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

The media product the team and I produced challenges forms and conventions of real media products in many different ways. Firstly, it challenges traditional media as it contains a predominant female, unlike the typical male gang boss. This is shown to the audience through he arriving late and been given special treatment by one of the other men. None of the high status gangsters are questioning where she was or telling her that she can’t play. Silently, they deal her in and allow her to sit at the head of the table. Another way we showed her authority over the other men was seating her at what looks like the head of the table, also showing that they left the head of the table seat for her shows that they were expecting her. We also tried to challenge the stereotype of the male being more predominant in the relationship rather then the woman. To make Niki seem more in control, she had a toy boy enter in with her; Luke takes her coat, pushes her chair in and brings her a drink within the first two minutes of the sequence; which strongly raises the question, “why did he shoot Luke?” Normally in other media products it is an obvious character being killed but by killing a relatively unknown character it makes us as an audience wander why in greater depth.
These screen grab shows that we conformed to conventions of real media products. Like other media products we have selected a production company and have incorporated four titles within our opening sequence. We didn’t incorporate titles within the actual cut of our thriller as we felt it really interrupted the suspense we were building and detracted from the importance of each move the poker players were making; feel much more confident with the titles being at the beginning and end of out thriller opening as it gives a faster pace. Though we did not incorporate the titles within the sequence we still inform the audience our thrillers name, Production Company and the director of the film. Another way we conformed to real media product is by having a death within the opening two minute sequence. Other movies in the thriller genre conform to this not only to show the audience what kind of film this will be but also to excite the audience.





These screen grabs are examples of table shots. In all of these shots you can see the immensity of poker chips and collateral being put into the kitty, the stakes are getting higher and higher until Felix bets his car. These shots conform to real media products as they also give you a glimpse into the player’s hands to build suspense.