Q1. Evaluation

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Established short films (not ours)

• Here is a number of short films varying in; camerawork, sound, mise en scene, editing/post production, genre conventions, narrative organisations, characterisation and themes

   Mary Last Seen-Analysis

A young woman embarks on a road trip with her boyfriend to a place he promises will be beautiful and peaceful. But a series of strange events occur on their journey, and it becomes clear that their relationship is not what she thinks and their destination is not what was promised.

Through elements of media language it is evident there are some clear distinctions between the two previous examples. In this particular text we can see two contrasting images from two different settings, an approach neither 'Chief' nor 'Must Peeter' conveyed. The first image conveys two individuals, male and female portraying intimate and passionate emotions towards each other, connoting an intense and infatuating atmosphere. However due to other aspects of media language the relationship appears to be a facade, revealing a darker meaning and impression behind their expressed emotions. For example the low key yellow lighting on the decor denotes an urban motel or hotel environment, somewhere the couple do not live permanently. This is supported further by the decor its self, on the wall is an area where a mirror would usually be, however it appears to have been ripped or removed from the wall, implying that people have been before them, and is in fact public accommodation. In the second image we can see a male character elevated from the ground, although there is no way to clarify a clear link to the male character in the first image as we have no way of observing any facial expressions, it is most likely-based on the synopsis- that it is in fact the same person. The dark and bleak setting of a grey sky helps to support a dark unexpected secret behind the the relationship displayed in the first image. One possible connotation of the levitated male character could be that he symbolises exclusion and insulation from society and more importantly his relationship. From observing the text it appears that the sequence represents a male and female demographic, possibly targeting couples who admire a dark twist to their entertainment and therefore placing the target audience in a young adult band i.e 18-25 years old. From analysing the media language in more detail the sequence appears to fall into the thriller/drama/independent genre.

The title and accreditation presentation is unorthodox and deviates from other short film posters. For example critic reviews and film associations aren't displayed on this particular poster, with the exception of a Sun Dance Film Festival award located in the top left corner of the poster. The titling its self is a lot smaller in terms of font size in comparison to 'Chief' and 'Must Peeter', the designer has decided to display a simple block text font contrasting red and black between three words. One possible meaning behind this could be a representation of male and female.

Another aspect to take into consideration is the composure of the elevated male figure, he is centered in the middle of the title, again supporting the connotation that he is divided from the relationship with the female character as they both have conflicting personalities.

'Must Peeter' follows the story of an individual called Peter. Peter and his wife are having dinner with friends in a restaurant. They have not quarreled for two weeks. A new record could be in the making. A trivial argument soon grows into a quarrel and the night brings morbid entertainment into their relationship.

through elements of media language, this poster portrays a dark and sinister atmosphere. The camera angle is at a low angle giving the impression that the audience is looking up at the character and in turn connoting an autocratic power about Peter. The lighting in this poster also further supports an aery environment by casting shadows on both the setting and the facial expressions of Peter, which overall denotes a menacing image. One significant prop in the text is the cigarette placed in Peter's mouth which connotes an impulsive and addictive personality, revealing that the character is in fact someone who lives their lifestyle on the edge. From analysing the previous poster 'Chief' it is is evident that there are some similarities in terms of representation. Like 'Chief', 'Must Peeter' conveys only one male character at the center of the text, implying that the sequence represents, again a elder male demographic, aged 20-40 years old. Which therefore means the target audience holds a similar market. From analysing the text from a perspective of someone who hasn't yet observed the short film, it appears to fall into a Thriller/Drama genre, this is supported further by the media language discussed above.

Unlike 'Chief', the titling for 'Must Peeter' takes a different approach both in terms of font style, font size and composition in the frame. The font is an unusual block serif sans font connoting a vintage feeling, accompanied by the characters costume it is quite possible the sequence is based in the 1970's. The size conveys an element of simplicity but yet bold power at the same time, which is a contrasting difference to 'Chief'

  It's the place you go if your own island isn’t big enough. It's the place you go to disappear. Semu Fatutoa was once a highly ranked Samoan Chief. Technically, he still is; the tattoos shrouding his legs are immutable proof of the pain he endured to earn his title. But those tattoos cost him something else: His daughter, nine year old Aveolela, drowned in the ocean on the day Semu received the tattoos. Weakened by the gruelling ceremony, he lacked the strength to swim out to save her. No one blamed him for her death, but Semu blamed the tattoos. Rather than assume his chiefly duties, he fled. Two years later and thousands of miles from home, Semu is the only cab driver in Honolulu with the rank of Chief. He ferries tourists and Japanese businessmen to and from the airport. He drives in circles, keeps his legs covered, and slowly forgets his old life. But his old life wants him back. First, there is the mysterious Samoan staking out his apartment in Waikiki, calling him on the phone, following him home from the beach. Then there are the news reports: An earthquake on the Big Island threatens to unleash a tsunami on the city of Honolulu; anyone with any sense is heading for higher ground. Probably the Chief would go, too, except for the eight year-old Hawaiian girl wandering the city in her bathing suit. She has crossed his path twice today, and both times he let her go. But now the girl's intrusion into his sequestered life begins to feel to Semu like a message. A calling. Any minute now, these streets will be silenced by a wall of water. Semu begins to realise that it's high time he started living up to his title.


Through elements of media language we get the impression that the theme has a native and primitive atmosphere and is evidently not stereotypically based in an urban environment. This is supported further with the main protagonist placed waist hight in an ocean, he is wearing a native costume, revealing a bare torso allowing his necklace to be shown, this further supports the primitive and native atmosphere constructed by the poster. From researching other similar short film posters there appears to be a pattern in the use of at least two different photographs converging to form one. For example 'Brighton Rock' displays two possibly three contrasting photos merged to make a striking final image. The 'Chief' poster appears to have applied only one photo, which in turn constructs a stronger sense of reality and eliminates the hyper-real aspect that many other film posters seem to convey. From analysing the synopsis and the text, 'Chief' represents the male demographic, as the primary character is a male and appears to be the soul of the short film, this is demonstrated through the text in the poster and the synopsis. The unusual and unorthodox plot to the story places the sequence in an independent, drama genre which is not uncommon amongst short film sequences as the are known for deferring away from iconic Hollywood film narratives. From the evidence provided above 'Chief's target audience is aimed at the elder adult band, 20-40 years of age and predominately male.

The title in this text is a typical example of symmetrical alignment. We can see two equal opposing gaps between the page margin and the text, giving a sharp and professional feel for the viewer. the font size is far from abnormal, however it is larger than most of the posters I have researched. The font type is unusual and has a significant influence on the over all impression of the text, implicating, again, a native and uncivilised culture, its sharp serif sans font connotes an old, outmoded atmosphere to the audience



Touch is a Romantic short film that represents one women's journey through life with her partner. the sequence follows a circular narrative.
In the opening scene we are presented with a ECU/BCU of an elderly female character with her eyes closed. the duration of the shot is ephemeral, almost immediately cutting to a different location and and a different female character, judging on the quick transition time we can tell that the elder female character in the initial shot is reminiscing about her past and her youth. The camera then introduces a young male character, throughout the introduction scene of the male and the female character the shot size stays consistent (MCU-BCU) allowing the audience to only see the two characters and no one else around them not even by standers or extra's. This approach to filming gives the two characters the only spotlight and focuses all attention on their story.
As the narrative progresses we see a consistency in the fast frequency speed in the cut shots, as there are many different locations that the two characters are in i.e from when they first meet too their fourth and fifth date. The director has successfully used his ingenuity to grab the audience and and keep them glued to the journey of the couple.The shot on the left hand side is one of many ECU's in this sequence, I believe the director has chose this method of filming to portray intimacy and true love, by showing no characters around them through camera size and not even enough room to see decor and setting means you can only observe-as a member of the audience- the facial expressions and body language of someones journey of love.
One particular scene shows the two characters intimately making love in a bed, the camera is at an ECU of their two hands together. there is then a sudden cut to another location and another situation, the male character is now standing and the female is lying down the camera slowly pans across the female character and reveals to us that she is pregnant however the characters are still holding hands. I believe this is a connotation of loyalty.

A Hero is a short comedy about a man who believes he has supernatural powers, the sequence follows a linear narrative and all though its structure is fairly simple the narrative is very comical. The short film is also a documentary/biography which constructs a socially realistic atmosphere and in my opinion is the true fact as to why it comical.
In the second scene we are presented with a BCU of the characters face accompanied by a narration in the background asking the hero if he claims that he has super powers. The camera is focused on one quarter of the characters head, allowing us to only see his left eye, left check and left side of his hair. This is an unusual angle but seems to connote this particular characters unusual personality.As the sequence progresses we are shown in more detail the absurd and entertaining claims that the hero has. For example one scene shows the 'Hero' at a CU with his forehead pressed against a brick wall. The unknown voice that has been narrating and documenting the entire account ask the 'Hero' if he was trying to look through the wall all though the answer is an abrupt and simple, "Yeah". It is still effective and again supports the comical environment.

In the final scene we can see the 'Hero' in the same situation he was in the initial seen, he is once again trying to telepathically traverse the glass across the table. When he realises it isn't working he leaves in frustration, the camera cuts to a CU of the glass very similar to the initial scene and it is placed up right on the table. Shortly after the Hero's mother enters the frame and turns the glass from upside down back to up right, implying that the Hero had in fact supernaturally manipulated the glasses position. This sudden twist to the narrative is very common in short films and difficult to execute effectively but in this particular sequence it connected smoothly and successfully effected a humorous finish.
In my view this short film was very successful and has become one of my personal favorites. One subtle connotation I believe has been inserted into the sequence is the name of the film, in my opinion it appears to be a play on words as it is clear he doesn't possess stereotypical, iconic super powers that most members of the audience would associate with hero's, however his ignorance is almost admirable as he convicted that he possesses super powers.

The first shot after the title shot is a MCU of a male character through dialogue, facial expressions and body language we can tell he is trying to move a glass from one position on the table to another, telekinetically. The structure of dialogue connotes a positive and comical perspective on the characters behavior as opposed to a negative and offensive one. The de-saturation of colour could possibly connote that the character isn't connected with reality and this, represented through the de-saturation, as a normal human beings perspective of the world is coloured. The camera then cuts to a CU up of the class on the table, to no one's surprise it isn't moving and the whole situation is made humorous by his hopeless attempt to move the glass purely using his thoughts.

Moment of Clarity follows a linear narrative of young male character waking up next to a young woman after a night out, however there is a sinister twist to the narration.

In the opening scene we have a series of fast paced cut shots, the lighting is very low key, and is shot in black and white. The camera angle is a point of view (POV) telling the audience that we are viewing the surroundings from a characters point of view. The use of focus pull and shallow depth of field we are told what subjects in the frame are important to take notice of. For example the initial shot of the sequence reveals a glass, this connotes to the audience that the setting could be in a bar possibly a prestigious one judging by the quality of the glass and the decor bellow it. most importantly with this particular shot is that we know the character is going to be or already is intoxicated and portrays a sense of mystery as to what happens to the character, the ingenuity of the focus pull editing technique helps to enforces this connotation further.

The first scene shows consistency with the use of dark lighting and a black and white effect accompanied with distorted background dialogue and a non-diegetic soundtrack. At this early point in the sequence, as an observer you can already start to gather the type of genre the director has intended it to be. The lighting, sound, decor all convey a thriller/mystery genre. from looking at the font in the title shot we get a sense danger or fear from the style of lettering. a dominant connotation of sharp tipped letters is usually on of danger or death.





After the title shot above we cut to a Big Close Up (BCU) of a character in bed. The lighting has changed significantly however the black and white editing technique remains. From having a sudden transition from the POV to the BCU of the character shows that the character was drunk blacked out and awoken in a bed. as the scene progresses the character rises quickly and sits on the edge of the bed momentarily, this is the first time we see the main character and the female character in the same shot together. The main characters facial expressions-although we know limited about him-appears to have a dark sinister and mysterious edge to him, this is supported well by the use of the black and white effect as it casts shadows over the eyes and contours of his face.

The sequence up to this point shows a linear narrative of a male character who has been out one night and had a one night stand with a female character, however their is a sudden twist or gestalt shift in the narrative as he soon finds out that the female character has a boyfriend or husband this is conveyed through a photograph prop of the female and an unknown male. (I believe this part of the plot has an external representation of youth, the director appears to be portraying a young demographic aimed at both genders, the characters also have a monogamous attitude which could be a hidden connotation from the director). To exacerbate the situation further the main character discovers the female character has been murdered, shortly after we hear an off-screen diegetic knocking sound, automatically from the facial expressions and body language of the main character we know the sound is hostile and a threat, in response to the knocking sound the main character scrambles into hiding.

The next shot is an Extreme Close Up (ECU) of the bedroom door handle there is a sudden loud on screen diegetic noise of the door handle opening, momentarily after a masked character enters the frame with his back to the main character. His costume resembles a quarantine or medical suit adding to the iconic thriller enigma. We then cut to a Medium Shot (MS) of the antagonist as he turns round in search for the main character but to surprise there is no-one there. At this section of the sequence it is evident that there is a delusional
/psychotic element. The camera then moves to a CU/BCU of the antagonist's face were he removes his mask and reveals that the main character is in fact the antagonist automatically making him a psychotic killer and murder of the woman laying on the bed.

From a personal perspective I thought this short film had real strength with intuitive and sinister twist to the end, the use of camera techniques such as focus pull in the opening scene connected very well with the narrative and strong effect. The absence of dialogue proved to be a powerful asset and gave the sequence more of an enigmatic feel to it

Comparison Analysis

 At the beginning of the term we were introduced to a more advanced form of analysis for media. In the first year we applied only four perspectives; mise en scene, camerawork, editing and sound. In the A2 course we dive deeper and look at 5 key perspectives Media language (which is the initial 4 perspectives applied in the first year), Representation, Audience, Narrative and Genre (MRANG). With this criteria it allows us to gather a clearer and more detailed impression of a short film and what the producers intentions were. If we implement MRANG into the comparison analysis, the end product will be a useful tool for reflection and recognition.

From observing the differences between established short films it is clear there are many contrasting differences but also some unwavering similarities. In order to produce legitimate results we needed to compare only thriller and horror short films. One of the similarities we found was the use of non-diegetic sound, in many of the thriller/horror sequences we investigated have a pattern of applying dark and sinister soundtracks in order to provoke and conform to an eery and fearful environment. For example 'Must Peeter' manipulates a series of synthesisers and acoustic sounds to produce an iconic suspenseful atmosphere. Although our soundtrack was not designed or original our aim was to research different sources to find the most suitable one. Here is a list of some of the websites we used:

• Sound Cloud 
• Incompetech 

A thriller often contains a narrative centred around a main protagonist and a main antagonist and their consistent battle to prevail. Although every film holds some degree of originality, wether it be the cast the location the narrative or the representation, there are generic factors that bind together to make a specific genre a genre. Here is a list of some of the generic characteristics of a horror/thriller short film:

• Restricted narration - This is where the audience is limited to what they actually know about the charters or the narrative in film and is often left to the climax or the very end of the sequence until it is revealed. For example 'Usual Suspects' 
• Circular narrative - A circular narrative is where the audience observes the same beginning scene or shot as the finishing scene or shot, creating a metaphorical circle in terms of the narrative and is fairly common in Thrillers. This is one of the concepts we included in our short film and proved to interlink successfully. An example of a circular narrative would be Quentin Tarantino's 'Pulp Fiction'.
• A key theorist on narrative called Ronald Barthes published his various concepts of narrative in type of media. Although there are a number included in all types of genre, one in particular seems to be very popular amongst Thrillers. That is the 'Proairetic Code' this refers to a narrative that is consistently building tension and constantly indicates that something will happen to either distort or reset the equilibrium.
• A thriller usually contains some element of violence which usually means weapons of some kind. The iconic prop for weapons used in a thriller predominately is guns and in horror it films its blunt or sharp weapons used for brute force and physical force such as an axe or a knife.
• for this particular factor we wanted to steer away from the typical gun/knife violence scene in typical thrillers and add more unexplainable terror and death-as seen in the final shots of the sequence-we believe it offers some originality, although it has been down before its uncommon.
• Low key lighting
• Quick cut shots
• Shadows 
• Intense and enigmatic non-diegetic sound (soundtrack)
• High and low angle shots to portray strength and weakness

Here is the opening shot to our short film, this exact small scene was duplicated so that the same scene could be placed at two opposing points in the film-the beginning and the end. This is another example of a circular narrative. One reason I believe this concept is effective in thriller based films is its ability to create enigma and intriguing ideas for the audience and is the primary reason we chose to include it in our film.

This shot is found towards the end of the sequence, at which point the characters have realised there is something sinister about the board game and there has been consequences to their actions. As you can see the lighting is low key casting shadows over the characters, the shadows are further intensified by the diegetic light emitted from the characters phones. This method to constructing a thriller film is commonly used as it creates an enigmatic suspenseful feel for the audience. When creating darkness in a scene it provokes the audience into fearing the unknown (darkness)-as most fear what they can not see- and automatically constructs a suspenseful atmosphere

This shot is an extract from the final scene of the short film and is a personal favourite in terms of it ability to conform to the conventions of a thriller film. The surrounding edges of the frame are dark, allowing a faint outline of a body to be seen in the bottom right hand corner. Therefore creating the iconic scene of a sinister corpse that we see so often in thriller/horror sequences. Another positive from this shot is the successful implementation of diegetic on-screen lighting (the camera phone). The choice of lighting gives an up close and personal impression for the audience, constructing a more socially real atmosphere.

The Little White Lies language content offers its audience a witty, sharp and intuitive observation of said film. From analysing a series of dated and contemporary articles it appears there is a consistency and method to how each writer sets out to compose their article. Similar to an aesthetic template, the company have also designed a language template. Here is what we found:

The first example was Kathryn Bigelow's adaptation of the international hunt for Osama Bin Laden in Zero Dark Thirty (2012):

1. Historical and political contexts.
2. Historical and political contexts and link with protagonist in this case Jessica Chastain.
3. Introducing the protagonist, references to the director's style and genre conventions.
4. Genre- repetition and variation from standard conventions, with references to similar films.
5. The directors intentions, themes and aspects of style 
6. Repetition and variation of genre conventions; key scenes and unique elements.
7. Summary of end scene's importance; distinctive genre features compared to Hollywood Styles. Positive last sentence- a positive last sentence is not always applicable to every article as some critics take a different perspective on the film they are reviewing.

Another dated example is Christopher Mcquairre's Jack Reacher (2012):

1. Literary contexts; casting of protagonist 
2. Intro to protagonist traits, linked to persona of star, Tom Cruise genre departures (repetition and variation)
3. Description of plot opening and link to title 
4. description of plot developments and references to actors.
5. evaluation of protagonist as a character (Reacher) and star performance (Tom Cruise) compared to standard genre films of this type. Negative closing sentence.

There are some key contrasting differences between the two examples above. One is the actual length of the article, Zero Dark Thirty contains 7 paragraphs whereas Jack Reacher contains only 5, one possible explanation for this is that Zero Dark Thirty has appropriate references to historical and political episodes as its based on true events. Jack Reacher is a fictional narrative and therefore has no historical or political background. Another difference between the two is the format, The Jack Reacher article looks more at the character and the actor Tom Cruise i.e performance, whereas Zero Dark Thirty evaluates predominately the narrative itself and how the director has decided to construct her adaptation for the hunt of Osama Bin Laden.

A more recent article is Scott Coopers Black Mass (2015) 

From analysing the format in this particular article it is evident that it holds a different structure to the films listed above:

1. Historical references to the non-fictional figure Whitey Bulger and a short map of his criminal career. 
2. Plot references accompanied by negative feedback from the critic
3. Plot analysis with further negativity 
4. Plot analysis with reference to character (star performance) again with further negativity 
5. plot analysis, why the adaptation is historically obscure i.e. faults with historical dates and key affairs of Whitey Bulger's life story.
6. Further plot analysis with negative closing sentence.

One fairly noticeable difference is the choice of centring the article around the narrative and plot its self. There is only one paragraph that excludes plot analysis. One possible explanation for this is the quality of the film and the directors ability to retell actual events, therefore making it an inaccurate depiction and unsuccessful reenactment of the infamous Whitey Bulger. 

From gathering information from all three sources we have constructed a generic template applicable for our film article:

1. Contexts- Literary, directors previous films, historical or cultural events
2. Summary information about protagonist/s and key players (traits; issues of representation where appropriate; key aspects and evaluation of performances)
3. Key Themes, issues and plot (what it's about without spoilers)
4. Narrative devices (+ evaluation of these)
5. Use and adaptation of genre conventions (+ evaluation of these)
6. Critic's experience of the film
7. Summary sentence evaluating the whole film

There are a number of different factors in terms of layout that make the magazine so aesthetically pleasing and an intuitive competitor in its industry.

• each Column of text is 54.4mm wide and 107mm long (this varies depending on word count 
• Total text review width is 168mm including margin space on opposing sides 
• The total review length is 217mm (including margins top and bottom)
• The image is 70mm x 168mm

Font List

• Review font- Microsoft Yahai
• Cast accreditations - Aparajita (bold+italic)
• Body of the text - Aparajita
• Titling Font- Century Gothic 

Accreditations

• Director 
• Stars
• Release date
• Author of the article

Little White Lies is an independent British film magazine. The company is renowned for its attention to aesthetic detail and artistic flare. The company was established in 2005, with the goal to create a magazine that converged the informality of a discussion with friends, and the formality of an editorial perspective that you might read in 'Film' Magazine, a more commercially orientated and mainstream read for its audience. Another distinction amongst its competitors is pricing and release dates, although it has varied over recent years the current price for one individual copy of Little White Lies is £6. However they primarily base their sales strategy around subscriptions, this constructs a higher sense of worth and value for the product and to support the sense of worth further, new articles are only released every two months, building anticipation and suspense for its consumers.

The publishing company, The Church Of London published a survey in 2008. A sample was gathered from 250 UK readers, revealing a number of different and invaluable pieces of information for the company, here is what they discovered:

• The number of readers who visit the cinema to watch their films

        0-4 times per month (72%) 

        5-10 times per month (22%)
        11+ times per month (6%)

• The various range of demographics  

        Aged under 18 (3%)               Male (63%)

                                                                            Aged 18-24 (34%)                  Female (37%)

                                                                            Aged 25-35 (51%)

                                                                            Aged 36+ (12%)

From analysing their data there are some clear discoveries to take into account. One is 63% of the 250 readers questioned are male and 37% are female. This reveals that the magazine attracts a male audience, one possible explanation for this could be the genre of design and their tendency to centre their articles around films that are predominately viewed by a male demographic. For example the two pictures above denote two hugely successful dramas based on male characters who play masculine roles. Another discovery is 128 of the 250 UK readers fall in to the age band of 25-35 years old. This information could be of use to LWL as it highlights what kind of audience their visual arts and style of language is attracting.