Kim's Evaluation Questions

Kim wrote:

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

Our task was to create the opening two minutes of a thriller film and in order to do this we have based our final product on actual existing films of that genre. We decided that to make it more interesting from an audience perspective that the story should be told in a way that is straightforward to understand but at the same time interesting and unexpected. The codes and conventions of a thriller are a beginning, a middle and an end in which a story is told. It usually begins with a mystery, the middle usual includes lots of things happening to the characters and an ending in which usually everything gets sorted and is all better again.









There is also certain mise en scene that comes with the genre of thriller; accompanying music which always adds to the atmosphere and tension. Throughout our product we stuck to the typical codes and conventions of a thriller because we knew that these helped to make other films popular so we decided that it would be fool proof and beneficial in the long run, which it was because it meant we were able to start working right away with the knowledge of what we wanted to achieve and this allowed us to set out our own personal goals and deadlines which we managed to stick to. When watching our product we wanted viewers to be able to relate to films
such as ‘The Ring’ and ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ and the ways their story lines are presented. We particularly wanted to leave the audience in suspense so that they would come and watch the whole thing if they could. To do this we had to ensure that the external music and titles fitted with the desired genre of thriller and internally that we used different shots in order to exaggerate the mood of the film.

2) How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Our media product is a thriller and it the storyline is about teenagers who go through lots of difficulties and find it hard coping with things that others would find easy, and the way that they deal with these difficulties. We use the different mise en scene that we felt was vital to making the storyline believable and so that it would have the desired effect on the viewers.
A typical thriller always has a dark, spooky and mysterious looking outdoor location at some point throughout the film, as illustrated in this photo from 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'.

With regards to editing we focused on using different shots during scenes with different characters with the hope that if we had used no other mise en scene whatsoever that the audience would be able to decipher which character was which with ease. Also we used certain musical accompaniment that changed during the course of our product on its own accord which really emphasised the different emotions felt by the two main characters as heard in the musical extract below.



We also made sure that we used self explanatory and stereotypical costumes eg. our murderer was wearing dark clothes and had dark hair which added mystery and spookiness to him, whilst our character who was murdered wore light simple clothes which contrasted to the murderers, thus showing that they were completely different and unattached, and the clothes again helped to portray the emotions felt by them.







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

After watching the opening of numerous thrillers, I would say that we would aim our film at 20Th Century Fox and Warner Brothers because it seems to be that they produce and distribute lots of films with horror and thriller genres. I also think that some people just watch films that are produced by certain companies so if they were produced by these companies then those sorts of people would be likely to watch it too, whether they knew that they were going to like it or not. Also, some people watch films that have actors in that they like, so by having a variety of different actors in their films they are bound to attract a wider audience. Research shows that 20Th Century Fox has made more films of the 'thriller' genre, mainly because that cooperation has existed for longer.

4) Who would be the audience for your media product?

The targeted audience for our media product are thriller film fanatics. We think that since our product has all of the typical features that an average film of the thriller genre has that it would appeal to them. After looking at the different age certifications we decided to make our final product in the age limit of 15+ because we felt that it would mean that we were able to include more ideas that would not be allowed if it was accessible to people under this age.


5) How did you attract/address your audience?

With the task of trying to attract and address the audience we decided what mise en scene i.e. costumes and location to use that would capture the audience’s attention and also the different shots we would use in order to make it more interesting for the viewer to watch. We also added music and lots of titles in order to keep it moving swiftly so that the audience would stay engaged throughout, which made a huge contribution to the whole atmosphere. The main components of a thriller are spooky music, a chase usually involving the typically known as ‘baddy’ following the ‘goodie’ who is usually a teenage girl. There is also usually a huge build up when the audience knows that someone is going to get hurt and also a shot reaction shot between the two scenes, one scene revolving around the killer and the other around their victim. We imitated this by having a shot reaction shot between our main character and her killer as he hunted her. To add to the tension and the build up, we had our main character screaming and then the shot went black, and then there was a slow fade in and the shot had the main character lying on the ground and the killer standing over her.

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

From the beginning of the year to present I have learnt a lot about the different technologies that are accessible to me. During the course of this period we have been given the task to film, edit and put together a basic preliminary task, and upon completion then come up with an idea and then put into action a main task. We also had to learn how to embed and upload music, photos and videos onto our blog. I have also had to learn how to use many different types of digital technology, hardware and software that I had previously never used before. In the beginning I had a very basic knowledge of how to use video making software and had never used Photo shop before, so I found it quite challenging with having to get to grips with them relatively quickly in order to begin our coursework. We were given the task of making the titles for our film, including our production companies’ name and I started experimenting with all of the different effects that can be used and I also asked people in my class who were more experienced using it to explain to me how to use everything on the program, which made it much easier to understand what I was doing.

To the right of this shows a title from an existing thriller, and below is one of the titles from our end product. We used simple trial and error with regards to finding a suitable font which took quite a long time, however in the long run it has been worth it.

Now I feel that I have a good understanding of how to use both of these software’s to a good extent, although I am still a little unsure of certain things to do with Photo shop and am still in the process of learning how to use it to its full potential. Before we began filming for our final task we had to make a preliminary task in which we went and filmed some footage with a simple storyline and then uploaded it onto Premier Elements, and once uploaded we started experimenting with Premier Elements and the different effects that can be used on it in order to get the footage all running smoothly with continuity.

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 a practice of using our editing and filming knowledge to make a 30 second film in which we had to stick to the main filming rules eg. The 180° rule. The preliminary task was also a way of making sure that we understood about continuity and also about different shot-reaction-shot scenarios. Looking back on my preliminary task, I realised that I have learnt a great deal about making videos and subsequently making my end product. I have learnt about the different software that is accessible in order to make a film eg. Premier elements which enables us to edit and add transitions to our footage. I discovered that adding too many effects made there be too much for the viewer to be able to take in, but sub-consequently a lack of effects meant that it was boring and uninteresting to watch, thus not showing our editing skills to their full potential. This was more difficult than expected because making sure all of it fits perfectly together takes practice and time. Once we had selected our accompanying music I then learnt how to edit it in Premier Elements in order to acquire the desired volume that would give the desired effect. This also took quite a lot of time to master but once I understood what I was doing, it made it much easier. I also learnt how to properly use video cameras for instance when out filming in the woods at different times during the day and working with the daylight. Also I learnt about tripods and about how using them makes a big difference with the steadiness of the footage. As well as all of this, I have learnt that it is crucial to double check all work in order to ensure everything matches eg. Continuity and about making the storyline smoother and the editing quicker to keep the interest of the viewers. Overall have really enjoyed making our end product and learning about the different aspects of media, although at times is has been slightly confusing and stressful.

8) How did the feedback you received help you to make a better film opening ?

During the course of the academic year we have had to of made sure that we have been receiving enough feedback and constructive criticism on our work from our teacher and also our peers, so that we could progress and continue to improve the quality of our work and produce something of our best possible standard.


Gabi + James + Simon said...
Kim and Jenny, I really liked your film beginning so far. I also think it will be a lot more enjoyable when you have added all of the voice over and music that is required. I think you also need to think of an appropriate, catchy title for your film. I really like the final scene when it blurs and I think it would be best for the title to appear then. WELL DONE !

This is the first bit of feedback that we received on our work and we took it all on board and added more voice overs and appropriate shots to go with them in order to elongate the storyline and to make it more interesting. After reading this comment we also changed our musical accompaniment as we realised that it hadn't been taken from a suitable website and that using it would in fact be illegal. The next big change that we made was the decision to change the name of our product as we realised that in fact it wasn't a very interesting or exciting name; we wanted one that would support the footage and captivate the audience.


Gabi + James + Simon said...
Your film at the moment is very good with good camera work and use of lighting. There is one point where it goes split screen but after this you need to take it back to full screen and not leave it as a small view of Lizzie at the bottom of the screen. Some good music would make it more intense and interesting.

After reading this comment we decided to take out the split screen as we felt it was unnecessary and we already had all of the required footage, and I thought that it looked unprofessional in comparison to the rest of the film.


Gabi + James + Simon said...
'I really like how you've changed your film and added different shots and more detail. I think the film has improved greatly and you've created a high quality, authentic-looking product. I especially like all of the voice overs as they explain the story well and its far easier to understand than it was before. good job !'

This is the most positive feedback that we were given overall and it really boosted our confidence in ourselves, and made us feel as though all of the hard work we had put in was definitely well worth it.

Finished

Kim and Jenny wrote: Here is our final re-edited product, we hope you enjoy it.

Follow Up Questions

Kim and Jenny wrote: Now that our opening 2 minutes is finally complete we are answering questions on what we have been doing.

1) In the beginning we wanted to create the opening of a horror film, but as we began filming we realised this would be difficult due to lack of special effects so we changes course and went down the route of thriller. At a micro and technical level we made sure that we had continuity throughout by checking the weather the day before we scheduled to film to ensure that it would be correct, and we also re-filmed the previous clip each time before progressing in the filming to enable us to not make any mistakes. Also we made sure that our actors wore the same clothes each time before allowing filming to start. We used a storyboard to give us an idea of the different shots we could use to create maximum effect which was extremely useful. For music we mainly used the website www.freeplaymusic.com and had to undergo a period of trial and error in order to find what we were looking for. We used different transitions to help make the footage from an audience perspective more interesting and exciting.

2) Along the way we made numerous mistakes, such as recording our voiceover inside which consequently gave an undesired echo causing a need to re-shoot. We also started filming too late during the day at one point which meant that although we were able to get a lot of filming done, when re-watching it we realised it was in actual fact too dark to make out what was going on.
In our preliminary task we made a continuity error that we saw when watching in that during the clip our actress wasn’t wearing a scarf but when she stood up to leave the room she was, and this was because we filmed the shots on different days. From this we learnt to always check that our actors were wearing what they had done previously which meant we could film more efficiently.

3) We showed our genre through simple but effect ways. We dressed our heroine in simple attire which enabled the viewers to focus on the storyline while we dressed our villain in dark clothes and along with the effects we used in photoshop, added mysteriousness and immediately showed what character he was playing. During one of the heroine’s scene we edited in the noise of feet walking over dry leaves which gave a crackling sound adding tension to the clip. Finally we used a sound score of mysterious and creepy sounding piano music which gave all of the footage the atmosphere we desired them to have.

4) We watched lots of different films within the thriller genre, and although these were helpful in giving us a couple of ideas, we decided to keep everything in our footage original and serious so we didn’t copy from anything significant from other thrillers we saw.

5) From our footage we are trying to scare the audience and to also entrance them so that they would want to watch more of what they have seen and we have tried our utmost hardest to achieve this ambition and goal.

Group Management

1) We worked to a balanced level in that if one of us was editing the other would be looking for music to accompany the footage and updating the blog. Every time there was any filming to be done we both made sure that we were both there to enable us to start doing what had to be done when back in the classroom instead of having the job of showing the other what we had shot. Our final outcome has been made from an equal level of dedication and work on both our parts.

2) In our original storyline we wanted to use a fire which would of meant that we had to ask grounds men at school for permission and assistance, and after some discussion we decided to alter the story so that the fire was not essential as to some degrees it was a big risk and unnecessary.

3) Apart from the actors, we were the only people involved in the making of our production which meant it was relatively easy to organise everything. When we wanted to film we simply email our actors and arranged a time which suited them as well as us.

4) We manage our actors by lots of communication so that everything ran smoothly and to schedule in order to avoid any unnecessary confusion. The location we decided to use was easy to access as it is in the middle of our schools grounds and is also around the main building so we didn’t need permission to use any of it. The only prop we used was a piece of paper which was used as the letter and this allowed us to explore different shots we could use which would be more feasible and it also meant we weren’t tied down in any way whatsoever.

5) In practice using a storyboard turned our to be a huge help in that we planned what we wanted to do in class and only once we had fully decided on what we wanted to achieve that day did we think about approaching our actors to film. We didn’t use much dialogue in our end production as we wanted to keep it mysterious which we think worked extremely well. We made these decisions previously and stuck to them which was a huge help and discouraged any arguments.

6) Before we even began filming we tried to set personal deadlines to achieve certain goals within time bands. We worked well within these and it meant that there was a minimum amount of issues for us to argue about.

Creative Tools

1. Digital technology was a huge component to the success of our end product. Throughout the duration of the making of it we have both learnt a huge amount about editing and adding external effects to make things more interesting from a viewer’s perspective. At one point during our editing of the footage our computer crashed which meant we had to wait for it to be fixed before we could continue what we had previously done, however we used this to our advantage and in this time we worked out what effects we were going to add to the original shots. Also, during a filming session our equipment ran out of battery which delayed the work process and meant that we got behind schedule however we soon caught up with ourselves.

Thinking About Audience

1) In the beginning after being told what we had to do we decided what genre and what age band we were aiming for. We decided to aim for a minimum age of 15 which meant that there were certain things we were not allowed to include, some of which were; sex, graphic language, and any drug implications.

2) To research into what we would be undertaking we watched a select few different films and clips to allow us to begin thinking about different feasible ideas. This took us a few days but once we got going it went relatively quickly and everything soon fell into place with ease.

3) In filming and editing we used different techniques and ways to ensure that it would be apparent to the audience what was happening in our footage. When it was not completely obvious we used a simple voice over to enable the audience to understand what was happening. Initially we were going to use a hand held camera for most of the clips but after practicing different shots we decided that it looked unprofessional and swapped to using a tri-pod to film with instead.

4) All in all the audience responded in our desired way to our production when shown it. Everyone said it was good and gave different constructive criticism which enabled us to make our final piece to the best of our ability. There is only one possible interpretation of our opening sequence and it comes across fairly obviously.

End Product

Kim wrote: Finally here is our end production

New person

Jenny Wrote: Today I added a tittle to the footage we already have as we did not add in Simon Dethleffsen as he is playing Micheal in our film. So I edited the footage to add in his title.

Final 2 Minutes

Kim wrote: Today I finished editing our 2 minutes. I am happy to of finally finished as it took a lot of effort and work, but overall has been definitely worth it. I will upload our end product either today or tomorrow.