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

My film opening, Black Sands starts with an establishing shot which is a typical film opening convention. It also follows a lot of dystopian film conventions such as being set in a chaotic world where genetics have created a new rampant disease, citizens are under surveillance and humanity dividing into smaller groups to survive.

However, I have not followed the stereotypical idea of setting 'Black Sands' in the future but have actually set it in the past. Although it could be argued that it would make the audience think more if it were set in the future, I think it is different because it is like an alternate universe where this happened in our past and would make the audience think about where they would be if this had happened.

© Filmography by CP

The first frame in the Black Sands nine frame analysis is my establishing shot. It is a long shot that shows the land across from the river and the pavement is overgrown, as well as the land across the river looks barren and deserted. This follows the ideal conventions of a dystopian film with world being in ruin.

The second frame, is plain which is a common convention for film titles. I tried to follow typical dystopian conventions with the font of the text being modern or ultramodern. The font that I finally decided on fitted into the convention of it being ultramodern and also looks like it is crumbling which links it to the idea of being dystopian and in ruins.

The third frame sets up three of the main characters: Alys, Rowena and Skadi. It is a mid shot and sets up the plot of the film, making the audience believe that something will happen between these three characters or that they are vital for an upcoming event within the storyline.

The fourth frame shows my makeup skills and use of lighting within the film opening. Skadi's makeup is easy to focus on due to the black and blue veins streaking down her forehead. This was another mid shot that I used to establish Skadi's character. I wanted to give the audience a hint as to how mad Skadi was before the film has even really started to form. The fifth frame shows a close up of Skadi which I also used to emphasise on her character's madness.

The sixth frame is a mid shot of the main character, Rowena. Compared to the fourth frame where I portrayed Skadi's character in the shade to emphasise on her maddening, dark character, I have portrayed Rowena's character in the light to try and exaggerate how Rowena is the main character and the most important character within the plot of the film.

The seventh frame is a point of view shot from Rowena's point of view when she has approached Skadi. I managed to make the camera focus on the brightness of the windows instead of Skadi herself which emphasises on Skadi's dark character. The use of the darkness is also effective because the light catches in the actress's blonde hair which I think shows how Skadi's past self is slowly slipping away and that she can't hold on to who she is anymore.

My eighth frame is an over the shoulder shot from behind Skadi. Again, the use of lighting in this shot was used to make Alys and Rowena's character seem light and good whereas all that you can see of Skadi's character is her dark silhouette making her character seem dark and hostile.

Finally, in the ninth frame is a mid shot that shows Alys turning towards the camera and Rowena. It's at this point which I made Rowena seem dark. This is because Alys seems unaware and is naive over where or what has happened to her brother unlike Rowena who has been trying to keep Alys thinking that her brother will be returning...when he will not.