1. Media
evaluation
Question 1
By Amber Bell

2. Question 1
 Inwhat ways does your media product
use, develop and challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?

3. Using conventions
 Touse existing conventions I made sure
that I conducted a lot of research into
existing trailers, websites and posters so
that I knew the sorts of things that must be
included within my own product to make
them fit in with the codes and
conventions that we expect from media
products.

4. Using conventions – trailer
Imade sure that the main character had
the most screen time; this is common
within trailers at it means the audience
can tell who is the main character easily.

5. Using conventions – trailer
 Teaser trailers are usually between 30-60
seconds as this means that they ‘tease’
the audience only giving them a small
insight into the film. Our trailer is 55
seconds long so falls into the teaser trailer
category.

6. Using conventions – trailer
 Thepace usually starts slow and then
picks up pace; this works for our trailer
because the editing starts of with fades
and then moves to fast pace cuts.

7. Using conventions – trailer
 Thereis usually a voice over or text on the
screen to ask the audience questions; or
to give them an insight to what is going
on; we used snippets of text to get the
audience involved within the trailer.

8. Using conventions – trailer
 We also made sure that the music helped
create suspense. This is used within trailer
because when used alongside the fast
pace edits it helps to create suspense or
an emotion for the audience to feel. For
example in James Bond the music is
iconic for the actions that the male
protagonist completes.

9. Using conventions – trailer
 We also made sure that we included the
film name at the end of the trailer so that
they can research more into the film; this
is something that our audience noticed
within the trailer feedback

10. Using conventions – trailer
 We made sure we had our production
name at the start of the film; this is
something we noticed within our research
so we made sure we followed this
convention.

11. Using conventions – trailer
 We also made sure that we included the
release date at the end of the trailer;
however it usually states coming soon or
summer (2011) as a teaser trailer is played
at least a year before the film is released.

12. Using conventions – trailer
Ialso included the website for the film as
this is usually shown at the end of trailers
so that the audience can find out more
about the film.

13. Using conventions – trailer
 We also included the institutional
information at the end of the trailer; this
happens in all trailer as it gives the
audience the opportunity to find out who
was involved within the film.

14. Using conventions – poster
Imade sure that both of the main
characters were included on the poster
so that the audience can recognise them

15. Using conventions – poster
Imade sure that the release date was on
the poster so that it advertised the film.

16. Using conventions – poster
Iincluded the actor’s and actress’s name
of the front of the poster. This is because if
there are fans of that particular actor this
will advertise the film.

17. Using conventions – poster
I made sure that the names of the film
was included; I also made sure that the
font had been kept the same from the
trailer so that the products linked

18. Using conventions – poster
Imade sure that the tagline had been
included on the poster.

19. Using conventions – poster
 An object of significance or a location of
significance is usually shown within the
poster; I chose the poloroids as this is a
significant prop within the film. I also
made sure that the bike was included as
this is also a prime focus within the film

20. Using conventions – poster
 Theinstitutional information is of a smaller
font than the rest of the text on the poster.

21. Using conventions - website
 Thetrailer usually appears on the
homepage of the website; as this is a form
of advertising than can merge other
within it.

22. Using conventions - website
Ihave included navigation to help the
user locate other pages within the
website.

23. Using conventions - website
 Eitherthe production company’s name is
included or the main actor/director on
the homepage as this advertises the
company or the actor.

24. Using conventions - trailer
 The name of the film is included in large
font; and a prime focus within the page. It
is also the same font as the poster and the
trailer to help the products link.

25. Using conventions - website
 Themain actor usually appears on the
website; as this is a promotions method
within itself

26. Using conventions - website
 An object or location of significance is
usually shown within the website and/or
links to the poster image

27. Developing conventions
I feel that in a few cases I have managed
to develop existing conventions from
existing products and change them
(without loosing the concept) so that the
trailer become more individual.

28. Developing conventions -
trailer
I feel I was able to develop conventions
of a trailer as we added in the rewind part
at the beginning of the film. I have never
seen this done before within a teaser
trailer so it is original for our film

29. Developing conventions -
trailer
 We also made sure that the music helped
build suspense as in other existing trailers;
However we were able to develop this by
cutting the sound off completely at the
end and starting it late.

30. Developing conventions –
poster
I used a style model for my poster. By
basing the poster on Memento I was able
to create a poster that fit in well with the
storyline. However I changed it by
removing some of the layers to make sure
it was original

31. Developing conventions –
poster
Ialso added in a background of smaller
poloroids as I felt this would make it so
that the posters differed in look and
layout.

32. Developing conventions –
poster
Imade sure that all of the text was included
within the main polaroid because I felt as
though this is the main focus on the screen
and keeps the audiences eye on the more
important parts of the poster. This wasn’t
something that my style model did however I
felt that it worked for my poster.

33. Developing conventions –
website
A few websites have a actor profile
however I developed it by changing the
layout and presenting it in a different way

34. Developing conventions –
website
 Eventhough I included images of the
main actor I went against having the
same image as the poster as I didn’t want
them to mirror each other but still link.

35. Challenging conventions
I also went against some of the
conventions. When creating the products
I went against typical ideas that would
have been expected as I wanted to bring
a new twist on the original ideas.

36. Challenging conventions –
trailer
 Firstlywe decided to switch the roles that
would have been expected within the
trailer. The stereotype of masculinity
would automatically put the male in the
dominant role but in our case it is the
male that ends up getting terrorised and
captured by the female which goes
against the ideas that the audience
would expect

37. Challenging conventions –
trailer
 We also decided to have the stalker
(female antagonist) have a very feminine
twist on the way she messed with the
male protagonist. We added the kiss mark
so it made it that the stalker worked with
here femininity rather than a
hypermasculine or have control through
strength

38. Challenging conventions –
poster
Iadded the certification of the film on the
poster; this isn’t that common however I
felt it is necessary because it made it so
that the audience would know if the film
they are choosing to watch would be
suitable for them or not.

39. Challenging conventions –
poster
I also made it so that the female was dominant.
Even though the male had more screen time; The
female is more powerful than the male within the
film so it was necessary to switch the roles that
the audience would expect.

40. Challenging conventions -
website
Idecided to add in a coverflow containing the
‘off-camera’ pictures on the first page this isn’t
usually put on the first page however I felt as
though it worked well because it was an
interactive feature that the user would be
interested in using

41. Challenging conventions -
website
Ialso went against using the main image as the
background of the website; this is because I
wanted to keep the black and white theme from
the poster but I also didn’t want the background
to distract away from the extra features.

42. conclusion
Iwas able to create 3 products that were
able to fit into the current market by using
the typical conventions, I also developed
them and challenged them completely
to create three products that were
individual and had the twists needed for
them to be exciting.