Link to preliminary task : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-_Koypbc1U
Thursday, 18 April 2013
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Evaluation Question 5: How Did You Attract/Address Your Audience?
When asking a sample of 16 - 30 year old females in the street, I told them to pick 2 of these items:
I hypothesised that the average one is going to pick A and C...some may choose D.....and even few are going pick B. This is because girls like fancy things e.g Ted Baker bag and sense pleasing perfume by the famous Marc Jacob. Of course some girls may already have the perfume and want a lovely bag to hold the classic book by one of the Brontë sisters. Then again some may not be the norm and go for these combinations and go for the football along with another of their choice (maybe the perfume so that they can smell nice after a football session). At the end of the day it is very much personal choice and what I have just drawn upon is the stereotype of females going 'for pretty' things - there is nothing wrong with this. In my media product I chose to use this stereotype as I found when researching that an audience seeking to watch a chickflick is going to want mise-en-scene that is aesthetically pleasing.
Specifically in my piece I decided to use items that look aesthetically pleasing yet at the same I could build up a character. Take this still for example:
If we study it carefully we see these products:
When people watch they like relate to characters. To attract an audience I thought appropriate I had to create an everyday scenario that young adults go through. No matter how you old you, bumping into an ex-partner of yours is most likely awkward, so I decided to approach this topic with a twist. After a break-up of a long term relationship many find it hard to find them-self; this can be due to depression led heartbreak which remains unresolved. The defence mechanism of masking problems then kicks in. That's why in this I wanted to show an example and underlying message that no matter how much preparation you make (in this case getting ready) you can never be fully prepared; hence the shock when Ruby bumps into Adam. Females of the age group 16-30 are going to relate more than any other age group because they are less likely to be married, plus if they are in a committed relationship or have previously been they may be able to relate to Ruby's masking.
From my earlier research of opening title sequences I identified the common shots in chickflicks. I found that medium and long shots were very common as there is often some omniscient narration and to stick to conventions of showing materalistic products. I used these (examples) above to really add my genre conventions.
Sunday, 14 April 2013
Evaluation Question 4: Who Would Be The Audience For Your Media Product
Most of the time when watching the film, to be completely drawn in, we like to connect with the character or characters. With Ruby being 20, I feel the audience for my film will be females aged 16 -30. This is because they will be able to relate to the way that Ruby is represented - beauty conscious- and her relationship woes. From the age of 16 girls are more conscious of the world and suffer from insecurities with looks and 'fitting in'. The stereotypical girl likes to feel good with the top fashions and celebrity make-up and perfume ranges, so watching another girl do the same thing perks up and interest and almost competition as to what looks good.
Take these 3 pictures. They all connote a girl who enjoys looking colourful and getting make up. This attracts a fashionable audience. They themselves would probably own the make-up and clothing lines that Ruby does.
I imagine this to be the typical everyday attire for my audience.
I think that the main area of the world for this movie to be most popular would be Europe, North America and Australia/ New Zealand. This is because they are mostly first world countries and find the character more relatable to everyday life.
If this film was being produced in the real world and was pitched to be a 'big hit' then I would cast Zooey Deschanel as my main character. From research and past knowledge I know that she has quite indie attitude, which would leave an intruiging edge to my character. The film '500 days of summer' - in which she stars- gives off a 'anti-chickflick' vibe, however using the conventions of a chickflick. She is normally used for Mainstream and Mainstream Plus, which in the UK Film Council described as films sticking to familiar repertoires and using a popular cast.
Take these 3 pictures. They all connote a girl who enjoys looking colourful and getting make up. This attracts a fashionable audience. They themselves would probably own the make-up and clothing lines that Ruby does.
I imagine this to be the typical everyday attire for my audience.
I think that the main area of the world for this movie to be most popular would be Europe, North America and Australia/ New Zealand. This is because they are mostly first world countries and find the character more relatable to everyday life.
Evaluation Question 3: What Kind Of Media Institution Might Distribute Your Media Product?
Let's look at some popular chickflicks:
- Bridesmaids (could be seen as RomCom or even straight out comedy, but the friendship between two females makes too cheesy for either of the two) - DISTRIBUTOR: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
- The Proposal - DISTRIBUTOR: TOUCHSTONE PICTURES
- P.s I Love You - DISTRIBUTOR: WARNER BROTHERS
When watching the trailers for these 3 films we see they are distributed by three of the main production companies in the world. They are household names. This is because they are mainstream companies responsible for the biggest films and franchises. For example Warner Brothers are responsible for the distribution of Harry Potter, the biggest movie franchise ever.
A mainstream film is one that has its entire focus on a particular genre and is emphasised as blockbuster. They tend to act as an escape to everyday (Uses and Gratifications theory). From this I can already say that a company such as the ones above and others such as Columbia Pictures and Paramount pictures would be good to distribute my media product. They will be able to mass advertise my film openings on tv advertising and with Warner Brothers being apart of TimeWarner, they will have amazing connections to advertise in the plethora of magazines that they distribute across the world. Magazines such as InStyle and People, that Time inc. distribute, bring in consumers who are style conscious - just like Ruby- and into promoting individual style. This use of synergy allows for a collection of media products to promote a film building on the idea of mainstream again to truly seek out and make a blockbuster or 'big film'.
Evaluation Question 2: How Does Your Media Product Represent Particular Social Groups?
Non-materialised aspects of Ruby is her 'love' life. We presume that she is single as there is no introduction to a 'boyfriend' character, whether in the scene or a picture or dialogue reference. Later on we see her 'bump' into male character who we presume to be an ex-boyfriend of hers because of her delayed reaction. A bad break-up or a break-up in general is very common for people of this age, especially with the movement of people to further education or the want to move/explore.
Though this character (Adam is hardly in the entire opening, he is introduced. We have no dialogue or previous references about him so we have to go on the mise-en-scene. He dressed very relaxed to show off his laid back approach, which most young adults have today. This does not mean they have no motive for life, just not running at full speed through life.
We can see in comparison to Ruby, that Adam is probably lower down the socio-economic groupings. With Ruby being upper middle class, we presume he is lower middle class to her, but still middle class, describing a more fortunate lifestyle than those of working class.
Effective dramas have conflict. From my past research into chickflick films, I found that this conflict is usually between the realtionship between a boy and girl and the differences that they have, either in personality or the materialistic world in which they live. I wanted to build upon this idea and use the identity of two people from somewhat different backgrounds. This builds upon the mainstream film guidelines (UK Film Council) - where the focus is cleary on one genre.
Evaluation Question 1: In What Ways Does Your Media Product Use, Develop or Challenge Forms and Conventions of Real Media Products?
With my media product - film opening- being a sub genre, it is hard to challenge certain conventions of 'real' media products without changing the genre sub genre. For example, mine being a chickflick will allow a certain comedy aspect to be included, such found in a romcom, and a dramatised storyline. However, if either of the two are too heavily included then the sub genre is lost.
Sticking to genre itself is a convention. Katie Domaille 'The Horror Genre' said that "Genre is a way of working through important myths and fears of repetition, variation and resolution". This suggets that by stamping a genre on any media product creates certain expectations with the audience. If you go to see a horror/thriller film, it is highly unlikely that there is going to be a strong romance theme. We know this because of expecatations that we are set up with and used, also vice versa in a romantic film it is highly unlikely that there will be a bloody murder scene.
I've tried to challenge normal conventions of real media products and use female as the main character, although this is most common within the chickflick genre, in fact it would be against convention to use as female, however, against conventions as a whole this is quite uncommon. I have used the convention of a beauty conscious young adult to make the audience have a perception of the main character and have her go along with film stereotypes of females. I have used a modern day setting rather than a period or future setting. Use of a period or future setting would not go with the script or nature of the piece because it is very much a modern day love story, not a vintage piece or futuristic, which would mean I had to guess or create a new century.
The narrative itself is linear; another convention; meaning that it goes in order from beginning, middle and end; sticking to Todorov's three part structure - equilibrium (where everything is balanced), disruption of the equilibrium and finally resolution of the equilibrium. Just from the opening we the first two come into action; Ruby (main character) is shown 'happy' in her own world, getting dressed up and then comes the disruption of the second character introduced, who has a negative effect on Ruby.
Equilibrium - balanced
atmostsphere, no bad
vibes.
Disruption of the
equilibrium - negative
atmosphere
Lighting aspects are very conventional to the piece. I have used natural day light most of the time and when not all natural, I have tried to make it as bright as possible to show a positive view. As with most chickflicks, the bright lighting is very normal and dark lighting would suggest a dark, almost evil aspect not found in the average chickflick and like I said earlier would maybe suggest a different genre.
Sticking to genre itself is a convention. Katie Domaille 'The Horror Genre' said that "Genre is a way of working through important myths and fears of repetition, variation and resolution". This suggets that by stamping a genre on any media product creates certain expectations with the audience. If you go to see a horror/thriller film, it is highly unlikely that there is going to be a strong romance theme. We know this because of expecatations that we are set up with and used, also vice versa in a romantic film it is highly unlikely that there will be a bloody murder scene.
I've tried to challenge normal conventions of real media products and use female as the main character, although this is most common within the chickflick genre, in fact it would be against convention to use as female, however, against conventions as a whole this is quite uncommon. I have used the convention of a beauty conscious young adult to make the audience have a perception of the main character and have her go along with film stereotypes of females. I have used a modern day setting rather than a period or future setting. Use of a period or future setting would not go with the script or nature of the piece because it is very much a modern day love story, not a vintage piece or futuristic, which would mean I had to guess or create a new century.
The narrative itself is linear; another convention; meaning that it goes in order from beginning, middle and end; sticking to Todorov's three part structure - equilibrium (where everything is balanced), disruption of the equilibrium and finally resolution of the equilibrium. Just from the opening we the first two come into action; Ruby (main character) is shown 'happy' in her own world, getting dressed up and then comes the disruption of the second character introduced, who has a negative effect on Ruby.
Equilibrium - balanced
atmostsphere, no bad
vibes.
Disruption of theequilibrium - negative
atmosphere
Lighting aspects are very conventional to the piece. I have used natural day light most of the time and when not all natural, I have tried to make it as bright as possible to show a positive view. As with most chickflicks, the bright lighting is very normal and dark lighting would suggest a dark, almost evil aspect not found in the average chickflick and like I said earlier would maybe suggest a different genre.
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