‘Paid In Full’

Alexis Still AS Media

Evaluation
 In what ways does your media product
use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
• Conventions of a thriller:
There is a distinct threat to the character/s, typical dark
settings that takes away the security for the audience.
Criminality is a strong theme, crime, murder.
• We used:
-costume
-actors & characters
-camera shots,angles and compositions
-and setting
to create the thriller genre.
• My media product was produced using equipment
similar to that of a major film production.The
equipment used was:

• A video camera- We made particular use of its

features such as zoom in the party scene and
night mode in the street scenes and exchange.

• Software- iMovie: this program allowed us to

upload our clips directly from the camera pre-
editing before it was moved into the Final Cut
Express program.This program allowed us to edit
clips, add effects and transitions, music and titles.
• Our film challenges media conventions as it
attempts to skew a regulated genre and the
ideas within it. From the opening of the film,
you are led to believe that the boy that is
eventually killed is the protagonist, but that
fact that he is stabbed merely three minutes
into the film skews our views and shows in
fact who really orchestrated the situation.
• The audience are lulled into a false sense of
security of the true situation and therefore
they are surprised at the eventual outcome.
 How does your media product
represent particular social groups?

• Our film shows particular representations of

some social groups. Youth culture is the
predominant theme, and the people within this
are shown to be noisy, ‘party animals’, showing a
negative stereotype of the youth of today.
• Stereotypes are also confronted in the
‘dangerous’ characters of the exchange man and
the murderer.We use dark colours and a hooded
figure for the murderer, presenting to the
audience the way a young criminal is seemingly
recognisable to society.
 What media institutions might
distribute your media product and
why?
• ‘Paid In Full’ would most probably be distributed
by media institutions that have younger target
audiences and a wide based media consumption.
• Film4-Independent film maker and distributor
with specific interest in independent films
• E4- Fairly new channel with a young adult
audience, renowned for airing shows such as
Skins and Hollyoaks, programmes with a similar
theme to our media product.
• Cannes Film Festival
 Who would be the audience for
your media product?
• This film is aimed at older teens or
young adults, between the age of
around 16 to early/twenties. It should
have a target audience of at least 15
years of age due to its explicit content
with illegal substances.
• Certificate 15 would be most suitable by
BBFC guidelines
 How did you attract/address
your audience?

• We aimed our product at this audience

as we believed they would be the age
group most able to empathise with the
characters, situations and storyline
shown.
• We used soundtrack, characters and
setting to appeal to the target age
group.
What have you learnt about technologies
from the process of constructing your
product?
• By using the equipment such as the video
camera,Apple Mac computers and software
programs, I learnt many techniques of production.

• I learnt how to handle and control a video camera

and tripod, effectively edit clips, add a soundtrack
and titles.

• We developed these skills after using the equipment

in the preliminary task.
 Looking back on your preliminary task, what do
you feel you have learnt in the progression from it
to the full product?
• We developed greatly in technique and maturity in
our approach to the main task after the preliminary.I
learnt basic skills from the preliminary task that I was
then able to develop to create the final media
product.I learnt how to:
• Manage time effectively
• Organise efficiently
• I learnt and became more confident with the camera
• The significance of the composition and potential
angles of a shot
• Less is more
• I learn how to edit clips
• In conclusion, I think that our final media
product, ‘Paid In Full’ was a very successful
production that brought together all of the
techniques I learnt throughout the course and
with the production of the preliminary task. It
shows advanced ability with the equipment
that we learnt from the previous task and as
a finished product shows a mature and well
thought out approach to the film and the
theme and concepts within it.