Final Post

Dear Diary,

This project has intoduced me well into the media A-level course and I have experienced and learnt lots of new things. I found things difficult and callenging at times but have been able to overcome these problems and create a resolution.
Before this project I had no idea how much planning, thinking and effort went into creating a film and now I understand that the process is long and there's many elements that you have to think about that I never would have known before.

Evaluation Question 7 - Looking back at your preliminary task, what have you learnt in the progression from that to the final product?

Evaluation Question 6 - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

For our main product I have learnt how to use my camera to create the best photos and videos. The camera was a Canon EOS 100D which made our shots better quality than the one we used for the preliminary task. We started off filming our test shots using an iPhone and thought that we might film this for our main task but when put onto computers we found that there was a black border round the side. We then decided to use the canon camera as we thought this would look best when put onto the computers.



We used iMovie to edit our opening together, this worked best for our product as it was relatively easy to use and also had all the features we needed to create a low budget film. If we were to use software such as movie maker we wouldn’t have been able to edit the music in that programme and would have had to use a variety of different software that we didn’t have. We could do everything we needed to in that one software which really helped us as we had never really used editing software before. We did face some difficulties such as we imported the music into the video so we couldn’t edit it and then had to delete that and start again so the music was exactly how we wanted it.

We used YouTube to upload our videos and this sometimes turned out to cause problems also, this may be because the internet was down or YouTube was blocked so we couldn’t access it and just made everything take a little longer than planned.

Another difficulty we had was learning to use the camera, at first we used autofocus throughout our recording process and then realised that half of our footage wasn’t in focus and was unusable. We the decided to use manual focus for all shots as this allowed us to control what we were filming and wasn’t constantly going in and out of focus. This also stopped the noise of the camera when it autofocus which meant that we couldn’t have the ambient sounds we wanted as you could only hear the camera.

We also could not include certain shots we wanted to due to our low budget and lack of contacts, for example we wanted to include an aerial shot at the beginning however this was not something that we were able to do.

We found that for the last couple of shots we filmed the camera died which meant that we had to re schedule another day to film which made the whole process very time consuming and we couldn’t finish editing when we wanted to.

Another limitation we faced was that because our film was low budget we had to improvise with the lighting as when we reached some of our locations we realised that it was too dark and you couldn’t make out what was being filmed. We did have lights we could have used, however due to our location this was not ideal as they were too big and heavy to carry everywhere.

When we first started this project we thought that it would take a short amount of time to complete, we then found that this was not the fact and we had to re-film multiple times which was a very long process. This was only for the opening of a film so now I understand that just the filming process of creating this type of product takes a long time and that they then have to edit which is why it takes so long to create a film.

Evaluation Question 5 - How did you address/attract your audience?

Evaluation Question 4 - Who would be the audience for your media product?

Evaluation Question 3 - What kind of media institution might distribute your product and why?

easel.ly

Evaluation Question 2 - How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Evaluation Question 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Question 1 from jessbaker90

Institution Research

http://www.slideshare.net/JessBaker6/institution-research-61118171

Halloween (1978) Opening Analysis Research

The film 'Halloween' is a famous 1970's thriller/horror which was very successul and is very well known.There seems to be a slight focus on the pumpkin used on the porch as it is the first thing we see when the titles finish and the film starts to play, so we know that this was intentially placed as part of the mise en scene to highlight the storyline for the film and creating the theme of the film to be set around Halloween, which the audience already knew due to the title.

The first shot used is a pov shot that pans around the house towards a window showing two characters who are in a relationship. The character observing is hiden away in the bushes and is ducking down so they're not seen. This makes the audience aware that there is an unknown character the could potentially cause threat in this film and makes them wonder what realy is going on and what is this character going to do.

This is a continuous shot that happens through the opening to show off the actions of this character and aware the audience this would be a main character in the film and maybe one to look out for. As the scene goes on the audience becomes more uncomfortable with the stalker theme that's being played before them and have predicted that something violent or disturbing is going to happen. The only sound heard is digetic ambient sounds of crickets which adds to the suspence as it makes out that someone unknown at this point is creeping up to the house. 

As the unknown character begins to make their way through the house the lighting is noticably dark and leads the audience to continue to believe that this character is out of place and shouldn't be ther which is why they are lurking in the shadows, The non-diegetic music that corresponds with this confirms to the audience that this character may be bad and something about this character seems odd. This enhances the audeinces discomfort and makes them feel different from this character and almost treat him as an outcast.

Now the light has changed to a brighter tone as we see the character oull out the knife. The camera is still in a point of view shot making the audience feel like they are in this characters body and have no control over the actions he is about to make. When the charcter pulls out the knife the music changes to become tenser adding an atmosphere of suspence.

Because of what we are seeing we are to assume that this person is a creepy violent character

Final Opening Sequence

This is my final product of an opening sequence, I believe that we have successfully followed our ideas throughout the process of making this opening and used feedback from our target audience to improve the product each time. I think that we used a range of camera shots that highlighted the genre we were trying to fit and also used fonts and titles to express the theme well. However, we did come across so difficulties through our filming and editing process but we managed to get past this in order to complete our opening. 

Production Schedule

Date	Time	Location	Props & Equipment	Shots
6th February	Between 12 – 1 PM	Odeon Cinema, Epsom	N/A	Wide shot / canted angle – actors both leaving the cinema and going separate ways Medium shot – female character walking away from the cinema
6th February	Between 12 – 1 PM	Outside of Odeon Cinema, Alleyway Epsom	N/A	Medium shot – female character is walking into the alleyway Wide shot – POV shot from behind the character Wide shot – front shot of the character as she walks
7th February	After 6:30PM	Kiln Lane, Epsom	N/A	Medium / wide shot – female character trapped in car Close up – as the character removes the tape from her mouth

Location Reece 2

Location to be used: Date of when location is needed: Time of when location is needed:	>Kiln Lane, Epsom and Odeon cinema Epsom >6th and 7th February > Afternoon and night Before and after 6:30PM (Not many people around and it’s dark)	>We can use another car park near by >Chose a different date
Do you need permission to record/photograph in this location? Who will you need to contact?	>No we don’t need permission	>Choose a different car park and cinema
Will the levels of noise cause a problem? If so, how will you overcome this?	The level of noise will only be a problem if there are lots of people out in the street next to the car park. This shouldn’t be too much of a problem as the shops shut in the evening so there won’t be many people about. As for the cinema scene, it shouldn’t be a problem as the sound will be taken out to be replaced with music.	>If there is too much noise then we can either edit the sound after which will be done regardless as we are adding on music or choose another day to film.
Is the level of lighting suitable?	>Yes	>If something changes and the lighting doesn’t become suitable we can edit the lighting later on.
If inside, are the Emergency exits clearly visible and available? Is Emergency equipment provided?	>No because it’s outside >There isn’t emergency equipment but if we don’t have the equipment it won’t be hard to carry on without it.	>We can use the light from our phones if the lighting isn’t suitable or edit later on. >We all have cameras on our phones we can film with if the camera we are planning to use isn’t accessible
Is there public transport easily available to you?	>Yes we can easily get a bus or train to the location >We are using a car so we get there in that	>If strikes occur or roads are cut off we can rearrange the day >If the car breaks down we can use public transport

Actor Release Form

We produced a document for the actors to sign to confirm that they are aware that the clip they are being filmed for will be put on the internet and are happy about this. There was a separate document with all the terms and conditions on that they read through before signing.

We then gave the actors the document for them to sign so we had permission for the footage to be uploaded to the internet. 

Feedback for Draft 2

We got a target audience together and showed them our second draft to recieve feedback to then make further improvements:

• Add some found footage at the start of a city scene – moving in on a car park (Ariel shot)
• Re-shot the car park ceiling (needs more light)
• Have parallel scenes of what the boy was doing – use the pulse transition with jump cuts x2
• POV shots
• Over the shoulder shot (Attempt a whip pan)
• More close ups 
• More interesting than the last opening

Second Draft for the Opening

This is the second draft for our opening and we have slightly changed the plot so that it is more exciting and tried to captivate the audience from the beginning. We tried to use the effect of slow motion to assist setting the scene however it didn't work to well as the camera was shaking. We also hadn't adjusted the brightness and edited completely so the video is too dark and some shots aren't easy to make out. We will re-film this part with more thought put into the lighting and clearer shots. Also we failed to add sound and lighting due to the fact that we were unsure whether to completely re-film the whole thing which is now what we've chosen to do. This opening is much shorter than the previous one we created due to the fact we were trying to re-create the opening from P2 which is quite short. When we next film we will create more of a story to go with this part similar to P2.       

P2 Opening Analysis Research

We decided to re-film our opening and base it slightly on the opening for the film P2. P2 starts off by showing the audience the setting

Titles of The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Analysis Research

The opening for The Silence of the Lambs starts with a woman running through an obsticle course in the woods and the titles appear over the video played. They are bold and stand out due to the white outline on each letter.

Audience Research of Opening Sequence

We showed our first draft to a target audience who gave us some feedback;

• Titles were to quick and needed to change position around the video, maybe coming from different angles to fit the screen.
• Find a different font for the titles to match the genre better and the one used is distracting
• It takes too long for something to happen 
• Boring
• Don't show the face of the boy, he doesn't look threatening 
• Include more genre conventions
• Use different sounds
• Add ambient sounds
• Use transitions (blink)
• Add more footage thatis different - don't just follow the girl around 

Titles of Black Swan (2010) Research

The opening of this film starts with calm music that fits with the fading of the titles being shown. This creates the atmosphere of relaxation and composure. The black against the white shows contrast which is then highlighted in the film later on with conflict between the black and white swan characters, that contradicts that calming atmosphere shown through the credits. The text fades in and out which helps create a soothing atmosphere as there is no sharp jumps where the text appears on screen, it is all consistent and tranquil. 

The font used looks like Trajan, this is so it gives off a formal tone to the film this is also shown in the way in which it is a serif font creating a classy attitude. As the title sequence comes to an end the main title 'Black Swan' comes into view in a much bigger size than the rest of the titles, this is used to create a slow and mysterious feeling to the film.  

Titles Of Pulp Fiction (1994) Analysis

The film 'Pulp Fiction' opens with two people who seem to be a couple talking in a restaurant this takes place before the titles are seen, lasts about 4 minutes and gives the audience a bit of a story to captivate their attention as the credits are extremely long. From this conversation you already know the theme of the film which then the titles support.

The first sign of titles appear just as the action is about to start and creates a freeze frame of the imagry being shown. Bright yellow titles appear in the Benguiat font that is used for every title seen in the next two minutes. This style font and colour suggests that the film is going to contain action but also makes it out that it may be quite comedic with the bold colours. The style of the titles is iconic and would then always be associated with this film.

They've included big names such as Quentin Tarantino to immediatly aware the audience who this film is made by and what to expect as most people will know of his previous work. The audience already will want to continue watching so because of this they can make the opening elogate to include all titles at the beginning. 

The main titles fly in from the bottom of the screen and its the recognisable style text used on the posters for the film. This style font is then continued to be used throughout the whole film making it consistant and then related to the film constantly. The bright colour of yellow links with energy so the audience will assume the film is likely to be faced paced and exciting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKGnUd6D6Pg

Audience Research - Momento Opening

I decided to look at the opening of the film 'Momento' and ask some people thought to be the target audience some questions about it. 

My Notes: 

• Bright blue titles - stand out, shown slowly and links with the slow calming music being played
• Titles over image shown - want them to be noticed 
• Can slowly start to tell that the film is being reversed as the picture fades
• Continuous non-diegetic music
• Titles stop as you need to focus on the film more
• Audience: Mainstream plus
• Intended to make the audience want to continue to find out why there was a death at the beginning in the first few minutes

Audience Response:

• It creates an enigma 
• The titles are too centred and should move position
• Was clear of the famous people who are in the film so that the audience carries on watches to see these people and laid expectations e.g. The Nolan Brothers
• The titles seemed to be the main focus for the opening which didn't make the audience interested 
• The storyline seems different to other films and seems experimental
• It does look quite interesting/unique

Opening Sequence Draft 1

Lighting and Sound Test

For the first part of our opening we needed an inside stair case that led to the outide car park. There is barley any sound that can be heard apart from the closing and opening of doors and footsteps. When we film our final opening if there is any unessasary sound heard we can edit it out later on. The light is good for our film opening as it's bright so that there is a big obvious contrast in lighting between locations.

For the next part of the opening, it is set outside on the top floor of the car park. There is ambient sound but we will edit that out once we have finished filming, there will also be music over the top so it won't be heard. The lighting is dark and fits our theme, however the camera we used doesn't prodice good quality footage in this lighting so we might have to change camera for this section of the opening.

Production Schedule

Date	Time	Location	Props & Equipment	Shots
30th December	6:30PM	Kingston Bentalls Car Park – Stairs Level 12-11	Shopping bags Camera	High angled shot – woman walking up the stairs Wide shot – she turns to go up the next set Close up – feet walking up the stairs Mid shot – opens the doors to the lift area of the car park
30th December	7:30PM	Kingston Bentalls Car Park – Lift area	Shopping Bags Camera	Match on action – walking through the other side of the doors Close up -the lift opens Close up – mans face Over the shoulder shot – man watching a woman through the doors
11th January	7PM	Kingston Bentalls Car Park – Level 12 outside	Shopping bags Camera Car	Long shot – woman getting into her car Over the shoulder shot – man watching the woman get into the car

Shot List

Shot No	Date/Time/Location	Characters and Props	Equipment needed	Description of shot	Contingency plan
1.       Gracie film logo	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2.      Mid shot, high angle	Date: 11/01/16 Time: After 06:30 pm Location: Kingston Car Park B – Level 11 and 12	Character 1: Woman (Rhianna) carrying a handbag and plastic bag	Camera, props (plastic bag)	Woman walks up stairs and turns to the next set	If one character can’t attend, record without as only one character needed
3.      Wide shot	Date: 11/01/16 Time: After 06:30pm Location: Kingston Car Park B – Level 12	Character 1: Woman (Rhianna)	Camera, props (plastic bag)	Continued walking Sound: ambient sound of footsteps	If characters are unable to attend, members of group can stand in
4.      Close up, side shot	Date: 11/01/16 Time: After 06:30pm Location: Kingston Car Park B – Level 12	Character 1: Woman (Rhianna)	Camera, props (plastic bag)	Close up of the stairs as her feet are walking down	If characters are unable to attend, members of group can stand in
5.      Mid shot	Date: 11/01/16 Time: After 06:30pm Location: Kingston Car Park B – Level 12	Character 1: Woman (Rhianna)	Camera, props (plastic bag)	The woman is opening the doors that go outside towards the top level of the car park	Check the weather forecast as the location is the top outside level of the car park
6.      Front view, long shot	Date: 11/01/16 Time: After 06:30pm Location: Kingston Car Park B – Level 12	Character 1: Woman (Rhianna)	Camera, props (plastic bag)	The woman is walking outside	If the camera dies, to start filming on an iPhone from where it was caught from
7.      Close up	Date: 11/01/16 Time: After 06:30pm Location: Kingston Car Park B – Level 12	Character 2: Stalker (Ross)	Camera	Close up of the man’s face to introduce him	If one of the actors has to leave, to include a member of the group into the opening to then be able to re film with the actor
8.      Over the shoulder shot	Date: 11/01/16 Time: After 06:30pm Location: Kingston Car Park B – Level 12	Character 1: Woman (Rhianna) Character 2: Stalker (Ross)	Camera, props (plastic bag)	The stalker watching the woman as she approaches her car	Check the weather forecast as the location is the top outside level of the car park
9.      Long shot	Date: 11/01/16 Time: After 06:30pm Location: Kingston Car Park B – Level 12	Character 1: Woman (Rhianna)	Camera, props (plastic bag), car and car keys	The woman is unlocking her car	If the car level is busy, to either find a deserted level or reschedule on a less busy day
10.   Long shot	Date: 11/01/16 Time: After 06:30pm Location: Kingston Car Park B – Level 12	Character 1: Woman (Rhianna) Character 2: Stalker (Ross)	Camera, props (plastic bag), car and car keys	The woman is about to get into her car and in the background the stalker is watching her	If one of the actors has to leave, to include a member of the group into the opening to then be able to re film with the actor
11.    Close up	Date: 11/01/16 Time: After 06:30pm Location: Kingston Car Park B – Level 12	Character 1: Woman (Rhianna)	Camera, props (plastic bag), car and car keys	The woman is getting into her car	If one of the actors has to leave, to include a member of the group into the opening to then be able to re film with the actor