing is also an essential process in film production and it is the difference in success with a film. I feel that this task has been very eye-opening to me and I definetely appreciate the art of film production a lot more and the effort put into it.
