Bye
Friday, 7 May 2010
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Looking back on your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in progression from it to the full product?
Looking back from the preliminary task to the task I have just finished I have improved greatly (before the preliminary task I had not as much as used a tripod or a Mac computer.)
I was able to set up a tripod successfully (you may laugh but when I first set out in filming the prelim task I had to get someone else to show me how to set it up.) And I can now handle a camera pretty well. Some of the problems I encountered in filming the prelim was that I didn’t frame a shot well. When showing two people in a conversation I didn’t keep to the 180 degree rule and some bits did not look aesthetically pleasing. Although there were no two people in a conversation I did use the 180 degree rule and the previous faults I had made, made me more aware on framing a shot in the last task and getting it right. Having said this, I still have to more improvements to make for example when the character was speaking on her phone.
I used many more features on the imovie software with the opening sequence than I did in the prelim. For starters I used music! (Things I did are explained on the previous question.) I was much more aware of using the sound toggle for the music to fade away or not be too loud etc… which in the prelim I had not thought to use at all.
I learnt how to use special effects (which I found easier than it sounded) to enhance my film. Having opening credits to mimic a real film I had to find the right text font but I also used a couple of transitions to go from the credits to the film, and then a fade from the film into the title. Doing this project on my own, I had to rely on feedback from other people to get different perspectives and suggestions on improvements I could not perhaps see. I found the task difficult at times but fun and challenging. What’s great about doing a project on your own is sometimes too many people in one group means you can’t try all the different aspects of making the film, and also having to agree on a final idea!
Looking back from the preliminary task to the task I have just finished I have improved greatly (before the preliminary task I had not as much as used a tripod or a Mac computer.)
I was able to set up a tripod successfully (you may laugh but when I first set out in filming the prelim task I had to get someone else to show me how to set it up.) And I can now handle a camera pretty well. Some of the problems I encountered in filming the prelim was that I didn’t frame a shot well. When showing two people in a conversation I didn’t keep to the 180 degree rule and some bits did not look aesthetically pleasing. Although there were no two people in a conversation I did use the 180 degree rule and the previous faults I had made, made me more aware on framing a shot in the last task and getting it right. Having said this, I still have to more improvements to make for example when the character was speaking on her phone.
I used many more features on the imovie software with the opening sequence than I did in the prelim. For starters I used music! (Things I did are explained on the previous question.) I was much more aware of using the sound toggle for the music to fade away or not be too loud etc… which in the prelim I had not thought to use at all.
I learnt how to use special effects (which I found easier than it sounded) to enhance my film. Having opening credits to mimic a real film I had to find the right text font but I also used a couple of transitions to go from the credits to the film, and then a fade from the film into the title. Doing this project on my own, I had to rely on feedback from other people to get different perspectives and suggestions on improvements I could not perhaps see. I found the task difficult at times but fun and challenging. What’s great about doing a project on your own is sometimes too many people in one group means you can’t try all the different aspects of making the film, and also having to agree on a final idea!
What have you learn't about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
When I first began my project I was not great in the field of using the camera equipment, but I also wasn’t confident on using the software (imovie) on the Mac as the only practise I had had before was in the preliminary task. As I filmed more and more I became more confident in the shots I used and tried to achieve (such as pans or zooms etc.) I also tried several different angles of the same shot so I had much more choice in editing.
In imovie I used many more tools and editing functions to help me achieve my product. Apart from using effects such as black and white and soft focus, I also edited the music to fit the different parts of the film. The music changed and I had to make sure that it went appropriately with the footage. This meant some of the music had to be put on loop to make it slightly longer but without it sounding too weird.
When I first began my project I was not great in the field of using the camera equipment, but I also wasn’t confident on using the software (imovie) on the Mac as the only practise I had had before was in the preliminary task. As I filmed more and more I became more confident in the shots I used and tried to achieve (such as pans or zooms etc.) I also tried several different angles of the same shot so I had much more choice in editing.
In imovie I used many more tools and editing functions to help me achieve my product. Apart from using effects such as black and white and soft focus, I also edited the music to fit the different parts of the film. The music changed and I had to make sure that it went appropriately with the footage. This meant some of the music had to be put on loop to make it slightly longer but without it sounding too weird.
How did you attract/address your audience?
Half way through production I asked some people for feedback on my film. Some of the people I asked fitted into the target audience, and much of the criticisms and suggestions made by them I tried to improve on.
As mentioned earlier the audience can identify or at least understand the main character as the age group would be similar (therefore the clothing and hairstyle etc… is very much recognizable amongst the audience.)
Choices I made in editing my product allowed the audience to identify with the character and the film. The choice of music was cemeteries of London by Coldplay. Apart from Coldplay being a band well known and recognised by young adults and teenagers, there were other adjustments I had to make to fit in with the actual content and genre of the film. I chose to use the instrumental version as the music was the tense and creepy element to the song. Apart from that, I took out the lyrics as I thought they would distract the audience from the actual film and they could also influence the viewer.
Half way through production I asked some people for feedback on my film. Some of the people I asked fitted into the target audience, and much of the criticisms and suggestions made by them I tried to improve on.
As mentioned earlier the audience can identify or at least understand the main character as the age group would be similar (therefore the clothing and hairstyle etc… is very much recognizable amongst the audience.)
Choices I made in editing my product allowed the audience to identify with the character and the film. The choice of music was cemeteries of London by Coldplay. Apart from Coldplay being a band well known and recognised by young adults and teenagers, there were other adjustments I had to make to fit in with the actual content and genre of the film. I chose to use the instrumental version as the music was the tense and creepy element to the song. Apart from that, I took out the lyrics as I thought they would distract the audience from the actual film and they could also influence the viewer.
Laura finds the letter^
In terms of editing to show the genre of the film there were several things I took into account. One of the positives the viewers commented on was the effect of black and white I put on my film. This gave it an element commonly used in crime films to show ‘what happened’ but also as the shop was very colourful and bright, this did not give the right tone so it had to be ‘dampened down.’ Another comment which was commonly made was the lack of fast pace cuts used. I agree that thrillers should be fast paced, and to increase the tension (a build up) to the end of the sequence I realised I had to add quicker cuts which I managed to add when Laura was walking to the back of the shop and her reaction and the viewer seeing the light under the door.
Looking back at my original idea, not much has been changed. The main story line is there, but the choice of shots I used to make the film make sense has slightly altered my story board. I have used shots and editing that I had not thought about previously. For example, using black and white effect made my film much better but not to confuse the audience and thinking perhaps the whole film would be in black and white I had to add a small sequence after the titles to establish and show the audience the film wasn’t in fact ALL in black and white. Initially I had plans of inserting more establishing shots of the shop but the feedback I received (and I agree) it showed that it did not give the right tone and the cuts were too slow- the thriller had to be pacey.
Showing the audience the film wasn't in black and white- a shot from the scene in the office.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
The target audience of my media product would first and foremost be for people who enjoy watching thrillers in the mystery or crime genre. My product however is aimed more towards young adults and teenagers. Already as the character is a young adult with a small job, people around that age can identify with them.
This cannot for example be targeted to very young audiences as thrillers are too advanced and perhaps scary for children, and my product would most unlikely appeal to older audiences as the film would be primarily based around the one character and the behaviour of her would reflect that of a similar age group. To tie in with the earlier comment about it being too scary or advanced for children, I would probably put a certificate ‘15’ for it. Had it been an entire film, some of the contents may have been too violent, or even with some colourful language!
The target audience of my media product would first and foremost be for people who enjoy watching thrillers in the mystery or crime genre. My product however is aimed more towards young adults and teenagers. Already as the character is a young adult with a small job, people around that age can identify with them.
This cannot for example be targeted to very young audiences as thrillers are too advanced and perhaps scary for children, and my product would most unlikely appeal to older audiences as the film would be primarily based around the one character and the behaviour of her would reflect that of a similar age group. To tie in with the earlier comment about it being too scary or advanced for children, I would probably put a certificate ‘15’ for it. Had it been an entire film, some of the contents may have been too violent, or even with some colourful language!
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
If my opening sequence was made into a film, the most likely production companies would be small independent companies or even studios set up for my types of project. It would not be advanced enough or even viable to become a blockbuster (unless of course I was given millions for a budget!) It’d be distributed on a smaller scale with not many profits. If it were produced it’d be a short film so it could also be distributed on special websites or even channels.
If my opening sequence was made into a film, the most likely production companies would be small independent companies or even studios set up for my types of project. It would not be advanced enough or even viable to become a blockbuster (unless of course I was given millions for a budget!) It’d be distributed on a smaller scale with not many profits. If it were produced it’d be a short film so it could also be distributed on special websites or even channels.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
This product represents people (or victims) placed under witness protection programmes. This is so because the character is meant to have been placed into ‘hiding.’ This may not be clear in the opening of the film but I have tried to put across hints to the audience from the events that happen in the opening sequence to the character; from being watched to receiving a mysterious letter then someone breaking in. This gives the audience the clues but it allows them to feel involved in working out she is part of the witness protection programme. I chose the main character to be female because the audience may believe that the character seems more vulnerable as a female.
Laura is meant to be a teenager with a job (with a Saturday job.) The clothing she wears is smart as one would at work but still casual and it represents someone of that age group (she would not be wearing a suit to be working in a small shop business or something an older woman would typically wear.)
This product represents people (or victims) placed under witness protection programmes. This is so because the character is meant to have been placed into ‘hiding.’ This may not be clear in the opening of the film but I have tried to put across hints to the audience from the events that happen in the opening sequence to the character; from being watched to receiving a mysterious letter then someone breaking in. This gives the audience the clues but it allows them to feel involved in working out she is part of the witness protection programme. I chose the main character to be female because the audience may believe that the character seems more vulnerable as a female.
Laura is meant to be a teenager with a job (with a Saturday job.) The clothing she wears is smart as one would at work but still casual and it represents someone of that age group (she would not be wearing a suit to be working in a small shop business or something an older woman would typically wear.)
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