Evaluation Question 7

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

Preliminary task- 

For our preliminary task we had to create a scene where a character opened a door, crossed the room and sat down in a chair opposite to another character inviting them to a party with a few lines of dialogue. The preliminary task had to demonstrate the use of match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.

Main task-

For our main task we had to create an opening sequence for a thriller movie, in comparison to the preliminary task we had a lot more freedom in terms of the plot and setting.

Pre production- I have learnt in both the tasks that pre production is extremely important, in both tasks we had to create a storyboard in order to help guide us when shooting on the day. the preliminary task restricted us to a story line and so when making our main tasks storyboard we were given a lot more freedom to explore different types of shots, from this I learnt to work effectively with my group as we were all working creatively together as a team.
Our main task involved a nursery scene in which we had chosen as our setting and to make it look realistic we had to make sure that during pre production we had acquired everything to help make the room look like a real nursery, my group and I had to prepare a lot of props for use during filming, this helped me to learn the importance of organisation and the communication between my group in order to gather the props for shooting.

Production- The preliminary task provided us with knowledge of how to properly set up and use the camera making sure it was positioned well abiding to the 180 degree rule, the experience helped us learn to be more efficient when using the camera during the main task.The only problem we had with hardware when filming in the main task was that one of the batteries died during filming and had to be replaced whilst the other battery was charged. This problem taught me the key lesson to keep an eye on battery levels when shooting and to double check the equipment before shooting.
Unlike the preliminary task where the setting was not as important, in the main task the setting we were shooting in was a nursery and therefore we had to use many props to make the room in which we were using look realistic, using many props has taught me to pay careful attention to continuity when filming.
During the shooting of our main task one of our actors had to leave early so we had to quickly shoot some of the shots at the end, this meant that some of our shots felt rushed, however during editing we managed to make the sequence feel well paced. This was not a problem during the preliminary task as we managed our time well. This problem helped me to learn that we had to be more aware of  things such as time management when filming in order to create a professional film.

Post production- In post production of the preliminary task we learnt many things when editing, such as how to piece together shots. In our preliminary task we did not use any music, during our main task we had to apply music and sound effects to our opening sequence, editing music along with video helped to educate me on the importance of sound in films as they help to set the tone of the film.
We received feedback of our preliminary task after we had completed it, we got a lot of criticism and improvements for the editing which we then applied to our main task when editing. We took a lot of time editing the main task when compared to the preliminary task as we wanted it to be of a higher quality. This helped me to learn that it is essential to spend time on editing to make the finished product look professional and of a high quality.

Evaluation Question 6

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

Hardware

The process of filming our opening sequence for this task required us to use hardware such as a Canon XH A1 camera and torches for lighting. Using the camera during this task has helped me to learn about the important film techniques and the requirements of using a camera when producing a piece of media.
From this task I learnt how to appropriately set up a camera during shooting. When setting up the camera for a shot we first adjusted the tripod to the appropriate height for the shot, we then checked that the spirit levels were accurate for a level shot. Lastly, we attached the camera to the tripod making sure that it was placed securely on top to prevent it from dropping accidentally. We had to do this every time when shooting a new shot in order to make the shot look good and also professional.

In class we were taught about the film techniques and had to put to them use when creating our opening sequence, one of the main film techniques that we had to acknowledge and incorporate into our filming was continuity. Continuity is the unbroken and consistent existence or operation of something over time. An example of this during our filming was our shots in the nursery room, we had to make sure that the lighting, props and positioning of the actors were consistent. This means making sure everything is the same in each shot, this prevented a lack of professionalism if something is out of place in two shots, like if an actor is holding his gun with his right hand but is then holding it with his left hand in the next shot.
Another filming technique is that we used was the rule of thirds, this is a concept in video/film production where the frame is divided into 9 sections as shown in the picture on the right.
Important elements should be placed on the intersections or along the lines of these guidelines to make the shot more interesting than just placing the element in the middle.
Match on action is another filming technique we learnt and had to pay attention to during filming, match on action means that when something happens in a scene and there is a cut the action must be still going on. Doing this helps the audience continually understand what is going on, this is an example of continuity editing.
Other filming techniques I had learnt and had to abide by when shooting were: framing, action/reaction shots, total shots, safety shots, different angles and the 180 degree rule to name a few.

Software

Adobe Premiere was the editing software that we used, this is were we edited and assembled our shots and also added sound and music.
Before editing our own work we did a task where we edited a different scene, this was done to help us learn the basic tools in Premiere such as cutting clips or moving clips and how to add things to the timeline. During the editing of our opening sequence I had learnt many more important editing techniques that will help me in the future.



One of the editing techniques that I had learnt when editing was how to manipulate the brightness and contrast of shots, this helped in making bright shots in the daylight look dark, fitting along with the dark atmosphere and tone of the opening sequence.
I also learnt how to fade into black or fade out of black in video, this transition helped to set the pace and create a dreary tone.
Other editing techniques I had learnt was: how to edit the volume of sound clips, how to overlap video, how to create titles and how to make them move across the screen.


The key lessons I have learnt from using the hardware and software that we were provided with was to be precise and composed when editing and handling the camera, as well as to be patient and to take time when editing and shooting in order to make our opening sequence look professional.

Evaluation Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?

In our opening sequence we used aspects such as camera work, editing and sound to attract our target audience. We expect our target audience to have the knowledge of other horror, psychological and action thrillers that they have watched before, examples of this would be a psychological thriller like Se7en, an action thriller like Bourne Identity or a horror thriller like Paranormal Activity.
By expecting that our target audience has this knowledge it allows us to use this information to help us understand what we have to do to attract our audience, for example, knowing that our audience has watched a film like Se7en before means that we can use similar aspects in our film such as close ups of the antagonist. David Fincher who was the director of Se7en said that the film "lacked the feeling of John Doe, the villain, who just appeared 90 minutes into the movie" and in order to resolve this the opening sequence used close ups of the villain "working on some really evil shit". These close ups are an example of the camera work and shots we used to attract our audience, close ups of the antagonist makes the audience feel uncomfortable because they are introduced to an unfamiliar, creepy character quickly.

Many people in our audience feed back also liked the way our opening sequence felt both psychologically scary but also fast paced and filled with action, we did this through editing, using a more fast paced editing style for the action sequence and a slower paced editing style for the horror/psychological shots.
This attracts our audience as most teenagers and young adults enjoy action thrillers such as the Fast and Furious series as well as psychological/horror thrillers that challenges teenagers to think and try work out the plot of the film or what may happen next. We feel that by combining these sub genres it will help to attract younger people who like to watch these types of films.

From the audience feedback we received, many people agreed that one of the defining aspects of our opening sequence was the creepy character Mr Parkinson and the use close up shots such as the one of him touching a doll. We used Mise en Scene to help us attract the audience using props such as children toys and giving them a scary feeling, this will attract the audience as they will want to find out the purpose or significance of the children toys such as the doll that Mr Parkinson touches.

Evaluation Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The sub-genre that we are looking at for our thriller is a horror thriller with elements of a psychological thriller, It appeals to both genders and the age that we think is the average for our sub genre is 15 and over, this is because younger audiences tend to be affected by the more violent and distressing themes of the film, our film focuses on creating a scary and tense atmosphere through the setting and mise en scene, this could be too disturbing for younger viewers. Incorporating psychological elements will also attract more females as a majority of females enjoy the sense of mystery and puzzle like stories that they offer.

This is the first picture that helps us to identify our target audience, here is a profile of what we think our typical audience member will be.
Young Adults-
Gender: Both
Age: 24-26
Ethnicity: All
Interests: Thrill seeking e.g. going on roller coasters, Puzzles
Job: An average job like retail



This is the second picture and profile that helps us to identify our target audience.
Teenagers-
Gender: Both
Age: 15-18
Ethnicity: All
Interests: Reading, Going out with friends to movies
Job: Most would be in education so therefore unemployed


Our audience feedback showed that most people agree with the target audience that we have picked, they felt that 15A is an appropriate rating for our film.
We have chosen to target this specific audience because we think that these are the people who will most likely watch our film, The Nursery fits into the codes and conventions of a horror thriller and will appeal and attract this certain type of audience. The audience will expect from our horror, some of these codes and conventions, one of these conventions that we had met for example, was cutting the power leaving a character powerless and lost in a dark environment.
If we were to design a poster to help promote the film I think the most important thing we need to effectively incorporate is colour, we would use darker colours such as black to set a dark and gloomy mood and atmosphere that will explain the film.

Other films that contain similar themes to ours are:
Mama: Focuses on paranormal activity that happens around young children
American Psycho: A character who is mentally unstable and evil but hides it from everyone
Se7en: Features a protagonist who abides by the law and is extremely focused and set on capturing the antagonist
The Conjuring: Features a seemingly innocent childs toy that is shown in a twisted, disturbing way
These films appeal to our audience because I think that they are thrill seekers that enjoy the suspense that these horror movies create.

Evaluation Question 3

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

Film distribution is the process in which a film is made accessible to the public, it takes many stages before a film is shown in theaters and then distributed through the internet, film services and DVD. Distribution is the most important part of a film and overall the films industry, it connects the film to the audience.

An Independent film distributor like UK based Metrodome would be the type of media institution to distribute our media product, this is because they distribute independent films more quickly when compared to big distributors, they also represent the films at many film festivals before release helping the film to gain attention.
This is different from the major film distributors such as 20th Century Fox distribution where it takes many stages before it can be distributed in its various forms. The advancements in technology, social media and business have contributed to the substantial growth of independent films in the past few years. Metrodome for example has an online shop where any of their films can be purchased, there is also a video on demand service on their website.
Other distribution outlets could be posting the film onto video sharing service such as YouTube, money can be generated through advert revenue although this is obviously not the best way to distribute a film as it does not earn as much money.

Evaluation Question 2

How does your opening sequence represent particular social groups?

Interesting and entertaining characters are extremely important in helping to create a good film that captures the audiences interest, in our film and specifically our opening scene we focus on two main characters the "protagonist" who is the undercover cop/detective and the "antagonist" who is the nursery teacher.

The Undercover cop/ Detective - Protagonist

The undercover cop is a young, intelligent man who has been informed of some strange things that are happening at Sunny House Nursery, he sets out to investigate but encounters the nursery teacher, the film will follow the undercover cops psychological battle with the unidentified nursery teacher as he tries to discover the truth behind Sunny House Nursery.

We want to portray the undercover cop as a confident, smart man able to utilize his skills to track and follow the nursery teacher. He has an air of confidence that makes people feel safe, so, we want to show him as a tall, handsome man who is clearly motivated towards achieving his goals. In terms of personality, we want to show the undercover cop as a quiet person who is actually extremely kind and positive as a person, however he always remains serious and focused.

We are going to use different technical aspects that will help us to represent the character in this way:

Mise en scene- His attire is one of the the ways that will help us to portray the character, he will wear a long coat with a jumper underneath along with trousers or jeans as well as a cap that helps him to hide his face allowing him to be incognito as an undercover cop.

Camera shots- We will use mostly mid or long shots in bright light when showing the cop because we want the audience to be able to see every little detail about him, this will help the audience to understand the character better.

Sound and Editing- The cops voice will be deep, slow and steady that helps to show his composed nature, he will also be represented by more faster paced music that plays to the characters role as a cop.
The editing will be paced normally to show that the cop is a person who is in control of the situation.

One character the undercover cop reminds me of is John Blake, a character from the film "The Dark Knight Rises". In the film John is a cop promoted to detective who uses his instinct and intelligence to warn of the incoming danger to the city of Gotham, he remains calm and is motivated in everything he does even when the city becomes locked down by the villain of the film Bane. I think that John Blake is exactly how we want to represent our undercover cop, a character who is seen as noble and admired.

The Nursery Teacher - Antagonist

The Nursery Teacher (Mr Parkinson) appears to be a cheerful and kind person but masks his true intentions to everyone, in the film we see that he is actually an extremely lonely, quiet person who is isolated from society. He is extremely intelligent but is twisted and sinister and is the only teacher at the Sunny House Nursery.
We wanted to portray the Nursery Teacher as silent, composed man who looks like an average guy, although the audience is given an insight into the nursery teachers true personality, his true intentions and background are not revealed surrounding him in mystery making him an even suspicious but interesting character.

We are going to use different technical aspects that will help us to represent the character in this way:

Mise en scene- Mr Parkinson was wearing trousers and a shirt, this was to show the simplicity of the character making him look more like an average person who you would not expect to be malevolent. One of the main props that he possesed is a creepy child's doll that he regularly and unusually smells providing him with pleasure.

Camera shots- We only showed extreme close ups of certain parts of the face not showing his whole face throughout the film, there were also only a few shots of his whole body, all of this helped to add to the sense of mystery.

Sound and Editing- Mr Parkinson was silent throughout the film, there may however be moments where you can hear the teacher laugh evilly or sniffing. The editing was also be slow paced using close up shots that are long in duration, the close up shots may make the audience feel uncomfortable because they are not used to being so close to a character which they are not familiar with.

One character that reminds of the Nursery Teacher is Dexter Morgan from the crime, drama TV show Dexter, this is because both characters are hiding their true personality from everyone they know, we also want to show Mr Parkinson as intelligent as Dexter. However, one thing that is drastically different from both of the characters is that Dexter's goals are revealed to the audience whilst the nursery teachers are not. We believe that Dexter is a good character to base Mr Parkinson off of because they share so many similar attributes that we have conveyed in our film.
From our audience feedback people said that they found the scariest parts of our opening sequence were the shots where Mr Parkinson is present, they felt that the character was presented well with the use of lighting and his silent, suspicious behaviour.

Overall, audience feedback showed that the audience liked the characters and how they were presented saying that each character suited their role, we did this by choosing the right cast, making sure each cast member looks like their character helps in making them believeable. We also tried to make sure that each cast member was dedicated and reliable but we had a problem with one of our cast as he had to leave early, this made our last few shots feel rushed.
We achieved this by making sure that we all knew exactly what we wanted from each character so that we were able to direct the cast easily, also, when directing we made sure that we all agreed with the portrayal of the character before we continued onto the next shot.

Evaluation Question 1

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

When making our opening sequence we had to conform to several codes and conventions (CCs) of the sub genre that we had picked, which was a horror thriller with elements of a psychological and action thrillers. An example of the codes and conventions in a horror thriller are blood, darkness e.t.c.

Shot 1

In this first shot we used a picture of a creepy looking sun to show that this is Sunny house nursery. The fact that the sun is looking directly at the audience creates a scary, unsettling atmosphere full of mystery that hints that this will be a psychological battle not a physical one.

Shot 2

In this shot the camera is panned across the room with the nursery teacher (Mr Parkinson) sitting there in the messy nursery room. I personally thought that this was one of our best shots because it shows the corrupt state of mind that Mr Parkinson is in. This shot represents his psychological state. 

Shot 3/4

From the feedback received we found that people thought the shots with Mr Parkinson were the most unsettling.  For these shots we tried to fit as many codes and conventions of a horror thriller, this was achieved by using codes and conventions of a horror thriller such as darkness, the use of extreme close ups and dark music. 

Combining these elements and CCs I think helped to intrigue the audience as it placed all attention on the strange character of Mr Parkinson who seems almost distant with reality making him seem evil or a person with malevolent intent. 

Shot 5/6

The feedback we got showed that most people liked the action shots that we used, they made the opening sequence seem more exciting and action packed.

We decided to challenge the usual CCs of Horror and Psychological thrillers that highlights a mental battle by adding additional elements from action thrillers. We used the CCs of a action thriller such as fast cuts achieved through editing and quick movements that the actor displayed along with the CCs of horror and psychological thrillers to try and make our opening sequence have elements from each sub genre that we have tried to include.

Shot 7/8

These two shots gives the impression that the undercover cop has a clear objective giving him a more action orientated character, the shot of the feet moving is a worms eye shot that that shows the protagonist in a hurry and the shot of the undercover cop running shows a lot of fast paced movement.
Shot 9

This shot of the 'Time to Play' sign that was hanging on the door helps to emphasize that Mr Parkinson is in control. This makes the antagonist seem more powerful than the antagonist which is a CC of both horror and psychological thrillers that we have used to highlight the psychological elements of our opening sequence.