Evaluation - Q7 - Between the preliminary task and the final product, what have I learnt and how have I progressed?

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Evaluation - Q6 - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

The first piece of technology I was introduced to when started my media work was Adobe Premier Pro. I first began to use this software when I created my preliminary task. When I first started using it, it was quite difficult to get my head around however after a bit of trial and error I became more confident using the programme as I learnt the basics.  When I started my main task, I already knew the basics but the more and more I used it, the more I learnt. I learnt various things such as; rendering, importing images/sound, editing/cutting, transitions and many more.

This is the Adobe Premier Pro interface. The screen on the top right hand corner is where the film is placed once imported and you can edit on either screen as the screen to the left of it can also be used.
The timeline on the bottom is where all of the imported footage is dragged onto to begin the editing. This is where I cropped the footage down and put it into the order as was planned from our storyboard. To the left of the timeline is where I could select certain footage and decide whether to add transitions and any other special effects. Additionally, above that is where all the footage is imported for me to drop down to the timeline. The bar at the top of the page is where all the options are found. E.g. Rendering and Importing.

The second piece of technology I used was Adobe After Effects. I never used this is my preliminary task as I had no use for it however this was an important piece of software to use for my final opening sequence to my film.
I used this mainly for the logo being created for our production company. At first I did not know how to use it and because the teacher had never used it before I had to use youtube to figure out how to use the programme. The youtube videos were very complex for beginners like myself but after watching a few videos of people creating logos I began to develop an understanding for the software.

As you can see both of the pieces of software look very similar so in fact, it wasn't that hard to get my head around. There were only a few minor differences. One of which being that after effects was mainly aimed at the animations, transitions and whole creating of certain area's of a film e.g. Logo, Titles as oppose to the actual creation of the film.

After Watching a few youtube videos I then managed to create a logo which then was imported to Adobe Premier Pro to put at the start of my film.

This is the logo that I created. The production company is named 'Vortex Productions'. The word vortex relates to black holes which is basically the logo of our company. 

Using Adobe After Affects, I created the logo and created the title with a relatable font but I then got more technical with the software as I made the logo have an effect in which it fades in and then fades out again after a short while. I found the image off the internet however I had to edit it a bit to make the colouring darker to really give it that dark effect.

Most importantly, the piece of technology that I used 100% of the time was of course the Apple iMac. This piece of technology was not new to me as I used it at my previous school so I did have previous experience in using the bit of equipment. So when it came to working the iMac in different ways such as confidently accessing applications, opening new windows and accessing safari etc. I knew exactly how to do it which definitely helped in the production of my film. 

The Apple iMac itself is a very stylish piece of equipment with a big screen which definitely helps when creating films etc. As it is a very creative piece of technology which is better than your standard computer as the use of applications are more compatible to these models but also the quality of the iMacs themselves are fantastic, especially when you can work in high definition (HD). 

Another important piece of technology I had to use in this whole process was indeed, the video camera. The video camera I used was called the 'INSERT WORD HERE'. This was a vital part of the process as without this essential device, the film would not have been produced. Before the preliminary task, I had never used a video camera before (besides a mobile phone camera) and I had a vague idea of how to use it. All I knew was how to actually record footage. After a bit of trial and error with a experienced cameraperson (Jodie Heath - My Film Making Partner) I became to become familiar with how the video camera worked. 

When it came to creating the final product, I began how to do various different things involving the video camera. These things include, zooming in/out, focusing on particular objects/people and also the depth of field. Without learning how to do this, I wouldn't of achieved as good camera shots as I did so this definitely benefited my final film product.

Lastly, the final piece of technology I have used throughout the film making process has of course be blogger. The website of blogger is www.blogger.com. This is where I have been posting everything and anything related to my Media Studies course. Most importantly, this is where I have been uploading everything to do with my film, including the actual video of my final film and preliminary tasks. This also includes all analysis, research and evaluations I have undergone in the whole process.

At first I had never used blogger before. When I created my account, I had no idea how to create posts, embed videos or import any sort of images. However with a bit of guidance my familiarity with the website began to increase to the point where I am extremely confident in how to use it and all things I can do to make a good blog. 

First screen as I log in

Second screen to access my blog posts

Evaluation - Q5 - How did you attract your audience?

How did you attract your audience?

I attracted my audience for my film through various different area's within the film such as the characters used, the theme of the film itself and the topics which have been covered.

The characters used are stereotypical in horror-thriller films. Our main character, the protagonist is a teenage girl. In many other horror-thriller films the female character is often a main character who does end up dying in some way or another. I think this attracts our audience as this appeals to the  horror-thriller film audience by the use of this character. I think because the character in our film does actually end up surviving and with some sort of happy ending, this sort of is a unique selling point as not many horror-thriller films have this sort of ending however I think because of the nature of the film, although she survives people still die which obviously, horror-thriller fans love to see but the fact that she survives and finds out who the character is gives our film an edge over other films therefore attracting our audience in which we aimed to attract.

We also attracted our audience through the topics of our film. The film I produced is about a girl who has a stalker who is watching her every move, murdering those around her and leaving her by last by scaring her. Which leads to her finding out who it is. The topics therefore include being stalked by a mysterious character who nobody knows who it is all film as it could be anyone, even one of her closest friends. The aspect of mystery appeals to most audiences who love the thriller genre and more particularly the mystery thriller aspect with the addition of the horror genre. So the audience we aimed at will find our storyline and topics involved very interesting and more attracted to watching our film.

I also think the name of our film attracts the audience. The name of our film is 'Shadow'. 
The use of the word shadow appeals to our targeted audience as the word shadow itself gives the impression of being followed and constantly behind you watching every move which is our storyline. I think this is thought out cleverly as with a bit of thought our story can be mirrored by the name of our film. Shadow itself can be scary and with that aspect of horror and thriller through the name it particularly does attract our audience we aimed at.

Although our film is very much unique with our stalker being found out, it can also be similar to other successful films in different aspects of what we included.
One aspect may be by the use of pov shots. This is very similar to the film 'Halloween' as the opening is purely a pov shot which gives the audience the suggestion that they are watching the film through someone elses eyes which gives the audience that interaction within our film which may also attract them.

Another film that is similar in some aspects is 'Hide and Seek'. This is not really about a stalker as such but the mysterious character in that film is not unveiled until the end where he is shot dead which is very similar to ours as our antagonistic mysterious character unveiled and also killed at the end. Both of which are not shown on screen (knowing of them being that mysterious character) until the very end.

Evaluation - Q4 - Who would be the audience for your media product?

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my film is the thriller/horror film lover.

Not just that but also the audience age range is between 25-39 meaning we are targeting the young adults/middle aged audience. The use of younger characters however does add to the target audience of teenagers, preferably the older teenagers between the ages of 16-19 due to the graphic images which are in our film.

Additionally in their lifestyle, their favourite sports are mainly boxing and snooker. Boxing for example can be a very violent sport meaning blood can be the end result and can be gory. Therefore because are film is about the violence and the killing of close friends/relatives the fact our audiences favourite sport is boxing helps aid to the fact we know they will like the film.

Also one of their favourite activities is video games. Video games in particular nowadays have amazing graphics and with the violent games out now shows they love the gore and violence meaning they should be attracted to my film.

The personality of our target audiences

The majority of our target audience describe themselves as 'Barmy', 'Easy to talk to' and 'Barmy'.

This shows that they are crazy people who love to have a laugh and love conversation. The fact that our film is a very crazy, all over the place thriller/horror adds to the attraction to our film.

What our target audience likes

- The fact our target audiences favourite films include; Final Destination, Nightmare on elm street and The exorcist. This shows they love the horror and the blood and the gore which is all included in our film meaning they would be very much attracted to my film.

Our target audience are varied people but have clear tastes and likes which we incorporate in our film. E.g. Boxing which shows violence which is also showed within our film. This shows that our film has the likes and wants that the audience want in these films meaning they would like to watch our film therefore our audience is clear and would have been achieved as our target audience.

Evaluation - Q3 - What kind of media institution might distribute your media products and why?

The kind of institution that would want to distribute my film would be by the likes of Warner Bros.
Warner bros are known for making films in similiar genre's to mine a long with other genre's.
The highest grossing horror film in 2014 was 'Annabelle', this was distributed by Warner Bros.
They grossed $84,263,837 by December 2014.

Distributed by Warner Bros however produced by New Line Cinema, Evergreen Media Group, The Safran Company and RatPac-Dune Entertainment. This is a classic example of what would happen if my film were to be distributes. Warner Bros would distribute my film from my production company, Vortex Productions.

Warner Bros would distribute my film as most horror-thriller films are very similar and although mine is quite similar, it has its own unique factors. Because of the massive success of Annabelle and other films they have distributed, mine would be more or just as successful. So companies like Warner Bros are the likely institutions to distribute my media product.

My media product is similar to Annabelle and other popular horror/thriller films as we have incorporated lots of different conventions into our film. These include having the mysteriousness of the unknown character but also the amount of deaths and the gore within the film. This can be similarly associated with various other popularly distributes films. This means that institutions such as Warner Bros will have full confidence in my media product by becoming successful and gaining a lot of money by getting a high gross amount.

Evaluation - Q2 - How does your media product present particular social groups?

Our film, 'Shadow' is a horror/thriller about a girl being stalked whose friends, family and anyone close to her are being killed by this murderer.
Because of the nature of the film and the genre this is situated in I believe particular social groups can be presented through our film.
I think we have done this through the use of characters.

Mollie, who is our main character is a young teenage girl who is living a relatively normal life and has never encountered anything like this in her whole life. The fact she is the one being targeted may be because of her vulnerability. We chose a female character because stereotypically women may be considered to be the weaker sex when it comes to these situations. In the majority of horror/thriller films women are usually vulnerable and in most cases, die. However we decided to make Mollie the protagonist and actually overcome and beat this antagonistic serial killer which may be deemed weird in this genre. The fact Mollie overcomes and beats the situation by finding out who the killer/stalker is shows how strong she is and how determined she is to find the person who is causing so much devastation to her and who is left in her family. So this character in particular represents women in the current day as stereotypically women are weak however this shows that maybe thats not the case so this represents the strength of women as shown through our character in the film.

Also the stalker is also stereotypically a male. Obviously the audience do not find this out until the end as that is how the film is planned out. However the fact the stalker is a male is stereotypical as no-one would expect a stalker who also murders people to be a female as males are stereotypically more aggressive and more known for modern day as more likely to murder or stalk, especially if the victim is a female. This therefore represents males as an aggressive, violent gender who think they will never lose however in the end he does in fact get caught out therefore showing that eventually he will lose. This represents the male gender as this may be the case in most modern day males, by the the fact they may think they will always win, not necessarily the part to do with the murder. The murder is just there to represent males characteristics.

Another social group which is represented through our film is teenagers. In the film most of the characters are teenagers as the film is based around a character who is still at school. Teenagers are stereotyped to be immature, irresponsible people who act without thinking of the consequences first.
In the film, Mollie is a strong character who finds out in the end who is the stalker which shows determination and the strength which shows that the stereotype of immaturity isn't the case in most teenagers its just that certain teenagers do give that representation. However through our film we are showing that there are different types, not all are the same.

So in our film we do present a various range of different social groups in different ways within our film as we present males, females, teenagers etc. This shows we have thought about the characters and what we wanted the audience to think when they watch our final product.

Evaluation - Q1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

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

 

This shot shows we have established a setting. This is the convention of the film as it is an establishing shot meaning our  thriller is being shown.

In this shot there are 2 people meaning this shot is a 2 shot. This is also a wide angle shot which has a partially restricted view. This suggests that perhaps this is someone's point of view meaning this could potentially be pov shot. This causes mystery as if this is a pov shot, the audience want to know who this is. Because of the mystery caused, this is then clear that this film could be a thriller as that is one of the main conventions that we have included.

In this shot, it is a medium shot. This includes one of the female characters from the previous shot close up as she opens up her locker. This shot creates an enigma as to what is in the locker, as it is yet still undiscovered. This creates even more mystery which would've progressed from the previous shot resulting in clear conventions of a thriller film.

This shot is a long shot and a high angle shot which has the CCTV effect added onto it. This adds to the fact of being watched but also within the shot itself, it is very slow and jumpy which makes the CCTV shot itself seem even more realistic.

This is an over the shoulder shot of the character shown in the previous shots in which she is holding a note. The note shows its importance very well in this shot as the fact the note is in the centre of the camera means that the audience are immediately drawn to the note and when they read 'I'm watching you', it gives an aspect of creepiness and mysteriousness, both of which are key conventions in making a successful thriller film.

This shot is a medium close up of the character after she had seen the note, this is so the audience can see the characters facial expression after seeing the note to see how she would've reacted.

This next shot shows the character throwing the piece of paper in the bin. This also shows that her reaction is more of maybe somebody's messing around and thinks nothing of it. The shot itself is a medium long shot but also a wide shot. This is because it is reasonably further away but also wide as a lot of the background is shown within this shot. Also what you do not see from a screenshot is that the camera actually pans which shows the movement of the character.

This shot is a long shot as you can see the whole body of the person in the shot but also quite a lot of the background. This is so the audience can establish the new environment and this would be the first change of scene.  It is also a wide shot so as much as the background as possible is included within the shot.

This shot is a medium long shot of the character as you can see more than the waist upwards meaning its not a mid shot however this shot also shows quite a lot of the background which shows a wide shot which may suggest that the character in the shot is in her house. Also the shot focuses on the girl but also the note making them centre shot. The fact the scrunched up note had reappeared at the characters house causes an enigma for the audience as they would be thinking, 'who put the note there' and 'how did it get there'.

This shot is a big close up of the character. We incorporated this shot to show the emotions on the characters face after she revealed the scrunched up note only to be scrunched up in her house. Her face suggests her being frightened but also confusion as to how the note got there.

The next shot changes the scene so the fact we started out with a long shot sets the scene. You can now see that it is the next day as what looks to be a school as they are wearing uniforms. The shot shows the two original characters from the start of the film together talking and shows them having a conversation.

These 3 combines shots include various shots, with the most obvious being that it is a shot reverse shot. The shot reverse shot is mainly configured when two or more characters are having a conversation so that you can see the talking characters face but also part of the other character to show that it is that character they are speaking to. Also with the shots there are over the shoulder shots which also add to the conversation outline from the shot reverse shot. Additionally the fact the main character has the scrunched up note in her hand suggests she is speaking about the incident and is seeking advice and the facial expressions tell the story. The main character looks confused however the friend looks like she's trying to help but looks as though she is telling her it's not a big deal and just someone playing a prank.

The next shot is a close up of the characters face to show the emotion and facial expressions. In this shot the character looks confused but a bit more cheery by the advice her friend has just gave her. So by the use of the shot, feelings can be shown.

The next shot shows the two characters walking off as it appears to be the main characters bag has gone missing. The shot itself is a long shot as it is including the whole of both the characters body but also establishes the background scenery. The walking off shows determination to get the bag back.

The next shot shows a pov of one of the characters views. You can immediately see the bag on the floor which tells the audience that maybe it had been stolen or maybe something has been taken.



Start by explaining how you have followed the forms and conventions of the genre you have worked in. Make links between your work and existing films and explin how they have influenced decisions.

Go on to discuss how you revised or altered the production thruoghout the process.

Explain how you have challenged the conventions or developed the genre in a new way 

THis could be an audio commnterya in addition to a written blog post. 

Final Film

Risk Assessments (Task 10)

What is a risk assessment?

A risk assessment is a process of evaluating the potential risks that may be involved in a projected activity or undertaking. It’s a big step in protecting workers and business as well as following the law. For most, this means simple, cheap and effective measures to ensure your workforce is protected. Risk assessment in the film industry complies with their legal duties to eliminate or reduce risk from their work. These include:

·      Defining responsibilities and duties,

·      Have a system for managing health and safety,

·      Assess and manage risks,

·      Regularly review the process and procedures for managing risk.

Why have a risk assessment?

       If an incident should occur on set of making your film that leaves someone that you have working for you injured mentally or physically it can mean that you could personally be fined or even potentially go to prison because of it! Where as if you have a risk assessment in means that you have taken into consideration everything that could go wrong and write up how you would plan to resolve them so that no one got injured.

Who uses a risk assessment?

The producer is the main person to use a risk assessment as they are the ones who actually produce it. They use it to analyse the risks that may occur within the filming of the film.

Risk Assessment

Hazards:

·      Slips and Trips

·      Fall down the stairs

Who might be harmed and how

·      Actors and crew may be injured if they trip over objects or slip on spillages

·      Actors and crew might fall down stairs as filming is in low key lighting – may not see where they are going

What to do to manage the risk?

·      Be careful with spillages and keep wires and objects out of the way to reduce the risk of tripping over.

·      Have a handrail on the stairs, or use a extra light so you can see where your going.

Film Progress Post

Once we recorded all of the footage of our film, we began to edit on a programme called, 'Adobe Premier Pro'.

This was a completely new programme for me to use so of course at first I didn't have a clue of how to use it.

After a bit of trial and error, I became more knowledgable of how to use the programme.
First of all we imported all of our recordings which was relatively easy but then we began to drag our video's down which is when we cut certain parts and tried to fit them together to make the beginning of our film. We had to do this by making the shots blend in and not look as if we have just put shots together for the sake of it.

This is when I became comfortable using the programme and confident in my abilities to make our film good enough as a first cut. Obviously we will have to edit more and possibly get new shots but that is all in improving what we have already got but when it comes to using this programme, I know the majority of the tools on there with a few exceptions of tools I do not know and quite possibly will never use. It all depends on whether that tool in particular will help us when editing.

Title Sequences

These are some of the titles for the thriller film, SE7EN.
I in particularly like the fact they look like they have been cut in to the image.

This font is really ragged and generally small compared to most other film titles in the industry within the same similar genre.

This font or something similar would work perfectly with our film as our film is a thriller/horror and and this font looks scary. Any other font, for example, Times New Roman is a very olden styled font which would mainly be used in historical older films but ours is meant to be a scary, mysterious opening to get the audience immediately on the edge of their seats and I believe that the font shown in the pictures above for the film 'SE7EN' really shows that.

Also the colouring they have used shows conventions of the thriller genre and the horror genre. The black background is dark and connotes that dark is to come and evil may be within which is a very good thing to incorporate into or film of this genre. So the font in particular to the colour of the background and titles really helps the film show that this is a thriller/horror film and starts the movie off with a bang.