Seven

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

• In the preliminary task we had to focus on the 180 degree rule, match on action and shot reverse shot,  when in actual fact, a lot more editing techniques need to be used to produce a good film opening.

• We had to consider sound, transitions and titles in the opening, which is a lot of progression from the preliminary task.

• Considering cinematography, we used different shots, angles and movements which has progressed my film making from the preliminary task.

• When planning our opening and our shooting script we originally planned for our shots to be very fast paced, e.g. 2 - 3 seconds long. We wanted to do this to add interest for our audience to confuse them so they wanted to carry on watching to make sense of it all, as I though the preliminary task was boring to watch as an audience as the shots were all a similar slow paced length.

• In the preliminary task, the framing of our shots were restricted due to the techniques we had to include (180 degree rule, match on action and shot reverse shot). This motivated me to progress with framing my shots in more interesting ways.

• In the preliminary task, we did not consider mise-en-scene such as props, costume, lighting and location. These factors make a huge impact when creating an opening as they help to grab the audiences attention. We took time in planning our film.

• I have also progressed in the amount of posts on my blog. Although I have more on my main task than my preliminary task, I still think I need to improve my time management skills and consistently create blog posts to add more continuity to my blog.

Six

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

We used a digital video camera to film the product. This wasn't a new piece of technology to me as I have used it in previous filming tasks such as my GCSE product and the preliminary task. We used a handheld camera for some of the shots in our opening, whereas in the preliminary we used a tripod for all of our shots. I developed the ways in which you can film a media product efficiently. In the preliminary task continuity editing was a huge focus so I have also developed my understanding of using different editing techniques, such as jump cuts, whilst filming the thriller opening.

We used lighting throughout our opening like this but slightly smaller. I have never used lighting during filming before so I have widened my use of technologies to create effects on different shots. I still think I could improve using this technology as some of the shots in the product were still slightly dark, decreasing the quality and clarity of film.

I often use Apple Mac's to complete different pieces of work and media on. Although throughout my main task I have widened my use of software on the Mac.

Previously, I have used Final Cut Express to edit media on. While editing the opening piece to a thriller film, we used the updated piece of software, Final Cut Pro, which has many more options on for editing the product. I learnt how to add and alter sound, change the saturation of shots and develop our piece of media by cutting shots and adding shots in. I think this piece of software was easier to use as it was simpler and much quicker.

Five

How did you attract/address your audience?

Four

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Making it a 12 would have widened our audience.

Although the portrayal of drugs should not be glamorised or provide instructional details in this classification, although there can be infrequent sights of drugs misuse in a 12 or 12A film.

I think our film wouldn't attract audiences as young as 12 as I think the content of the story line would be too complicated to follow.

I have decided to make my film a 15 classification.

This will allow strong violence, strong language, portrayals of sexual activity, strong verbal references to sex, sexual nudity, brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence, discriminatory language or behaviour and drug taking.

Our film will have a niche audience from the ages of 15 to approximately 25 years.

Although this could expand after the distribution of our film from Momentum Pictures.

Three

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

Two

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

One

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

A zoom is a conventional camera movement seen in thriller films. This draws attention whatever is in the shot, letting the audience know that it is something important.

The costume I have used challenges thriller genre conventions he is not wearing a suit. Other thriller films I have looked at such as Collateral, Swordfish and Limitless all have a male character wearing a suit. They are also the first characters to be seen in the film as it gives off certain representations such as power and authority. I didn't choose to go with this convention as I wanted to create other representations of my character. He is seen as careless and vulnerable, but also, in control which is seen through his action of jumping out of the window and running.

This font is very similar to the font used in the title sequence of Seven. We have developed this convention further by making our titles very subjection to the certain frame e.g. on the bed. We have used dissolve fades so it comes in and out in time with the camera movements and editing.

Final Product

Developing the Ident

1. Silence - we thought silence wouldn't be more effective than sound, when the cat is seen. It adds to the  'unknown' and the mystery.

2. Production name, Enigma - this goes with mysterious characteristics of the cat and it also links in with thriller conventions, of creating an enigma.

3. Sound - having silence all the way through became a bit boring, something else was needed to keep the audiences attention, we chose to put a little bit of sound as 'ENIGMA' came up. It is also quite a mystical sound which goes with the rest of our ident.

Progress with Ident

1. Cut the clip down - we used the end of the clip we found because we wanted to see the whole of the cat, we also like how it dissolves out, so only his paws are seen. This adds to the mystery and the unknows of the cat.

2. Added slow motion - this draws the audience in more and adds a sense of secretive.

3. Added colour - we wanted to manipulate the clip even more, so we altered the colour of it. We thought purple looked good. It also gives off a lot of meaning associated with black cats.

INDIGO - wisdom, experience, dignity

VIOLET - intuition, elegance, destiny, inspiration, magic

PINK - perception, vision, insight

Roles and Responsibilities :)

We had a group discussion as we have a fast approaching deadline. There are many pros and cons of splitting up tasks like titles, the ident and editing. These factors may not be as well developed as they could be if we did them separately as we wouldn't have each other to bounce ideas off. Therefore, we have decided to continue working as team and together rather than splitting responsibilities.

Ident

This is an idea for our ident. We thought of the idea of using a black cat because many people have superstitions about them. This then goes on to create the effect of mystery. Other black cat symbolisms are intelligent, secretive, supernatural, and independent.

We will cut this clip down, add effects, sound and a production name to make it original.

Development

I think this would look better in slow motion, instead of when he's lying on the bed. If we added sound effects, and maybe other effects onto the image to distort it, showing the audience he isn't in the right frame of mind.

Audience Feedback - slow mo

Laura suggested we edit this clip and make it slow motion.

I think it's a good effect to use as it draws the audience in and it's conventional, although it could be more effective somewhere else in out product and this clip is already quite slow.

Original clip

Slow motion

Audience Feedback

After showing out first cut to some of our audience, we asked for some audience feedback.
Some ideas were.....
-Emphasise a slower pace at the beginning
-Hear a knock on the door for a climax in the sequence

-Fasten the pace at the end of the sequence, after the knock on the door

-Match the jump cuts of him running with a soundtrack

Audience Feedback - titles

We wanted to make out titles subjective.

Charlie gave us ideas of where we could put out titles.

No. 1: On the joint

No. 2: On the side of the bed

First Cut

Progress

Today we put all out clips together in the right order. We added some fluidity to the sequence and shortened it to 2 minutes 30 seconds. We need to find a soundtrack, we may use the website incompetech for this. We want something electronic and modern which will go with the the generation we see in the sequence. We want it to gradually fasten and louden to create a climax and add tension to draw the audience in.

Inconveniences

As shown on our shooting script and storyboard, we placed the camera at the back of the shelf and filmed the actor looking for something. Unfortunately, we had to get rid of the these as we had no control of the camera and the shots were too wobbly and out of focus. It was also too dark because the whole shot was too enclosed and it was awkward to get the lighting in the right position.

Decisions decisions

At the beginning of our opening, there is a shot of a picture of a girl which will hopefully get the audience already asking questions...

Who is she?

Where is she from?

Who is she in relation to the other characters?

Although we couldn't decide wether to use the 'zoom in' or 'close up'.

ZOOM IN

-Reiterates her importance

-Developed techniques

-Conventional cinematography

-More variety of shot types

CLOSE UP

-Doesn't draw the audiences attention in as much as the 'zoom in' will

-Less variety of shots

Editing Planning

Jump-cuts to show jumps in time and to confuse the audience

Cinematography Planning

Extreme close-ups of eyes to show he's not the the right frame of mind
Close up on his actions to show he's not 'with it'
Slow motion so the audience can focus on specific actions
Canted angles and handheld camera to show disorientation

Sound Planning

Modern electronic music to set the time of the film
Sound effects to reiterate the characters 'messed up' state

Mise-en-scene Planning

LOCATION
filmed in a bedroom, made to look like a flat

LIGHTING
low lighting to make it seem like character is hiding, and he doesn't care much or can't afford much

COSTUME/MAKE-UP
a casual costume - jeans and a tshirt

PROPS
a joint to show that he's 'messed up'