Evaluation Question 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

What have I created?My group and I have created a short, two-minute opening sequence to a film that we have entitled ‘Venatic’. It features three adolescent characters breaking into a storage container where they begin looking for weapons, and whilst doing so, hear the sound of whatever monster is hunting them (or comparatively, they are hunting).

The actual film would follow their survival story.

What would I compare it to?I could compare ‘Venatic’ to a number of real media products: • Films such as ‘Attack the Block’, ‘Cloverfield’ and ‘Super 8’.• Television programmes such as ‘The Walking Dead’.• Video games such as ‘The Last of Us’.

The easiest to compare due to their similarities however, are, specifically: ‘The Mist’, ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Until Dawn’ - two films and a video game.

The Mist‘The Mist’ (also known as Stephen King's The Mist) is a 2007 American science fiction horror film based on the 1980 novella of the same name by Stephen King. The film was written and directed by Frank Darabont, who had previously adapted King's works ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ (1994 film based on the 1982 novella) and ‘The Green Mile’ (1999 film based on the 1996 novel).

The film features an ensemble cast including Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Samuel Witwer, Toby Jones, and future The Walking Dead actors Jeffrey DeMunn, Juan Gabriel Pareja, Laurie Holden, and Melissa McBride.

We have used a similar convention of characters collectively looking at some kind of horrible creature with some kind of

shock. We have changed the convention from as seen in ‘The Mist’ by removing two of the characters but comparatively

spreading them out more spatially. As such, the same amount of space is used but with less to look at, making the shot look less

cluttered yet just as effective.

We have used a similar convention of a single character staring at something, lit only by his single torchlight, somewhat

intensely. We have changed the convention slightly however, as the man from ‘The Mist’ is looking up and the shot is from the

front, whereas in our film, our character is looking down, and the shot is from the side.

We have used a similar convention of there being an almost earthquake-like effect taking place. In both cases, the shot is

from behind, and features silhouetted characters being through about a room.

We have used a similar convention of two characters having a conversation, lit only by torchlight. In both shots, they are from

over the shoulder of one character so that we can see the other - a classic conversationalist shot. The convention has only been changed in ours due to the fact that our shot composition is

practically mirrored.

We have a similar convention of characters collectively looking towards a closed door in fear, the implication being that there is

something scary beyond. We have developed the convention from as seen in ‘The Mist’ by removing most of the characters

and by having the shot from a different angle - as if we were one of the characters. In my opinion, this is more effective as it is far

more inclusive and immersive.

Jurassic ParkJurassic Park is a 1993 American adventure science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg. The first instalment of the Jurassic Park franchise, it is based on the 1990 novel of the same name by Michael Crichton, with a screenplay written by Crichton and David Koepp.

The film is set on the fictional Isla Nublar, an islet located off Central America's Pacific Coast, near Costa Rica, where a billionaire philanthropist and a small team of genetic scientists have created a wildlife park of cloned dinosaurs.

We used a similar convention of presenting a close-up of something that adds tension or is of importance to the narrative.

The shots are mirrored, but nevertheless serve the same purpose and are thus as equally as effective.

We have used a similar convention of characters collectively looking at some kind of horrible creature with some kind of

shock. We have developed the convention as seen in ‘Jurassic Park’ by having the camera angled at eye-line level, thus

implying that we could possibly be seeing from the monster’s perspective and thus heightening the tension.

We have used a similar convention of characters, equipped with torches, looking over their shoulders.

We have changed this convention by adding an extra character, by changing which shoulder the characters are looking over, and by changing the proxemics so that it is applicable to our setting.

We have used a similar convention of the setting (in ‘Jurassic Park’ - the car, in ‘Venatic’ - the storage

container) being attacked by the film’s antagonist/monster. We have changed this

convention by not showing the creature, however, instead implying that he is outside.

Until DawnUntil Dawn is an interactive drama survival horror adventure video game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 4.

Until Dawn received positive reviews. It received an aggregated score of 80.37% on GameRankings based on 71 reviews and 79/100 on Metacritic based on 103 reviews.

We have used a similar convention of characters collectively looking at some kind of horrible creature

with some kind of shock. We have developed the convention from as seen in ‘Until Dawn’ by

removing one of the characters. The characters, however, are otherwise of a similar age and in

similar clothing. Equally, both shots are mid-shots.

We have used a similar convention of an over-the-shoulder conversationalist shot. In both cases, we

see the shot from over the male character’s shoulder so that the female character’s face is seen.

Likewise, in both cases, she is telling him to be quiet.

We have used a similar convention of characters, equipped with torches, looking over their shoulders.

We have developed this convention by adding an extra character and by changing which shoulder the

characters are looking over.

We have used a similar convention of seeing a silhouetted character alone in a room, equipped

only with a torch. The convention has been changed by the character in ‘Until Dawn’ being in the centre of the shot, whereas in our film she is to the side.

Both shots are fairly wide shots.