Evaluation - Question 7

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

Our preliminary task was filmed back in October, the beginning of the school year, when me and my group had very little knowledge of film making. My GCSE Media Studies course did not focus on digital media so everything was very new to me. My knowledge and understanding of the filming and editing processes has developed greatly and I now feel much more confident. Our development as a group is evident when comparing our preliminary task to our finished film opening.

Before we started filming our preliminary task, we were taught three basic shots to include in our short video. These shots were the 180-degree rule, match on action and shot/reverse shot. I understand why these three shots were prioritised as they ensure the video is continuous, without any noticeable editing mistakes. During the editing process of the preliminary task, we noticed that we had not properly followed the 180-degree rule. The mistake meant that eye lines didn't always match up, causing disorientation. Having noticed this and the effect it has on the viewer, we were extra careful that we complied with the rule when filming our final media product. The importance of these key shots paved the way for a discussion regarding other camera shots. We took great consideration when deciding the shots we would use in our film opening, noting what it may connote and what effect it has on the audience.

We learned a lot about editing during this entire process. For our preliminary task, Ellie edited the video on iMovie - software she was very familiar with. We knew that iMovie did not have a wide range of effects or filters, which was okay as our preliminary task did not require complex editing. The complexity of our edits changed hugely in the progression from our preliminary task to our film opening. We used Final Cut Express to edit our final media product, despite none of us being completely familiar with the software. This decision was made due to the wide range of effects and filters that Final Cut Express offers; we believed using these would better communicate the tone and atmosphere we wanted. I quickly learned how to perform various tasks on the software, such as using colour correction on various clips - something that is not available on software like iMovie. Altering the colour and light levels of our clips made a huge difference to the overall feel of our film opening. It created a much more intense and eerie atmosphere. After editing our film opening on Final Cut Express, we opened it in iMovie to add the credit titles. This was because Final Cut Express did not have a wide enough range of titles for us to choose from. At the beginning of the year, I was completely bewildered by various editing softwares. However, after spending a lot of time on both Final Cut Pro and iMovie, I now feel much more confident and would be more than happy to use them again. 

Our preliminary task did not have include any sound effects or music. The sounds in the video are all straight from the video clip, meaning they are not as clear as they could be. This meant that adding both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds to our film opening was an entirely new concept to us. To do this, we used GarageBand. At the beginning of the editing process, I was completely unfamiliar with this software but it was very easy to learn as it has a simple layout. Our film opening demonstrates our clear understanding of the software as we have layered pieces of music and foley sounds. Having spent a lot of time on GarageBand working on the sound for our film opening, I feel confident in the fact that I could use it again with ease.

During the editing process of our preliminary task, we noticed another mistake: unwanted people in the background of our shots. Noticing this made us much more aware of who is in the frame at all times and encouraged us to pay greater attention when recording our film opening. I am thankful for this mistake, as it allowed us to avoid it in our final product and in any future filmmaking projects I may take part in.

The research process leading up to the filming and editing of our film opening taught us a lot about film making. We gained important skills, such as paying attention to finer details, and we learned a lot about the filming and editing processes. Before this course, I had a very limited knowledge on how to use software such as Final Cut Express and GarageBand. This process also encouraged us to consider our audience - something we did not do when creating our preliminary task. In doing so, it meant that our film opening would appeal to our audience and use, develop, and challenge conventions that they would expect. To conclude, I am glad we did so much research as we lead up to filming and editing our film opening. The preliminary task acted as an experiment and highlighted areas we needed to pay greater attention to. Throughout the process, we have learned a great deal about filmmaking and, as a result, we have a successful final product that would appeal to a real life audience.

Evaluation - Question 6

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

At the beginning of the year, I was required to use Photoshop in order to create the logo of my film company. Having taken GCSE Media Studies last year, I had a brief understanding of the basic tools and functions. Despite this, there were a few areas I was unsure of so I used YouTube to search on-line tutorials. 

 

Another form of technology I used throughout this process was Prezi, an online presentation website. I had never used this website before but I found it very simple to use and it allowed me to display information in a more interesting way.

I first used Prezi when looking into the three key angles that were necessary for our preliminary task. Throughout the process of creating my media product, I found myself using Prezi a lot as a way of displaying my research. Prezi has many features that makes it an effective way of presenting my work. It allows you to embed videos and pictures as well as sound clips if necessary. My understanding grew rapidly the more I used the website. Below is a screenshot of a few of the presentations I have created with Prezi. To view these, they are embedded in their respective blog post.

When researching my audience, I used SurveyNuts. SurveyNuts is an on-line software that allows users to quickly and easily make their own on-line survey. It also collates the results into easy-to-read data which sped up my research process. Using SurveyNuts, I got an insight of what my audience both like and dislike in films. This meant that I could adapt my own film opening to appeal to a wider audience. I posted a link to my survey on various social media accounts as this allowed me to reach more people, thus making the data more representative. 

As I edited our film opening, I had to get to grips with the editing software Final Cut Express very quickly. I had never used this software before so YouTube was extremely helpful for times when I wasn't sure how to do or use something. Final Cut Express was very useful in the editing process of our film opening as it had lots of different tools that other software did not, for example: the colour correction filters. The colour correction filters were crucial as they allowed me to further the tone and atmosphere that we had sought out to create. 

Originally, we were going to use iMovie as we would have access to this at home. However if we had done so, we would not have been able to use some of the effects we used (i.e. "Blink") which would have compromised the overall look and feel of our media product.

To create the soundtrack for our film opening, we used GarageBand. I had never used this before, but it did not take long to learn the basics. This software allowed us to incorporate foley sound effects as well as backing music, which worked together to create atmosphere while still maintaining a sense of realism.

One piece of technology that was fundamental for our media product is YouTube. As previously mentioned, it was incredibly useful when searching for tutorials. Additionally, it is the platform we used to upload both our preliminary task and our final film opening. Although I do have a YouTube account, I had never gone through the process of uploading and processing a video. Doing so was very simple though as the website is easy to navigate. YouTube also allows you to embed videos, which made the process of putting the videos on to my blog fuss-free. 

Blogger also played a huge part in this process. Although it may have been easier for me to have chosen Tumblr as the platform for my blog (as I have a personal account), I didn't think it had the same sense of professionalism that Blogger does. At the beginning of the year, I was unfamiliar with Blogger as I had never used it before. Despite this, I learned very quickly as it is a very simple website that has many helpful features. Blogger allows you to easily embed pictures and videos, format your text, and give your posts 'labels' to ensure easy navigation. These features allowed me to present my work and research together, making it seamless. Setting up my blog was very easy and the range of ready made templates meant that I did not have to fuss around with lots of settings. 

Evaluation - Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

Our film opening immediately intrigues the audience as the establishing shot sets the scene. It is clear that it is in the woods, and would attract a common horror film viewer as this is a typical setting for a film of this genre. The opening then continues to a shot of a sign that reads "AREA UNDER SURVEILLANCE". This would also attract and engage our audience as it gives the impression that somebody is being watched. The shots maintain a sense of mystery, meaning the audience would want to continue watching to find out how the plot will unfold.

The next shot is a tracking shot of our protagonist walking down the dark lane. This continues to engage the audience as they wonder where she is going and also begin to worry for her safety. The age of our character is very similar to that of our target audience (16-20 year olds), thus allowing the audience to relate to her and, effectively, the film as a whole.

Our target audience would have watched horror films prior to watching our film, meaning they would be aware of various conventions and what they connote. In our film opening, there is a shot that brings emphasis to the dark clothes our antagonist is wearing. Our audience would be aware that this is a connotation of her dark personality and may be hinting about what is to come. This would address our audience directly as those that are new to the horror genre may not be aware of this implication. It would also continue to attract our audience as they await for the inevitable to happen. The camera slowly pans down the antagonist's arm and focuses on the weapon. The shot is a close up to further increase the intensity of this scene. As our target audience are likely to be thrill seekers, the thought of a potentially dangerous character will keep them interested in our film. It also reinforces the idea that something bad is about to happen which keeps the audience on their toes. The end of this shot shows the protagonist in the distance. It is clear that she doesn't know there is somebody behind her and thus creates tension and a wary atmosphere. This ties back in with the "AREA UNDER SURVEILLANCE" sign, as the audience are now aware who is watching and begin to empathise with the protagonist. As the audience would be similar age to her, they can imagine themselves in the situation which creates a haunting sense of realism. During my audience research, many respondents said that a film opening had to be interesting and gripping. I sought out to reflect this in my opening shots and believe I have succeeded in doing so.

The camera then shows the antagonist beginning to walk, making it evident that she is following the girl down the lane. Here, we framed the antagonist in a way that did not fully reveal her identity. This keeps a sense of mystery and maintains the audience's excitement to find out who it is. 

The tracking shots of our victim indirectly show the setting. We wanted our setting to be representative of real life so that our audience would relate. Every day settings and costumes appeal to our audience as it allows them to relate it to their own lives. Our protagonist is wearing earphones, which is representative of our audience: young people who are up to date on the latest trends and technologies. This also reinforces the fact she is unaware somebody is following her. Many young people, including our audience, wear earphones in public very often. This means that the audience are likely to think about our film when they do so, creating a sense of paranoia and making our film memorable. 

Here, we addressed our audience while maintaining the tense atmosphere. We used clips of the antagonist's footsteps intermittently to reinforce the audience's understanding that she is following the girl. This keeps our audience focused on what is to come as the tension builds.

To further enhance the realistic atmosphere of our film, we used regular costumes for our characters to appeal to our audience. The colours also connote various messages - all of which our audience would be fully aware of.

Evaluation - Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Evaluation - Question 3

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Evaluation - Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

When planning our opening sequence, me and my group discussed casting and who would be most appropriate to play certain roles within our film. We prioritised casting our antagonist as the killer plays a vital role in our film opening. It also meant that we could develop a back story for our antagonist and fit the plot and the other characters around this. Initially, we thought about following conventions of the horror genre by casting a male as the antagonist. This is typical of many horror films as they are traditionally thought to be more powerful and dominating. However,I realised that many of the horror films I have watched and found interesting had a female antagonist. We then decided to challenge this convention and inverted the typical female stereotype. As a group, we chose Kayleigh to play the role of our antagonist as she enjoys acting. She also owns appropriate clothing for the role and has dark hair, further connoting the darkness of her character's personality.

The antagonist of Orphan (2009) is a seemingly young girl named Esther. She appears very innocent, wearing her hair in lace bows. However, she also dresses in very dark colours - something atypical of a girl her age. This creates the impression that something is not quite right and suggests a darkness in her personality. Upon first thoughts, you would assume there is nothing unusual due to the every day clothing (despite the unusually dark colour palette). This sense of false security something I wanted to replicate in my film opening.

Esther is a powerful character who steadily instils fear into all of those around her. Orphan is one of the few films that challenge the traditional view of men being strong and holding all of the power. This is something I would like to incorporate into our film opening as I believe it makes for a far more interesting plot, thus making the film more memorable.

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Next, we decided to cast Ellie as the victim in our film opening. Upon research, I found that it is most typical for the victim to be stereotypically feminine and vulnerable. We decided to follow this convention to make it very obvious who the victim will be from the outset of our film opening. Ellie also owned suitable clothing for this character.

                             

                                               

The protagonist ("Nina") of Black Swan (2010) also follows the same brief of being feminine and innocent, which is why my group used her as a template for our own character. Nina wears lots of white, further connoting her innocence, which inspired us to do the same for Ellie's character.

    

Our two characters are very different and casting them both as females presents a contrasting representation of women. It is uncommon for a woman to be portrayed as the callous killer that is our antagonist, but we have challenged this norm to make for a more interesting film opening. We followed the convention of portraying women as weak to show diversity. In conclusion, I believe we have represented a social group in a very interesting way that will make our film opening stand out. We have challenged and complied with the horror genre conventions to not only represent the vulnerable side that is expected of women, but also to showcase their underestimated dominance.

Evaluation - Question 1

 

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