Evaluation: Question 5

Q5 How did you attract/address your audience.

The posters we made for our film were very bright and eye-catching. The ninja child was present on both of the images and in an action pose, which let the audience know the film would be exciting and fun. This would attract them to watch the film as it would be something they were interested in.

The tagline of the posters was a simple two word sentence “Fight Me.” in calligraphy styled red font, which would grab their attention. The colours used are also very high contrast and stand out, grabbing people’s attention. These posters would be put up in cinema halls and around shopping centres. These places are effective as many young people would frequent these areas and be able to see the advertisements. Younger children would likely be shopping with their parents and would be able to see the posters and ask their parents to take them to see it.  The posters could also put in local newspapers to grab the attention of parents who are looking to take their children to a film. Newspapers could also attract other audiences (an older periphery audience) to the film- such as teens who want to see a light hearted comedy film.

The opening itself tries to grab the audiences attention by slowly building up. The first shot we see is of the first credit that fades into a black background. It then the close up zooms out and we see a better look at the black object in the foreground which seems to be some kind of prop hanging. This makes the audience wonder what this object is, although it is evident that this prop is key to the film because of the focus on it. Though this zoom, the non-diagetic soundtrack begins to build and it sounds like people getting ready, which starts building up to the action, preparing the audience. As soon as this shot is cut to a credit, the music gets much louder and it signals to the audience that the main action is about to start, getting them ready for the upcoming story. The next few shots show some key items from the opening. There is a panning shot that rests on the fight me sign and the second sword and then a mid-shot of the black object which is quickly taken by a hand) and belt hanging with the calendar in the background. These two shots highlight the various props and make it clear to the audience that they are going to come up again later in the story. The calendar which is also clearly in the shot shows how the kid has been planning this event, and further increases the apprehension for the audience, as they can tell that something is coming. The next shot cuts to a close up of the kid putting on the black prop which turns out to be the mask, which in the audiences mind relates him to the other objects. Through out these shots, there are cuts to credits which create breaks in the film and coupled with the percussive and looping soundtrack, it increases the tension in the audience.

After this there is a long shot as the kid moves towards the horizon, and a lens flare appears on screen. This shot creates the atmosphere of the kid going towards his goal, as it seems like the light is the bright positive future, and the kid is walking towards it. The soundtrack also becomes quite serene around this point and this compliments the positive nature of this shot. After this there is a time lapse of a tree, with the serene music once again playing, making it seem like this is the destination the kid is going to (as it feels as if this place is where he’ll achieve his goal). There is then a direct cut to a picture of the tree hanging on the wall, which makes the audience realise that the tree is in fact the goal, as it seems the kid has picked the location beforehand. After this, there is a panning shot across the whole wall where there are many different sheets of paper stuck onto the wall, showing how the kid has researched everything. This engages the audience as we can now know a little bit more about the character. The audience get a sense of how the main character is very studious, imaginative and even obsessive. They then begin to wonder what a character like this has planned and become more engaged in the story line. After this pan there is a shot of two hands putting down the fight me sign, which was shown previously in the sequence. This tells the audience that the kid has reached wherever he is going and now seems to be ready, as he is placing down the props to his final plan. His makes the audience question what the plan is, as the simple sign doesn’t really give away much as to what his motivations and goal is.

There is then a series of shots where we cut from various shots of a man to close ups on words which are on the wall that was panned over. The shots of the man show an over the shoulder shot of him looking at his phone and then hurriedly putting it back in his pocket and then a long pivot shot as he runs along his way. This gives the audience the impression the man is late for something or had some kind of prior engagement. The fact that we don’t really see much of his face shows that we aren’t really meant to emphasise with him- while we has a close up of the ninja, we only really see the back of this mans head, so we see the events like an onlooker, making the audience feel less engaged with the man. The next shots are two over the shoulder shots- one of the man reaching the ninja, and then a match on action over the shoulder shot with the man just stopping in front of the camera while we see the ninja in the background. From the man’s body language we can tell he’s slightly shocked and taken aback to see the ninja there waiting. Throughout this sequence of shots to the man, there are cuts to the words, which help build tension in the audience. It also gives them more of an impression of the themes behind the film. The words that are closed up on are to do with ninjas and tell the audience to expect such things.

One close up even shows the words “community together” which is foreshadowing the events at the end of the film to the audience when the hoard of ninjas come to support the main character. This foreshadowing is also mirrored by the soundtrack which has a chanting dialogue worked into the music, making it seem like the Ninja Child’s supporters are cheering him on. The final shot is a slow pan and zoom out, which rests on a mid shot of the Ninja Child as the title fades in. This shot brings together the whole opening as all the props that were dotted throughout have all come together- giving the impression that the kids plan has come together too. This grips the audience as they now know what’s going on, but are not aware of what will happen, and are now excited about how the rest of the film will play out. 

The genre that our film is would be a kid’s action comedy. The audience would be expecting a more light hearted film, with action and humour, and nothing that can be taken seriously. Kid’s films in present times also seem to be quite self-aware and now often take humour from this self-awareness and not only the comedy that happens on screen. This is why this film would attract the audience as the way it is filmed creates an almost serious storyline, as the audience can tell some epic event is going to take place. But because of the details of the props being fake and it taking place in a fairly ordinary setting, the film seems to be more of a mockery of action film conventions,. For example, a very common Chinese or far eastern action film convention is the idea of a lone noble warrior going out to do battle with their arch rival.

This convention in itself seems quite epic, when in an unrealistic or historical setting. However when it is juxtaposed into an ordinary setting, it becomes quite comical.  And example could be from this fight scene in Hero(2002), which is very unrealistic, but still taken as seriouys. However, our film makes it clear this first confrontation isn't supposed to bve taken seriosuly with it's mise en scene and music.

The fact that the ninja is an actual child also makes it comical, as no one would really take it seriously, and that’s the point. The audience can expect they aren’t supposed to be taking the film seriously, even though the camera work and editing give the impression of an action epic with a deep storyline. The audience can spot out the mise en scene elements and already tell this film will not be serious. Thus, the audience can appreciate the film for these qualities and want to watch it for the juxtaposition of serious and comical elements.

The main themes of this film is a challenge. Although the actual challenge in the film is when the ninja challenges the bully in his school one could also say the challenge is  about the ninja child challenging himself to make friends and stand up to the bully. There's also a theme of loneliness and isolation with the kid, which we can see from the various wide shots and solitary shots of the ninja child. These are themes many people can relate to, especially our younger audience.

At the age they would be (around 7 to 13) they would be nearing the age of moving to secondary schools, which is a big time for young kids. It's an age where kids experience many new environments and people, but aren't always mature enough as an individual to take it in their stride, and this tends to result in insecurity and loneliness in these new environments. Often, at this age small problems are blown out of proportion and disputes amongst peers are treated as something serious due to the young people's immaturity. In this sense, the target audience can empathise with the main character, as they'd be more willing to believe the situation the Ninja Child is in and be able to relate to it. They may even have dreamt of doing crazy stunts and challenges such as the Ninja Child in the film, and therefore would appreciate it more. Because the main character is the same age as the target audience, it makes it easier for them to understand and feel familiar with the character and makes them enjoy the film more. This is similar to a film such as Kickass, although it's aimed at an older audience, Kickass is similarly self-aware and draws it's humour from comic book cliches. It is also about an imaginative kid who's trying to live out his dreams, but has much more serious consequences. Another film would be Karate Kid(2010) which had both the themes of a challenge(the kung fu tournament) and the loneliness of the main character.

Evaluation: Question 4

Q4 Who would be your audience for your media product?

Our primary audience would be young boys, aged between 7 and 13 who enjoy action films and comedy. They would be interested in adventure stories and may share similar interests with the main character(reading, playing games). They would be of any ethnic, economical and social group. I chose this target demographic as they are likely to go to films, as younger kids are more enthusiastic about watching films and can get their parents to take them to the cinema often. They are also the same age range and gender as the main character and therefore can relate better with him. The themes of our film are also quite universal(being a loner but then gaining friends, exciting challenges) and the audience can also relate to this as they may often dream of challenges and have faced similar issues. This audience would expect a fun comedy film, with some action as well, due to our two posters. The first one shows all the ninjas in the background who look very ready to fight, but some of them on closer inspection look comical as they seem to be dancing. The second one also looks action orientated with the ninja and his fight me sign. The primary audience would be attracted to our film as it looks very action orientated and uses a lot of darker colours which attracts boys. There is also the tag line which is simply “Fight Me” which grabs their attention.

This target audience would have watched films such as Cars 2(2011), Kung fu panda 2 (2011) and How to Train Your Dragon(2010).

The secondary audience would be girls who are of a similar age and are interested in similar films and activities as the boys. They would be less girly then the typical girl in the 7-13 year old age ranges, and perhaps has brothers who get them into more boyish interests. They would be attracted by the dark colours and action poses in the poster, and is looking for a fun and exciting film to watch. They may also be able to relate to the main character, but not as much as the boys which it why they'd be the secondary audience.

Evaluation: Question 3

Q3: what kind of Media institution might distribute your media product and why?

My media product was a short independent film, and therefore I researched how films are distributed. A films life cycle can be summed up in three stages- the Creation of the film(including pre-production, production and post production), Marketing and Distribution and finally Exhibition. At the beginning a films concept is made and pitched to investors or producers who are willing to buy into the rights of the film,. Then the cast and crew and out together and they produce the actual film. What then happens is the film is either given to an outside distributor or a section of the production company that deals with distribution. The distributer then has to decide how many copies of the film will get distributed, using their knowledge of the market to estimate a correct amount. Then they invite representatives from different cinema groups (such as Vue and Odeon) to a screening to ensure that these cinemas do want the film and then they can negotiate about pricing and exactly how many copies the cinema groups want. Then the distributes finally send off the copies a few days before the premiers and the film finally makes it to the exhibition stage. However, as we created a short independent film, I also researched how independent film makers distribute their films. Many filmmakers go straight from production to the exhibition stage, by uploading their videos onto Youtube and other video sharing sites such as Vimeo. On the other hand, there are some independent distribution companies that specifically aid independent filmmakers with distributing their films.

One such company is Shorts international, an independent distribution company that works with short films. They distribute their films to cinemas, television and Itunes. Not many independent film distributors actually distribute to Itunes, which could be very useful for our film as it's aimed at young people who would be using Itunes often, and would be encouraged to buy the film for their ipod/phone/pad. They also distribute to Europe, America and Asia, and have their own TV channel in some countries. Most of their resources look to go into their broadcasting on Television, which is also useful as not many distributors do this either, and it's a smart market strategy as it shows the short films to a wider audience. They don't seem to have a specific genre they work with and specialise in low budget, independent films which is why they could consider our short film.

Breakthrough Distribution is another independent distributer that works specifically with independent filmmakers. They “develop custom, multi-platform action plans designed to maximize revenues and build core personal audiences”, which means they create schemes designed to suit the type of film they are working with. The business generates sales to all mediums , including theatrical and DVD releases. They also offer marketing and public relations work, effectively taking care of everything after the film is created and consultation to help new filmmakers get the best deal.

This business has worked with over 200 films and in a variety of genres which means they would be open for distributing a kid's action comedy film, such as ours. Their services are very helpful to new filmmakers- “If you are you an emerging filmmaker trying to make the leap from documentaries to features or simply seeking to get your project made, we can assist you from concept through completion”. Their consultation can be very beneficial to a new filmmaker and can help them get used to the business while the Distribution Company provides consultation and guidance.

Left films is another much smaller independent film distributer, and has only distributed a small number of films. They distribute mainly direct to DVD and allow people to watch their films online. Although they haven't done many films yet, their motto of “a fresh approach to distribution” rings true. As many films are being illegally uploaded online, this distributer gets the upper hand by directly distributing on their website so people can go straight there to watch. Theres also buy now links which entice viewers to buy the films they like, and this lets them generate sales. By going directly to the internet they save money and also are able to effectively get their film out to the public. This distributer works with alternative and comical films which can't be taken seriously, which is why they could consider distributing our film, even though they haven't previously distributed kids films.

Besides from distributing with a professional distributer we could distribute directly online through video sharing sites such as youtube. However, youtube itself is very full of content, and can be a waste for a short filmmaker to put their film onto youtube, unless they already have a significant fan following. Youtube is also very limiting now of length, and doesn't really support very long videos. Therefore, a site like vimeo may be better to share videos as it allows a larger film. However, even then Vimeo is still a large site and isn't really specific for independent films. There are however sites online which do cater to this need, such as Open Film, which is “where you can discover and share quality content”. They provide a platform for new, independent filmmakers to distribute their films online. As they are also very well known in festivals, it gives a larger chance for these independent film makers to get recognition. They also hold contests on their website which gives the winner a monetary sum or prize- one such prize is a scholarship of $5000 towards college.

Evaluation: Question 2

Q2 How does you media product represent certain social groups?

The main character of our film is a boy aged around 11-13, who lives in a, middle class house and goes to the local school. He's of English descent and looks quite average. However, he isn't very well liked and is bullied at his school. Thus he is a sort of loner and spends a lot of time on his own when at school. His home life is similar as both his parents are hardworking and don;t have much time to spend with him-he is also the only child in the household. Because of this, he has a lot of spare time on his hands. He is very interested in ninjas and their culture, and probably plays loads of video games, reads books and many other solitary hobbies that fill up all the spare time he has.

Crossed arms show that he's confident- but also closed in.

The boys outer presence in the film is quite confident despite his status as a loner and outcast. Even though he is ostracized by his peers, he is still quite confident in himself, which shows that he is an optimistic individual. We can see this from his body language- in many of the shots, we see him crossing his arms and standing with his feet slightly spread. This gives the impression of someone who is determined and confident. From the close ups of his face, we can see the expression in his eyes which are looking straight ahead. This once again represents him as very confident and determined. The amount of shots that focus on him show he is the main character but can also show how he is very confident- confident enough to take up all these shots by himself. Furthermore, the way that he is in the center of all these shots which usually are quite wide without any other subjects around him show that he's confident enough to stand alone and not be apart of a group. The main character is also very childish- he believes in his plans and dreams and is confident that they will work out. The soundtrack that plays in the background represents this as it is nursery rhymes sung by Chinese primary school students, and it gives a far eastern feel to the film as well as making it seem very childish and almost cute, so the audience can't really take it seriously.



Styrofoam sword.

He's immature and this can be seen with his use of a fake sword prop and simple costume which looks like it was thrown together by an inexperienced kid. It represents him as not being a real ninja and makes him more comical and less serious as a character. The costume he wears also represents other aspects of his outer presence, The fact that it's a hoodie he wears shows him to be an average kid, and the colour (black) has the connotations of blending in, which reflects how he blends into the crowd. The prop of the belt also represents him to be quite an odd character. It looks rather feminine, and this gives the impression that he's taken it from his mother to use during his challenge. Once again it gives the impression of his immaturity and reinforces ideas that he threw together this costume with anything he could find.

His inner presence is that of a quiet, more shy person. This can be seen in the opening as he does not have any dialogue with the man who approaches him. He only stands and waits, which makes it seem like he's more introverted and still not able to interact with other people very easily. The prop of his mask can also show how he is an introvert, and not really willing to connect with people around him. Even though he's living his dream, he still feels the need to hide away inside himself, as perhaps he doesn't feel comfortable enough around other people to show his face. The wide shots again show how he's a loner at heart, even though he's comfortable with that. The background of the many images and articles on the wall shows how he is very studious and almost obsessive with his interest with ninjas. Because of the wide pan of the images, we can see just how much time and effort the kid puts into his plan, showing him to be diligent. He is also quite creative as he makes his costume himself and puts together the whole idea alone.  Overall, this represents him as a studious, geeky loner type, being very quiet but imaginative.

Similar characters to him could be Jaden Smith's character in Karate Kid (2010) who is also an outcast in his new country and is also a very diligent worker as he trains hard to master kung fu so he can prove himself to his bullies. Another similar character could be the titular character to Kickass (2010) who is equally as immature and does very similar things (such as obsessing and making their own costume) except with super heroes.

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.