Evaluation Question One

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

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At the very beginning of my film trailer project, I explored the various existing media products and from this I collected an idea of the different forms and conventions of existing film trailers. I focused on three film trailers, all from different genres, in order to get a solid idea of what audiences expect to find (in terms of conventions) when clicking on a video for a film trailer. I selected The Regression, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and The Maze Runner and I analysed these three trailers and picked out key similarities. Although the three films were all from different genres, overall they all communicated a gripping and tense plots with action scenes playing alongside equally dramatic music that build up throughout the trailers. In both the Maze Runner and Harry Potter, there was definitely a much more firm focus upon visuals in the film (perhaps due to both films having been heavily filled with special effects) as opposed to any diegetic dialogue from the film themselves, this leaves audience unaware and questioning what possibly could happen in the film and what could play out. I found this personally powerful and gripping and from early on in the project, I was really determined to use this in my final product.

I decided to go with a thriller genre, since they are above the most gripping films and have overall the best story lines. A thriller’s general conventions follows that of Todorov’s Narrative Theory of Equilibrium, where the beginning the hero is shown at an equilibrium, where they are content and happy with their life. This then leads to a disruption in the equilibrium and disrupts the happiness and content of the hero. I applied this theory also to my film and is evident in my trailer, where there is a clear divide in the equilibrium and the disruption of the narrative. This was one convention that I followed in my media product, because I believe it to be effective and much more relatable to audiences. In my story, it’s based in a school location which also reflects my target audience demographic profile of all being at school/higher education age and above, meaning that my characters having an equilibrium, content life at school reflects my audience in this way. Thriller also tends to include plot twists and loneliness and isolation is a challenge that characters tend to face. This again reflects my story, the plot twist being (unbeknownst to audiences) that the head teacher, Coren Vincent, is the murder and villain to my story. But this plot twist was not evident in my trailer and will leave audiences wondering whom the identity of the killer may be.

Through the planning and research stage of the project, I dived further into the various forms and conventions of real media products, for instance the types of characters that are used in films. Vladimir Propp’s character theory for instance, with suggested that in every narrative there are eight types of characters. Although this theory does apply to many existing films, doesn’t altogether apply with them all and many real media products choose to disregard or challenge Propp’s theory. It is often argued that a lot of the most successful films are those that choose to challenge certain conventions.

One aspect I was certain on challenging was in terms of the portrayal of female characters. According to Propp’s theory, a female character may fall into the character of the Princess (needing to be saved by the male hero, a prize for the hero, etc) and I definitely wanted to challenge this theory and make the main character female and turn the stereotypical passive female character into the strong and assertive female. Thus, the character of Veronica Calder was born. One example of a successful strong female lead is the 2001 film adaptation of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. She was character that went against all the stereotypical female characteristics and a female who took part in physical conflict and being the independent character who fights better than groups of men. I wanted to mirror this unconventional, strong women in my trailer in order to create a strong representation of gender in my trailer.

In terms of development, I focused mostly on representation. One of the representations that I felt needed to be developed was bisexuality in films. This is a completely under-represented/misrepresented sexuality in film and in the media in general and there have been very little positive bisexual representations in film. One example of a positive representation includes Lisbeth Salander from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo who critics raved about and labelled her a bisexual, feminist hero that appealed to a large range of audiences and helped to make the film the success it was. Because of this, I created the character Billie White, a bisexual who is outspoken and tends to express very realistic views about the world and society itself. I believe her to be the mastermind to the group in the film and is a brilliant character in terms of representation in regards to the development of sexuality.

Overall, I have used, developed and challenged forms and conventions successfully, and to my advantage. I have followed conventions in terms of narrative, because it’ll allow for audiences to identify with the equilibrium within my media product and perhaps allow for them to put themselves in the characters situation through the media product. I developed the conventions of representation by putting on a positive spin to the bisexual character, as films have a tendency to paint bisexuals in a not so positive light and Billie is a character who is definitely not shown in a negative light. Through the trailer she is shown to fight, a character determined not to give up and not afraid to speak her mind. Finally, I challenged many stereotypical representations of women in film and Propp’s theory by creating diverse, assertive females who were in no means passive and submissive. I feel like this is important, since there has been an recent increase in people who are interested the equality and representation in regards to feminism in the 21^st Century and people are growing terrified of having a screaming female in films and want to see them fight. I feel like challenging conventions is important, because when following conventions, it’s very possible to predict what is going to happen. But when challenging conventions, it leaves question and a mystery of what may happen next.

(1708 words)