Critical Evaluation: Question 1

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

Throughout the short film which we created we used continuity editing. This was first used in our title sequence where we kept the camera in the same position while each character walked into the house. This introduced the audience to the characters who are in the film. In this scene will also set the audience up for what was to happen in the final stage when Harry walks into Callum's house to find Callum and Emily together. We used the location of Callum's house for the title sequence as throughout the film, Callum's house is used a number of times. One, when Harry first tells Callum about how he likes the new girl at college Emily and also the final scene where Harry walks into Callum and Emily sat together in Callum's room. This shows the complications which are used in the film. The beginning of the film also starts with Callum's House as the location and the final scene is also located at Callum's House. In the title sequence we also used the 180° rule to show the characters entering Callum's house at different stages. The audience watch Harry go into Callum's house as friends and then at the end when he goes into the house to ask his friend for Emily's number as he has lost the sheet but when he gets there he is faced with his best friend and the girl who he likes sat together. This makes the audience feel sorry for Harry and sympathetic due to all the efforts which he has used to get Emily and the fact that they have been wasted.

This is Callum walking into the house.

And Harry, as you can see continuity
editing is used in the title sequence.

Followed by Emily.

This is the photo of Harry in the final scene.

The genre of the film which we created is Romantic Comedy, we chose this sub-genre as it will appear to a wider audience due to the comedic aspects which the film has. Therefore rather than the genre being romance which is typically associated with a female audience base we chose, Romantic Comedy as females may watch the film with their partners rather than their friends. In the film Harry is associated with being a hopeless romantic as he has tried many ways to get Emily to speak to him and to also be his girlfriend. The comedy side of this is that people may be able to associate this with their own life events or to create a stereotype of what to expect when you have a boy who is madly in love with you.  In most romantic genre films high key lighting is used to show the happiness in the film, therefore we used high key lighting in the majority of our shots to show the audience that the film is a romantic comedy film.

Here are scenes which highlight the complication Harry has been faced with and also the high key lighting:

 

Elliptical editing is also used in our film when Harry is going down the stairs to look for Hayley, Emily's friend. We used elliptical editing as the whole journey was too long and too many doors so therefore we used elliptical editing to show the passing of time. As Harry made his way down the stairs to Hayley.

Here Harry is at the top of the stairs

Here Harry is at the bottom of the stairs.

 

Just go with it film.

Our film doesn't stick to the standards of a romantic comedy film as most romantic comedy films end with a happy ending and the two people getting together, however in our film ends with Harry being betrayed by his best friend and the girl he really likes. We used close ups in the final scene to show that the ending isn't happy and that Harry is very upset and shocked at what he has just scene. In the film 'Just go with it' the ending is happy and the two characters become a couple. This film is situated around a man who lies to his girlfriend, that he's a divorced family man and recruits his employee and her kids to play the ex wife and her kids. In the end instead of the girlfriend the man falls in love with the employee and her children.

Here is the photo of Harry on the last scene,
showing that the ending isn't a happy one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the film which the main character's
 are women.

In many romantic comedy films, the main character is normally associated with women and their love for an individual and the ways they will go to try and get the individual to be theirs. However, in our film we broke this convention as we chose Harry to be the main character and normally males do not show their affection, however in our film we showed Harry showing his affection for Emily in many different ways. Therefore this film may appeal to a wider audience and may attract more male viewers as they may get ideas of how they can show their affection for an individual which they like. In the film 'Think like a man' main characters are women. This film is about 4 women set out to solve their relationship problems. This film is similar to our film as again in this film their is problems in their relationships, just like Harry and Emily. 

Harry as the main character in the film.












This is a photo of the note book
film poster.




Our film does meet the codes and conventions of a romantic comedy film as in many romantic comedy films the location which are used are realistic locations where two people are likely to meet. Therefore in our film we used the College as all the characters are at college and therefore they are likely to see each other, this made the film more realistic so the audience were able to associate the film to locations where they have met their own partners or where they have shared a special moment. By using the college as the basis of how each of the characters know each other, it allowed the audience to understand the storyline and how Harry and Callum are best friends and how Emily is the new girl at college. In many romance/ romantic comedy films, love notes are used as a way of an individual explaining their love for another. Therefore, in our film we used a love note as a way of Harry communicating his love for Emily. This therefore meets the codes and conventions of a romantic comedy film. In the film The Notebook, love notes are used as  a way of the characters explaining their love for each other due to the characters not actually being with each other due to the male character being at war.

This is a photo from our actual film of Harry
writing the love note for Emily.

The sound which we used in the film met the codes and conventions of a romantic comedy film as we used Happy and cheerful music which people associate romance to be like, we also used the same soundtracks throughout the film to create the idea that Harry is being faced with another complication and so that it makes the audience want to continue watching to find out what other complications Harry is faced with. We also used the same soundtrack for the radio trailer so that we used synergy on all platforms of our media products so that the audience we able to associate the film with the radio trailer and vice versa. In the film 'The Rewrite' happy and cheerful sound is used in the title sequence this sets the scene and shows the audience that the genre of the film is a romantic comedy. At the beginning of the title sequence a laughing sound is used this shows the audience that their are comedic aspects to the film.

 

Our film meets the guidelines of  Blumler and Katz uses and gratification theory. This theory is based on what the audience get from the film and is based on 4 key elements; socialisation, education, entertainment and role models. By watching the film it allows the audience to socialise as the audience are able to talk about the film with their friends and this is a key way that the audience can socialise. By watching the film the audience are also gaining entertainment, especially due to the film being a romantic comedy genre and the film having many comedic aspects to it which can create entertainment to the audience as they may be able to link the comedic aspects of the film to events which have happened to them. For example, them asking the person they likes friend for their number and them getting the wrong number. The film also shows role models of what is right and wrong. For example when Harry walks in the room to find his best friend and the girl he likes sat together. Harry's emotions are showing in the film which show their audience what is right and wrong and they are able to learn that cheating on their partner is wrong and that it can cause the individual to be very upset. In the film 'Love Actually' there is an entertainment element, the film is funny and has comedic aspects to the film. This therefore meets one of the key elements of Blumler and Katz theory of uses and gratification.


This shows Callum and Emily together as Harry walks in. 

In Richard Dyer's Theory of Entertainment, he says that a film is entertaining if it gives the audience what you want or what you haven't got. He explains the 5 different features of pleasure what the audience experience when they what a film, these are; energy, abundance, transparency, intensity and community. We represent energy in our film by using quick editing, which portrays Harry's excitement at each stage of the film where he is trying to get Emily's attention. To add to the quick editing we used sound which added energy to the film and grabbed the audience's attention and also made the audience what to find out what was going to happen to Harry next. Harry's energy that he continues to try and get Emily despite many failed attempts may make the audience feel better about themselves if they have been rejected once, unlike Harry who is faced with many complications. In the film 'How to lose a guy in ten day' the feature of energy from Richard Dyer's Theory is used. This is used in the energy both characters put in to not be together but then when they realise that actually they should be together.

Our film also features transparency, this shows what people are thinking and this is used in the voice over of the note when Harry gives the note to what he believes is Emily but is actually a boy, through doing this is shows the audience Harry’s feelings for Emily by clearly laying out what he is feeling towards Emily.



The photo is used from the film The Notebook this
shows the exchange of notes and the emotions
on her face as she reads the notes

In our film we also use the feature intensity, this is highs and lows of emotions and is shown in the character Harry, he experiences many highs when he thinks that he has got Emily number but in actually fact it is a dog home, again when his mate gets the number however Harry then loses the note and again. Intensity is shown a lot throughout the film as Harry faces many highs and lows on his quest to get Emily. In the film the Notebook, intensity is portrayed with the two characters reading notes between each other while the male character is at war.

 

Bride Wars



Wedding Crashers

The final feature of Richard Dyer Theory of Entertainment which is used in our film is community, this is shown a lot throughout our film as Harry and Callum are friends, Emily’s friend and Emily are friends, Harry also sees him and Emily to be more than friends. Therefore in our film community is used a lot to show the relationships between the characters. In the film 'Wedding Crashes' the feature community is used a both of the characters are best friends and go to other peoples weddings. In the film is shows the relationship between the two friends, just like the relationship between Harry and Callum. In the film 'Bride Wars' the feature community is also used as despite the two best friends falling out all their friends have to decide which wedding to go to and which reception to go to. This shows that the feature community is used in this film.