Evauluation: By Dominic Esty- Wilkinson

Dominic Esty-Wilkinson
As Media


The Missing Suspects

Media Evaluation

In my evaluation I am going to take you through the process in which I had constructed my media product all questions will be answered, also I will be analysing the ways my media product had met the codes and conventions of a thriller, also how my media product had improved from my preliminary task and the progression I have overcome as I challenged the codes and conventions and the genre thriller.

Figure 1: close up of title of the police station



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

The way my media product uses forms and conventions of a real media product is essential as I followed the ways in which a thriller should be put together, for example my media product reveals enigmas and has suspense within it clearly demonstrating towards the audience, that it meets the conventions of a thriller genre. Within a thriller movie we expect to see vulnerable protagonist and a powerful antagonist, in whom the antagonist is far more superior as they intend to kill, creating suspense for the audiences as they are a stereotype character and represents them as dominant. In my media product I have also used a antagonist as it creates suspense and gives audiences a clear view of the film as it flows a reveals enigmas in an unique way for example the voiceover that takes place as a man is dragging a large bag, audiences will be guessing for what might be in the bag, my media product challenged the forms of the genre thriller as it had intense score music that blends in with the film, making it flow and add effect within it. I wanted my media product to engage audiences to what they expect in a thriller so I challenged real products to compare with mine to make it eye catching and successful. In a way my media could be shown as an mysterious sub genre as it shows mysteries throughout, revealing enigmas, this challenges real media product because it also engages audiences which is the main achievement. However my media product as clear mise en scene and shows everything, which is, suppose to represent the scene including characters. We had shown a thriller genre because it would have been to complicated creating a action and adventure sequence, as they show a more creative sequence involving fight scenes, explosions and cars, these cross genre were too complicated to involve to we kept it a basic mysterious thriller.
Since my film had involved the police it made it hard to compare to another film, so I looked a TV Drama Criminal Minds, the reason being because they have the same plot in the police investigating murders this was essential because I had something very similar to compare my film to.

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

My media product represents particular social groups by making them middle and lower class, in which the police are investigating the murder inquires I have represented them as middle class workers. The antagonist fitted the stereotype of a (serial killer) as he had said: “jobs done” this gave the impression that he murders people regularly, however he also fitted the stereotype by being intimidating and frightening. Also the police were middle age adults and young adults, giving a clear representation that they are middle class workers. However the protagonist that was a black Caribbean and was shown murdered in a large bag, I had contrasted this to real films as black individuals always die first. Men are seen as dominant characters as I portrayed the male as being dominant as he was shown being far more superior as had been handling a dead body. I also challenged the way that women are portrayed as being less superior and being portrayed as victims.

Figure 2: shows male police officer paying attention towards sergeant.

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

The media institution which might distribute my product is film companies, the actual fact being that it is a film sequence so it what be essential for them to distribute my product because it is in the same category. Having my film being distributed by film companies e.g. (20th century fox) this is an advantage to promote my product to audiences as it wouldn’t be necessary for a music company to promote a film because they are different categories. Also a newspaper institution can also distribute my product for example the sun because mass media read prints, and it makes it a success to me and the audiences to see my media product being promoted and this can make my media product a successful tool in this competitive media world. This could indeed be something produced by a major Hollywood studio, because it is unique in a way by involving the law, which audiences relate as it is serious and makes it something that catches audiences attention, however it could also be a internet release after giving a specific date of release, could be also involve collectable products for example t. shirts, action figures and games. I would franchise my media product at mass media because I feel I had observed the conventions well to allow a lot audience to be engaged to the film. However I see a media institution like 20th century fox to distribute my merchandise because they are very successful in the film industry.

4. Who would be your audience for media product?

The audience for my media product will be teenagers aged 18- 25 the reason being is that from my audience review the majority of my audiences agreed on the same conventions and aspects, so they would be my particular focus as they expect the same results I should provide them with what they want, making my media product successful, for example most of them agreed on vulnerable protagonist so I made my product compare with that by having a murdered teenager and a intimidating antagonist. Usually when involving the police it is aimed at a high age certificate so I will know exactly who my audiences will be.





I had referred to the BBFC age classification decisions, the reason being because it sorts out the ages for each age category in what it involves, since I had rated my film at 18 because it involved police and murder, this was essential because it made me decide what audiences to target.

Figure 3: shows establishing shot of the police station


5. How did you attract/ address your audience?

I attract my audiences using effects I gathered in final cut pro, I used a tinted dark effect in a separate scene in which the antagonist was in and made the starting scene normal as it clearly displayed a contrast within the scenes which audiences have encountered. I engaged my audiences with my intense score music I inherited from soundtrack pro this was played in the antagonist scene and had made it create suspense, and represented the antagonist as an scary individual. The props I used were a boiler suit, latex gloves and a slimy location which was in an garage, the reason being is that it made the antagonist stand out within the location, I needed to get the props and location right because I wanted to really engage the audiences the best way I could and to make my thriller challenge the codes and conventions within one. The character that played the antagonist fits the stereotype as an antagonist because his character blended in with the thriller well because he had the right expressions, movement shape and size I had to look hard for an character to play that role because it need to meet the conventions of the genre thriller. Also at the end of my media product I added a special effect I gathered from videocopolit, I used this because my audiences like to see special effects as they are in to new technology I thought that this might like attractive to my audiences in engaging them with a good expression at the end. However I had also had asked police officers the star in my film, this was unique because I had thought out of the box and done something not many would of thought of and this attracts my audiences as it made it look very serious, as the police represent the law and made my film attractive to watch as we see police an important part of the world we live in this was vital for me to recoup them to star in my film. I think this was amazing because I had made my film different from the rest and put in attractive edits in my film. I related this to my questionnaire by targeting the correct audience profile, most of them being males, in the scene when the antagonist dragging the bag it shows men are dominant and men are more likely to view the film as they are in control, dominating vulnerable females, this a stereotype again portraying them as feminine and less superior. Having police and murdered victims being shown, this allows my film to easily be portrayed at an 18-age classification certificate. During this scene where we see a mysterious man dragging a large bag, as this progresses it allows audiences to guess as it is enigma that is on the verge of it being revealed. Involving enigmas creates suspense and it leads to a clue, I had to include this because it is a simple way of attracting audiences. However we knew our target audiences were aged at 18 and above so this aspect was very important. I used several close ups and extreme on the antagonist’s face to show the frightening appearance so audiences can see that he is a dominant figure. I involved establishing shots of the scene so audiences can see the surroundings that the characters a based in. Addressing the audiences wasn’t easy as it as I had to include enigmas in way that will effect them, as goes for suspense and the shots had to flow and make sense, this was hard a the beginning but then got the hand of wondering what audiences wanted to consume. From the antagonist’s perspective we see that he is calm and relax and does this regularly shown through his composer. The use of his criminal mind as it has become a case for the police.

Figure 4: establishing shot of man dragging large bag.


6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing your media product?

The technologies that I have learnt is how to use final cut pro and learnt many of the ways I can edit my products, I learnt how to extend, decrease time in shots, I had to make my film 2 minutes long and had to cut down the shots in which some took up to much time, I also had to work with my editor to darken some of the shots that needed to represent the scene in a different mode. I have learnt how to set up and tripod put, and to set up a film camera this was vital as we were left to film alone and needed to know what we was doing. I also learnt how to use the camera, how to zoom in and out, lower the tripod for different shots at different angles, also to record on a Dv tape, and so log and capture footage on the computer. I learnt how to name shots of my images that I captured, also learnt how to set up a boom pole and microphone for dialogue in my media product. I gained plenty of experience during my time of my film and editing process for my media product, filming had took up several weeks in which I thought that it would be done in less than that, knowing know filming is a long process I have learnt that it takes time to construct and put together. I have used different editing tools and software’s such as soundtrack pro when I had been going through the process of constructing my media product.












7. Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Looking back at my preliminary task, I have learnt a lot towards the progression of my media product the difference is that when I had first used the camera the shots I had taken wasn’t the best and didn’t look very good, my preliminary was basic as I used shot reverse shot within it, now I have learnt how the use different shots at different angles, my full 2 minute sequence media product progressed to a far higher level to its peek as it involved different shots and different effects the progression was a lot I had learnt far more things to include in my media product on my journey of constructing it. Looking back at my preliminary it is very basic and doesn’t have as much quality as my media product has, as my media had to be good i had spent much more time on it than my first task, but still shown good shots within them, I had learnt that it had to make sense for audiences to understand showing clear shots and had to make it flow in an essential way. I have mastered the shot reverse shot showing conversation between characters that clearly represent them, for example: this shows dominance in characters and, also I have learnt about the 180 degree rule where the camera must not cross the imaginary line, if this occurs continuity is automatically broken and reveals bad shots and puts together a bad film as a whole. I had gotten a better relationship with the editing suite in using final cut pro, and also with the camera and tripod. I learnt about close ups and dissolving in my media product, also I made my media flow and have clear understanding in the revealed enigmas and suspense. I have learnt how real media products create suspense by looking at successful films for example (seven), what was also vital was sound because a film with just shots and no sound didn’t really make it a thriller product. I learnt that shots had to flow in order to make a sequence look good, I learnt that in real life producers have to film for several years to make the film like good, as I took time for my preliminary task and final sequence. Having the camera equipment being so expensive this made our my group and me take extra care as we leant several new things as we didn’t know what to do or use.

I observed the conventions well because I went about it a in a way which my audiences expect and followed the features that the genre thriller will have in it to make it successful, I had used film techniques by involving an establishing shot, this shows the audiences the whereabouts of a scene in what is happening and what events are taking place, this involves the mise- en- scene being shown and the location. However we also used an over the shoulder shot, where audiences can see the conversation of two characters that are talking or can involve something different, this was followed by close ups and extreme close ups, we used this because it was it revealed characters reactions and props being shown for audiences to understand. I had made sure my film flowed because, I wanted audiences to know what was happening without confusion and made it a lot better to watch repeatedly, during the process of my film there were several mistakes but, used wrong music, shots were not making any sense and using wrong lighting. As we continued to work hard I started to feel a level of progression rising as we used the camera without any problems, locations were booked out so we avoided time loss and most importantly shots started to look better.
What I noticed between the preliminary is that the shots were improved the lighting had improved and special effects were added this was key as it showed signs of progression to a better standard, also we spent a lot more time on our 2 minute film and had improved gradually. We used shot reverse shot in the police station and in the garage clearly showing two characters. I had a glance of the bill which is shown on ITV in which they set out their police investigation offices show I had taken that setting and put it in mine; I didn’t really compare my film with others because there were not many I could think of show I referred to British TV dramas. The audience pleasure I am trying to provide is suspense, the reason being is that when I watch thriller films I like to be afraid I wanted to give the same feeling to my audiences making my film a complete success. My thriller matched the conventions because it involved the features that you would expect to see in a real thriller genre, I used vulnerable protagonist, suspense, revealed enigmas etc. My audience responded successfully because the results I had got back were successful because I met the majority of their requirements and this made my film a complete success, what audiences expect is essential because it shows you what to include. Final cut pro made life easy for me because it had several colours, effects, to make my film look realistic and good, this played a key feature in my construction of my media product, the cinematography was easily improves, the editing was easy and the sound wasn’t hard to input, this enabled me to construct good footage as a whole. At the start of the filming I was vulnerable, as I didn’t know what to do, I had a very low knowledge of the camera equipment, editing and sound, I played a small role in editing as my editor did most of the work, however I still wanted certain shots involved in the missing suspects.

In conclusion I have analysed the codes and conventions of my 2-minute sequence in the thriller genre, analysed how to attract audiences by using enigmas and involving suspense. Also I explained how I have progressed during the process of the sequence and shown what improved and what had been difficult. I also added graphics for my final shot which was the title of the film, this was important to me because early teenagers like graphics and 3d images so it was a good idea to involve blobs of blood stains with the text I created in final cut pro and got the graphics of VideoCopolit.

Figure 5: title of the film in graphic image form.