Evaluation 1

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

• Our film uses the conventions of rom coms as there are several recognisable character types. Most of these character types are common in the rom com genre. For example it includes the irresponsible slacker (played by Jonny Sollo) who is shown to be lazy and unorganised (this character is influenced by the character of Spike in Notting Hill, played by Rhys Ifans). Sam's character is the dominant one who is shown to be the learder of the group of friends, Arron is the slightly stupid character (and the one who is getting married) and Jonny plays the sensible, reliable one who keeps all of the others in line.
• All these characters are introduced in the opening scene, much like the characters in Four Weddings and a Funeral.
• It also develops the conventions as it is centered on the experiences of the male character and his group of friends rather than the female like in films such as Briget Jones' Diary. This means that it can appeal to bothe male and female audineces as females would like the romantic aspect and seeing the mistakes that men make in romantic situations whereas male audiences would relate to the portrayal of relationships from a male perspective.
• It challenges the conventions through its use of setting. Many existing romantic comedies are set in urban settings such as New York and London. Ours is set in an un-named seaside town in which life is shown to fairly bleak and uneventful which gives our film an element of realism which is almost never seen in romantic comedies.