1. Children’s Film Evaluation

2. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
There are many typical conventions of a children's opening sequence, such as an establishing
shot, music to give a feel for the genre, environment and characters feelings, as well as the
opening title of the film and sometimes beginning credits. In our children’s film, we used an
establishing shot, music to give a feel of genre and character feelings as well as the title of
the film. All of these conventions, I feel, clearly showed our film was an adventure film, with
the use of props, mysterious music, low lighting to show the mystery and then higher to
show a safer and more friendly environments as well as a black and white effect to establish
the time of setting.

3. How does your media Product represent particular social groups?
This product is marketed at children, aged around 5-10, as well as families. This film is there to
excite and challenge the minds of children with a mysterious narrative. Also, there are 3 main
characters that are children, this helps the audience of children to relate to the story and find
the film more engaging.

4. What Kind Of Media Institution Might Distribute Your Media Product And
Why?
The UK film council would be a main contributor we feel, because they support all kinds of British
films, from children’s films to those aimed at older audiences. But other companies like 20th
century fox would also be interested in this kind of children’s film too, because it is an
exciting adventure film with a different narrative to most films that have come about to be
released. Films similar to this would be, Jumanji, UP and Peter Pan, because they are all
adventure movies and the characters in them are on an actual adventure and the audience
follow along with them.

5. Who Would Be The Audience For Your Media Product?
When we started out making this Children’s film we intended the target audience to be children
aged between 5 and 10. I feel we reached or aim in making this an engaging and exciting
opening sequence for a children’s film in all our macro features, like the use of music and
props to establish the genre and time of setting. I feel this classification would be a PG

6. How Did You Attract/Address Your Audience?
The narrative of the product was relatable to our target audience, 3 young boys playing in the
woods and then discover a treasure map. This makes it appealing to young children because
of the sense of adventure and also the desire of being in their shoes. Also, the film has a
“bad” pirate in it, a villain, and in all traditional adventure films, there is always a villain,
which adds an opponent and it is an enjoyable experience to follow a narrative with a slight
struggle as we see with most children adventure films.
Also with the initial use of mysterious music and a black and white video filter, it gives the
audience something to think about immediately, where is it set? When is it set? What is
going on?

7. What Have You Learnt About Technologies From The Process Of Constructing
This Product?
I have learnt how to use the computer more effectively and constructively and find greater use of
my time to get the most out of each lesson. I have built on my initial knowledge of Final Cut
editing suite and found new ways to make a film flow better and keep continuity within the
narrative. After making this product I feel more able in using the camera, from making the
shots look better to discovering new ways entirely to shoot a part of the film. I have learnt
that the video camera can be used to take stills to put up on Blogger too.

8. Looking Back At Your Preliminary Task, What Do You Feel You Have Learnt In
The Progression From It To The Full Product?
The final product used much more of a variety of shots, giving a greater idea of what was going
on, as well as making the scenes not seem repetitive and boring while watching them. The
sound quality in the final product was a lot better because I discovered how to collect more
sound effects from the computer and I had more of a chance to break down most of the
existing audio from the camera and re-create it using sound effects and music.
The preliminary task didn’t help me too much because I already did AS Film Studies last year but
it did help me to remember the skills I already had.
My highlight from this entire product was making a shot go from black and white to colour with
no cut.