Evaluation Question 4: How Did You Use Media Technologies In The Construction, Research and Planning and Evaluation Stages?

I used Blogger to record my progress as I created my media product. It allows me to show a concise development from initial idea to final film, and also helps me to keep track of what I need to do in regards to my product.

I used Photoshop to experiment with and alter fonts for my title screen, which allowed me to create a selection of different titles that I could choose from which best reflected my media product.


I used Adobe Premier Pro to edit my product, as the format was easy to navigate and it allowed me to edit my product accurately and precisely the way I intended it.

I used thesaurus.com to come up with a title for my product, as I theorised that shorter, snappier titles were more memorable and I could not think of one that was intrigueing enough. I ended up with the title of 'Entity' via the thesaurus by searching for synonyms of 'Creature', which is a short enough title to be memorable, but an interesting enough word to draw audience attention.

Evaluation Question 2: How Effective Is The Combination Of Your Main Product And Ancillary Texts?

I feel that the combination of my main product and ancillary texts are effective in that both my poster and my review showcase the genre and tone of my media product in a way that intrigues the audience without revealing too much of the plot.

My poster in particular definitely showcases the conventions and forms typically used in films of the horror pursuasion. The dark location and eerily empty setting of the poster sets the tone for my film and is reminiscent of other posters such as the one for The Amityville Horror, and certainly reflective of the horror genre. The fact that the poster does not directly show anything aesthetically beyond a dark, gritty room may intrigue the audience as they do not know what to expect from my product, though the font and general aesthetic of the poster does give some inclination that it is a horror/thriller film, which is what I want to portray.

My review effectively showcases the general storyline and tone of my product, as it describes the forms and conventions that the audience would find appealing within my product, such as the plot, the characters and the overall feel of the film. The lexicon used suggests that the film is intended for a more adult audience (which fits into my predicted target audience of 15 and up) which gives an insight into the more mature nature of the film in terms of the horror and thriller aspect of it. The review also contains a selection of popular films that are similar to my product, in the hopes that fans of these films will recognise the titles and decide to watch my film based on their enjoyment of the aforementioned films, which not only means that I am likely to gather a larger audience as my film conforms to conventions of other popular films before it, but the audience I do attract is likely to enjoy my film based upon the fact that they enjoy films of a similar genre.

Both of these combined effectively portray my film in the manner I wish in regards to genre and narrative, meaning that the audience is suitable informed of the content of my film without giving away any major plot details that would ruin the experience of the product.

Evaluation Question 1 - In What Ways Does My Media Product Use, Develop, Or Challenge Forms And Conventions Of Real Media Products?

My media product uses many of the forms and conventions found in films of a similar genre and storyline, most notably Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project. The use of handheld camera is especially reminiscent of the aforementioned movies, both of which use the technique as an effective way of creating tension and creating an immersive experience for the audience. I wanted my film ro have elements of realism to it, as a believeable horror storyline is far more engaging and entertaining for an audience. The handheld camera also allows the audience to experience the film from the character's point of view, which builds tension as the audience is seeing and knows as much as the character knows.

An aspect that I used within my product that was not really present in the aforementioned films was that I incorporated an opening scene (which chronologically happens after the basement events in the film) that, without revealing key aspects of the plot, reveals that there is something ominous to come. As this creates tension from the start, as the audience is aware that something happened (and as the scene cuts to a few days before that they are going to see what exactly happened) which means that the audience should be drawn to the impending incident within the plot without having to slowly build tension within my narrative.

Another aspect that I took from Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project was the use of minimal characters and dialogue within my film, which means that the audience is more focused on the storyline and the plot rather than the characters and their personalities. It also gives the audience the opportunity to engage with the characters and identify with them rather than have the characters and their personalities forced upon them.

Review

Poster for film

Targets for blog

1. Upload finished final product - by Monday.
2. Create poster for final product
3. Record audience reactions to my final product - upload onto Youtube, Facebook/other social networks, Keek.

DNA Films (Production Company)

DNA films would be a suitable production company as it has produced numerous British horror/thriller films, such as 28 Days Later. The films that they create are often internationally popular due to their content, but still retain the grittiness of a typical British film, which is something I wish to recreate with my own media product.