Evaluation Activity 1

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

Our media project focuses on the Main character's personality changing because of the effects on his personality a pill has. Anoop stars as the main character who in the opening of our film looks to be distressed and be running from something or someone. In his mind he is running from two people however because he has a distorted view on reality he is in fact not running from anybody. We would of explained this later in the film if we had carried on, but thought it was appropriate because it leaves the audience to think why has this happened and enticing them to keep viewing.

The title of the film was hard to decide, we thought that The Devils Playground left it up to the audience to translate. We used it because a playground it s busy place where many emotions are shown, like anger or happiness. By putting The Devils in front of this word gives it a possessive feel, to link to how the drug controls Anoop, to how Anoop controls his life (playground).

For our Setting/location we wanted to find somewhere that was deserted and isolated from the rest of the world for the first half of our thriller. This also links to how the house is Anoops playground and how he decides what happens or doesn't in there. Also by using somewhere that is isolated it adds to tension of the film and therefore allowing the audience to empathise with the main character.

The establishing shot of the house shows it to be big, empty and isolated, this is a scary image to the audience because they will think why is a young man running into an unsafe place. The overgrown vegetation adds to the feel of fear and suspense.

As a group we decided that Anoop should be dressed normally but to be wearing a hood up. By dressing normally we wanted to show at the start of the film the start of his addiction, and later if we carried on filming we would show how the addiction takes control of his appearance and also mind. The hood that Anoop wears up shows how he is shut off from the world and how he doesn't want his identification to be known. This is because he knows when he is sober that he has done wrong and is scared but as with most addictions all he is concerned with is his next fix. We did not use any make up because again it adds to the feel that it is a new addiction. As the drug dealer in the last few scenes Charlie is seen to have his hood up, this is only because he is in danger of being caught selling these life changing pills and wants to hide his identity.

In our Thriller we used a variety of shots show that different parts of the opening from different view points on the main character, we did this so firstly the audience does not become bored, and secondly so that the audience can empathise with the character and see what he can see. In one of our shots we filmed from Anoops perspective looking around the room, this shows how he is feeling because he was looking round fast and frantically showing his fear. Another shot we used was when Anoop we in the room alone after he had taken the pill. Charlie balanced a tripod with the camera on top to film looking down on Anoop, we did this so it looks like a CCTV shot. We did this because we wanted the audience to see what Anoop does behind the closed door without it being a normal long shot or close up. This was hard because we also sped the time up when editing so the real time filming was close to 5 minutes for about 15 seconds of footage after editing. Also by changing the colour to a green film over the shot, it adds to the feel that it is a CCTV camera.

We decided that in our Thriller we needed a font which added to the feel of suspense and fear, also relating to imagery of evil theme, for example we wanted to use writing that was scratchy and dripping to link to blood dripping and how people when distressed scratch themselves of on to things. The font used in our Thriller teaser poster it was the best one out of the 3 we had chosen off of a free website where you can download fonts for titling. For our Thriller film we wanted a title that would link to how the main character is drifting in and out of reality, this is why we used the titles in our title sequence because they fade in and out with an empty mysterious feel, adding to the drifting in and out of reality and the mystery of what is happening.  

Our Thriller starts with a scene of Anoop running. we used this shot to illustrate how his life is very fast paced in his head and how he is always running from someone or something. Our opening scenes are of the same thing but different angles (Anoop running into the house). We did this to show how these are many aspects of Anoops personality and how they are all portrayed and represented by the different view points of Anoop running, for example one is looking down on him running, to give the audience a sense of warning, do not come into the house. and another of his behind to show his fear and speed that he wants to get away from whatever is chasing him. This will make the audience want to continue viewing because they want there questions answered.

In our Thriller the main conventions of a Thriller are shown, suspense fear and the element of not knowing what is going to happen to the main character. We have used many shots of the same scene to show the audience an element of the unknown, not knowing what is going to happen, by doing many shots and editing them well. We have also used music in the background to build suspense and tension so the audience will be kept on edge. By trying to make the audience feel emotions of fear or anger they are more likely to keep watching and if there is a sequel they are more likely to view it, this makes it easier and cheaper to market any future films if the first one is a success.

There are Three characters in our Thriller, Anoop is the main character, Isobel plays the role of a girl that has been killed by Anoop on a drugged up rampage. and Charlie the drug dealer, who plays on Anoops mind constantly because he is the only person that can fix Anoop's problem so is always in his subconscious . We have used the appropriate conventions of a Thriller because there is a girl who is dead, and later in the film it will explain her life and how she died, this is similar in all thriller because it is easy for the audience to sympathise with a young innocent girl. Charlie as a drug dealer is portrayed because he is big and has his hood up, similar to many Thriller of the antagonist  who the audience fear. Anoop being isolated and in fear sober follows many conventions of Thriller, but we decided to go against the usual convention of one antagonist and one protagonist by many. Anoop portays both so that the audience can make there own opinion on whether they support  Anoop or they do not support Anoop's actions.