1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? (i.e. of film openings)

The first image shown on the top left is of our film title, which is Snapshot. We thought that it would be much more fitting to have a fairly simple font, as the film is meant to be quite serious and has a very sombre tone. We decided it would be effective to have the title appear at the end of the 2 minute opening instead of at the start because then the context would already be established. Also, the fact that the title appears with the scene in the background made it much more effective since we thought that the final shot of the hat falling onto the briefcase was quite powerful and was a fitting way to end the opening. One key aspect of the title is that we have the noise of a camera shutter, and the title comes up sharply with the noise to further emphasise the importance of the camera in the film, as the photo kicks off the entire plot of the story. Also, we decided that the name of the film incorporated the central theme of the film without specifically mentioning any details of the plot, which we believe adds to the mystery that is present in the plot.

The middle shot on  the top is of our shooting location. We decided that this shot encapsulated the setting of the film by showing the rural setting but also the bleak landscape, also establishing the area in which the events are taking place. This shot also matches with that of the earlier shot of the actual place in Berlin where the events are happening in the film, as it too is in a heavily wooded area.

The next frame shows some of the many props that were needed for our film. Most importantly, we needed the way that the actors were dressed to be completely authentic so that it did not break the verisimilitude of our 1942 Berlin setting and is present in all period films. To do this we used suits and fedora hats which were popular at the time, and also created a pair of Swastika armbands to show that these men are high-ranking Nazi officials. This also added to the dark atmosphere of the film, with the Nazi symbols standing out on the dark landscape. Also, the briefcase that can be seen was vital, as inside it we had a printed copy of the Wannsee Transcript, around which our film is based. Luckily we were able to find a suitable one. This all lends to the believability of the film.

In relation to the filming and camerawork we chose this screenshot because not only does it show the sinister look of the Nazi officer but also captures the bleak and rural surroundings. We chose this shot as a mid-shot of the Nazi official as he walks away from his meeting. This shot shows the importance of this character (Herman played by Ed Wills-Wood) and establishes the character as one of power. This shot also displays the Nazi armband in the centre of the shot, further establishing character and setting.

We chose this title font and style to ve very simplistic, which matches with the film title at the end. For example, if we used an intricate or flamboyant font then it would not be in keeping with the tone of the film. Similarly, we chose the colour of the font to be white to match the black and white style. We also used fade effect for the titles to gradually come on, and like the font and colour this is fairly simple, but we felt that it was quite effective.

We chose this picture to represent the story of our film, because it is the moment at which the flashback begins. This is similar to other films of our genre, as it shows a single event that starts off the rest of the events of the film. With our character of Daniel handing over the photograph of his grandfather it shows two of the main characters and a pivotal moment in the opening. This shot also doesn’t give too much away for the audience, as at this point we are not meant to know exactly what is happening and adds to the suspense. Also, this scene is the first of our parallel narratives, as we have one set in the present and one looking back on the events of the past, and this scene is what links the two together.

This shot shows our representation of genre within our film. We thought that this was a fitting picture as it shows the two main character of our flashback timeline posing for the photo that starts the events set in the present. This shot also shows the setting and puts the scene into context with the smart clothing and Swastika armbands. This shows the same tone and typical setting of many World War 2 films of this genre, such as the film Downfall. The lighting in this shot similarly shows the stereotypical darkness of a film of this genre, as a World War 2 film will be a serious subject, which we think is accurately portrayed in this shot.

We chose this shot as it is the first up close shot of the two Nazi officials, and shows the character in the foreground as being the more dominant of the two whilst showing some of the compassion of Daniel’s grandfather (Lukas). This then creates the sombre tone that runs throughout the opening and highlights the high-ranking positions that these two men are in whilst also differentiating them from each other.

This last shot shows the use of technology in our film. We wanted our film to stand out from others of our genre by using an effect that would make the whole scene black and white, but still show the colour red which would really highlight the Swastika armbands. Unfortunately this proved difficult and we had to settle for having it only at two points in the film. The shot displayed is an example if that, and shows the red of the Swastika highlighted against the bleack background. We also decided to have the rest of the film in black and white which is shown here. This made the setting look a lot mare dreary, and is used in several films of our genre, a key example of which is Schindler’s List.