AS Reflection - Using Conventions from Real Media Texts

 In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
In our AS production we adhered to the stereotypes of the action genre mainly though the plot we used. It involved a fight and chase scene being prevalent as expected within the genre whilst the music emphasises tension and adds to the effect of the dynamic shots being used. We also ensured that the lighting was bright as to allow the audience to clearly see what was happening and highlight the enigma around our antagonist and showcase our protagonists from the beginning. 

In what ways have your productions used or developed conventions from real media products?

The AS production brought about significant conventions in the entirety of the opening scene. The chase scene incorporated a wide range of shots which were filmed at a relatively quick pace to add dramatic tension. The dolly shot highlights the two main characters in the chase scene and adds specific emphasis on them. You can typically see this in action movies as the protagonist usually gets prevalence in the shots in a chase scene whilst the main antagonist shares a similar light. Other character in productions are used more sparingly as they are not essential into the plot of the movie. The fight scene also gives such prevalence as the main characters are fighting against the antagonist. In action movies you can generally see a lot of two shots in such fight scenes as the two protagonists’ friendship is often highlighted. The fight scenes are generally important in the development of an action movie and so we ensured that it played a major role in oir AS production.

In what ways have your products challenged or played with conventions?

In some ways our AS production challenged conventions of an action movie. The main area it did this was the use of characters as we included two protagonists to battle one antagonist. You could also suggest that conventions were challenged with the use of a pov shot from the antagonist as you don’t normally see their view but we thought this would be a good way of highlighting to the audience that the main characters were being watched, which could add tension.

Is your work generic or experimental, or both?

Our work was highly experimental as we often changed the plot of the story throughout production as we found some elements difficult to film. We did try and stick to generic conventions but also wanted to place some emphasis on something not conventional to make our film standout. The film did include some stereotypical attributes of an action film such as the chase and fight scene but also includes elements of a thriller film, in terms of the enigmas left behind by for example not explaining the antagonists motives. We weren’t set on one idea for the plot of our film so we tried to incorporate what we liked from each idea into the finished product and so different elements provided different themes to the storyline.

Have you developed a style?

In terms of styling, I don’t think we have developed a particular style. We tended to mould and change ideas depending on what we thought was necessary for our chosen genre. So the styling would likely change dramatically if we were doing a horror film for example. This would include the type of shots, the characters introduced and the main features of the opening scene.

Have you been influenced by the work of specific directors etc?

In terms of directors, if anyone influenced the AS production it would probably be attributed to Christopher Nolan’s opening to the Dark Knight. Its use of enigmas and tension allowed for a very interesting opening scene as we were always kept guessing. In our AS production we wanted to ensure the antagonists identity remain a mystery to the audience as it gives them more incentive to think on his motives for the killing in our opening scene.

How have you developed these skills at A2?

In terms of conventions, our A2 production adheres more to the elements you’d expect to see in an action movie. We did this mainly through the prevalence of guns in our trailer, something which we lacked extensively in the opening scene. The guns helped highlight who was the hero and villain and showcases the action qualities of the film to the audience. We also used more recognisable locations in A2 as with action films, location is a necessity in engaging the audience. The use of a voiceover allowed for the plot to be explored in greater detail and introduces the character and their role with significant ease, something which wasn’t obvious in our AS production. We still followed a highly experimental style of filming as we tend to engage ideas when we’re on set, whilst the styling remained adaptive depending on what we were filming. Action shots were more focused and quicker paced compared to shots in which dialogue was present, which is noticeable in action movies to a great extent.