Evaluation Question 1

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

1.

The title of the film is positioned at the top centre of the frame, showing its dominance and importance compared to what else is going on in the shot. This is a generic convention as most romantic comedies have their titles positioned in t he centre of the frame. This has been done to give the audience a hint about the genre of the film.  This is also a convention of media products as a whole as the title is always shown in ways that signify its superiority. 

2.

This long angle wide shot shows the landscape of London, the setting/location and represents London in a positive way as the landscape looks appealing and the London Eye, which is a big tourist attraction (iconography) is in the shot. This specific shot was chosen for this exact reason because if London is represented in a good way it will appeal to the British audience because they'll be proud of their country and the other foreign audience because they will like how Britain looks and may even come to visit it. 

This develops this generic convention as many romantic comedies have quick shots of the city they're filming in (New York etc). An example of this is in Couples Retreat 2009, which was an influence:

3.

The people seen in this shot didn't know they were in a title sequence; they aren't extras. We did this because it's not an actual film; we wouldn't be able to hire real actors/actresses, however this worked in our favour as the representation of people/shoppers in London in their every-day lives was verisimilitude. This goes against the usual convention of a media product as the majority of people in the frames are aware they are in a film and have been hired as extras.

 However, I picked this specific shot as it has relevant props and costumes. The people are dressed casually, making it realistic as normal shoppers don't go out in party clothes or pyjamas. The props are also relevant as we can see people with shopping bags and handbags. This is effective to the audience because they want to see something they can relate to; which they can do in this case. 

4. 

In the wide shot the text has been edited so that it is following the lines in the shot. This is also a convention of all media products and reflects the development of our skills with the cameras, cinematography and editing.  The text has been placed at the top left of the frame as opposed to the centre as the title was simply because it isn't as important. The font and colour is continuous throughout as our aim was to show consistency. The lighting is natural daylight, giving the title sequence a natural tone, which is another convention of a romantic comedy. The natural lighting is also quite bright, showing the audience that it is a romantic comedy as opposed to a thriller or horror, which would have a lot of dark lighting and shadows. Due to this, the audience is able to understand the narrative and genre easier. 

5. 

The low angle shot shows the huge white text which is also consistent with our own text we've included. The text is able to inform the audience we are in the Christmas period, along with the lights on the tree. We chose to film in the Christmas period  as the audience is more likely to remember our film due to its association with the popular season. Many other romantic comedies have also done this such as Four Christmases 2008 and This Christmas 2007. These were both influences of this idea as they were both successful. 

6. 

In this shot we see Bridget walking alone, positioned to the left of the frame. The decorations in the background are quite eye-catching and seem to make Bridget look inferior and unimportant. She is probably the last thing the audience would notice in the shot which builds on the narrative as she is a socially awkward, lonely person. This is an enigma code as by now the audience would be aware that Bridget is the protagonist as the camera is following her but many questions would be in their heads, why does the main character seem to be in the background rather than in the limelight, why is she the main character?  However, many of these questions will be answered in the full narrative. This was done to keep the audience interested and eager to watch on. 

7. 

In this mid-shot the audience can see Bridget looking down at her phone, this represents her as a busy person as she is supposed to be out enjoying herself and shopping but instead she is being bothered by her phone. This links to the narrative as she is a successful business woman. However, it could also be perceived as Bridget being nervous and awkward as she has her face down as opposed to walking with stride and confidence. This is a generic convention as in a romantic comedy there is always at least one awkward character and they are sometimes the protagonist. In the following shot Bridget is introduced to the audience for the first time. Ironically she is in the background of someone who isn't even a main character, showing her low self esteem issues which are seen throughout the film.