Conventions of A Sci- Fi and a Drama

Question 1, Evaluation Tom Roalfe

List Of Sci- Fi Conventions

Used by scientist to show their beliefs about the future.

The day the earth stood still

Narrative is anti government

Conventional to use quick cuts at moments of intensity

• High Tech Machinery unknown to the audience

• Type of pacing is linked to the amount of action in the narrative.

1.Used by scientist to show their beliefs about the future.

The Sci-Fi genre is often a chance to shows belief about the future for example what the world will look like.

• However we chose not to do this as we wanted to shows the devastation caused by the Nuclear war.

2. The day the earth stood still

To an extent we have and haven't done this but a good example of this would be ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still’.

Our protagonist is portrayed as being the last person on the planet however the disequilibrium revealed at the end is that he isn't.

3.Narrative is anti government

Often the protagonist is anti government making the government the antagonist.

However we didn’t wish to do this so we did include a individual antagonist in the opening sequence but a team of antagonist in the actually film.

Our Antagonist At The

Disequilibrium.

4. Conventional to use quick cuts at moments of intensity

Quick cuts are used to create intensity or to change the mood of the narrative. They are also used to create shock .

We have used them to distinguish between the flashbacks and the current happenings. It also helped to connote an intense atmosphere where the protagonist was scared. Finally it helped us to build up to the climax.

5. High Tech Machinery unknown to the audience

High tech machinery is normally something which the audience go :o. for example:

We have included high tech machinery that might not shock the audience but it is still high tech. When the disequilibrium is revealed there is a apple mac computer where the antagonist is watching the protagonist.

Iconography for the genre.

6. Type of pacing is linked to the amount of action in the narrative.

Varied pacing can connote different things. For example fast paced takes can connote a scared character.

We have differentiated between the pacing of our clips in order to connote the calm manner our protagonist is in when he realises he is the last man alive and then the flashback shots from where he is running to save his life are faced paced to connote distress .

7. Low key lighting with hints of grey.

This will give the effect of the end of the world which is the stereotype of what we think the world will look like if it ends.

We have decided to use this grey eerie effect as it connotes a sinister atmosphere. However we have also used a quite bright tinted glow to connote the effects of the Nuclear war on the atmospheric conditions.

10. Conventional to include sharp repeating sounds.

It is conventional to use sharp repeating sounds as this connotes the extensity of the disequilibrium. For example this could be a Siren in I Am Legend.

We have used a diegetic sound of repeated bomb blast to connote the nuclear war and also the bullets firing from a tommy gun to connote the intense atmosphere the protagonist is in. however we did not use the bullets in a way in which it sounded like a gun.

11. Sci-Fi are often set in very remote, isolated locations.

They are often set in these locations as they often follow the narrative structure of the end of the world.

We have used isolated locations to connote the loneliness and seclusion of the protagonist after losing his family in the nuclear war.

List Of Drama Conventions

Exhibits real life situations with realistic character, setting and narrative

Portrays journeys of a character development

Intense social interaction

Has a dramatic story line to move the audience emotionally

A form of realisation at the end

• Conflict included inner and outer struggles

• Audience can relate to the character - uses and gratifications personal identity

• Structured with climaxes and anti-climax to keep the audience emotionally attached and to build tension.

We kept the setting real by filming in

locations which aren't out of earth like some Sci-Fi films or CGI but we filmed in locations which our audience can relate to a they

probably live somewhere like it.

1. Exhibits real life situations with realistic character, setting and narrative

The audience from this can obtain a sense of verisimilitude, therefore they will relate to the narrative and characters more.

To an extent we have tried to make the situation real as a nuclear war could

happen at any time. However we followed

stereotypes as to what it would look like if it did

as we have never

experienced one before.

2. Portrays journeys of a character development

This journey can be the revealing of the narrative. We have done this by using Todorov’s equilibrium theory as our character journey unveils with the disequilibrium at the end of our trailer. We

Used This

3. Intense social interaction

Intense social interaction was hard for us to portray as we were trying to show our protagonist as being isolated so other people wouldn’t have connoted this. So this is a convention we avoided.

4. Has a dramatic story line to move the audience emotionally

We have included this convention as we showed sensitive flashbacks of our protagonist parting with his family. This helped the audience to gain uses and gratifications of entertainment.

Blumer and Katz

5. A form of realisation at the end

We have included a form of verisimilitude at the end of our opening sequence by showing that the protagonist isn't the only person left on earth, when we show the disequilibrium.

OMG THERE IS A PERSON AT THE DOOR.

6. Conflict included inner and outer struggles

We have included both as he has outer struggles which are represented by our flashbacks and inner struggles to cope with the devastating disasters.

We chose a male protagonist because stereotypically males can cope more with these struggles.

7. Audience can relate to the character - uses and gratifications personal identity

I believe we have avoided this convention as it is hard to relate to our protagonist as he is in a nuclear war. However some males may relate to his emotions as he has lost his family. This is also a convention of a drama.

PUT YOURSELF IN THE

PROTAGONISTS PLACE

8.Structured with climaxes and anti-climax to keep the audience emotionally attached and to build tension.

Being honest I believe more than anything we wanted to achieve that but we didn’t. We tried to achieve it at the disequilibrium and when the radio was portrayed, however I don’t believe it was emotional enough and was a big enough climax to keep the audience attached.

Conclusion

Overall I believe we achieved the majority of the conventions which we wanted to however we couldn’t produce some essentials conventions which let us down.