Sunday, 10 April 2011
Thriller Titles - Jaz Hewitt
The Island of Dr Moreau.
This Title sequence really fits the film.
-the initial titles blur in and out and fade into the background, as this carries on clouds appear in the background. I like this because the title follows the characteristics of a cloud, and with silence which eventually merges into an eerie sound to accompany it, a calm but nerving atmosphere is created.
-As they continue, the title appears in a jagged, flickering font, making the audience question what is going on as they attempt to read it. the clips in the background become faster paced and the sound builds up, creating tension that the title then follows by flickering with jagged edges, in the same way the clips flick quickly between each other.
-The way they've used letters and numbers in the background at some points just adds to the creepy atmosphere.
This Title sequence really fits the film.
-the initial titles blur in and out and fade into the background, as this carries on clouds appear in the background. I like this because the title follows the characteristics of a cloud, and with silence which eventually merges into an eerie sound to accompany it, a calm but nerving atmosphere is created.
-As they continue, the title appears in a jagged, flickering font, making the audience question what is going on as they attempt to read it. the clips in the background become faster paced and the sound builds up, creating tension that the title then follows by flickering with jagged edges, in the same way the clips flick quickly between each other.
-The way they've used letters and numbers in the background at some points just adds to the creepy atmosphere.
Make Up + Hair posted by Louise Holman
- For the flashback/interrogation scene we used make-up on the Fraser to create the illusion that he had been beaten up. To achieve this we researched which colours to use. We found that you had to use a mixture of green/yellow, purple.
- However we were limited with which colours we could use so we used red, and brown colours to create this effect, so it looked realistic.
- We used a tutorial on youtube; this helped us to figure out the basis of how to apply and where to apply the make up. We learnt that you had place it in the corner of the eye to create the effect and put on lighter colours first.
- For hair, we decided to slick his hair with gel; this would make it look greasy but also give it an age to him.
Friday, 1 April 2011
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Final Evaluation by Louise Holman
1.In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
1.This clip is an establishing shot which shows the audience that there is an interview going on; this is also shown through mise en scene, for example there are lights and a boom mic in the shot, along with people manning the equipment. We have used three point lighting to make the room seem bright which creates a pleasant atmosphere. This clip, along with clip 2 and 3, show normality which is then disrupted with a tense atmosphere.
2.This clip is a mid-shot at eye-level, of the man being interviewed and he is positioned to the right side of the frame which suggests that this is an interview setting as it is typically set like this. One of the props we have used is a plant that is placed to the side of the man which reflects a calm atmosphere; it is something that you would relate to a home or an office.
3. This clip is part of a shot-reverse-shot which reinforces that idea of an interview and conversation, which gives a sense of normality, compared to the shot of the other man who is shot from eye-level it differs. This low angle suggests that the interviewer has authority over the man being interviewed.
4.This clip is of a two shot; the person bending down is silhouetted due to the dim lighting behind the camera (which was diffused with an umbrella) and the ambient light coming through the window. This has been done to create a sinister mood which makes the audience tense. The antagonist behind the door is blurred out and the audience can't see him which creates tension.
5.This shot is of a mid-close-up which enables the audience to see the case that was over the beaten man's head. The smile drawn on creates a chilling atmosphere as it seems creepy. This clip is taken from a steady cam from the beaten man's point of view. There is one light which is overhead and initially acts as low-key lighting which produces shadows. This means that it's dark and hard to see the antagonists in the room which creates tension towards the audience.
6.This shot is an extreme close-up of the protagonist's face and it is positioned to the right side; this leaves a gap which we have done in order to show the audience that someone might appear there. There is use of a shallow depth of field which suggests that his facial features are important and the fact that the audience can't see the person walking past increases the tension. The hard light from above is producing harsh shadows on his face which enhance his bruises and in turn enhances the brutality of the situation; this creates concern for the audience.
7.This is a group shot, shot from a slightly low angle which is tracked to show all the antagonists in the room and to show that they all have higher status in this situation, they have the power of the protagonist. This clip is also a mid-shot; this creates a claustrophobic atmosphere as they are surrounding the protagonist and the mid-shot suggests that they are close togther which causes great tension.
8.This shot is taken from a very high angle and is an establishing shot. We used editing to create the grey scale , the grainy effect and the clock; this editing has allowed us to create the illusion of a CCTV camera. The audience can see everything that is going on in this shot so when the interviewer moves to get his gun it creates tension as only we can see what is about to happen.
9.This shot is a close up of a blue/purple flower and it creates a contrapuntal effect while the shot of the gun is going off. It creates irony as the man has died but all the audience can see is a living flower. The colour scheme compared to all the other shots greatly contrast and this causes questions in the audiences mind.
2.How does your media product represent particular social groups?
- Gender - One of our victims is a male, who is being attacked by a female. This challenges the stereotype of women being passive and weak.
- When the women is standing over the man it is shot from a low angle which suggests that she has the power in that situation which is unusual due to stereotyping.
- Even though we have tried to break stereotypes we have kept to mainly male antagonists (the criminals) and even though we have one female antagonist, the man on the floor soon turns the situation around and the female dies.
Age - The man in the chair being beaten is older and is being antagonised by younger people - this conveys to the audience that the young people have the power over older people.- This is shown through lighting; the people who are attacking the old man are mostly in the dark (unseen) whereas the older man in the chair is lit up. This shows that he is vulnerable as the others are out of sight and this causes tension.
3.What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Our product is a British thriller which means that there are certain film distributors who will take on our product.This is due to the fact that most of the time British thrillers are very low budget so big top distributors won't take on something so small.- An example of these distributors may be ones such as: Soda Pictures, Momentum Pictures, Icon and so on.
- The company to distribute our product would most likely be Icon as I think that our product is slightly on a small scale budget but it hits a higher budget slightly as it has action elements within.
Multiple platforms - cinematic release, to sustain a wider audience to our product; i want Icon to promote our product through the Odeon. On wednesdays there is a showing of a British film and I think that my product could be included in this viewing as it is also tied in with Orange Wednesdays.- Odeon - Back British Film This link takes you to the listings and information on British films being shown.
- Odeon is a very popular brand of cinema's, they're the 2nd most popular which means a wide audience which is why I want them as my exhibitors.
- Marketing our product - advertising can be expensive so we could probably use word of mouth. I found this method on this website and it was very helpful to use. Marketing ideas on launchingfilms.tv
- Using word of mouth can be helpful as we have a low budget so for example using a free screening to an audience will help spread around the product.
Online marketing is also useful for our financial needs as it is cheap or otherwise free to advertise it. - It's a great way of doing it as the internet is the biggest audience as anyone can view the site.
4.Who would be the audience for your media product?
- The audience for our media product would be for a certain age group; from the age of 16 and onwards.
- Most likely aimed at males as it has elements of an action genre. But as it is a thriller genre men will most likely take a liking to it.
- On this website I found out that thrillers tend to be most popular with under 25's and are slightly more skewed to the female side. http://www.valmorgan.co.nz/nz/audiences/profiles/thrillers/
- Action statistics from the same website: http://www.valmorgan.co.nz/nz/audiences/profiles/action-adventure/ - men mostly like action genre's than women but there's not a huge significance.
- Our audience may like films such as Inception as our piece has a slight twist to the plot. They may also like Reservoir Dog's as we have used a tracking/paning technique that is similar to it in the opening.
5.How did you attract/address your audience?
- We acknowledged the conventions of a thriller and used them to attract our audience as they would recognise the signs of a thriller. Some of these conventions include close-ups, normally to intimidate the audience, also images of weapons are used. A lot of
- For example we have used action elements such as gun shots which will attract a male audience as it is exciting and it means that there will be violence.
- We have used some violence within our product as well as special effects to create dramatic tension, which will also attract the male audience who are our target audience. Things such as punching and and kicking the chair over will indicate to our audience that our product is a thriller.
6.What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
7.Looking back at your prelim task, what do you feel you have learned in the progression from it to the full product?
- White balance issues - We were careful with keeping the white balance and checking it every time we recorded a new shot to ensure we kept our film looking efficient. I've learnt this through our preliminary that we done earlier in the year where in one shot we forgot to check the white balance and it looked really off compared to the other shots.
- Doing complicated techniques have taught me to mainly keeping static light. In doing a 360 degree turn, we had to move the lighting around with us so the lighting would change drastically. Now we know we have the access to portable lights we will in future use them when needed. I've learnt that using static lighting is easier and it looks more effective, for example in the flashback scene of the interrogation.
I have learnt to keep the framing tighter unlike in this still image; we could have focused it more on the two males in the room as it's a two shot.
- In editing i have learnt a great deal; in this still image the breathing doesn't match with the movement and so i have learnt that you have to get the right pace, especially with footsteps in our new product as they are hard to keep in time.
- Light is an important part of portraying the right mood and i have learnt that if you keep changing it, it ruins the mood or changes it and has an impact on continuity editing. This time we made sure that the lights stayed the same to keep continuity. In this clip we used editing to create the effect of time going by faster; by using cross-fading in editing it achieves this. We have gone on to use this in our latest product effectively, and it eliminates unwanted time.
- In this clip we needed to use borders as the lighting was in the shot, and we were limited to how much footage we had to spare as we also had a limited amount of time in this room. I have learnt that we need to take more than one shot of the same scene as then it will prove easier to edit and pick and choose the best shot. Again I have learnt to have a tighter positioning on the subject.
We liked to experiment with steadicam shots which reflected this characters unstable condition. However I have learnt through using it that is is hard to achieve a good shot so we have used mainly static shots in our final product but we have still used a few.
- In this clip it shows that there are many shadows present and this is created through low key lighting which we also optionally used a fill light; this creates many shadows which suggests a creepy atmosphere. We have gone on to use this in our final product in the flashback scenes where we have used the same lighting.
In this clip I have learnt how to create questions within the audience; by leaving enough space to the right of Sayful, it has created the thought that someone is about to come in. (It's what the audience expect.) I think this is a good example of a shot with good positioning, and we have focused on this in our final product.
Evaluation - Jasmine Hewitt
1) In What ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
1) This is an establishing shot, at eye level it shows the setting, whats happening, and the main characters. The Lighting in this shot is fairly bright to make it seem like studio or interview style lights. The Sound in this section is clear and well spoken, again, as if it were an interview. The mise en scene is one of the main indicators that it is an interview, as the prop of a boom mic and a light are used in shot.
2) This shot works along side shot 1. As a low angle MCU, it shows the status of the character compared to the interviewee, who was filmed at eye level. Another way that their status is shown is through the use of costume. The interviewer wearing a suit and the interviewee wearing more relaxed, casual clothes. Plus the way that the other characters 'frame' him shows how he is more important as they are more interested in him and feel he needs more of the attention.
3) This Shot, as a BCU, allows us to see more expression on their face. This, combined with the shadowing top light, and eerie diegetic sound creates a sense of disorientation and mystery. As we link slow movement, sound and shadows to an unnerving atmosphere.
4) This shot is from the perspective of the old man, and as the camera pans across, it shows the audience a large amount of the dark and gloomy garage and some idea of who else is around him. This is good as it keeps the audience in suspense but still feeds them bits of information, to allow the story to unravel. Also there is a shallow depth of field, making it harder to make out particular details. The lighting in this shot is very dim, with only a bit of light seeping through the door and a low front light. The sound during this shot is heavy breathing, to make the audience understand the feeling this character is experiencing.
5)This long shot shows the second flashback. We used editing to speed up the process of the character walking down the corridor. As she was meant to be drunk, the slow cross dissolve added to that effect, as not everything would seem clear. The lighting is across the back of the corridor, leaving her as mainly a silhouette. i think this works well as it 'hides' the character.
6) This shot clearly shows the gun and the mask, especially from a high angle, and adds a twist that the audience may not have been expecting. The way this shot is framed and slightly canted works really well as it emphasizes the gun and what is happening.
7) This shot was created to be like CCTV footage. We put numerous effects on this clip to achieve this; black and white, strobe, time code and grainy. Together they create a realistic effect. The sound we put on this was a diegetic buzzing, as if we really were inside of a CCTV camera. This shot is at a good part of our opening as it shows what each of the characters is doing, now the audience understands the background and what has happened in the lead to 'now.'
8) This shot relates back to shot 6, with both the mask and the gun. this shows the audience that they are related and would relate and connect to other parts of the film. All of the crew are behind him, showing his power and how they are all in on the act.
9) Our title. We created this in live type, and matched the colour to that of the flower. The shot of the flower and the delicate font are very contradictive to the rest of the scene, as it is calm and quite. This adds an obvious break between the opening and the film. the fact it then fades to white shows purity and gives the idea that either time has passed and/or the location has changed. meaning the rest of the film could start anywhere or any when, keeping the audience on their toes.
2) How does your media product represent particular social groups?
-Gender
We portrayed women in a non stereotypical way.
Through Mise en Scene-
- One of the robbers is a woman.
- She can stick up for herself ( not the typical 'helpless woman')
- She isn't dressed as a stereotype - shes in a black leather jacket as opposed to a pink dress.
Through camera shots:
- mainly eye level shots (to show the equality) with some low angles/ very low angles to show when she has more power.
- Many of the shots are close ups, showing she is just as important as some of the other characters.
Through editing:
- We cut between her in the fight scene and the original story showing the relation and her vitality to the story.
Through Sound:
- During the flash backs ( the main time we see her) there isn't any dialogue, for men or women, just non diegetic sound and a few foley effects. still keeping the equality.
However both the protagonist and the antagonist are still both male.
-Age
The man who initially gets robbed is old and vulnerable, and hence an easy target.
We have shown this through dark, shadowy lighting and eerie music, plus the mise en scene of him having bruises and being tied to a chair.
3) What kind of media institution maight distribute your media product and why?
Due to the fact it would be a small low budget film,
-I think it would be more of an advantage to release it straight to dvd and digital release and show it in some small independent arthouse cinemas. as this would help with the promotion of the dvd. Also it would target the specific audience who are looking to see thrillers, or are looking to see films by new upcoming British directors.
This also means it can be viewed in homes, small cinemas, and portable devices. - covering most popular areas of film viewing.
- I would use the company Optimum releasing to distribute our film, as they specialize in British thrillers and horrors. Because of this, our target audience- those who are into thrillers- will be targeted and will find out about our film quicker. -http://www.optimumreleasing.com/
4) Who would be the audience for your media product?
-The Main people who would be interested in our film would stereotypically be male, due to the violence and the rough side of the film.
-However i think as our film storyline has a bit of a clever detective side of the story - trying to work out the killers and what will happen- i think it would also appeal to some females.
-Aimed more at an older Audience. 15 or possibly 18 certificate.
- people who like our film would possibley also like 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' as this film is about a murder where they try to discover the murderer, and there is quite a lot of violence too. Plus one of the main characters is female.
5) How did you attract/ adress your audience?
As well as sticking to the conventional idea of a thriller, we discussed in our group what we liked about particular thrillers and other films and what we think works.
For instance, in space odyssey, We liked the idea of how graphic matches can link 2 totally different settings together.
We also liked the fact that many thrillers keep characters unknown by keeping them in a dark setting, as a silhouette, or out of focus. So we applied this to our work.
6) What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Camera - We used an XM2, which was a challenge at first as we weren't as familiar with it as we were with some of the other cameras. but i learn't alot more from using it, especially learning about the focus ring. i think it made our film more interesting and made certain parts stand out more than others. the white balance was in a different place but i found it easier to set the white balance on this camera than on the others we had been using as it had a totally separate button for it . Using the camera at certain angle was difficult as we had to find safe ways of mounting the camera somewhere high up, to get our high angles.
Editing- Not knowing a lot about editing beforehand, i really enjoyed it and seeing how much difference it could make to a clip. From using imovie for our prelim and then moving on to use final cut, I now know how to cut, render, add effects, add titles, fade clips in and out and cross dissolve. I also learnt how to separate the sound from the visual so we could keep the sound playing through a different clip, like a voice over. What i learn't most from editing is that you can use it to change setting or advance in time by using a fade or cross dissolve.
Sound- I learnt how to use garageband, how to find each of the sound clips and foley effects that we might want, and to insert them into our film. I learnt that if you layer some sounds up you can get a totally different effect, as with cutting sound clips. if you can't find the sound effect your looking for, you could try looking in similar and cutting part of the clip out to use on its own. I also learnt that you have to be really accurate with where the sound starts, so its best to zoom in close and double check after you change it. It can also be useful to ask for an outside opinion to see if it looks right.
Lighting- I found it really useful to experiment with lighting. I've learnt how it can create an atmosphere and sometimes basic lighting can be better and more dramatic. I was interesting to see how you can vary the light, with hard and soft lighting as well as the intensities and learning how three point lighting can make things and people look more 3D and not as flat but still without too many shadows. I've also realized that sometimes light looks alot different on screen as it does when we were filming. so it can be good to take the shots with various levels of lighting. Plus I learnt that you need to be aware of outside lighting that you can't control. When we were filming in the corridor, the light outside was getting darker very quickly, so we had to compensate for that with the lights that we had.
7) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learned in the progression to the full product?
In our Prelim, the 360 shot was our challenge, and it taught us that we can try difficult and experimental shots and even if they're not perfect, through editing, we can make them work well.
The Shot sizes in our preliminary were good, and framed well, so for our final, we worked hard and double checked all our shots to make sure they were framed well.
This shot also shows how nice and useful back lighting is. hence why we included it in our opening, and incorporated it into our shots.
This is a good example of how we learnt from editing. It shows how, where we needed to cut down on time before, we used a cross cut, like we did in our opening down the corridor during the flashbacks.
In our preliminary we could experiment with the lighting and find what effects it could give us, which came in useful when deciding how to light Fraser. (top light)
In our prelim we forgot to white balance one of our shots, and realized how out of place it looked. this meant we took extra care to always white balance whenever the camera angle or lighting changed.
I have learnt that both lighting and props can totally change the mood and setting. For instance, in our preliminary, as soon as the chess board was revealed, the whole storyline had changed, and if the lighting wasn't as bright and white, it would have changed the mood. So whilst we were setting up for our interview scene on a miserable day, realizing that if we moved a bright green pot plant into the shot, along with lighting, reflecting off the ceiling, it could turn into a nice sunny day.
2) This shot works along side shot 1. As a low angle MCU, it shows the status of the character compared to the interviewee, who was filmed at eye level. Another way that their status is shown is through the use of costume. The interviewer wearing a suit and the interviewee wearing more relaxed, casual clothes. Plus the way that the other characters 'frame' him shows how he is more important as they are more interested in him and feel he needs more of the attention.
3) This Shot, as a BCU, allows us to see more expression on their face. This, combined with the shadowing top light, and eerie diegetic sound creates a sense of disorientation and mystery. As we link slow movement, sound and shadows to an unnerving atmosphere.
4) This shot is from the perspective of the old man, and as the camera pans across, it shows the audience a large amount of the dark and gloomy garage and some idea of who else is around him. This is good as it keeps the audience in suspense but still feeds them bits of information, to allow the story to unravel. Also there is a shallow depth of field, making it harder to make out particular details. The lighting in this shot is very dim, with only a bit of light seeping through the door and a low front light. The sound during this shot is heavy breathing, to make the audience understand the feeling this character is experiencing.
5)This long shot shows the second flashback. We used editing to speed up the process of the character walking down the corridor. As she was meant to be drunk, the slow cross dissolve added to that effect, as not everything would seem clear. The lighting is across the back of the corridor, leaving her as mainly a silhouette. i think this works well as it 'hides' the character.
6) This shot clearly shows the gun and the mask, especially from a high angle, and adds a twist that the audience may not have been expecting. The way this shot is framed and slightly canted works really well as it emphasizes the gun and what is happening.
7) This shot was created to be like CCTV footage. We put numerous effects on this clip to achieve this; black and white, strobe, time code and grainy. Together they create a realistic effect. The sound we put on this was a diegetic buzzing, as if we really were inside of a CCTV camera. This shot is at a good part of our opening as it shows what each of the characters is doing, now the audience understands the background and what has happened in the lead to 'now.'
8) This shot relates back to shot 6, with both the mask and the gun. this shows the audience that they are related and would relate and connect to other parts of the film. All of the crew are behind him, showing his power and how they are all in on the act.
9) Our title. We created this in live type, and matched the colour to that of the flower. The shot of the flower and the delicate font are very contradictive to the rest of the scene, as it is calm and quite. This adds an obvious break between the opening and the film. the fact it then fades to white shows purity and gives the idea that either time has passed and/or the location has changed. meaning the rest of the film could start anywhere or any when, keeping the audience on their toes.
2) How does your media product represent particular social groups?
-Gender
We portrayed women in a non stereotypical way.
Through Mise en Scene-- One of the robbers is a woman.
- She can stick up for herself ( not the typical 'helpless woman')
- She isn't dressed as a stereotype - shes in a black leather jacket as opposed to a pink dress.
Through camera shots:
- mainly eye level shots (to show the equality) with some low angles/ very low angles to show when she has more power.
- Many of the shots are close ups, showing she is just as important as some of the other characters.
Through editing:
- We cut between her in the fight scene and the original story showing the relation and her vitality to the story.
Through Sound:
- During the flash backs ( the main time we see her) there isn't any dialogue, for men or women, just non diegetic sound and a few foley effects. still keeping the equality.
However both the protagonist and the antagonist are still both male.
-Age
The man who initially gets robbed is old and vulnerable, and hence an easy target.
We have shown this through dark, shadowy lighting and eerie music, plus the mise en scene of him having bruises and being tied to a chair.
3) What kind of media institution maight distribute your media product and why?
Due to the fact it would be a small low budget film,
-I think it would be more of an advantage to release it straight to dvd and digital release and show it in some small independent arthouse cinemas. as this would help with the promotion of the dvd. Also it would target the specific audience who are looking to see thrillers, or are looking to see films by new upcoming British directors.
This also means it can be viewed in homes, small cinemas, and portable devices. - covering most popular areas of film viewing.
- I would use the company Optimum releasing to distribute our film, as they specialize in British thrillers and horrors. Because of this, our target audience- those who are into thrillers- will be targeted and will find out about our film quicker. -http://www.optimumreleasing.com/4) Who would be the audience for your media product?
-The Main people who would be interested in our film would stereotypically be male, due to the violence and the rough side of the film.
-However i think as our film storyline has a bit of a clever detective side of the story - trying to work out the killers and what will happen- i think it would also appeal to some females.
-Aimed more at an older Audience. 15 or possibly 18 certificate.
- people who like our film would possibley also like 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' as this film is about a murder where they try to discover the murderer, and there is quite a lot of violence too. Plus one of the main characters is female.
5) How did you attract/ adress your audience?
As well as sticking to the conventional idea of a thriller, we discussed in our group what we liked about particular thrillers and other films and what we think works.
For instance, in space odyssey, We liked the idea of how graphic matches can link 2 totally different settings together.
We also liked the fact that many thrillers keep characters unknown by keeping them in a dark setting, as a silhouette, or out of focus. So we applied this to our work.
6) What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Camera - We used an XM2, which was a challenge at first as we weren't as familiar with it as we were with some of the other cameras. but i learn't alot more from using it, especially learning about the focus ring. i think it made our film more interesting and made certain parts stand out more than others. the white balance was in a different place but i found it easier to set the white balance on this camera than on the others we had been using as it had a totally separate button for it . Using the camera at certain angle was difficult as we had to find safe ways of mounting the camera somewhere high up, to get our high angles.
Editing- Not knowing a lot about editing beforehand, i really enjoyed it and seeing how much difference it could make to a clip. From using imovie for our prelim and then moving on to use final cut, I now know how to cut, render, add effects, add titles, fade clips in and out and cross dissolve. I also learnt how to separate the sound from the visual so we could keep the sound playing through a different clip, like a voice over. What i learn't most from editing is that you can use it to change setting or advance in time by using a fade or cross dissolve.
Sound- I learnt how to use garageband, how to find each of the sound clips and foley effects that we might want, and to insert them into our film. I learnt that if you layer some sounds up you can get a totally different effect, as with cutting sound clips. if you can't find the sound effect your looking for, you could try looking in similar and cutting part of the clip out to use on its own. I also learnt that you have to be really accurate with where the sound starts, so its best to zoom in close and double check after you change it. It can also be useful to ask for an outside opinion to see if it looks right.
Lighting- I found it really useful to experiment with lighting. I've learnt how it can create an atmosphere and sometimes basic lighting can be better and more dramatic. I was interesting to see how you can vary the light, with hard and soft lighting as well as the intensities and learning how three point lighting can make things and people look more 3D and not as flat but still without too many shadows. I've also realized that sometimes light looks alot different on screen as it does when we were filming. so it can be good to take the shots with various levels of lighting. Plus I learnt that you need to be aware of outside lighting that you can't control. When we were filming in the corridor, the light outside was getting darker very quickly, so we had to compensate for that with the lights that we had.
7) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learned in the progression to the full product?
In our Prelim, the 360 shot was our challenge, and it taught us that we can try difficult and experimental shots and even if they're not perfect, through editing, we can make them work well.
The Shot sizes in our preliminary were good, and framed well, so for our final, we worked hard and double checked all our shots to make sure they were framed well.
This shot also shows how nice and useful back lighting is. hence why we included it in our opening, and incorporated it into our shots.
This is a good example of how we learnt from editing. It shows how, where we needed to cut down on time before, we used a cross cut, like we did in our opening down the corridor during the flashbacks.
In our preliminary we could experiment with the lighting and find what effects it could give us, which came in useful when deciding how to light Fraser. (top light)
In our prelim we forgot to white balance one of our shots, and realized how out of place it looked. this meant we took extra care to always white balance whenever the camera angle or lighting changed.
I have learnt that both lighting and props can totally change the mood and setting. For instance, in our preliminary, as soon as the chess board was revealed, the whole storyline had changed, and if the lighting wasn't as bright and white, it would have changed the mood. So whilst we were setting up for our interview scene on a miserable day, realizing that if we moved a bright green pot plant into the shot, along with lighting, reflecting off the ceiling, it could turn into a nice sunny day.
Evaluation - Sayful Islam
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge form and conventions of real media products?
3. what kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Where the film will be consumed…
The film company that I would choose to distribute my film would be Film4 Productions, which have done many British films low budget as well as high class. This also is good as I could get them to sponsor my film as it will be on their channel. - http://www.film4.com/productions
4. who would be the audience for the media product?
5. how did you attract/address your audience?A scene i am going to use to support this answer is the1st flashback.
The narrative in this scene starts off with a male character (the protagonist), tied up to a chair with blood all over a torn shirt to give the impression of him being beaten up, this was the use of mise en scene that we did, make up and apearence. This attract the audience for the start as, they did not know the reason of the blood and what looked like a tortured man, this kept the audience gussing and wanting to know what happend. Also our subject had a bag over his head this also gives the audience a reason to keep watching as they dont know who it is.
The audience would be attracted to this as the intensity built and more character got shown but they we still hidden enough the the audience did not guess who they were.
1. This shot was an establishing long shot, setting the scene and the characters. This in a conventional thriller would normally be spaced out through the opening however we through the majority of our charcters, including the antagonist and protagonists all in the same location, also another reason i feel like we challenged the conventional thriller is we have played outside the box, as the shot being filmed is not just the interview its the filming of the interview, we played with this because it made the audience think about why those characters are ther, are they relevent of just there as an extra.
We also started off with a slow pace of camera cuts, to keep a melow ordinary mood, instead of quick short cuts to get the heart rate pumping, this is because we wanted to make the audience relax to begin with which only happens in a small amount of thrillers for example: Pulp fiction or girl with a dragon tattoo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwusCDRiDwE
Also The titling in this shot we kept the quiet and small in the corner, this is the norm for thriller openings, slowly in and slowly out
2. This shot was our interview angle shot, we used this again to make the audience believe this is a casual interview to get to know the characters, it is the typical angle that the character gets shot (LA). Also this works with a thrilleresc camera shot as it could decide the power balence between the two characters.
This is another interview with the similer shot reverse shots and angle.
3. This shot was one of our flashbacks which meant that it changes the time line was no long liner but circular. This is againsimiler to Pulp Fiction and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This shot was very convetional though because it had a stereotypical one man tied to a chair in a damp dingy location with just the single light above him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Eo0qsmGU1g - james bonds torture scene
4. This shot was unique as we had a shallow depth of field from the camera and the subject, just as a clever shot to show that it is still braking the 4th wall and showing the cameras and the set up. This gives the audience something to think about as why would this film show that if it had no relevance.
5. This shot is another flash back, this is where like in a real thriller we started to raise the pace of the camera shots and the music shift from slow tempo to fast, and the climax when you could see the Antagonist in the window, the audience automatically knows more the and protagainist, this is used throughout thriller films to keep us shoting at the screens "GET OUT".
6. This shot was done to give the audience more of a clue to how the interview is connect by parallel editing to the flashbacks. The close up to the watch is the clue that later in the flashbacks you see the same watch on the antagonist which is the link that the audience are waiting for.
7. This shot same was done in a clever way which is later mimiced by the end shot, this shot is the climax of the opening where the audience work out who the interviewer. This like any thiriller is the point the audience know the plot and all the pieces are put together.
8. This shot was the shot that the characters knew what was going on as they have realised they are on CCTV. This also broke the convetional shot reverse shot as it was a HA, with finul cut we managed to make it grainy and black and white to give it the same effect. It is also a shot quiet common to crime thrillers.
9. This shot was a p.o.v from the protaganist about to get shot, this is where everything comes together in the scene as audience realise it is not an actual interview, just a sceem to kill the protagonist. and the other characters were in on it to, it was done to create a sudden shock to the audience as they didnt realise it would happen so suddenly as the pace of the peice was on averge slow. This also happens in a few Thrillers but not many.
how does your media product represent particular social groups?
- Gender
Then conventional stereotype of gender representation in a thriller is the female being the protagonist and the antagonist being the male who is normally the one who over powers they female because the male is usually stronger than the female. however in ours we challenge the audience by the female overpowering the male during a fight, however we do switch this back round by getting the male to shoot the female.
We did this by playing with the typical stereotype man stalking female by having the female subject in the camera shot (MLS) then as she bends down we have an image of the antagonist looking through the window. Also the Non digetic sound track we put over this gives the audience an assist to show power as they know something the subject doesn't.
After the punch the action of the male, hitting the floor aids us with our next camera shot of a LA P.O.V shot which makes the female more powerful than the male as she is towering over him.
Another contraversial gender representation we did was that our main characters we both male protagonist and antagonist. This is again a very differnt take on the thriller norm as its not the typical male after female. givin a possitve feminist view that the female is not the one being chased or attacked.
generally we showed the equal power between the two characters by having the majority of shot reverse shots and two shots in an eye level angle however we did change this depending on the converstation and who was winning over who. We finished off with the antagonist towering over the protagonist, we completed this by having a P.O.V shot from the protagonist giving a LA view of the the Antagonist.
We did all these gender represtation in this way because we wanted to be differnt to the conventional thirller, we represented female power to show a post modern view of the society change, to make the audience think of this as not the convetional thriller opening .
The power shift was done through the camera work and angles differing from high and low angles.
All these tecnics were used to through everything up in the air for the audience, in that way we kept it a thiller as we created suspence, confusion, tension and hopefully made the audience be at the 'edge of their seats'.
Ethnicity
one of our group decision when casting were to have our robber scottish as is was different to the norm, the audience wouldnt be dragged into the same as every other british thriller has a RP accent. This also gave us a broad group of race to look at as our killer was an Asian so to end of the spectrum, this gives our piece more diverisification and use of racial power agaisnt one another. A camera skill we used to convey this was a LA shot up to the Asian subject as it showed he has that power of the Brit
Another twist we looked at in a post modern view of the change of race and power as the rich murder is Asian and the one with less power and authoirty was a britsh man, this gives the audience another perspective to look at, as its different to what people are used to watching in a british thriller. a style we looked at was through Mise En Scene where we dressed the Asian Subject in formal expensive looking attire and the Brit in casual clothes.
3. what kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Where the film will be consumed…
I feel like as our film is off a low budget I am not taking it through the cinematic process. This is because it would cost more money than I think our piece will produce. We would have to go through licensing and marketing as well as Prints and advertising, which is not needed as I would plan to take this film to the household.
Putting it on digital…
Would mean I cut the middle man and a lot of money as it cost £1500 per print of a film as cellular is expensive, and double that if I wanted subtitles, which I maybe considering as one of my main subjects has a strong Scottish accent. Also the reels are 25kg each so this will cost for travel and weight.
The house hold would mean…
I would plan it to be broadcasted on a digital channel. For this I would choose Film4, this is because They have seasons for British films so could show it through that, they also have a season for thrillers so it could be put in with that if I wished to have it on then.
After I would make sure it goes to DVD as well as download, which you could rent or buy off film4OD as well as iTunes.
This further more gives you an opportunity to put it on Portable devices, for example iPods, iPads, Mp3, laptops, mobiles etc.
Film Co.
The film company that I would choose to distribute my film would be Film4 Productions, which have done many British films low budget as well as high class. This also is good as I could get them to sponsor my film as it will be on their channel. - http://www.film4.com/productionsMarketing
For marketing instead of spending thousands on billboards I feel like viral marketing is the best way for me to sell my product. As word of mouth is the best way to get the message across, if I post trailers and interviews and backstage videos as well as extras for my product over the web, through social networking and video sharing people if they like it will post it on there friends pages etc. this then becomes a chain advertising my product, this is cheap and extremely effective.
4. who would be the audience for the media product?
Gender
Our audience in a gender perspective would lean towards the male side, this is because our cast is very male dominated, this gives the impression of it being aimed at males.
It also has elements of action in the opening scenes for example the the shooting, and fighting.
An example of a film similar to this is Seven - made in 1995 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4YV2_TcCoE
Age
The age that we would be looking for, in a cinema certification way, would be 15, this is because it would have violence and strong language.
We would look at more young adults to sell this film because it has a very modern take on life and it is also set in the 21St century. So the audience would be able to relate to the film more.
A film which is very modern as shown by the car and the city scape is inception - 2010 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66TuSJo4dZM
5. how did you attract/address your audience?
The narrative in this scene starts off with a male character (the protagonist), tied up to a chair with blood all over a torn shirt to give the impression of him being beaten up, this was the use of mise en scene that we did, make up and apearence. This attract the audience for the start as, they did not know the reason of the blood and what looked like a tortured man, this kept the audience gussing and wanting to know what happend. Also our subject had a bag over his head this also gives the audience a reason to keep watching as they dont know who it is.
This keeps the audience a part of the film as they are guessing and questioning it to find out more than the characters. This is a big convention for thrillers, many thrillers have the element of suspence in it. A famous scene which has given us that same feeling was Psycho - 1960. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG3-GlvKPcg
We also used pace to create intensity if the scene by doing quick cuts of different angles, also to show the power of certain characters over others.
For example in this shot there is a LA shot of the protagonist what what could possibly be the Antagonist in the background in masking the subject.
The audience would be attracted to this as the intensity built and more character got shown but they we still hidden enough the the audience did not guess who they were. An editing technique we used to cleverly obsque the image with the use of lighting as well as manual focusing, gave us a figure walking a way and showed the audience another two chracters in this scene. Again creating more for the audience to peice the puzzle with.
The audience then gets shocked by the digetic foley we put in to create a larger connection for the punch as well as the raising non digetic sound track in the background.
The use of the Sound and Lighting was very simple but effective enough to make the audeince really feel emotion for this tortured character. through sound you heard the heavy breathing of the protagonist so you could tell he was in pain and exuasted.
For Lighting we had the Single light above the character to give it the spot light affect, so he was the person you had to look at. Also this one light gave the atmosphere a very greeny damp feel to it, this was what we were trying t convey to th audience that it was dindgy and dirty in the Garage. This made the audience feel more cold and concerned about what will happen in the location, which was a good use of Mise en scene as it had the feeling of clostrafobia for the cahracters which echoed to the audience.
And example of this is this group shot and the space between them is very little.
- what have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?
- looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learned in the progression from it to the full product?
The main progression i found wasthe use of white balance as in our prelim there was a shot that we had forgotton to put the white balance on and it really showed in the piece, i felt like it was a very dissapoinment compared tot the rest of the shots.
Also we used light more effectivly to give it more of a brighter feel to it.
Another improvement was that we did more camera angles and variations of movement etc. this gave the piece more play and dinamics.
We made sure we had plenty of time to film and edit as we knew that we were using final cut which is a lot more time consuming but benifitial .
Also we used light more effectivly to give it more of a brighter feel to it.
Another improvement was that we did more camera angles and variations of movement etc. this gave the piece more play and dinamics.
We made sure we had plenty of time to film and edit as we knew that we were using final cut which is a lot more time consuming but benifitial .
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