Evaluation Question 7 (Myles Bradley)

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




When we did our preliminary task we got a good idea of where our strengths were in filming, editing, sound and acting. We were able to use this task as an opportunity to familiarise our self with the equipment for example setting up the tripod and using the camera, we tried different camera shots and editing techniques such as slow motion and fades in final cut, as a group we were able to get used to using final cut, importing, rendering and adding effects to our clips. Before doing this task we planned it through carefully as a group thinking about what we were going to film and when, we discussed amongst our group making sure we knew when we were all free to film and we would arrange a time and a place. We made a script and helped the actors to memorise it, we gave our script some leeway making It easier for our actors.

We learnt about changing the saturation our clips and adding other colours as seen above.

Here we have used a fade effect on our LiveType credits and we did this to stop them from just suddenly disappearing. 

We took all of the good things out of our preliminary task and applied them on to our final opening sequence and bettered them for example for example our planning of what we needed on the day and our knowledge of the equipment, when filming continuity was important for our group to get right when we were filming as we were filming outside, we started to film when it was very bright and a lot of the days that followed mostly consisted of rained. Also some of the footage we filmed was too dark in comparison to our previous shots meaning it would jump from light to dark. 

We had some weaknesses with our preliminary task but not many. A lot of our problems were to do with people not being free at certain times and the rest of the group having to work around them. Our biggest problem was our actors, Our actors didn't come across as very convincing and it shows in our clip. Continuity wasn't that bigger problem for our group as we only had to re-film once due to a small mistake of someones coat appearing in one shot but not the next, it wasn't that noticeable but still needed changing. other then this our group didn't have many weaknesses in the preliminary task.

When starting  our task we decided to sit down as a group and plan our task making sure that we knew what we were doing and when. Due to the pour acting in our group we decided to do most of the filming from the killers perspective using point of view shots, this worked really well as we couldn't find anyone who could act very well and the clip does work better with the point of view shot as it shows the story through the villains perspective and builds the tension. Some of our group members couldn't make some of our scheduled filming times, if they were essential in the filming then we would do it on another day but if it was possible to do it without them which it was we would do it without them and fill them in the next day.

Here we have used a POV shot from the killers perspective this is seen above.

From doing these two tasks our group have learned that practical work is very time consuming and isn't something that can just be left to all be done another day, it isn't just going out there and filming that takes time but editing our opening sequence to be the best it can be can take a long time as well. Overall as a group we know to have a successful opening sequence you need a well thought through plan which everyone in the group understands, cooperation in the group is essential as you all need to know where we are filming and when as well as having everything needed prepared for that day in advance. 

Evaluation Question 6 (Josh Bowden)

6) What have you learned about technologies from the process of constructing this product?


Over the process of producing our film opening sequence I have learnt how to use various technologies which I did not before. This includes Final Cut Express, LiveType, blogging, youtube and wordle. I have particularly learnt a lot from the software Final Cut and LiveType as I edited a lot of our clip together and produced the intro title/credits. The LiveType software is easy and simple to use and was pretty straight forward as effects could easily be applied by selecting one from the options. This is what I did for our opening title as I used the Plaster effect for the background. I was also able to make it suit our genre more by changing the colour and texture of our text to make it look like flesh which I did using the stripple effect. In conclusion I think that LiveType is a very useful program and is understandable why film makers would use it as it is very easy and simple to use.

During the process of making our opening sequence I didn't use the camera much as I was acting. However I did do some practise shots with it and I now know how to film and import clips from the camera. 

The main editing software which we used for putting together our clips and adding effects, transitions etc. was final cut express. This was easy for me and my group to use as we worked together and discussed things such as how clips should be cut, what effects to use etc. The software also easily allowed us to import our clips from the camera straight into final cut and import any sound effects or music. I also learnt how to cut clips and put clips together properly. We applied effects such as colour contrasting, fades (for the credits), and a cross disolve. The cross dissolve was used to show time passing as the victim is firstly in the shot alone then the villain appears walking past after the cross dissolve. We edited the sound in final cut such as the news report and were able to lower the volume of the radio beat so that the voice could be heard clearly over it and the radio beat would also get louder in certain parts of the clip. We used the radio beat to make the news report more convincing and to signify that it was a radio report. In final cut we also learned how to export the clip and render it as a movie file so that it could be played back.

In addition to using editing software, I also learnt how to make a wordle using sites such as wordle.net. By creating a wordle I could quickly refer back to my ideas and use them to help me produce a storyboard. Youtube was also useful as I learnt how to upload and embed clips so that I could included them on my blog. I also know how to import videos and images to posts on my blog such as our questionnaires and storyboard. 

Evaluation Question 5 (Nick Burford)

5) How did you attract/address your audience?

From our opening sequence we found out as a group that people like the idea for having a horror film with a opening that is more mysterious instead of all blood and gore. They said it would make them want to watch the film more and also give off more questions that they would want to find the answer for. (Like why is this happening?). From our Audience feedback we made a few changes and we talked about the points that were made in the focus group.

One of the key points that was said before we started was the name could be misleading. However we talked about the issue and said the name wasn't chosen because of the opening sequence but for the whole film, If it was made, because it would tie in to what would happen in the film but not the opening sequence. The genre of the film is meant to be horror, However we have done an opening that is more mysterious. This is misleading, however once again it is just building the tension and the cut to black and the heart beat at the end shows that something is about to happen.

The opening sequence we have created engages the audience by building up the tension the whole way through. At the start we can clearly see the busy High Street and it looks like someone is just there watching. This is then followed by one person being followed on his way home. The added radio report about disappearance in the area also helps draw people in, as it adds mystery to what is happening and going to happen. You know from then what is going to happen and this is then followed up by the low angled shots from the ground of the person being followed with the music that is slower and more sinister. The heart beat also creates a feeling of tension with it being played for the whole time when the killer/villain is on the screen. You hear 3 loud bangs as well when he is being followed down the quiet road, this is done to make the viewer jump slightly and help build what is about to happen. Right at the end you see a POV shot from behind a bush. This is the last clip we show before we have a cut to black. This was done as the viewer might expect to see something instead we left it open so you don’t see what is about to happen. All of this helps build and draw the viewer in. We hope to make him feel like he is being watched as well so he or she  it can really get a feel for what it is like.

The gratification the audience can get of our film is “Social interaction”, “Entertainment” and “Escape”. All of these are possible to get from our film. The social interaction will allow people who haven’t hardly anything in common to have a key area to talk about. It will help bring people together in social networking sites like Facebook and twitter, with people being able to follow and talk about the film when it comes out as well update on it. The film will entertain people as we have film clip which draws in the viewer and holds attention. You want to know what is coming next and you don’t want it to stop. You can put yourself in the position of the victim and you start to think about what you would do if that was happening to you. The film also helps you escape from reality for a while. It is an issue that has happened in real life. However it still draws you in and makes escape from real life.

When we ask a group of people what they thought about our opening sequence. They said they liked it and it was good, however, there are still some improvements to be made, such as  the bus and the error with the numbers. We held a focus group where we asked what they thought and the improvements we could make. Overall they said there was just a few little things that needed to be  changed but they liked it and said it was good.

These are some of the shot the audience didn't like. This is down to them not wanting a cliff hanger on the end or the bus and the changing of them.

However they did say some good aspects as the did and the shot of Wallington at the start. they like the fact that it showed the area and the speeding up of the clip to show time moving.

Evaluation Question 4 (Myles Bradley)

4) Who would be the audience for your media product?


Age- 
The ages which are most suitable for our opening sequence will be 18 and above as it is a horror and based on a lot of violence such as people being stabbed and going missing. The age also reflects the level of violence that is within our horror film storyline and quite often most of the time older people such as teenagers are likely to watch a horror film rather than young kids.

Gender- 
We are targeting both genders but perhaps a male audience would prefer the film as it is a horror, however some females might prefer it just as much. men tend to prefer the blood and gore of horror films more than women.

Social demographic-
We are targeting a wide range of classes as a horror film can appeal to a wide range of audiences so it ranges from the D1-A1 category, our audience would be up to date with technology and would be regular Cinema goers. All classes would go and see the film but mainly people of the working class and upper class would go and see it as they would earn more money.

Hobbies and interests-
The average horror film fan would enjoy our suspenseful horror film, they would  enjoy films which are similar to ours and are based around one antagonist who is a killer, other films similar to this that they would enjoy may include seven and a Nightmare on elm street.

Favourite Films- 
The audience that would want to watch this film would primarily be interested in the thriller and horror genres basically genres that build tension up for examples in films like  SAW, Paranormal activity, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas chainsaw Massacre and Scream 4.

Research in to Target audience-
As a group we came up with different questions we wanted to ask a group of people ranging from a choice of names, to what they would like to see in a horror film. We asked certain questions that we new would help us with our film for example "do you know of any good locations to film a horror film?" and what things we needed in our opening sequence to make it the best it can be.

Evaluation Question 3 (mustafa mohammed)

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

Film distribution is one of the most key element of any film the distribution techniques you choose can be crucial in the success of your film, for example companies may want to promote their film through viral techniques(stunts, teaser trailers) which was used very well in terms of the dark knight.

For our film distribution we will need an institution that’s good at producing horror films one company we stumbled upon was brain damage films which produces horror films although there not really mainstream and all there films are quite low budget, although this may seem to be a negative this distributor may actually suite our production. As film is low budget and it isn’t similar to mainstream horror films which concentrate on the blood and gets aspect instead we chose to slowly build up suspense and have gone for a more psychological horror film so a non-mainstream producer may actually work well.

Our second consideration would be paramount pictures which is a mainstream film corporation which has a lot of experience in producing horror films and distributing them effectively there works include horror films’ such as  the Friday the thirteenth series, my bloody valentine and what lies beneath all very successful. Although unlike brain damage films who solely concentrate  on horror films Paramount concentrates on many genres but their specialty seems to be action or action adventure e.g. transformers, battlefield los Angeles and Indiana Jones, so if they do distribute it our film we will have the best chances of success as this distribution company would be able to distribute the film around the world on many formats Blue ray, I tunes movies.

On the other hand you could argue that because of their involvement in other genres that they may not be able to produce a quality piece of work, for example there is a risk that they may dilute the horror film by adding aspects of other genres this may possibly have a positive or negative effect, but if it is done in a prominent way it might not be an outright horror but a hybrid instead.Although we feel that brain damage films is a more appropriate distributor because of the very nature of our film i.e. low budget ,basic equipment and software, psychological horror.

Evaluation Question 2 (Mustafa Mohammed)

2)      How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Our opening sequence does not represent older or female social groups the only social group shown are white male teenagers as the victim and antagonist.

In the media, particularly the news teenagers in general are represented as being “hooded, gang affiliated thieves” this opinion has gained mass acceptance especially after the London riots of last summer in which teenagers of a many backgrounds took part in the riots which caused millions of pounds worth of damage across the city of London, this negative view of teenagers is the conventional view of many people.

Our opening sequence conventionally represents teenagers as being violent and out of touch with society as our antagonist is a teenager that stalks and murders people thus suiting the negative imagery portrayed in the media, we did this as we would like to represent what people are familiar with instead of challenging their views as it would have been difficult to show teenagers as being positive and nice  people in the introduction of a horror film.These social conventions can be seen through the clothing worn by both characters jeans, hoodies and  beanie hats this clothing is typical teenage clothing and is what they would conventionally wear, this applies to the antagonist especially as he is wearing a hoodie with a hood down which is one of the symbols of youth violence and gangs immediately suggesting that the character is trouble.

Although in terms of behavior they are not represented conventionally as everything done in the opening sequence is average e.g. walking, getting on bus, sitting on the wall;and to add to this there is no dialouge this goes against the conventional view that teenagers are very social and interactive and may suggesst that are two characters are unique.

Evaluation Question 1 (Josh Bowden)

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

In our final media opening sequence we have used various conventional elements which includes titles, credits, sound (music), Mise En Scene and narrative enigma. I created our film title in LiveType which allowed me to reflect what the genre of the film opening sequence is. For example, our film opening sequence is based on horror and I used a dark background and various tones of red on the text that often represents blood, danger and violence. In addition we also used this effect for our credits but instead had the credit names show up over different clips rather than having a background. We chose to do this mainly because of the genre of our opening sequence which meant that if we added a background that would pop up randomly whilst the clip is playing it would break the tension that it builds up towards the end.

Another conventional element that we have included in our opening sequence is sound. We used this because it builds up tension for the audience as the dark and eery sounds lead you to believe that something bad is going to happen. An example of non-diegetic sound is a sound effect we used in our opening sequence which is the sound of a loud heartbeat that raises as the villain gets closer and closer towards the victim. In contrast we have used diegetic sound as we wrote up a radio report script and recorded someone reading it like a real news report. We included this because it reveals what the current situation is within our clip and hints to the audience what is going to happen. We also used a radio station sound behind the voice of the news report to make it sound more convincing.

We used various types of mise-en-scene within our film opening sequence. This includes clothing, body language, location and lighting. The location of our opening sequence is firstly set in Wallington Highstreet which is very busy and full of transport and many people. Throughout the opening sequence the location changes and becomes more and more isolated and quiet. We did this to build up the tension and to make the victim look vulnerable, meaning that the villain is soon likely to attack. This leads the audience to believe that something shocking is about to happen and this is where we pause our opening sequence as it makes the audience want to see what happens to the victim. We didn't use any lighting techniques apart from some effects which we applied on final cut express. These effects make the scenes look more suitable for the genre (horror) as the colour is slightly duller and blue/greyish. The sky in our opening sequence also gradually gets darker and darker to make it look as though the villain is waiting for the right moment to attack. As many of the shots are from the villains perspective you can see that the camera is slightly shaky which is to show that chaos is happening as a murderer is on the loose. In addition we used generic conventions such as clothing as the villain is wearing a dark hoody to disguise his face from other people seeing it. This makes the villain seem much more mysterious and creepy.

Towards the end of our opening sequence we have used narrative enigma by leaving some unanswered questions. For example we show the villain becoming extremely close towards the victim but don't reveal what actually happens. We did this because it makes the audience want to see what happens in the scene and creates more excitement. The fact that the news report within our clip qoutes that four teenagers are missing also leads the audience to believe that there could be many more victims who go missing or are murdered later on in the film.

In our opening sequence we also used some unconventional elements such as the weather and time of day. For example, we filmed our clip in broad daylight rather than the night time. This contrasts with many horror films as the sky is normally dark to create an unsafe and creepy atmosphere.