Evaluation: Question 1

Q1 In what way did you media product use, develop and challenge forms and conventions of real media products?



Our film was a children's action comedy. Because of this, it is a sort of hybrid genre, including some action elements and comedic elements, but all toned down and made relatable to a younger audience. Action genre usually contains a lot action sequences and plots involving a hero and a villain. The main protagonist of this genre is normally male, and are normally leaders, being outgoing and caring of their companions (if they have any). They are also typically rash or at least ready for adventure and courageous. Comedy characters are meant to be taken a lot less seriously and often incorporate many characteristics that make them funny. Actions films usually have orchestral soundtracks with very repetitive percussive beats in more tense areas and epic sounding music during moments of triumph or peace.  This contrasts with comedies which can use anything from well known songs to lighthearted soundtracks to create a funny mood in the film.



For example, this is the setting of a fight scene in Hero (2002)



The props and settings are a lot more restricted in action films then they are in comedy films, as action films usually take place in an almost exotic or interesting location whereas comedies can take place in a variety of places. Action films also often have weapons and specific costumes to set aside their protagonist from the rest of the cast, while comedies center around much more ordinary, everyday characters. We took aspects from both of these genres, as  our protagonist is male, and ends up being a leader at the end. He's also very driven and determined, but he is also comical as he's socially awkward and a bit of a geek. He does wear a special costume and has weapons as props- but the costumes handmade and it means we can't take him seriously, making him funny. We do use more percussive music in the opening sequence, but it's sung by little kids, and this makes the overall atmosphere of the film seem cute and not very serious. Furthermore, since it's a kid's action comedy, the main character is a young boy. It’s also set in a more realistic and ordinary world, both to make the situation comical (through the juxtaposition of a kid who wants to be a ninja in the real world) and also relatable to kids watching the film who would live in a similar environment.

 

The main theme of this film is very loosely a challenge. Generally the real challenge that happens in this film is the challenge the Ninja Child sets his bully, to try and defeat him. However, the film is also about the challenges of young children, trying to make friends and get along in their communities and schools. It's about the challenge of a lonely child, who during the course of the film grows up and gains friends and finds a place in his home. Thus, it is a sort of coming of age story, dealing with issues that other children may have felt, and then sorting out these issues using unconventional and comical means. Because it's a story about a child dealing with loneliness, loneliness and solitude could also be considered a theme of the film. The film can also be about standing up for oneself, and learning to become a stronger person by doing so. The theme of the challenge is seen through the fight me sign, which is a pivotal prop in the opening sequence. It's present throughout, and literally represents this theme of a challenge for this film, as it's this sign that's used by the ninja child to make the bully (who doesn't appear in the opening) fight him. The theme of loneliness is shown through all the wide shots that include the kid, and how in most shots, he's alone, symbolizing how he is usually by himself. The theme of becoming a stronger person is sort of shown through the body language of the character, which stands in determined looking poses throughout, showing how the character has grown in personality and become more confident during the narrative.



"...That's not me by the way."



The form of the opening sequence is similar to other films as it includes some fast paced cutting similar to other action films to get the audience excited and immersed in the film. It also opens at the start of the action, slowly building up, similar to the opening sequence of Kickass, which shows a man slowly going to the top of a building while a voice over by the main character goes on. However, while in Kickass the man we're following is not the main character, but some unrelated person, our film does play by the rules as it shows the starting of the main action scene that's the focal point of the narrative. So it's a more conventional opening then Kickass. Nonetheless, it still slowly builds up tension by mainly focusing on one character.

The character in our film can be compared to other conventional characters of his genre, as he's immature, determined and is in a similar demographic to the target audience, which is common in many films of different genres. In this way, you could compare him to Jaden smith's character in The Karate Kid (2010), as they are both of a similar age and are very determined and immature. They also come with a similar back story, being bullied in their respective school environments and becoming more mature characters by achieving their goals. However, unlike Jaden Smith's character, the Ninja Child seems to have always been anti-social and alone, whereas the Karate Kid character is hinted to have had friends back in his old home. Also unlike more typical hero's for kid's films, the Ninja Child thinks things out thoroughly, as shown in all the research he does for his challenge. His inner personality is also a lot less outgoing then he puts out, and he's much more introverted as a person overall. Also unlike many heroes of kids films, the Ninja Child's family is very unloving and don't spend much time with him- unlike the typical quirky-but-loving family characters that are often found in kid's films. An example of this could be the father of the main character in Kung Fu Panda(2008), the small goose who owns the noodle shop and is obsessed with noodles. Unlike these characters, the Ninja Child's parents don't bother much with him at all. However, over the course of the story, the Ninja Child develops into a much more strong character, and becomes a more typical hero. He gains confidence and begins to become more charismatic as he leads the whole group of kids in his fight against the bullies as well as gaining new friends.

The Narrative is also very typical of an action comedy aimed at kids. It focuses on the school life of a young boy, and is quite lighthearted, therefore fits into the kid’s genre. It’s also got some action elements later on in the film with the whole fight scene between the kids and the whole theme of a challenge is very action-like. There's also the conflict between the main character and his enemy, which is another typical convention of an action film (the battle between good and evil). The film's story as a whole is comparable to Kung Fu Panda's plot, which follows a main character who dreams of being a famous warrior and idealizes the idea of ancient heroes. The rest of the plot goes on to tell how this outcast gains friends and becomes more mature while pursuing his goal. However, unlike a more typical comedy, our story creates humour from making the premise so strange and unlikely, that it becomes strange to watch, and this makes people not take it seriously. It's also set in a slightly more realistic world than most kid's films, even though the actual characters don't act very realistically. In this sense it's comparable to Scott Pilgrim Vs the World (2010), where the film is set in an almost realistic world, if not for the random ninjas and other sorts of strange goings on. Our film gains some humour from a similar sort of juxtaposition of themes and elements, blending the real world and dreams of immature kids together to create a plot that’s both realistic and completely unthinkable.



Typical night club...with a ninja.



Typical park...with ninja.



The sound used in our opening is quite typical in the sense that it's a soundtrack that fits the movements on screen. The beat of the soundtrack is percussive and builds up the atmosphere, creating tension and getting the audience ready for the next scene. In this sense it's very typical of an action film, as many action films contain this build up in their opening sequences. One action film which does this is the opening of 300 which has a similar repetitive soundtrack that's very dramatic and builds the audiences excitement for the rest of the film. It also starts off slowly, similar to our film, to create a false sense of calm before breaking out into the more action packed percussive beat. However, unlike many action films, our soundtrack isn't just orchestral music, and it also contains dialogue in the form of singing, even though it's in Chinese and wouldn't be decipherable to most audience members. It's also sung by young children, which makes the film also seem childish and cute, and therefore breaks the typical sound stereotype for action films.

The Mise en Scene for our opening was very simplistic compared to many action films. It’s usually typical for action films, even kid's action films, to start out with some kind of action or something happening with props such as weapons. An example of this is the opening of  The A-Team(2010) film which starts with the main character Hannibal being forced to questioning with a gun in his face, while stuck in some kind of warehouse. An opening similar to this is much more typical. However, ours is a little different since the setting of our opening is a very average looking field, perhaps near a school or a park. There are also the props which are used, such as the fake swords and women's belt. These small details show that the Ninja's very average and not a real ninja, which makes him not typical. The costume however is quite typical to the action genre as heroes often have a specific costume to set them aside from civilians, even though our character has an unusual spin of his costume as its handmade and amateurish, which again sets him aside form more conventional heroes.

 The wall of images and the calendar also make our hero less typical- they represent how he’s been planning it for a long time (shown in how there are crossed out days on the camera) and all the articles shows he is studious- unlike a more typical idiot hero.