Monday 21 April 2014

Evaluation part 8

looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Thinking about what we have achieved and accomplished in the last 10 weeks, i'm surprised to say that i'm in fact so proud of what my group have achieved. Going from being a joke of the class having people thinking "oh they wont achieve much from this project" to seeing the look on peoples faces when they witnessed our first draft and having brilliant feedback.

We was shocked to say the least when we received such brilliant feedback from our class and teacher of how the elements we used was a success. I think that overall i've learned from this experience that it doesn't matter who you have in your group it matters about the chemistry and commitment that you within your group share with eachother. Looking back now i feel that if i was in another group i would never of had the confidence to voice my ideas of different aspects of our sequence, and how it allowed me to go further and push our groups media title sequence product to be the best it possibly could.

I've learned how to take an idea from a table in class and take it to lengths of having a physical example to watch as many times as i want over the internet. Basically seeing our thoughts come to life, i feel that at the start i believed that it would be a real hard challenge going from what we had to do. To what we have achieved now i find it amazing to think all of the challenges, all of the late nights and all of the planing and struggling to end up in a single video.
    

Evaluation part 7

What I learned from the technologies that we used in our media product

We was given two fantastic opportunities one being the fact that we could decide our own genre of the title sequence we was going to make and another being the fact we could choose who was going to be in our group. I jumped at the chance to work with Liam and Jeevan not only because the reason they was my close friends. But because I knew in a group with friends there’s that chemistry, the way you can express yourself and give of ideas that you maybe wouldn’t have the confidence to say in front of a chosen group not in your friendship group. Having Jeevan and Liam both in my group was a wicked advantage as this I was aware that all three of us were all great at different areas of which would have been useful for instance.

I had Liam, had passed media gcse with me before and had great knowledge in filming and knowing what to think about how the audience would react to different elements in the sequence. And Jeevan new to media although had great knowledge of ways to develop the conventions of our product for instance he knew how to act in our sequence and what should be within and what was best to take out. And me, possessing my (A* in music technology) I had great knowledge of what music and sound in general should have been put onto the sequence.
We had a straight away issue from the start however with camera it was extremely technical and required knowledge for instance I said form the start I didn’t want to control the camera as I knew myself I couldn’t be trusted holding and using such an expensive piece of equipment with such poor knowledge. So I did the decent thing and called a group vote for just Liam to use the camera as he had done photography in gcse and had great knowledge of how to hold and change the lence. So we asked our teacher for a tutorial into how to use and take care of it.

I learned more in depth about final cut pro, causing me to gain knowledge of how it works and how to take a non-edited clip and transform it into a masterpiece. But my main gain in knowledge of the experience of with logic Pro 9. Using Logic Pro 9 I single handily created and produced the soundtrack and even added effects of our media product title sequence “The Waking Hour”.

Evaluation part 6

What attracted our audience?

Our main target audience as we originally as a group had decided to be from the ages of 15-25 year olds. Our media product (title sequence) reached out to our audience I felt as we used elements and key features that would have attracted the ages we aimed for. For instance nowadays from the ages of 15-25 when questioned a staggering 71% of a local cinema over a period of 2 months, revealed that they were most interested in seeing films of a horror/thriller nature. This being chosen over huge genres such as sci-fi, rom/com and action. Knowing these statistics we found I feel that we achieved in attracting our target audience of the same age and interests.

Using questionnaires we a created and sent around our sixth form to not only our friends but also people not in our social group and even teachers. We gave them the opportunity to have a private screening of our films title sequence and after gave them our created questionnaire containing such questions as “do you feel the actors represented people of your social groups?” and “do you feel how the actors of your age group are acting represents the right social groups?” with amazing feedback such as… “What that man’s wearing is really scary and sinister I can tell his the baddy straight away” which gave us great influence and determination as a group to go further in the production knowing we had reached our target audiences attraction  

Evaluation part 5

How our media product represents particular social groups-

Using key elements for instance props we were able to show the viewer of our product, to go further in our title sequences story and plot. We as a group decided on many which we could have gave the audience knowledge of the social groups being represented. For instance our title sequence as a whole featured the use of two social group entities, one being a group of 16-17 year old teen boys. The other being a social group of a dark, sinister and seemingly suspicious nature when looking into our first represented social group (teen boys). We spent many hours looking into how they behave, how they think? Even what clothes they would be seen wearing, in the end we had decided as a group to go for 4/5 boys wearing clothes such as smart casual. Being traditionally jeans nice shoes and smart top we achieved this effect by instructing our actors before the shoot to wear clothes as if they would have been going to a party.

 Using different techniques such as different types of editing and camera angels we were able to show the realistic nature of our groups and how they had been represented was in a positive nature. Rather than how media in general likes to represent youth of teens in extracts as being “abusive”, “chavs” and having general disregard for society and local areas. We challenged this convention by involving the youth social group in our title sequence to have a positive attitude towards their society and people around them. Although we had the difficulty of having no diegetic sound of speech from the actors (youth) in our title sequence what we had originally planed them to discuss the party which they was going too. Because of this it made it that little bit harder to have the representation of the teens to be in a positive nature, which meant more strain had to go on how they would look (mise-en-scene) to show their background in the short time they would have been showed for in the sequence.

In comparison with the social group background of the older man we found that a much more easier task of representing him out to be of a dark nature. Using props such as hodies and black clothing we were able to give of the impression that the man in black was of a dark nature and would instantly be shown to be the main protagonist. This worked as the colour black is often used to represent a dark feeling and troubled nature. Whereas the teens social group was shown to be in bright vibrant clothing connoting the difference in backgrounds between the two.

Friday 4 April 2014

Evaluation part 3

Distribution

What institutions might disrepute our film are such companies as 'Solana Films' US, they would be our best chance at distributing our film through an American clientele. They have distributed many great films of a similar genre. Including there most if not famous distributed film "Paranormal activity". I personally believe they truly would be the best chance of distributing our film throughout the US, as they are extremely well known in the industry to take a small none heard off, low budget production film and turn it into a worldwide bestselling film. That could even spin off to create a franchise of more films. As shown from their history with Paranormal Activity.

I also believe that 20th Century Fox (Uk) would be a great direction for distributing our film as they are extremely well famously known by not only the industry but also average movie lovers. As they year after year bring out to mainstream blockbuster films. That even with a low budget earn a huge budget as they are so powerful and have good contacts, that allow there partnership with cinemas across the Uk to be shown in many cinemas. Improving the popularity and known ability of "The Waking Hour".

Also i think that we would need to look for a distribution company in Europe that is well known for distributing films of a horror/thriller nature.

So we have decided that for distributing our film in Europe in selected, English (fluent) and second speaking languages may have a higher chance of viewing as the use of subtitles would annoy the audience. Not ruling out the use of voice translation, but that could be added to a dvd version as a special feature along with running commentary. As sending a copy of a voice transliterated  version of our film to the countries of none speaking English would cost great money and time. As well as weighing more production times down due to the fact that the film would have to be watched in editing with a foreign speaking expert. To ensure the dialect could be changed appropriately to the many languages requires.  

Evaluation part 2

Evaluation part 2

Who would be the audience for our product?


Our target audience is men and women from the ages of 15-25 year olds, this would be our target audiences age as they would be of appropriate age to view the explicit content shown throughout our film. They would have to be of a medium disposable income demographic. As our film would be showed at the cinema price of £9.20 in cinemas all across the Uk, us and selected parts of Europe. Due to the fact our film would be released on multi-platform. We would have to ensure that when released on Dvd, website and mainstream cinema that the rating of age would all be synced. And of the age of 15-25 year olds this ensuring that no ages below the standard legal age of consent is broken. Meaning only people of appropriate age can view the content of our film "The Waking Hour".

From our feedback sheets we learned that our target audience was of correct age of consent being provided by the class who we screened the film too. (First draft) There comments came back with such things as "good age range" and "works well to show what it does".

Occupation: Brand E (Students/ Part time workers)
Disposable income: medium
Lifestyle: students, student loans, studying, social events, cheap deals, low fashion sense, no car, (public transport).

Evaluation part 1

Evaluation- Brief


The sub genre of our film is horror; it references different types of elements to horror as it contains all conventions of horror. Including for example a mysterious character seen stalking people, wearing conventional black clothes. This worked well being used as it connoted danger, fear, and mystery. In the title sequence what happens is a man is represented as being dark, scary and mysterious. And is then shown stalking 4 boys into the woods. Even though no actual gore or violence is used within the title sequence, the audience can clearly tell that the man had killed theses boys. We managed to achieve this by having the man in an earlier scene holding up pictures that had been taking from the boys phones and placing them onto a clip board. This worked well as we was fortunate to not have to show actual violence within the title sequence as gore or violence wouldn’t be used conventionally in a title sequence.  

Friday 28 March 2014

The Waking Hour (final draft)

This our first draft of our media title sequence The Waking Hour, in this draft we have had Liam edit the whole sequence using a wide variety of huge, eyeopening and intuitive effects which enabled the sequence to be at a more near completion rate. We still have more editing to do for our final draft but within this draft the sound has been completed with great feedback from our class screening as well as completed titles in well placed orders.

This draft also features t

Monday 24 March 2014

Feedback sheets from our screening of our title sequence to the class "The Waking Hour"


These feedback shows that overall it was brilliant feedback, with the audience saying stuff like how the music went well with the sequence and how the editing and fonts went well and achieved the look of being scary connoting that it was a horror film and that you could tell the motive was clear. That there was a killer and he had killed these boys opening up the film to be set around this murderer.

Fonts we wanted in our sequence from day 1-

We knew from day 1 what fonts we wanted in our title sequence, we agreed from the first moment we story boarded that we wanted to have a font that as well as represented that the film would be a horror/suspense/thriller. In the end of editing Jeevan who's job it was to design and create the fonts for the title sequence. Decided that he was going to go for a "se7en" looking font, meaning that it would be skinny and not just black. Jeevan thought that he would go for his own style of font with the use of the colour goldy black. 

In the end our font came out looking stylish, eligant and scary. All of which we had hoped for! During our feedback sheet I found that one of our positive feedbacks was "fonts matched sequence we'll" this was exactly what we had hoped the audience viewing would think. Leaving us to feel proud of the fonts we had chosen in the end.

Friday 21 March 2014

Diary-Shooting-day 5

Today we have just finished shooting the last remaining scenes of our title sequence, We have just finished shooting the last of our scenes for which was shot inside Liam's kitchen. This involved me Liam and Jeevan spending the whole of the day working together to capture the best possible shots for our remaining title sequence. When we first arrived at Liam's we began by setting up the tri-pod in the kitchen. After we had layed out the euipment on the table which included ;camera,tri pod,storyboard and Ofcourse books. 

After setting up we then began by printing off all of our pictures of the boys that stared in our woods shooting. We then started shooting making sure that we had shot scenes of me dressed in a black dark hoddie placing pictures of the boys onto a clipboard. We decided to go with the shot of me placing pictures onto a clip board as we felt that it added great suspense to the sequence and mystery of how this (mystery man) had retrieved these pictures from the boys phones. Hoping of course that I'll audience would have enough time to question that themselfs. 

Friday 14 March 2014

Diary-Shooting-day 4

Today we have shot and recorded the last scenes of the waking hour title sequence. For this we have first began by recording the last shots of the boys being watched and stalked in the woods by the protagonist. We had to quickly act on our feet because it was not till today we miscalculated the amount of actors we had. Meaning using Liam as filming we had then had to have someone different to be stalking the boys. So we had to quickly find another actor, fortunately for us our friend Billy agreed to do the roll.

Then having all of the actors in place we then was able to film and take shots of us in the woods. Also during the time we then had all of the boys take selfies of each other so that we could print them off and place them in the mysterious mans book at the beginning meaning we will have to re visit shooting at liam's house tomorrow. Now that we have finished shooting completely in the woods and outside the woods we can go back to focusing on the intro of the title sequence in Liams kitchen.

Diary-Shooting- day 3

Today for the third day of shooting we have began by all meeting at the outside of the woods caring all of our recording equipment including the two types of lenses. The 50 and the 55, both used to give of different effects, we also had briefed our friends earlier that we wanted them to wear clothes as if they were going to a party. After first meeting we spent several meeting just simply choosing where for instance we would be placing the camera for the tilt up showing the boys walking into the woods.

After finally finding the perfect spot we then set up the tri-pod and camera and began telling the actors (our friends) where to stand. Once we had decided where we wanted them to stand and how they should walk we recorded them walking into the woods. Working as a team coordinating how to stand and ensuring that we had recorded at least the boys going into the woods we feel that we have stuck well into schedule and are doing well for the shots we have taken and recorded. 

Diary-shooting- day 2

Today we have just finished shooting day 2 of filming for today we have began by first going to liam's house, which results in the ideal set as his kitchen is dark and gloomy. Which connotes mystery and distress for the audience, creating the effect we want to achieve. We began by setting up the tri pod in his kitchen and placing the book we had bought for the title sequence on the table. We then had gathered pictures of all the boys from filming and placed them onto the table. we then shot scenes from 8-15 from our based storyboard.

I am really finding the storyboard a great tool to use in our production as i feel that without it we really wouldn't have a clue on what scenes we would be shooting. For example we have been able due to the fact we have used the storyboard to record in order and structure. Giving us a huge advantage over if we didn't have a storyboard.

We focused mainly today on getting the right types of shots and doing what we called test shots to see for example how they would come out. For instance we recorded me opening the book which lasted for about 4 seconds. Knowing of course that we would have to delete most of it but just to watch back and see how it worked well and if it was the sort of look and feel we was going for in our sequence.

Diary-first day of shooting- day 1

today we have began our first day of shooting, for this we all meet up round liam's house and began our work with filming. First what we did was begin by sitting round a table and having a meeting with each other deciding on what we was going to be recording and when. In the end we came to the conclussion we would begin by shooting the main evil protagonist (me). Wearing dark and mysterious clothing showing me to be holding pictures of the boys my character will be stalking and killing in his kitchen. This was achieved by us all working as a team to decide on different types of shots and angels for our shoot.

Being backed up of course by the use of having our media storyboard as evidence to base it on.

Monday 27 January 2014

GROUP-analysis

the conjuring.
this is the first scene from the title sequence as you see that it has a very grainy black and white this straight away confides to the codes and conventions for a horror first of all the family picture looks mysterious because of the way it has been taken plus  to add the show it has been edited to look like old film that is being played by a old film camera this shows that the film will have history.

in the last two screen shots they has been two family names this foreshadows the film later on plus this could mean that the family would be involved later on.





this is the start of the film it shows two characters these could be important to the film furthermore whilst in the back ground there is a projection showing the producers of the film.
this effect of the grain is giving the audience the allusion that it has a long and historical event and from this the audience will be intrigued to carry on watching to see who those families are.





these screen shots of the title sequence show that there has been news stories of ''ghostly activity and it has been in a museum'' these have been taken because these scenes might have been in the film and it could be important but they produce a macguffin








in these last screen shot you see pictures of the cast as their characters but for three of the characters its is placed in a grave yard this could foreshadow the deaths of people of the families graves that you see..
the images are very distressing to the audience because seeing death can make images or memories which can be uncomforting.








these scene can produce foreshadows for the future of the film it includes a wegie board a tree with a knot like someones going to hang them selves these are the most distressing because creating these situations can have bad repercussions which will lead to a poor future.












film pitch powerpoint

Friday 24 January 2014

STINCS- research


stincs-
catch me if you can
    title sequence analysis
         

  Setting
 For the first image the audience see of the title sequence we are given a retro themed cartoon
 of a man being animated. To be moving fast through an airport, this sets the story to be around if not  the beginning of the film maybe around an airport. The man is wearing a suit which connotes that the film is set in America in the mid 50's/60's. As all the men and women are smartly dressed in comparison to todays dress code of people boarding planes as people now tend to dress in a more 'relaxed' manor.













  Theme
The theme of this film is shown to be a deceptive crime thriller, maybe involving Tom Hanks as the detective as this next screenshot displays the character of an undercover agent observing the character who has taken the identity. Of what seems to be a pilot mixing in with crowd, this creates the audience to think such things as... Who is he? Is he on the run from the law? Why is he being watched?










Iconography
The title sequence uses iconography of a New York city taxi cab being chased by what seems to be the law. It shows to the audience that the their will be suspenseful chases throughout the film and it will contain the main roll to be running from the law.











Narrative
The narrative of this title sequence scene is that the, main character is being chased by a detective (Tom Hanks) and that the main character is an identity thief.











Character 
The main three characters shown are Amy Adams, Tom Hanks and leonardo DiCaprio as shown below.

                                                                                                                                                                 














Style
The style of this title sequence is from the world famous artist know Saul Bass who used iconic solutes too show icons of a detective and a man running from the law. It works really well as  it shows the iconic style to a fantastic level.

Codes and conventions for our media title sequence genre

Codes and Conventions of a horror film
Shows the film clips in the title sequence
The use of dark settings
Low angle shots
The use of the protagonist in the shots
The use of CGI to show more gory stuff.
Close up on the protagonist
Builds tension
Slow pace
The use of narrative themes
Point of view shot
The use of young teenage characters
The use of handheld cameras
Always a female victim