Evaluation Question 1

Evaluation Question 1

In terms of a technical level we observed the conventions of continuity and the 180 degree line. This was to create a storyline which was easy to follow. In the time limit which we had being up to 5 minutes we adapted our narrative in order to convey the story in an easy to follow structure.

Our media project this year I feel fits the conventions of our chosen genre, which was a drama. In terms of editing and film production we made sure we kept within the 30 degree rule, unless intended. For example a shot reverse shot, between two characters that are having a conversation. Our montage sequence which we used for the titles at the begging of our film had to be a face paced edit, with each photo merging into the next in order to get across the relationship between the two sisters, to the audience. We took inspiration for this from other films of different genres. For example Disney’s animation ‘Up’

The editing also had to project a fast pace, this was firstly not to lose the interest of our target audience, but also to evoke a tense tone throughout film. A scene in particular that does this is when Destiny is stealing from a random home.

We paired this with a close up shot of Destiny’s eyes and the sounds in the cupboard of the footsteps coming down the stairs of the home owner, and Destiny’s breathing.

Our main focus throughout production was to make our film realistic; this is the most important connotation of a drama film. We did this with the use of our locations, mise-en scene and realistic situations faced in life, we knew that our film had to be original but it would be misleading if we didn’t mention that we were influenced by other films of a similar genre. One film in particular was ‘My sister’s Keeper’.

We created our character of Destiny and portrayed her to be the antagonist for the majority of the film; this was shown by the various scenes where she was seen to be stealing. These included a car, a handbag and several possessions from someone’s home. This was to keep the audience guessing, and for them to feel anger and hatred towards this character, so that when we revealed that it was all in order to help in the cost for her sister’s medical treatment, it would have a more dramatic impact.

Our project did however challenge the typical conventions of a drama, and this was due to our chosen ending. In most dramas they mostly have a happy ending, with the audience left feeling a sense of closure, we chose to subvert this with the character of Hope dying. This changed our main character of Destiny therefore from the hard faced antagonist to a venerable protagonist. We challenged this convention in order to achieve intensity.

We studied Richard Dyers theory of pleasures and found that some of his utopian solution to film we reflected in our film. Firstly the Intensity. Intensity was very much at the fore front of our film and with it being a drama I feel fits perfectly. Another one of his solutions was energy – and the fast place of our film reflects this. It is also energy in terms of human power and activity. One of our main focuses was how far you would go for someone you love and the power that exists in everyone in order to change the course of someone else’s life, just like Destiny tried to achieve for Hope.