In my media production, "The Assassin", i've used the forms and conventions of a Thriller, by keeping the character nameless, so they are unknown and more mysterious. I used typical darker lighting in the bedroom, and a night vision filter when outside. I tried to keep the colours, on the main protagonist, dark. I think i challenged the forms and conventions, by making my main character, a young female girl. In most thriller films, the main characters, are males. I thought by using a young girl, instead of an older male, it gave the film a new twist. I also challeged the forms, by making the actor look straight down the camera, at the point of her beginning to change into an assassin. I thought by making the assassin, quiet and withdrawn in school life and making her an assassin "by night" was also a good idea. I followed the conventions by making my titles stereotypical of a thriller. They are red and a thriller font and slow moving. They fade in and out.2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Because my main character is a white young female, you might think that the rest of the characters in the film are going to be of a similar age, and this film be somewhat of a teen thriller. However, as the film progresses, she is pretty much the youngest character. I think its different to see, the youngest character in a thriller, being the main character, especially when the character is female. In society, my main character is an outcast, until she becomes an assassin. I think this is unconventional, because often in a thriller, characters don't drift into other social groups. Her social standing changes throughout the film. She goes from one of the most overlooked and quiet people in society, to someone seen as a menace and a danger to other people.
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I would like my film to be produced by Warner Bros. I think that they do a great job with this kind of film and action/thriller. I like the way they produced the Harry Potter films and i think that they do a great job of promoting and distributing. For up and coming film "Sucker Punch" the film had an enormous amount of press, and i would like my film to get the same kind of coverage. I think if i let my film be published by Warner Bros. it would be distributed widely. I would ideally like my film to be a big budget film, however, i think smaller independent films are also a good idea, and would like to have a smaller studio also produce my film along side Warner Bros.
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
I think the ideal audience for my media product would be, teenagers. I think that because the character is young, it will be more relatable to the younger generation. Even though i do think boys will like it, i think that the film target's girls more. I think because its a thriller and later on in the film, it would include some gore, violence and horror, i don't think it would be suitable for anyone under 15, and i think the official rating would be a 15. In terms of social grade, class and ethnicity, i think it is suitable for everyone, apart from children.5. How did you attract/address your audience?
I think i attracted my audience, by trying to try something new. I know i've talked a lot about the main protagonist, being a young girl, but i think this makes the movie stand out. I know that similar things like this have been done before. For example, The Uninvited, also has a young female protagonist (Emily Browning as Anna) but they usually don't follow the same story, that my character does. I think that even though the opening has little dialogue, you can still see what the girl is feeling, and know whats going on.
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I've learnt how to operate a mini dv tape/ and camera. Ive learnt how to use a tripod. Before i started making this, i had no idea what a dv tape was, and now i can log and capture and upload it on to a Mac. I also hadn't used Final Cut Pro, before making this film. I really like using it, making transitions and especially laying a sound track over it. I made music on GarageBand for my production aswell. I've blogged before, but i thought recording our coursework, on a blog was also a really good and efficient way of doing it.
7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
I learnt that i can work on my own, and actually get things done. Im used to working in groups and not really doing a lot to be honest, but on this task if i didn't do it, then nothing got done, because i worked on my own. I learnt how to operate a video camera, and how to zoom on it, and do pans,cuts etc. I learned about filming sequences,such as match on action and the 180 degree rule, and i applied them in my production. I learnt how to use final cut pro, and use different soundtracks for different parts of the film.
