Thursday, 25 June 2009
Thursday, 30 April 2009
Alex evaluation
Thriller evaluation
Looking over our edited thriller, opening clip we decide it should be the final piece to send off to the examiners as we couldn’t really make much improvements and was also very pleased with the copy we had made. Our teamwork, motivation and dedication enabled us to create such as what I would say an effective clip.
After we completed our task of creating a thriller opening, we then had to type up this evaluation for our blog. in order to this as a whole we all decided to catch a glance of a few other members thriller opening so we can make a few notes, comments and comparisons to get us started and into the vibe of the whole evaluation scheme.
In order for our group to get great results for our thriller opening we first looked at a few thrillers to inspire us and give us a taste of how a thriller opening should be. In class, we watched the shining, which was quite an effective thriller and in the opening it really did leave me curious for what is going to happen next causing me to want to watch more which, I’m pretty sure is what the director intended on. In my own time I also looked at a few other thrillers so that I could look over what things they did to make their opening effective
Our film shared conventions of a real thriller as we used certain shots and camera movements as seen in a few thrillers that had been produced and distributed to an audience. We also looked at a few thrillers, used a few of their techniques, and gathered them together to create our own.
Our media product represents particular social class such as a middle/working social class, as we used an average girl in a house. She had just woken up and covered in make up all over her face in a mess as she had a party last night. This is more or less what u would expect from a young girl around the age of seventeen in today’s society and it was good that we chose a girl of that age group to be the victim as it represents our intended age group for our audience.
In our thriller we made sure that the story line is something that we can relate to as we put things that accurse in every day life in this society so that it attracts the audience into the film more which makes it more intense for the viewers and more thrilling.
In my eyes looking at the type of thriller we created I strongly recon it would only be a distribution to the British industry or maybe even a TV’ film as its more or less really British based and more of what the British would like to see this is because most things that happen is what we see happening in our society which other countries may not be interested in also most films that are British are only distributed in the UK unless its about our history which would then intrigue more viewers allowing us to distribute it worldwide.
Our media product (film thriller) is aimed at the audience of everyone over the age of twelve but mainly the age group of fifteen to the age of twenty four as they are usually the people that would be interested in this and also the people who could suffer from such incidents.
I think our film will attract our intended audience because of the type of characters in the film and the roles they play along with the incidents that happens which we usually see in today’s society certain characters are very needed such as the teenage girl who represents most urban girls that like to go clubbing and look good. The use of the person coming in at the same moment of her having a shower is also good as it rather makes the viewers think whether or not if the guy is going to rape her which I’m sure is what they are expecting as we hear a lot of that happening.
We decided that for it to be advertised to our intended audience we shall use certain ways of enticing them. We did some research on how our target audience normally find about films and what reaches out to them the most and, we then realised that most of them notice things on the internet, TV, radio and on buses and least of all magazines especially when it came down to boys, so looking at that we decided to go on famous site that youths go onto such as MySpace, Fcebook and YouTube then we also decided to broadcast it on radio and television as we know a lot of people watch the television, as the amount of people who said that they notice things through magazines we decided not to use it to get across to them.
In the process of constructing this product, I have learnt a few things or two on the technology side, as I was able to work on a camera, which I had not done before I learnt how to operate one alongside how to get certain effective camera shots which were very vital in our thriller or many as a matter of fact. Not only did I learn something with the camera work but also with the computer parts or the editing shall I say. I learnt how to work with final cut pro, which again was something I had never used in my life further more something that I had never herd of.
I did not only know how to use it but I also realised how much of impotents it had and one thing for sure it was a lot because without it the whole thriller would have looked like a shambles which wouldn’t have got us nowhere in other words the final cut pro was an amazing lifeline for us and I am pretty sure it was to many others as well.
Using this programme aloud me to learnt how to do such things as add a sound track and more amazing skills like the fade cuts and all the other techniques that film producer’s use.
Over all looking at the whole task, I have learnt a lot and realised so much. Looking back at the match cut exercise I realised it was beneficial and enabled us to get the hang of how to use the camera and how to make life simpler to get it done.
We realised that everything we did had all linked up somehow and was all of relevance and were all needed to make the thriller work a bit like the human body as u need all the vital organs to bond together for the body to work and if one of them fails to function it has a major effect causing it not to b up to its standard which is how the media production works with the storyboard, the planning the editing and so on.
Looking over our edited thriller, opening clip we decide it should be the final piece to send off to the examiners as we couldn’t really make much improvements and was also very pleased with the copy we had made. Our teamwork, motivation and dedication enabled us to create such as what I would say an effective clip.
After we completed our task of creating a thriller opening, we then had to type up this evaluation for our blog. in order to this as a whole we all decided to catch a glance of a few other members thriller opening so we can make a few notes, comments and comparisons to get us started and into the vibe of the whole evaluation scheme.
In order for our group to get great results for our thriller opening we first looked at a few thrillers to inspire us and give us a taste of how a thriller opening should be. In class, we watched the shining, which was quite an effective thriller and in the opening it really did leave me curious for what is going to happen next causing me to want to watch more which, I’m pretty sure is what the director intended on. In my own time I also looked at a few other thrillers so that I could look over what things they did to make their opening effective
Our film shared conventions of a real thriller as we used certain shots and camera movements as seen in a few thrillers that had been produced and distributed to an audience. We also looked at a few thrillers, used a few of their techniques, and gathered them together to create our own.
Our media product represents particular social class such as a middle/working social class, as we used an average girl in a house. She had just woken up and covered in make up all over her face in a mess as she had a party last night. This is more or less what u would expect from a young girl around the age of seventeen in today’s society and it was good that we chose a girl of that age group to be the victim as it represents our intended age group for our audience.
In our thriller we made sure that the story line is something that we can relate to as we put things that accurse in every day life in this society so that it attracts the audience into the film more which makes it more intense for the viewers and more thrilling.
In my eyes looking at the type of thriller we created I strongly recon it would only be a distribution to the British industry or maybe even a TV’ film as its more or less really British based and more of what the British would like to see this is because most things that happen is what we see happening in our society which other countries may not be interested in also most films that are British are only distributed in the UK unless its about our history which would then intrigue more viewers allowing us to distribute it worldwide.
Our media product (film thriller) is aimed at the audience of everyone over the age of twelve but mainly the age group of fifteen to the age of twenty four as they are usually the people that would be interested in this and also the people who could suffer from such incidents.
I think our film will attract our intended audience because of the type of characters in the film and the roles they play along with the incidents that happens which we usually see in today’s society certain characters are very needed such as the teenage girl who represents most urban girls that like to go clubbing and look good. The use of the person coming in at the same moment of her having a shower is also good as it rather makes the viewers think whether or not if the guy is going to rape her which I’m sure is what they are expecting as we hear a lot of that happening.
We decided that for it to be advertised to our intended audience we shall use certain ways of enticing them. We did some research on how our target audience normally find about films and what reaches out to them the most and, we then realised that most of them notice things on the internet, TV, radio and on buses and least of all magazines especially when it came down to boys, so looking at that we decided to go on famous site that youths go onto such as MySpace, Fcebook and YouTube then we also decided to broadcast it on radio and television as we know a lot of people watch the television, as the amount of people who said that they notice things through magazines we decided not to use it to get across to them.
In the process of constructing this product, I have learnt a few things or two on the technology side, as I was able to work on a camera, which I had not done before I learnt how to operate one alongside how to get certain effective camera shots which were very vital in our thriller or many as a matter of fact. Not only did I learn something with the camera work but also with the computer parts or the editing shall I say. I learnt how to work with final cut pro, which again was something I had never used in my life further more something that I had never herd of.
I did not only know how to use it but I also realised how much of impotents it had and one thing for sure it was a lot because without it the whole thriller would have looked like a shambles which wouldn’t have got us nowhere in other words the final cut pro was an amazing lifeline for us and I am pretty sure it was to many others as well.
Using this programme aloud me to learnt how to do such things as add a sound track and more amazing skills like the fade cuts and all the other techniques that film producer’s use.
Over all looking at the whole task, I have learnt a lot and realised so much. Looking back at the match cut exercise I realised it was beneficial and enabled us to get the hang of how to use the camera and how to make life simpler to get it done.
We realised that everything we did had all linked up somehow and was all of relevance and were all needed to make the thriller work a bit like the human body as u need all the vital organs to bond together for the body to work and if one of them fails to function it has a major effect causing it not to b up to its standard which is how the media production works with the storyboard, the planning the editing and so on.
Friday, 27 March 2009
Thriller evaluation 27/03/09
Having completed the task, being our two minute thriller sequence, I feel more than satisfied with the work that my group and I have put in. We learnt much, having tutorials for different aids like Final Cut pro, Live type and Soundtrack, which we used to edit, manipulate and enhance our piece.Before we initially started the filming process, we looked at various other thriller openings for example “the shining” and thriller openings that other groups created and this stimulated ideas in our group. We took into consideration what they had in common- the conventions they held were very particular.www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw23KM3-Ry8 - 75k- the opening sequence of “the shining” The conventions typical of the thriller genre are to do with the editing for example, quick cuts and camera angle changes. We find that the use of shadows, mirrors and stairs are also conventions of thriller movies. However, music that creates atmospheric tension is also typical of this genre. We included many attributes associated with real thrillers and this is clear, first and fore-most in the shot types. We used low and high angle shots to emit the vulnerability of the main character- teenage girl Corinne, and low angle shots-, which made villain, Jordane, seem bigger and more menacing. We used these in the setting of out thriller opening- in the living room and from the top of the stairs. Setting the thriller in our main characters home added realism and makes It even teffifying for the audience. This is because we all associate our homes with safety – out haven that when we arrive back from college and work, know is safe and there is no fear of being watched or that someone will invade our privacy. So setting it in the house I think is shocking as it can arouse questions. Are we really safe in our own homes or is this just something that couldn’t possibly happen? We looked at other shot types, which we think, made our thriller typical of the genre it holds. Shot-reverse-shot is effective when showing contrasting reactions between two or more characters. We used this shot type with our main characters at the end of the scene in the bathroom when our villain confronts the young teenager- the climax of the sequence. Extreme close-ups are included in our sequence, more at the end however when teenage girl Corinne comes face to face with antagonist Jordane. Definitely, something intended to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Hand-held camera movement also creates uncertainty, a lack of steadiness and if there is any action, using the camera hand-held creates fast-paced action. Looking at the conventions that thrillers hold, to make them the distinctive genre they are was really helpful. Getting a good insight into the type of camera movement, shot types, even settings, and props gave us ideas to work with and develop. There are just two main characters in our opening sequence being perpetrator and the indefinite victim. If it were to become a proper film (middle and end included) then other possible characters would definitely be considered – maybe myself or Abdul. The characters in our thriller are Jordane and Corinne,- Corinne was representative of the typical, stroppy teenage girly girl living in London in a well presented house. Jordane however, being the antagonist was representative of a black male armed with a knife. We are all fully aware of the spree of black knife crime that has been apparent in London for some time now; we decided to portray Jordane as this stereotypical character. The media are more than aware of this “black on black” epidemic, and we touched on something sensitive and thought- provoking. Basing our work around such a surreal issue appeals to many people. It can relate to some- and make others think. I think that because our thriller touches upon something found mainly in London and the UK (black on black problem fundamentally) it could be distributed in cinemas in the UK –not a Hollywood blockbuster as such but just as a small independent UK release. I think people would be intrigued and interested in our work as it’s definitely a different take (everyone’s work is different right?) on the subject. In terms of who our thriller is particularly aimed at, I would say it definitely is not a limited range of people. Teenagers like us who filmed the work- college students,- university students even between the ages of say 17 and 25. People who aspire to make something of themselves - with ambition but who can have a laugh as well (the amount of funny takes we had! We could have compiled those into a “on the set of Illicit content!”). More importantly however, people who enjoy watching thrillers and being made to jump. Let us say for example; Curtis, 18, currently studies at university and loves watching movies with his girlfriend. In particular- thrillers! Why? Because he loves watching her jump about, scared to use the bathroom on her own! This is all done through the high level of anticipation that thrillers incur – and this is what makes them so very successful. It is the heightened climax- the red herring even. The cliffhangers and the suspense. We attracted our audience with the characters we used- who are ordinary students with no background of mental issues and nothing that makes them in relatable yet indifferent. Corinne. The typical teenage girl with the pink room and the make-up still on her face (and somewhat smudged!) From yesterdays, party….ect (the majority of girls could relate to that scenario. I certainly did!) To market our thriller, I would suggest making some leaflets first of (as it will be an independent UK release) and distributing those in colleges and universities maybe. Obviously, the internet is a terrific way to publicize your work- we could make our own site and get some feedback from the public, leaving a comments section. Moreover, we could put a little trailer up, enticing people with the beginning sequence we created. The World Wide Web is also great for internationally marketing work as we for example; we could use YouTube and other sources where videos can be posted to popularize our material. As mentioned above, I definitely learnt much whilst doing this project. This is the first time I have used blogging before to record (if I am to consider journalism in the future blogging is an imperative tool) what I have done in class and the first time I used Soundtrack. I did media last year so final cut pro and live type were somewhat familiar to me, though the lessons lead by Mickey were helpful too. Looking back to when we first started this project, we did spend some time being educated on the basics from using the camera to editing and finalizing the soundtrack and so on. We did a match cutting exercise-, which can be used to underline a connection between two separate shots. We storyboarded ideas and drafted ideas. Then we drafted again (so full of ideas!) and finally had something we wished to film with. We blogged every lesson the steps we took in the learning and filming process and post-production. I found blogging a great way of getting the things we learnt down and it’s also insightful to see what others went through in there productions and you can learn from others indefinitely. I hope we get a good grade- as a group we all added our energy and inspiration- which made our thriller what it is. I love our work, and I’m proud of what we’ve achieved so far. u
Issues we overcame! NO sweat really was it....
I must note that although our work has been completed and we are sure to get a good grade (:D!), our completed work wasnt finished without issues which we overcame...the major issue being the fact that we had to start all over again after just a few scenes in the lessons in Feburary when we were filming. When we returned to college the following thuesday to look at and edit the filming we did at my house (the first setting we chose to film our work) we realsied that it didnt make much sense at all- and on that dissapointing note- started all over again!
But. No sweat! We started immidietly, meeting at Corrines house to start again- fully aware of how behind we were (compared to our peers) and filmed everything in 1 day! And to add to our own suprise at how fast we worked- returned to college on the first day of half term which was a Monday to edit our work. We found it worked really well- made sense of course and we edited quickly. We also encountered minor problems when compiling our soundtrack. Well I had said I would do it (because I could make it at home on my keyboard- yes I play piano.. :)) but I couldnt transfer the work I had made on a USB unfortunately so in the end the group made one using the software at college. I was kinda dissapointed because I made a really good piece which I think would have fitted well- and the fact I made it made me feel that I had achieved someting for the group work we had done. But no worries we finished everything and I just thought Id blogg on the problems we faced as its important to mention thoses too. isnt it :)
But. No sweat! We started immidietly, meeting at Corrines house to start again- fully aware of how behind we were (compared to our peers) and filmed everything in 1 day! And to add to our own suprise at how fast we worked- returned to college on the first day of half term which was a Monday to edit our work. We found it worked really well- made sense of course and we edited quickly. We also encountered minor problems when compiling our soundtrack. Well I had said I would do it (because I could make it at home on my keyboard- yes I play piano.. :)) but I couldnt transfer the work I had made on a USB unfortunately so in the end the group made one using the software at college. I was kinda dissapointed because I made a really good piece which I think would have fitted well- and the fact I made it made me feel that I had achieved someting for the group work we had done. But no worries we finished everything and I just thought Id blogg on the problems we faced as its important to mention thoses too. isnt it :)
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Evaluation
My media product develops and challenges the form and conventions of real media products as my group and I have incorporated all the technical and visual aspects into our thriller that enables it to fit within this genre. My final thriller turned out to be a great success as it has received very positive feedback from peers, family and friends who think that it was professionally edited and captured to make it worthy of a successful thriller. My thriller challenges the forms and conventions of real media, typical thrillers that have not had much effort or thought put into them contain blood, guts and gory scenes that most people (including myself) think is the stereotype for thrillers. In fact, thrillers can be portrayed using many different methods, whether it is specialised camera shots, soundtrack or props that are being used to make a film fit into the thriller genre.
For my project I did not decide to go for the famous gut & gory approach to make thriller, instead my group and I decided to make our product differ from conventional thriller that are released. We have done this by making the thriller very suspenseful and nerve racking at the same time to encourage viewers to commit themselves to watching the duration of the film and enjoy what they have seen. My product consists of specialised cameras angles, props and stars to give it a simple, but most important effective insight into the plot of our film so that viewers will stay intrigued with the film trying to figure out how it is going to pan out and what twist we have incorporated into the film which makes it a thriller. The thriller starts of as a normal urban film, but as it progresses suspense begins to build up and different characters, props and view-points are shown to the audience who are then sitting their trying to work out the on on-screen situation in their mind. In a sense creating their own conclusion before the film has even come to a close, this way the audience has been seduced by the film and are willing to watch it to the end in order to find out if what they thought would happen is correct.
The documentary that I watched by Thomas Sutcliffe prior to starting my thriller project was a great help as it explained the concepts used within successful thrillers and the negatives that shouldn’t be used when making thrillers in order for them to be successful and fit into the genre. The short documentary showed the primary methods that need to be put into a thriller in order for to fit into that genre. These methods were things such as creating suspense with the soundtrack and diagetic sound, not creating instant arousal in the film and give clues of what is going to happen later in the film without giving away too much information. The thriller should engage the audience whilst introducing main characters into the film and their role. As Sutcliffe said in the documentary, “films need to seduce their audience into a long term commitment”.
My thriller represents a teenage social group as the stars fit into this category, with Corinne being 17 years of age and myself Jordane Bingham at 18 years of age. As both of the stars fit into very similar social backgrounds we decided to portray this in the film by using a custom soundtrack and using props that represent this social status, the two main stars are Black British, I live in north London and Corinne also lives in north London. As solely, my group conducted the film and we were able to represent this social group with great ease as we all fit into this category. Examples of when we have portrayed this social group in the thriller is during the opening scenes. Corinne is filmed getting out of bed, she is accompanied by the soundtrack which represents what she is hearing in her head as she gets up, with these shots we are portraying her as a typical teenage girl who has been partying late the night before and is still half asleep. Another example of when this social group is represented in the film is when I come into the shot carrying a knife that is intended to scare or cause harm to someone later on in the film. Both of these two examples are effective at representing this social group, as the target audience will immediately be able to figure out what we are portraying in the scenes as it relates to the stereotype that many people have of young teens living in London.
The type of media institution that may distribute my media product is a small independent UK firm, which would then play the film in specific cinemas/art houses. The reason for the thriller being released in the UK only is that it is a low budget film with amateur actors featured, specifically tailored to appeal to a UK audience who can relate to the film and understand the background and origin of the film. An international audience wouldn’t be able to understand or relate to the film in a sense that would make the film as enjoyable to them as it is to a home audience. Therefore, due to the concept and plot of the film it is best for the film to be premiered in the UK only where it can be given a greater chance at success and establish itself amongst other UK releases. By doing this, the film may receive impressive ratings such as the ones from Kidulthood & Adulthood directed by Noel Clarke who used a similar idea.
The intended audience for my thriller is people between the ages of 13 – 21, who are able to relate to the film and may have witnessed a similar situation of what is shown in the movie. The audience will be directed at people from a working class background preferably from London who are aware of the situations that arise in the film. The audience will be niche as it will cater to a UK audience the inspiration behind the film, a typical person that would fit into the intended audience is someone who has been brought up and lived in the City of London all of their life and has witnessed or experienced the situations shown in the film.
As the film is aimed primarily at the UK market, I have decided that in order to attract the target audience for this film it is best to take an approach that will appeal to the intended audience and grab their attention. I was thinking of marketing the film through conventional methods such as billboards, posters and television adverts, but also through social networking channels as the intended audience for this film tend to use these resources largely in the lives. This method of marketing the film will ensure that the target audience will have been made aware of the film and will hopefully be interested enough to go and view the film.
Another approach I am going to take in marketing the film is to appeal to the audience direct by promoting the film using educational channels also where people will go into schools/colleges etc and promote the film direct to people fit into the target audience.
I have learnt so much from the process of constructing this product, from learning how to use a camera properly – learning how to use Final Cut Pro. Before I started this course I never knew how to do most of the things that I am now able to do, I was even aware of programmes such as Final Cut Pro, Livetype and Soundtrack. Since I started this course I learnt how to use many different programmes and software and the capabilities and limitations of each package. I most enjoyed using Final Cut as this was the main programme I have used throughout the duration of the course so far, this programme enables you to log & capture footage from a video camera, edit and watch it back. Livetype I used to create credits and had a great experience experimenting with different fonts and styles that I came up with and Soundtrack although tricky at first was also good to use as I was able to muck about with it and create different sounds and sequences in order to create my desired effect which I would then use later on when creating the final soundtrack for my thriller. All these programmes have broadened my technological skills and opened new ideas and paths to me that I can incorporate into my work later on. The use of the internet was an immense asset during the project as it opens many doors and creates endless possibilities; my main use for the internet throughout the project was to conduct my blogging and gather research about the pros and cons of making thrillers. I also used the internet to upload my thriller to blogger and Youtube which enabled me to show it to a wider audience base and receive much more feedback that I would of obtained without the use of these sites.
From the whole project I feel that I have learnt a huge lesson in life, this lesson is that it is best to plan ahead and work as part of a team in order to get things done of schedule and as quickly as possible to a high standard. I have learnt that film making is not just about taking out a camera and filming the first thing you see, it is about planning and using technical aspects when capturing every shot in order for the shot to look professional give the intended effect when viewed. I learnt that filming cannot be rushed; time and effort must be put into every little detail as it makes a big difference to the final product created. In order for filming to be successful, planning and storyboarding need to take place in order for things to be in order and everything have a place in the film. Editing has made helped me realise just how much work and effort goes into making films, soaps, documentary’s etc in order to make them successful and look professional.
For my project I did not decide to go for the famous gut & gory approach to make thriller, instead my group and I decided to make our product differ from conventional thriller that are released. We have done this by making the thriller very suspenseful and nerve racking at the same time to encourage viewers to commit themselves to watching the duration of the film and enjoy what they have seen. My product consists of specialised cameras angles, props and stars to give it a simple, but most important effective insight into the plot of our film so that viewers will stay intrigued with the film trying to figure out how it is going to pan out and what twist we have incorporated into the film which makes it a thriller. The thriller starts of as a normal urban film, but as it progresses suspense begins to build up and different characters, props and view-points are shown to the audience who are then sitting their trying to work out the on on-screen situation in their mind. In a sense creating their own conclusion before the film has even come to a close, this way the audience has been seduced by the film and are willing to watch it to the end in order to find out if what they thought would happen is correct.
The documentary that I watched by Thomas Sutcliffe prior to starting my thriller project was a great help as it explained the concepts used within successful thrillers and the negatives that shouldn’t be used when making thrillers in order for them to be successful and fit into the genre. The short documentary showed the primary methods that need to be put into a thriller in order for to fit into that genre. These methods were things such as creating suspense with the soundtrack and diagetic sound, not creating instant arousal in the film and give clues of what is going to happen later in the film without giving away too much information. The thriller should engage the audience whilst introducing main characters into the film and their role. As Sutcliffe said in the documentary, “films need to seduce their audience into a long term commitment”.
My thriller represents a teenage social group as the stars fit into this category, with Corinne being 17 years of age and myself Jordane Bingham at 18 years of age. As both of the stars fit into very similar social backgrounds we decided to portray this in the film by using a custom soundtrack and using props that represent this social status, the two main stars are Black British, I live in north London and Corinne also lives in north London. As solely, my group conducted the film and we were able to represent this social group with great ease as we all fit into this category. Examples of when we have portrayed this social group in the thriller is during the opening scenes. Corinne is filmed getting out of bed, she is accompanied by the soundtrack which represents what she is hearing in her head as she gets up, with these shots we are portraying her as a typical teenage girl who has been partying late the night before and is still half asleep. Another example of when this social group is represented in the film is when I come into the shot carrying a knife that is intended to scare or cause harm to someone later on in the film. Both of these two examples are effective at representing this social group, as the target audience will immediately be able to figure out what we are portraying in the scenes as it relates to the stereotype that many people have of young teens living in London.
The type of media institution that may distribute my media product is a small independent UK firm, which would then play the film in specific cinemas/art houses. The reason for the thriller being released in the UK only is that it is a low budget film with amateur actors featured, specifically tailored to appeal to a UK audience who can relate to the film and understand the background and origin of the film. An international audience wouldn’t be able to understand or relate to the film in a sense that would make the film as enjoyable to them as it is to a home audience. Therefore, due to the concept and plot of the film it is best for the film to be premiered in the UK only where it can be given a greater chance at success and establish itself amongst other UK releases. By doing this, the film may receive impressive ratings such as the ones from Kidulthood & Adulthood directed by Noel Clarke who used a similar idea.
The intended audience for my thriller is people between the ages of 13 – 21, who are able to relate to the film and may have witnessed a similar situation of what is shown in the movie. The audience will be directed at people from a working class background preferably from London who are aware of the situations that arise in the film. The audience will be niche as it will cater to a UK audience the inspiration behind the film, a typical person that would fit into the intended audience is someone who has been brought up and lived in the City of London all of their life and has witnessed or experienced the situations shown in the film.
As the film is aimed primarily at the UK market, I have decided that in order to attract the target audience for this film it is best to take an approach that will appeal to the intended audience and grab their attention. I was thinking of marketing the film through conventional methods such as billboards, posters and television adverts, but also through social networking channels as the intended audience for this film tend to use these resources largely in the lives. This method of marketing the film will ensure that the target audience will have been made aware of the film and will hopefully be interested enough to go and view the film.
Another approach I am going to take in marketing the film is to appeal to the audience direct by promoting the film using educational channels also where people will go into schools/colleges etc and promote the film direct to people fit into the target audience.
I have learnt so much from the process of constructing this product, from learning how to use a camera properly – learning how to use Final Cut Pro. Before I started this course I never knew how to do most of the things that I am now able to do, I was even aware of programmes such as Final Cut Pro, Livetype and Soundtrack. Since I started this course I learnt how to use many different programmes and software and the capabilities and limitations of each package. I most enjoyed using Final Cut as this was the main programme I have used throughout the duration of the course so far, this programme enables you to log & capture footage from a video camera, edit and watch it back. Livetype I used to create credits and had a great experience experimenting with different fonts and styles that I came up with and Soundtrack although tricky at first was also good to use as I was able to muck about with it and create different sounds and sequences in order to create my desired effect which I would then use later on when creating the final soundtrack for my thriller. All these programmes have broadened my technological skills and opened new ideas and paths to me that I can incorporate into my work later on. The use of the internet was an immense asset during the project as it opens many doors and creates endless possibilities; my main use for the internet throughout the project was to conduct my blogging and gather research about the pros and cons of making thrillers. I also used the internet to upload my thriller to blogger and Youtube which enabled me to show it to a wider audience base and receive much more feedback that I would of obtained without the use of these sites.
From the whole project I feel that I have learnt a huge lesson in life, this lesson is that it is best to plan ahead and work as part of a team in order to get things done of schedule and as quickly as possible to a high standard. I have learnt that film making is not just about taking out a camera and filming the first thing you see, it is about planning and using technical aspects when capturing every shot in order for the shot to look professional give the intended effect when viewed. I learnt that filming cannot be rushed; time and effort must be put into every little detail as it makes a big difference to the final product created. In order for filming to be successful, planning and storyboarding need to take place in order for things to be in order and everything have a place in the film. Editing has made helped me realise just how much work and effort goes into making films, soaps, documentary’s etc in order to make them successful and look professional.
Monday, 23 March 2009
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Evaluation
Our thriller develops and challenges forms and conventions of real media products in a variety of ways e.g. through mis en scene, camera shots, camera movement, the narrative and the soundtrack etc. Firstly, our story line is based around the character type of a criminal and an innocent victim; this is conventional of thriller films which are often based around a criminal and an innocent victim. E.g., the film ‘Phone Booth’, this film is based around an innocent man and an unknown criminal who is manipulating, twisted and cunning.
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2935882521/
In terms of camera shots our film is conventional of the thriller genre and this is because we use a as close-ups and / extreme close-ups. We used several of these intensive shots throughout our production and each of these shots intensifies the action and help to create suspense and tension. films such as ‘ The shinning’ use close ups very effectively
Our film is conventional to the thriller genre and this is because as a group we got a lot of tips on how to make a film effective when we watched the BBC documentary presented by Thomas Sutcliffe which talked about different film openings and how effective and ineffective they were and the reasons why were successful or unsuccessful. We learnt that a good beginning arouses some questions that the film must then answer. The audience should be left in suspense of what will happen next. It should give hints of what will be taking place letter in the film (foreshadow). This can be seen in our thriller in a panning shot in which a knife moves across the screen suggesting that Corinne is going to be killed or hurt. This shot also makes the audience feel on edge; stereotypical props such as knifes tend to conotate danger and death.
There are many different ways of opening a thriller. According the critic Stanley Kauffmann the classic opening is an establishing shot. This is often filmed as a long shot and at a low angle. These classic openings inform the audience of the where-about of the film and it provides them with vital information. These types of shots often start with an exterior setting followed by an interior shot; we followed this classic way of film opening. We used an upbeat soundtrack at first to suggest that the main character had been out the night before, as the opening goes on the music becomes more intense and dramatic. The contrast in sounds adds to the tension and it suggests that something bad is going to happen. For the soundtrack, we used instruments such as a piano and strings, this is conventional to thriller films that often include high-pitched string instruments and piano sounds as a part of the soundtrack, we also used sound effects such as doors creaking and a heart beat thus heightening the tension. We used many diagetic sounds and this was because when conducting our research we found that many of the successful thrillers were thrilling because of the use of natural diagetic sounds. E.g., the scene in the shinning when Danny is riding is bike in the corridors of the hotel is suspenseful because of its use of diagetic and non-diagetic sounds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t60oY0TbTU&feature=related
In addition, we have used techniques such as teasers and cliffhangers in order to leave the audience on edge and wanting more.
Our thriller opening focuses on two characters main and these characters include a black teenage female( Corinne) and a black male intruder. Each of these characters carry representations of age, gender and class etc. The character Corinne is represented as a stereotypical teenager. E.g. in the first scene we see Corinne waking up fully dressed in going out clothes and with smudged makeup on her face. This shot suggests that she has been out partying or drinking the night before. Also, we show a shot of the clock and this lets the audience see that it is in the afternoon which portrays Corinne as the stereotypical lazy teenager.
Her bright and very ‘pink and fluffy’ room conotates that she is very feminine and girly, the pink curtains which have embroided little girls on them add to this conotation as well as helping to portray Corinne as a young character who perhaps been rebelling. We choose to film this scene in this location as we wanted to represent Corinne as a typical teenager, we got this idea from an episode of ‘Skins’ in which we saw a young girl sneaking into her pink and girly room early hours in the morning suggesting she was a typical teenager who liked to go out and have fun with her friends.
http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2008/01/25/lge_Skins_080125124330072_wideweb__300x300.jpg
This link shows the a conventional portrayal of teenagers and we wanted to also communicate this steotipcial outlook.However,it could be argued that Corinnes character is not stereotypical but counterypical and this is because you wouldn’t expect someone that has been out partying late into the night to come home to a pink and girly room .
The intruder is represented as a stereotypical black male criminal and this is heightened e.g. the fact that he is equipped with a knife. In the media today black males are often associated with crime and trouble especially knife crime. Secondly, he is seen as intimidating and this is through features such as extreme close ups and by having shots of only his feet leaving the audience feeling tense and on edge with lots of questions in their heads.
We filmed the opening in Tottenham in north London and this was because we wanted to help the audience understand more about the characters and in our case these characters were from a working class background. The terraced houses in the opening establishing shot is a big clue as to the social class that we wanted to represent throughout out thriller.(working class).
Our film is a small, low budget ,British production with a British cast and so the kind of institution that would distribute our film is most likely to be a UK company that distributes films around a small number of UK ‘ arthouses’ cinemas ,TV, the internet. Channels such as channel four often broadcast small films made by small production companies and as it is a popular channel, it would attract a large audience(especially if was advertised well on the channel and hammocked between two popular, well-known, and established programs. Alternatively, it could broadcast before or after a popular program). Chanel 4 broadcasts short films on a regular basis e.g. on Monday 23rd March ‘3 Minute wonder’ comes on followed by ‘Dispatches’.
http://www.channel4.com/tv-listings
Other possible distribution companies include, Trinity Filmed Entertainment, Soda Pictures, Shorts International (http://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/distributors.html)
I would like our film to appeal to a large audience but the target audience for our film is teenagers and middle-aged adults living in the UK and most likely in an urban environment. This is because teens and those in their middle age have large effect on the media in the sense that they are the ones who consume the most television/ cinema and this is clearly reflected in the type of films that are released. Young people are likely to enjoy our film and this is because our film includes quick images and modern technology. Institutions use many audience techniques in order to get the widest audience possible. One technique used is the use and gratification theory, this includes personal identification and it is where the viewer’s life is reflected in a piece of text. To make our thriller appealing to our target audience we have made sure that the characters are young and made sure that the film is set in an urban area (Tottenham), this will mean that the audience will be able to personally relate to the characters thus making them feel more empathetic and involved. We have also included a counter typical character ‘Corinne’ which means audiences will not always be able to predict the way that she thinks and acts thus creating suspense and thrill when dilemmas and predicaments occur. Another reason why we have decided to have Corinne as a counter typical character is because we felt that countertypes represent real life people and we want our thriller to be realistic. Our thriller will probably appeal to a niche audience of young, working class, black people and this is because all of the characters in our thriller are young ,black, and working class. The kinds of person that we feel would enjoy our film would be male/ female teenagers, living near, in, or around an urban area that enjoys watching films.
We will attract audiences to our film by having TV ads, billboards and posters. E.g. posters on busses in London thus attracting Londoners to our film. We could even advertise our film in places such as the underground and this would be a good place for capturing the attention of our target audience as well as other potential audiences (e.g. tourists). Ideally, if we had more money we could use a famous and well-known star such as ‘Aml Ameen (the star of Kidulthood) and this would inevitably bring in a large mass of people from our target audience.
http://www.amlameen.com/credits.html
I have learnt a lot during the process of making our thriller about the different technologies evolved. Firstly, I have learnt how to use a video camera and how to create different feelings through a range of shots. E.g. close-ups which often are effective in creating tension. Long shots which are good ways of helping to show settings and medium shots which often allow the audience to see a characters facial expressing etc. I have also learnt how to set up the camera correctly and how to adjust the tripod to create different levelled and angled shots etc.
I have learnt how to film in an organised manner stopping and starting the camera in the desired place without filming other old footage. In terms of framing I have learnt how to apply the correct rules when filming in order to create ‘useable’ footage e.g. making sure that there is a not mass of space above the characters head. As a group we experimented with a lot of different camera movement. We were unsuccessful in creating a tracking shot as we didn’t have the correct equipment to ensure that the camera was steady. To compromise we used shots such as panning or used a still cam.
During the project I have also learnt how to edit footage on Final Cut Pro, cutting and pasting clips in the right place without taking the attention away from the content of the actual product. I have also learnt how to create smooth match cuts e.g. we have used a match cut to show Corinne opening the door of her house and also when showing her journey down the stairs. In addition, I have learnt how to add in special effects such as cut dissolves in order to speed up time for example( we use a cut dissolve in our thriller right after Corinne gets her delivery of a usb).
Creating the soundtrack was relatively simple and it didn’t take very long due to the fact that we kept our soundtrack simple without to many layers. Also, because we could see our thriller whilst making the soundtrack we were able to put particular sound effects in the right place and at the right time e.g. we used the sound effect of a door creaking when the intruder enters Corinne’s bathroom and this conventional thriller sound adds to the suspense.
I learnt how to change volume of particular sections of our thriller in order to hide or cover up unwanted sounds e.g. various group member talking whilst filming say ‘ action, cut or go for example’. We created the credits on Livetype and we found that it was a very time consuming process. However, this was because as a group we kept over complicating things. I learnt that sometimes it’s the simple things are most effective. We discovered many potential transitions for our titles, and decided to use a live type font which meant that the credits would appear on the screen whilst the thriller opening was going on. We used a simple white font because white stood out against our product and we added an effect which emphasises the letters of each word as it appears on screen. Although are credits had a lot of movement they didn’t take away the attention from the thriller. Our main title ‘Illicit Content’ was on a black background and the words illicit is a bright red font. We decide to have the main title in this way because we felt that the red connotated danger and that the titles would stand out on the black ground. I also learnt how to conduct research on the internet and how to use blogger to plan, organise myself and refer back to. We also used the internet to blogger and YouTube to upload our video which has broadened the potential audience for our film.
Overall, I would say that the skills which I have learnt whilst producing our thriller have enabled me to become confident as a ‘film maker’ and it has given me an insight into the film making process.
From the preliminary task I would say that I have improved dramatically in terms of what I can do practically and also the knowledge which I have learnt. A lot of the facts which I have learnt I could have only learnt form getting involved and doing ‘hands on’ practical work. We used storyboarding in our preliminary task and as the project went on I started to realise and appreciate the value of storyboarding. Storyboarding helps you to stay on track as a group without moving away from the initial ideas and plans. Details storyboards are ideal because you can record down extra information like camera angles, shot types and the movements preventing you from getting stuff and idealess. They can take a long time to create however they are worth it has they are generally effective at saving time. When we did our preliminary task we didn’t think about creating a script we ‘went with the flow’, I have learnt that it is easier to create a script as this too saves valuable time. The filming process was initially very difficult when we did the preliminary task but as the project went on we got used to the equipment and developed our understanding e.g. 180 degree rule, and shot reverse shot which we had learnt in the preliminary task. The editing process was made easier by the time we came to edit our film as we already experienced it, and we had got the hang of cutting and rearranging, and adding in the front titles etc
In conclusion, we have been very successful as a group. If I were to do this project again I would plan ahead in indepth detail and communicate with other members of the group more effectively. Finally, I would be more organised, more focused and more aware of meating deadlines.
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2935882521/
In terms of camera shots our film is conventional of the thriller genre and this is because we use a as close-ups and / extreme close-ups. We used several of these intensive shots throughout our production and each of these shots intensifies the action and help to create suspense and tension. films such as ‘ The shinning’ use close ups very effectively
Our film is conventional to the thriller genre and this is because as a group we got a lot of tips on how to make a film effective when we watched the BBC documentary presented by Thomas Sutcliffe which talked about different film openings and how effective and ineffective they were and the reasons why were successful or unsuccessful. We learnt that a good beginning arouses some questions that the film must then answer. The audience should be left in suspense of what will happen next. It should give hints of what will be taking place letter in the film (foreshadow). This can be seen in our thriller in a panning shot in which a knife moves across the screen suggesting that Corinne is going to be killed or hurt. This shot also makes the audience feel on edge; stereotypical props such as knifes tend to conotate danger and death.
There are many different ways of opening a thriller. According the critic Stanley Kauffmann the classic opening is an establishing shot. This is often filmed as a long shot and at a low angle. These classic openings inform the audience of the where-about of the film and it provides them with vital information. These types of shots often start with an exterior setting followed by an interior shot; we followed this classic way of film opening. We used an upbeat soundtrack at first to suggest that the main character had been out the night before, as the opening goes on the music becomes more intense and dramatic. The contrast in sounds adds to the tension and it suggests that something bad is going to happen. For the soundtrack, we used instruments such as a piano and strings, this is conventional to thriller films that often include high-pitched string instruments and piano sounds as a part of the soundtrack, we also used sound effects such as doors creaking and a heart beat thus heightening the tension. We used many diagetic sounds and this was because when conducting our research we found that many of the successful thrillers were thrilling because of the use of natural diagetic sounds. E.g., the scene in the shinning when Danny is riding is bike in the corridors of the hotel is suspenseful because of its use of diagetic and non-diagetic sounds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t60oY0TbTU&feature=related
In addition, we have used techniques such as teasers and cliffhangers in order to leave the audience on edge and wanting more.
Our thriller opening focuses on two characters main and these characters include a black teenage female( Corinne) and a black male intruder. Each of these characters carry representations of age, gender and class etc. The character Corinne is represented as a stereotypical teenager. E.g. in the first scene we see Corinne waking up fully dressed in going out clothes and with smudged makeup on her face. This shot suggests that she has been out partying or drinking the night before. Also, we show a shot of the clock and this lets the audience see that it is in the afternoon which portrays Corinne as the stereotypical lazy teenager.
Her bright and very ‘pink and fluffy’ room conotates that she is very feminine and girly, the pink curtains which have embroided little girls on them add to this conotation as well as helping to portray Corinne as a young character who perhaps been rebelling. We choose to film this scene in this location as we wanted to represent Corinne as a typical teenager, we got this idea from an episode of ‘Skins’ in which we saw a young girl sneaking into her pink and girly room early hours in the morning suggesting she was a typical teenager who liked to go out and have fun with her friends.
http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2008/01/25/lge_Skins_080125124330072_wideweb__300x300.jpg
This link shows the a conventional portrayal of teenagers and we wanted to also communicate this steotipcial outlook.However,it could be argued that Corinnes character is not stereotypical but counterypical and this is because you wouldn’t expect someone that has been out partying late into the night to come home to a pink and girly room .
The intruder is represented as a stereotypical black male criminal and this is heightened e.g. the fact that he is equipped with a knife. In the media today black males are often associated with crime and trouble especially knife crime. Secondly, he is seen as intimidating and this is through features such as extreme close ups and by having shots of only his feet leaving the audience feeling tense and on edge with lots of questions in their heads.
We filmed the opening in Tottenham in north London and this was because we wanted to help the audience understand more about the characters and in our case these characters were from a working class background. The terraced houses in the opening establishing shot is a big clue as to the social class that we wanted to represent throughout out thriller.(working class).
Our film is a small, low budget ,British production with a British cast and so the kind of institution that would distribute our film is most likely to be a UK company that distributes films around a small number of UK ‘ arthouses’ cinemas ,TV, the internet. Channels such as channel four often broadcast small films made by small production companies and as it is a popular channel, it would attract a large audience(especially if was advertised well on the channel and hammocked between two popular, well-known, and established programs. Alternatively, it could broadcast before or after a popular program). Chanel 4 broadcasts short films on a regular basis e.g. on Monday 23rd March ‘3 Minute wonder’ comes on followed by ‘Dispatches’.
http://www.channel4.com/tv-listings
Other possible distribution companies include, Trinity Filmed Entertainment, Soda Pictures, Shorts International (http://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/distributors.html)
I would like our film to appeal to a large audience but the target audience for our film is teenagers and middle-aged adults living in the UK and most likely in an urban environment. This is because teens and those in their middle age have large effect on the media in the sense that they are the ones who consume the most television/ cinema and this is clearly reflected in the type of films that are released. Young people are likely to enjoy our film and this is because our film includes quick images and modern technology. Institutions use many audience techniques in order to get the widest audience possible. One technique used is the use and gratification theory, this includes personal identification and it is where the viewer’s life is reflected in a piece of text. To make our thriller appealing to our target audience we have made sure that the characters are young and made sure that the film is set in an urban area (Tottenham), this will mean that the audience will be able to personally relate to the characters thus making them feel more empathetic and involved. We have also included a counter typical character ‘Corinne’ which means audiences will not always be able to predict the way that she thinks and acts thus creating suspense and thrill when dilemmas and predicaments occur. Another reason why we have decided to have Corinne as a counter typical character is because we felt that countertypes represent real life people and we want our thriller to be realistic. Our thriller will probably appeal to a niche audience of young, working class, black people and this is because all of the characters in our thriller are young ,black, and working class. The kinds of person that we feel would enjoy our film would be male/ female teenagers, living near, in, or around an urban area that enjoys watching films.
We will attract audiences to our film by having TV ads, billboards and posters. E.g. posters on busses in London thus attracting Londoners to our film. We could even advertise our film in places such as the underground and this would be a good place for capturing the attention of our target audience as well as other potential audiences (e.g. tourists). Ideally, if we had more money we could use a famous and well-known star such as ‘Aml Ameen (the star of Kidulthood) and this would inevitably bring in a large mass of people from our target audience.
http://www.amlameen.com/credits.html
I have learnt a lot during the process of making our thriller about the different technologies evolved. Firstly, I have learnt how to use a video camera and how to create different feelings through a range of shots. E.g. close-ups which often are effective in creating tension. Long shots which are good ways of helping to show settings and medium shots which often allow the audience to see a characters facial expressing etc. I have also learnt how to set up the camera correctly and how to adjust the tripod to create different levelled and angled shots etc.
I have learnt how to film in an organised manner stopping and starting the camera in the desired place without filming other old footage. In terms of framing I have learnt how to apply the correct rules when filming in order to create ‘useable’ footage e.g. making sure that there is a not mass of space above the characters head. As a group we experimented with a lot of different camera movement. We were unsuccessful in creating a tracking shot as we didn’t have the correct equipment to ensure that the camera was steady. To compromise we used shots such as panning or used a still cam.
During the project I have also learnt how to edit footage on Final Cut Pro, cutting and pasting clips in the right place without taking the attention away from the content of the actual product. I have also learnt how to create smooth match cuts e.g. we have used a match cut to show Corinne opening the door of her house and also when showing her journey down the stairs. In addition, I have learnt how to add in special effects such as cut dissolves in order to speed up time for example( we use a cut dissolve in our thriller right after Corinne gets her delivery of a usb).
Creating the soundtrack was relatively simple and it didn’t take very long due to the fact that we kept our soundtrack simple without to many layers. Also, because we could see our thriller whilst making the soundtrack we were able to put particular sound effects in the right place and at the right time e.g. we used the sound effect of a door creaking when the intruder enters Corinne’s bathroom and this conventional thriller sound adds to the suspense.
I learnt how to change volume of particular sections of our thriller in order to hide or cover up unwanted sounds e.g. various group member talking whilst filming say ‘ action, cut or go for example’. We created the credits on Livetype and we found that it was a very time consuming process. However, this was because as a group we kept over complicating things. I learnt that sometimes it’s the simple things are most effective. We discovered many potential transitions for our titles, and decided to use a live type font which meant that the credits would appear on the screen whilst the thriller opening was going on. We used a simple white font because white stood out against our product and we added an effect which emphasises the letters of each word as it appears on screen. Although are credits had a lot of movement they didn’t take away the attention from the thriller. Our main title ‘Illicit Content’ was on a black background and the words illicit is a bright red font. We decide to have the main title in this way because we felt that the red connotated danger and that the titles would stand out on the black ground. I also learnt how to conduct research on the internet and how to use blogger to plan, organise myself and refer back to. We also used the internet to blogger and YouTube to upload our video which has broadened the potential audience for our film.
Overall, I would say that the skills which I have learnt whilst producing our thriller have enabled me to become confident as a ‘film maker’ and it has given me an insight into the film making process.
From the preliminary task I would say that I have improved dramatically in terms of what I can do practically and also the knowledge which I have learnt. A lot of the facts which I have learnt I could have only learnt form getting involved and doing ‘hands on’ practical work. We used storyboarding in our preliminary task and as the project went on I started to realise and appreciate the value of storyboarding. Storyboarding helps you to stay on track as a group without moving away from the initial ideas and plans. Details storyboards are ideal because you can record down extra information like camera angles, shot types and the movements preventing you from getting stuff and idealess. They can take a long time to create however they are worth it has they are generally effective at saving time. When we did our preliminary task we didn’t think about creating a script we ‘went with the flow’, I have learnt that it is easier to create a script as this too saves valuable time. The filming process was initially very difficult when we did the preliminary task but as the project went on we got used to the equipment and developed our understanding e.g. 180 degree rule, and shot reverse shot which we had learnt in the preliminary task. The editing process was made easier by the time we came to edit our film as we already experienced it, and we had got the hang of cutting and rearranging, and adding in the front titles etc
In conclusion, we have been very successful as a group. If I were to do this project again I would plan ahead in indepth detail and communicate with other members of the group more effectively. Finally, I would be more organised, more focused and more aware of meating deadlines.
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