Ninthuja Saseetharan

Evaluation

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

I believe our sequence manages to follow a conventional thriller’s narrative content, format and style of presentation. For example, we designed our storyline to fit the thriller concept, hence the dark use of colours throughout the sequence, dramatic tension and building suspense. This is also outlined in the emotions portrayed, consisting of serious, to pity, and pain, which sets the dim atmosphere. The opening sequence is set within the night, indicating a shrill event is to occur. Nonetheless, the film title ‘Living Nightmare’, doesn’t deviate from the theme of the film, as the word ‘Nightmare’ connotes a horror denotation, which allows the viewers to acknowledge this film is going to be based on realistic nightmares.

Moving on, our main character, Sai, is a young 10 year old, Asian boy, who lives with his parents, Manesh and Nisha. I would consider this cast to be atypical in comparison to movies produced today, as films today are dominated by a white ethnic cast, whereby various ethnic backgrounds are usually presented as extras. However, recently there have been successful films produced today, which represent most specifically, the British Indian community. For example, Bend it Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice, directed & produced by Gurinder Chadha, an Indian/British film director. Chadha promotes the Indian culture using her position in the industry, allowing the wider population to familiarise with the Asian background.

From the research I had conducted with the genre conventions of a thriller earlier on in this project, I can reflect a few points and apply them to the sequence we have produced. For instance, an appropriate thriller is embedded within the way the camera techniques, sound and editing are created. To elaborate, the climatic point of our storyline is when Sai has to keep revisiting his nightmares to encounter ‘The Games Master’. We had to ensure that we were utilising shots to illustrate the surreal effect. In addition we focused on after effects and transitions in the editing suite as well as shots like canted angles. Moreover, to maintain the interest of the viewers, each shot had to be kept to the minimalist, and straight to the point, to fit the thrilling cause. Our most predominant influence of this production was ‘A Nightmare on Elm’s Street’, which is a film based on realistic terrors occurring during nightmares. We only concentrated on the intriguing plot, making our own interpretations of our storyline, which is of a unique type.

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

Our central characters in this sequence are of an Asian background. But they do slightly differ to culture representation in terms of the Indian origin. For instance, the strong and fluent, British accent is defined as the sequence opens, and the family converse with each other. The style of clothing also, opposes the Asian culture, whereby they are seen wearing casual, English clothing. This represents the Indian community living today in Britain, who have adapted to the modern British culture. This certainly surpasses expectations on the whole, considering any Indian based movie usually conveys a strong culture conation.

Ninthuja Saseetharan

The family is portrayed very traditionally, consisting of a father, a mother and their young son. There are gender stereotypes highlighted from the beginning of the sequence, as it opens with Nisha lovingly compromising with Sai, while Manesh anxiously waits at the door, calling out to the mother just before heading out as an emergency. The dominance is outlined, when Manesh is impatiently waiting at the

door, ordering Nisha that they need to leave that instant.

The family is also seen to be a stable, middle-class family, with Manesh being a Car Mechanics Manager/Owner and Nisha being a respectable Accountant. The parents set the atmosphere of an ordinary household, with no unusual characteristics to seem out of the ordinary. However this idea is contradicted from the facade Sai puts on as being a small, defenceless boy, when we witness his bravery as he is confronted by the antagonist, The Games Master. In his first realistic nightmare, we finally acknowledge, that this character, surprisingly turns out to be the protagonist in the film.

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

Our main ideology was influenced by the American movie, A Nightmare on Elm’s Street, which was distributed by New Line Cinema, an American film studio. However, since our film is based in a British setting, in London and is of a very low budget production, set in London, therefore we would be highly likely to be distributed by the British institution; The BFI. This particular institution specifically contributes to promoting and funding British films of entertainment purposes or other values, which is applicable in the case of our film.

We would consider our film to be an Independent film, however I do feel certain aspects of this particular film, provides opportunities to be merchandised and/or further released as DVDs, based on the reception of our characters, predominantly, Sai and the Games Master, where if they are well received by the audience, they would be able to market and advertise well.

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

Our target audience are teenagers aged 15 and above, although it can be argued there is some appeal to those slightly younger. Having said this, we believe the suitable certificate following the BBFC guidelines, is the 15 certificate. Also we feel this film can be gender neutral, as there is action to entertain the males, we feel the females will enjoy the obstacles this young boy faces, alongside the mundane lifestyle he leads while he is awake from his nightmare, where the audience are given a chance to relate and connect with the character.

Our target audience research seemed to unanimously prefer slight gore in most parts, especially with preferences to films such as Saw. As a result, we interpreted

our storyline to include dangerous antics whenever he encounters The Games Master. Thus, from the beginning of

Ninthuja Saseetharan

the sequence, we see blood references, which is enigmatic of the risky events which lie ahead. The similarity between ‘The Nightmare on Elm’s Street’ could allow us to gain a fixed audience of those whom enjoyed this movie, whereby they will be curious to judge on comparison and also be entertained by a newly interpreted version of their favourite plot.

5. How did you attract/address your particular audience?

To attract our audience, we intentionally tried to portray the best of the personality in Sai, to give them a chance to understand the character which is being performed. The character of Sai, was slowly able to portray his true colours whilst the film progresses, which allows the audience to learn new things along the way. Sai is someone who is taking all his viewers along through his journey, and his perspective of how he resolves the tricks of this Mastermind. Ultimately, we hope to achieve a one-sided emotion, against the evil, whereby the audience will only be able to share gratitude with Sai, despite any extras appearing around him.

We also interpreted the idea of the Game’s master, from a familiar figure in the movie ‘Saw’,

whom is Jigsaw. We used the idea of evil tricks being played on innocent people. As we already knew the public who are aware of Saw, have already marked him as a trademark villain, which is where we got our inspiration from. More so, we know Jigsaw has been well received by the movie viewers, therefore, manipulating this antagonist into our own storyline, can only guarantee more anticipation from viewers, in our assumption. We consider this to be a marketing strategy to gain more interest.

I feel this film is most likely to attract a majority of the Asian ethnicity, with the minority being different ethnic casts, purely based on the lead being Asian, which usually doesn’t interest the wider population unless they were of a white or black ethnicity. However, his age may increase the intrigue factor, and create a speculation about how this film will use the presence of this young boy being the lead, as the public usually don’t know any special trait from the Asian background, for example, the Chinese having martial arts. For this point, I feel it could attract a much wider audience.

The darkness of the environment in which it is set in, the eery, unsettling music, the fact that Sai’s parents had to unexpectedly leave behind a young boy for an urgent situation, all help to attract our audience. Also a very trivial yet significant code is the T-shirt Sai is wearing, printed ‘Instant Nightmare’. This peculiar style of clothing did contradict the pleasant nature of the ambience at the time we are introduced to the family. The shaky, canted, slanted effects of camera positions contributed to the disconcerting atmosphere throughout the sequence.

The audience feedback was perceived very well, as they stated to be of understanding of how the sequence was set in that time, and confusion was kept to the minimal. Although there was no thrill to begin with, we were assured of how it ended had built some anticipation, which is certainly the reaction we as a group had longed for, which benefits the continuity and flow of the film.

Ninthuja Saseetharan

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

I have managed to learn a number of new technologies such as using Final Cut Pro. Being the editor in the group, it was vital for me to learn all the necessary techniques in this area. From the basics, I had learnt how to capture shots according to timing, then inserting into the timeline and adding appropriate effects, i.e. sounds, transitions, a favourite being the ‘distorted’ component, whereby I found it essential to include any possibilities into this sequence to

match the aspects of a fine thriller.

Our filming took place in the interior of one of our group member’s home, and we used the luminescent ceiling lights and lamp lights as part of our lighting, ensuring this was always remained consistent. Our main problems lay within the camera and tripod. We struggled with keeping the tripod legs even and as a result, we found ourselves trying to attempt very steady hand-held shots. There was a time where we over-wrote our tape of previous shots while filming, whereby we had to re-film those shots that were lost. From that we had learnt to always check and forward the tape to blank tape before recording.

The responsibility of the technicality of the camera was held by our cameraman, whom had learnt how to use each mechanism, after experimenting different ways of using it from, steady tilting to panning with practice shots (later used in our sequence). However, the rest of the group would help whenever there was trouble with different focuses and types of angles. This experience had allowed us to work together as a team, despite our positions and roles in the group, we found ourselves discussing on set, coming to final decisions and actively helping each other get through the process, as the mistakes we made, only allowed us to learn, and improve our techniques as we went along.

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

The preliminary task had slightly prepared us for the types of expectations and requirements we would face with our full product. I remember during the time we were completing our preliminary task, I was slightly nervous, and it was a complicated stage for me, as the planning and camera work was quite difficult to begin with. I recall directing that task, where I had to approve shots and decide on the angles, this personally was a challenging phase for me. As soon as we had entered the editing suite, I remember panicking to not be able to pick up on the techniques well, as it was very confusing for me. The capturing particularly hard for me , however now looking back, I felt grateful for that opportunity to practice, as through time, I was able to pick up on different skills, especially in the editing suite; such as capturing at appropriate times, adding transitions and effects and adjusting and adding sounds.

The whole experience of planning a schedule, research document, proposal and script development, was a very insightful learning curve for me. I acknowledged the few hardships major media productions face, and obstacles which had to be overcome. For the most part, during this project, I learnt how patience was extremely vital, as if motivation is lost, then the whole production could fall apart. We as a group had seen ourselves getting into frustration and arguments with each other due to the stress and careless mistakes we were making. But we realised if we worked together we could complete each task successfully, which I feel we have managed to achieve nearer to the end of the project.

The filming process had been a tough encounter, as we re-shot near to five times, due to minor mistakes, this was causing a lot of distress, especially with the actors having to re-film many times, alongside the various takes with each shot. There was a time when due to sudden location change, the couple shots we had planned

Ninthuja Saseetharan

to re-film, had been changed to filming the whole sequence again. Another time, a car park space was unavailable which we needed for the particular scene that day. There were many of these little problems which had affected our filming process, however on the other hand, we found ourselves moving a lot faster, as we had gotten used to the process, as well as a lot more efficiently in comparison to the first time round. One thing I am fairly confident about is our blog; I kept learning how each setting worked every time I had logged in, and each time, it would become easier for me to use, whereby I managed to learn how to embed the video as well as change the template of our blog. Overall, the entire course of the project, I feel a sense of accomplishment with the new skills I have learnt, which is a step closer to the way the professional field of media produce their works.