Evaluation Question 1

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

The opening sequence of ‘Ninja Child’ follows, develops and challenges the codes and conventions that fit the genre. The film can be categorized in the children’s comedy genre. The central aspects of children comedy usually surround developing a film that is appropriate and suitable for children’s viewing, therefore no adult themes will be presented. Films of this nature aim to entertain and engage the audience. We constructed our opening sequence to follow the form of general opening sequences:

• The narrative does not give too much away and gives subtle hints of what might happen next as the film progresses
• In many opening sequences the main character is introduced in the opening sequence. Our media product follows this convention by introducing the ‘Ninja Child’ as the central character.
• Sets out the themes, tone and world the character lives in. In doing this, an impression is instantly made so the audience know what to expect as the film progresses
• Include title credits. In particular, the title credits in Se7en are striking. The black background sets apart the other shots creating an effect for the audience.

The most prominent theme in our film surrounds challenges. The ‘Ninja Child’ has developed a challenge for himself, in an attempt to gain popularity. In the opening sequence his established as an outcast however he soars to success when he overcomes his challenge. He triumphs against bullies and earns the respect he so desperately wanted in the beginning. In this case, the theme of personal growth is also present as the ‘Ninja Child’ becomes less introvert and more confident. The themes can be recognised in real media products.‘Scott Pilgrim v The World’ is a film consisting of a teenager who is faced with a great challenge of defeating his girl friends evil exes in order to win her heart. It demonstrates a great sense of humour throughout, something we have tried to contribute to our media product.

Our group was influenced by the character in the ‘Karate Kid’ (2010 version). He exhibits similar attributes as the Ninja Child and demonstrates personal growth as he adjusts to a new lifestyle when he moves to China. Dre Parker experiences bullying and torment in his new school. In order to overcome this he embraced Kung Fu which was taught by his master. However they may share common ground they both are not exactly the same characters. Ninja Child has grown an obsession with ninjas which has steamed from spending a lot of his time alone. A following example is the teen comedy, ‘Drillbit Taylor’ which presents three high school outcasts who hire a body guard to protect themselves from bullies. Ninja Child’ relates to characters that are normally presented in teenage films because his inner feelings of being neglected carry teen angst and he doesn’t exactly fit in with a social clique in the beginning of the narrative.

Sound in children comedies tend to be up beat and fast with the intension to either entertain or add to the atmosphere. For instance, in ‘Rocky’ the ‘Eye of the Tiger’ the soundtrack creates tension and drama is instantly built. The film ‘Psycho’ includes an iconic soundtrack that has piercing sharp shrieks during a murder scene. This soundtrack in particular has been remembered because it’s striking and makes the murder even more horrific. To open the film we wanted to use an uplifting soundtrack for our children’s film. The use of sound is used to establish a happy mood, in order to engage our target audience of 7-15 year old males. It mainly consists of a fast paced beat with the voice of children singing a Chinese nursery rhyme; we did this so the film relates to our young audience.

In the opening sequence mise en scene has been used according to the codes and conventions of real media products. The costume aspect of ‘Ninja Child’ adds and fits in with the narrative. From the costume the audience learn that the character takes himself too seriously as his determination is clearly evident. He is dressed in all in black with props that include a plastic sword and a self-made fight me sign. The audience are aware that the Ninja Child is an ammeter therefore adding to the comical effect. Typically films such as ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ showcase real ninjas that have the proper superhero outfit. Superman, Batman and Spiderman wear recognisable super hero outfits to indicate that they are the hero. In this sense we have challenged this convention as we have used an alternative outfit for the Ninja Child. Locations typically include exotic locations in the children comedy genre. In ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Jack Sparrow contends against jungles and dangerous seas. A series of characters travel to exotic locations as it promotes the idea of excitement. The location of ‘Ninja Child’ is simply set in an empty field. The audience gain the understanding that the Ninja child is not the conventional super hero but merely an amateur who wishes to be.

The Ninja Child opens with a slow zoom, followed by the tile credits and a series of fast paced cuts of the ninja preparing to carry out his challenge. The overall form of the opening sequence follows other real products. The titles credits are used to break up shots, as used in ‘Se7en’ were the title credits, so by doing this we have used the usual of features in film. The fast paced cuts impose an energetic opening sequence, for the audience to be gripped and engaged. The opening sequence consist mainly of the Ninja Child, he is mainly introduced as the central character of the film. 

Additionally, the narrative in ‘Ninja Child’ fits with the typical conventions of film. The narrative follows a young boy who overcomes a challenge and bullies to gain friends and respect. The strange antics he gets up to proceeds to create a comical aspect. Similar to the ‘Hangover’ were the comedy is generated from their unusual antics and misadventures. The narrative of ‘Kick-Ass’ consists of an unnoticed high school student who one day decided to become a real life super hero. Despite having no powers or skill resembling a superhero he still remains persistent and determined to follow his ambition. In comparison, the ‘Ninja Child’ and ‘Kick-Ass’ both are unnoticed until they follow they dreams. The film concludes with the ninja achieving all his goals which leads him to be recognised and respected. His relationship with his parents improves greatly and he takes a stand against bullies that have tormented him for so many years. The film ends happily which is typical in children’s comedies.