Thursday 21 January 2010
Final Evaluation
I could not upload my pictures properly, the ones I have aren't in the right place and mess up the typing. So I will not add anymore in.
Wednesday 20 January 2010
Final evaluation
Foundation Production Evaluation
In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
The task we got set was to produce a 2 minute thriller opening. We decided that we would try and aim to make our product aimed at the age certificate of 15a; the reason for this was there is no need to have too much violence in a thriller. Also the research I performed was bias towards the age groups of 15-18 the reason for this is because the questionnaire was handed round the sixth form. A typical thriller will involve some of the following conventions to ensure a successful film;
• Cliff hangers – These are useful in thriller movies as they leave the audience in suspense, which means they are left on their own to think of the narrative. This has been used effectively in “Lord of the Rings” as it’s a sequel of movies they will leave the audience thinking of the narrative over the period of the next film being released.
• Fast editing – Is used in thrillers to increase tension within a scene for example in “Psycho” in the shower scene when they cut to a different camera angle quickly. This shows ho important and scary it would be for the victim, so it’s including the audience in the film.
• Use of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds – These are used to show the audience the scene before seeing it in picture for example in a western film the use of Cow Boy music, to show they are on a horse.
• Hero/Villain – These are present frequently in thriller films, because most narratives are about trying to find the enemy. An example of this could be in “Die Hard” were John McClane is a police officer who is always after the villain who committed the crime.
• Mise-en-scene is normally set in an every day location so the audience know what to expect from the film. They will not try and wear clothes that the target audience wouldn’t wear. Unless they are in a posh part of the film e.g. Dinner Party.
• The location and setting is vital to ensure that the audience know where the scene is set. This is noticeable in “Shawn of the Dead” were it’s set in a pub, with everyday disputes for example love affairs which is also present in this film.
• The protagonist is also a dominant person who will keep the concentration of the audience. This is because it’s easier for the audience to follow the narrative, this is present in “Chronicles of Narnia” the main character is Aslan as he’s the king of Narnia. He defeats the evil queen, this shows he’s the hero.
In the first 2 minutes of a thriller the audience needs to be informed about what the film will entail. This would include the scene and normally a narrative will become apparent with the protagonist character being within the storyline. Also the location is integral so the mise-en-scene corresponds to the storyline which you are following, the reason for this is because it makes it easier for the audience to understand the narrative. A variation of camera shots will make the editing process of the movie easier as you can use appropriate shots for example, 2-shots, point of view, establishing and extreme-close-up. Also the name of thriller movies is important as they show the audience what type of hybrid thriller you are recording.
My thriller research highlighted that people enjoy having suspense built up by using a mixture of techniques for example non-diegetic sound and quick slick editing. I will be trying to ensure I can achieve this by taking camera shots from various angles so that I can show the whole of the setting, so the mise-en-scene is fully capitalised on. From watching various Quentin Tarantino film opening I have an idea of how I would like my production to turn out. He uses close up of characters to show their expressions also the use of establishing shots are effective, the use of props and actors clothing is essential for a successful opening.
• Narrative I have chosen is crime sub genre as its set in a court about a murder.
• Fast editing will be used to increase tension, cutting from one shot to another.
• Mise-en-scene will be set like “Runaway Jury” this influenced how it will look too.
• Sound might not be used at some points, as no sound creates tension as well as sound does.
• Camera shots – will use mainly medium shots so we can see the detail of each actor and the surrounding area aswell.
A film which has influenced me is “The Shawshank Redemption” when the court case at the start shows how Andy Dufresne is being scrutinized by the judge; I want to achieve this effect. This can be done by leaving the sound out, as it shows the echoing in the court. In the film “Rain man” when they have a meeting about whether Charlie can take custody over Raymond, the costumes being used are a good reflection of what I wanted to court to wear.
I have considered these when planning, for the judge he will wear the judge’s gown from the law teacher, the judge’s hammer from the auction house. The convicted murderer will wear a suite as he needs to look smart as he is the protagonist. The location is critical the magistrates court in Bourne, which will have the correct props. If I couldn’t organise the court we would have to use the stage at school which would be a lot harder to film as we would only have allotted times when we could shoot.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
The social group that I aimed the production towards would the working class/middle class; the reason for this would be because it isn’t rare for there to be a murder in typical TV programs. For example Eastenders or Midsomer murders which have court cases aroused from a murder suspect. So I will try and follow how they would show this in these shows. For the props I would use the judge’s wig and gown from the law teacher, this will show the authority of the actor towards the audience. The hammer being used for the decision will outline how strict and important the scene is, whilst the defendant would have to wear a suite to represent himself in a good manor.
In the production I used both women and men from different backgrounds; the reason for this is because in a court case there would be a varied background of people. For example a judge who is very highly qualified, so the costume he will wear is very important. Also the voice he uses shows his authority over the court, whereas the audience might not have any qualifications. The use of some smart people in the jury and others in casual wear shows they come from different backgrounds. This is shown by their presentation of how they represent themselves, so some would look as though they are from a town dressing smartly. Whereas others will come in casually and these could be classed as middle class or working class people. As a result of who’s acting this directly reflects the audience this could be attracted too, because lawyers may watch this because they can imagine themselves in this situation in a court. On the other hand the middle class people might feel as though this is an everyday event going to court. I thought that a person who would commit a murder is a male, rather than a women. So I chose to use a male instead, because this is how I interoperated the scene too look like.
This is what i thought a murderer would look like, he is also wearing a suit as it shows how serious the court case is
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I have chosen universal studios as it’s a huge distribution company, which the headquarters is situated in California. It’s the second longest lived Hollywood studio. The finance available for films being produced by Universal Studios is huge, not only that any release is of a global effect every country will know about the film. As it’s based in America this has one of the highest populations in the world, and has huge powers over smaller countries. It will attract a huge target audience to whom might watch the film. Universal Studios have various blockbusters with a fair few thriller films too; one of the most famous thriller releases was Hitchcock films. Some of the films released in 2009 are as followed;
The Unborn
Duplicity
Drag Me to Hell
Public Enemies
Brüno
Funny People
Inglourious Basterds
9
I loved watching Inglourious Basterds, the way the film has been edited and filmed by Quentin Tarantino. I would like to make my opening as close to how he would film an opening. Also Duplicity was a good thriller film that I could reference to that when filming, because of the size of the distribution company I will be able to reach the widest audience possible. To be chosen by universal studios the idea/film has an inspirational as they will be reviewed via the film too, so this would show that the opening was produced successfully.
All of the films above have had high ratings with the occasional Oscar nomination which shows that they have the experience to make a film into a success. I have been influence by most of the above as I believe these films are interesting and have good effects. As my film is about a court case I will try and interoperate how they will film this scene, so I will try and use the same props and mise-en-scene.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
Will the background information I have researched about the BBFC, we aimed for the age group of 15 the reason for this would be because we can attract a wide range of audience. Also if the age certificate is too low people will be put off the idea of watching the production as they might think that it’s too immature for them.
Also our research was mainly aimed at the age groups 16-18 this is because I asked people in the sixth form common room, so this is a very closed research method. But as our production is only small aiming at that audience is acceptable.
When I pitched my idea in front of the media class I received excellent feedback on the idea from both my fellow class and my mentors. The demographics of our targeted audience will be ages between 15-20 of both sexes who enjoy a thriller with action and fast editing.
As a result I will be aiming at a typical audience of the psychological thriller film ‘memento’ the reason for this is there could be a court of case during that film when Lenny the main character keeps on having flash backs which is linked to his amnesia. So I will aim to produce an opening which could be involved in part of that film.
When I did my questionnaire, the feedback which I received helped me come to a conclusion on the type of idea which the niche market I am aiming at enjoy watching. An idea which I thought could bring suspense to the opening was a chase but via the research I did, the feedback showed that they weren’t too fond of the idea. So as a result I didn’t include a chase scene in my final production.
In ‘psycho’ the use of non-diegetic sound was integral to make sure the tension rose whilst she’s in the shower. So I have in mind the use of non-diegetic sound is important, because my production doesn’t have much dialog in there will be a lot of edited sound as well.
The jury are going to wear generic and ordinary clothes to show the element of public, so they can imagine themselves in the case as well. Also the age group would be over 15 as it would be too hard to make a film opening too restricted to the footage shown; also the research I have performed is specifically aimed towards the age groups of 15-18, so I will try and include as many ideas I received from my feedback as possible. The lighting in court cases are darker where the jury are as there is always an air of mystery surrounding what sort of decision they will come too, so I will also try to execute this as well. But unfortunately the lighting wasn’t right as the sun was shining through the window whilst we were filming so this effect couldn’t be achieved
How did you attract/address your audience?
I used various conventions of the thriller genre all the thriller elements I have discussed earlier I tried to achieve these as well as possible during the production of my film.
I used an easy narrative to understand so that the audience would be able to watch the opening without having to concentrate too much or have background information on the area of criminology and court structure. This will help the audience understand what is happening, this is what would make a successful film if the audience understand the narrative.
I used cliff hangers - at the end of the production when the solicitor was working on a new case and the convicted murderer who he represented in an old case comes into his office. From there the start finishes with a scream and the screen goes black with the credits rolling, this will entice the audience to watch the rest of the film.
Fast editing - was used when the convicted murderer was waiting for his court case to be heard, and was sitting on the chair in the waiting room. It suddenly goes to a flash-forward to show the decision being made, and then the shot goes back to the extreme close up showing the thought in the face.
Use of diegetic and non diegetic sound - this was used frequently whilst there is no dialog, a good use of this was when the murderer was walking up the stairs and walking into the solicitors door, we used some suspicion music which made the audience feel as though something important is about to happen.
The diegetic sound that we used was the slamming of a door this makes the intention of the murderer obvious to the audience, it was completely silent apart from the slamming which echoes around for a long time. The echoes show the emptiness of the character.
The use of sound in diegetic and non-diegetic forms are important to film production because they can increase the tension where needed with spooky sound clips. Also the choice of dialog of which they speak in is important because you can see their true emotions. This is used frequently during black flashes because it shows an air of mystery with a faint sound in the background. If this is created successfully then the audience will be interested in the narrative.
Hero/villain - the heroes was the person who put the person away, the judge but this wasn’t too obvious the audience could feel as though the solicitor was the hero. So this is left down to the audience’s imagination, whereas the villain is obvious. The murderer didn’t have any backing from family or friends because they know he deserved to go to jail.
Mise-en-scene was extremely important as we needed to show that it’s set in the court, the costumes used by the judge was the wig and gown from the law teacher. The murderer was wearing a suit as he’s representing himself as a good man so appearance would be important so the jury might feel as though he’s trying. When the judges comes to the decision and uses the hammer made the authenticity of the decision more important. As it looks more realistic, people will find it a lot easier to follow. They might even be able to imagine themselves in this position in the future.
The reaction which we received from fellow class workers and friends was that the location made the opening work well, and the editing with the sound increased the tension. The use of extreme close up was used well as they thought as though they were in the shoes of the actor. But they thought that some of the continuity was a problem for example in one of the shots there was a hoover, and the next time the solicitors room was used it wasn’t in the same place. Also there was some confusion about whether each part was a back flash or and flash forward. Apart from that the use of editing was good, our YouTube link will also in the next couple of days receive comments from viewers.
When I asked the interviewees that answered my questionnaire if I had met all the criteria they expect from a thriller. All via one agreed it was a success, the person who disagreed didn’t like the way the lighting changed from some shots to a different one. This was hard to amend with the limited finance and lack of specialised equipment.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
During the production of the movie we used various technologies
• Apple Mac
• Hand held camera
Using the hand held camera was a learning curve as I had never used one for a sustained amount of time, so I wasn’t sure what all the different settings did to the quality of the filming. There were some obvious technical problems, when we received the camera there was an error saying the camera lens was blocked. So for a start I had to go back to school and retrieve a new camera. Once this was sorted and started to film the battery ran out because I had to use an uncharged camera, so this slowed down the production. As I couldn’t film while the camera is charging this wasted even more time. Apart from that camera hitch I had no more problems during the filming day. I have learnt how to zoom in with the camera with no juddering, also placing the camera at different angles to get the most of the actors body into the picture. The main problem we had with the shooting was the lighting, as we had the court for one day only and needed supervision whilst in there we could only film with a teacher. There was a big window in the court which let sunlight through, so half our shots have shadows from the sun in, so the editing task was made harder. When filming we ensured that we abided by the 180 degree rule so that the audience will understand to what character the perspective is. We learnt that we needed to take shots from various angles to be able to avoid continuity errors, as we the film needs to make sense. If it’s not in chronological order then this could start to confuse the audience.
At the start our mentor gave us a booklet of beginners guide to iMovie which taught us how to do the basic task on the Macs. When we were using the Apple Macs there were a lot of problems for a start we wanted to detach a sound from a clip and then edit how long the sound lasted for. As I have never used one before the process in which it took to find out how to avoid it was strenuous. But we eventually found out we couldn’t do it so we ended the movie with a black screen over the shot, just with the screaming the background. The production stage of the editing was sound after this, but the next problem we hit was when trying to convert the production into a DVD format as well as having an m4a file. A fellow Mac user showed me how I could do this; as a result we burnt our finished product onto a DVD without any problems. We also tried to use “match on action” this will make the continuity of the opening more obvious, as the audience can focus on the main part of the shot and it still present in a later shot.
I conclude that using Macs for editing is easier than other editing software, but it’s just a case of getting used to how a Mac works compared to a Microsoft computer.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in progression from it to the full product?
From the preliminary to the main task I have learnt various shots which I used in the main task.
Mid shot
In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
The task we got set was to produce a 2 minute thriller opening. We decided that we would try and aim to make our product aimed at the age certificate of 15a; the reason for this was there is no need to have too much violence in a thriller. Also the research I performed was bias towards the age groups of 15-18 the reason for this is because the questionnaire was handed round the sixth form. A typical thriller will involve some of the following conventions to ensure a successful film;
• Cliff hangers – These are useful in thriller movies as they leave the audience in suspense, which means they are left on their own to think of the narrative. This has been used effectively in “Lord of the Rings” as it’s a sequel of movies they will leave the audience thinking of the narrative over the period of the next film being released.
• Fast editing – Is used in thrillers to increase tension within a scene for example in “Psycho” in the shower scene when they cut to a different camera angle quickly. This shows ho important and scary it would be for the victim, so it’s including the audience in the film.
• Use of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds – These are used to show the audience the scene before seeing it in picture for example in a western film the use of Cow Boy music, to show they are on a horse.
• Hero/Villain – These are present frequently in thriller films, because most narratives are about trying to find the enemy. An example of this could be in “Die Hard” were John McClane is a police officer who is always after the villain who committed the crime.
• Mise-en-scene is normally set in an every day location so the audience know what to expect from the film. They will not try and wear clothes that the target audience wouldn’t wear. Unless they are in a posh part of the film e.g. Dinner Party.
• The location and setting is vital to ensure that the audience know where the scene is set. This is noticeable in “Shawn of the Dead” were it’s set in a pub, with everyday disputes for example love affairs which is also present in this film.
• The protagonist is also a dominant person who will keep the concentration of the audience. This is because it’s easier for the audience to follow the narrative, this is present in “Chronicles of Narnia” the main character is Aslan as he’s the king of Narnia. He defeats the evil queen, this shows he’s the hero.
In the first 2 minutes of a thriller the audience needs to be informed about what the film will entail. This would include the scene and normally a narrative will become apparent with the protagonist character being within the storyline. Also the location is integral so the mise-en-scene corresponds to the storyline which you are following, the reason for this is because it makes it easier for the audience to understand the narrative. A variation of camera shots will make the editing process of the movie easier as you can use appropriate shots for example, 2-shots, point of view, establishing and extreme-close-up. Also the name of thriller movies is important as they show the audience what type of hybrid thriller you are recording.
My thriller research highlighted that people enjoy having suspense built up by using a mixture of techniques for example non-diegetic sound and quick slick editing. I will be trying to ensure I can achieve this by taking camera shots from various angles so that I can show the whole of the setting, so the mise-en-scene is fully capitalised on. From watching various Quentin Tarantino film opening I have an idea of how I would like my production to turn out. He uses close up of characters to show their expressions also the use of establishing shots are effective, the use of props and actors clothing is essential for a successful opening.
• Narrative I have chosen is crime sub genre as its set in a court about a murder.
• Fast editing will be used to increase tension, cutting from one shot to another.
• Mise-en-scene will be set like “Runaway Jury” this influenced how it will look too.
• Sound might not be used at some points, as no sound creates tension as well as sound does.
• Camera shots – will use mainly medium shots so we can see the detail of each actor and the surrounding area aswell.
A film which has influenced me is “The Shawshank Redemption” when the court case at the start shows how Andy Dufresne is being scrutinized by the judge; I want to achieve this effect. This can be done by leaving the sound out, as it shows the echoing in the court. In the film “Rain man” when they have a meeting about whether Charlie can take custody over Raymond, the costumes being used are a good reflection of what I wanted to court to wear.
I have considered these when planning, for the judge he will wear the judge’s gown from the law teacher, the judge’s hammer from the auction house. The convicted murderer will wear a suite as he needs to look smart as he is the protagonist. The location is critical the magistrates court in Bourne, which will have the correct props. If I couldn’t organise the court we would have to use the stage at school which would be a lot harder to film as we would only have allotted times when we could shoot.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
The social group that I aimed the production towards would the working class/middle class; the reason for this would be because it isn’t rare for there to be a murder in typical TV programs. For example Eastenders or Midsomer murders which have court cases aroused from a murder suspect. So I will try and follow how they would show this in these shows. For the props I would use the judge’s wig and gown from the law teacher, this will show the authority of the actor towards the audience. The hammer being used for the decision will outline how strict and important the scene is, whilst the defendant would have to wear a suite to represent himself in a good manor.
In the production I used both women and men from different backgrounds; the reason for this is because in a court case there would be a varied background of people. For example a judge who is very highly qualified, so the costume he will wear is very important. Also the voice he uses shows his authority over the court, whereas the audience might not have any qualifications. The use of some smart people in the jury and others in casual wear shows they come from different backgrounds. This is shown by their presentation of how they represent themselves, so some would look as though they are from a town dressing smartly. Whereas others will come in casually and these could be classed as middle class or working class people. As a result of who’s acting this directly reflects the audience this could be attracted too, because lawyers may watch this because they can imagine themselves in this situation in a court. On the other hand the middle class people might feel as though this is an everyday event going to court. I thought that a person who would commit a murder is a male, rather than a women. So I chose to use a male instead, because this is how I interoperated the scene too look like.
This is what i thought a murderer would look like, he is also wearing a suit as it shows how serious the court case is
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I have chosen universal studios as it’s a huge distribution company, which the headquarters is situated in California. It’s the second longest lived Hollywood studio. The finance available for films being produced by Universal Studios is huge, not only that any release is of a global effect every country will know about the film. As it’s based in America this has one of the highest populations in the world, and has huge powers over smaller countries. It will attract a huge target audience to whom might watch the film. Universal Studios have various blockbusters with a fair few thriller films too; one of the most famous thriller releases was Hitchcock films. Some of the films released in 2009 are as followed;
The Unborn
Duplicity
Drag Me to Hell
Public Enemies
Brüno
Funny People
Inglourious Basterds
9
I loved watching Inglourious Basterds, the way the film has been edited and filmed by Quentin Tarantino. I would like to make my opening as close to how he would film an opening. Also Duplicity was a good thriller film that I could reference to that when filming, because of the size of the distribution company I will be able to reach the widest audience possible. To be chosen by universal studios the idea/film has an inspirational as they will be reviewed via the film too, so this would show that the opening was produced successfully.
All of the films above have had high ratings with the occasional Oscar nomination which shows that they have the experience to make a film into a success. I have been influence by most of the above as I believe these films are interesting and have good effects. As my film is about a court case I will try and interoperate how they will film this scene, so I will try and use the same props and mise-en-scene.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
Will the background information I have researched about the BBFC, we aimed for the age group of 15 the reason for this would be because we can attract a wide range of audience. Also if the age certificate is too low people will be put off the idea of watching the production as they might think that it’s too immature for them.
Also our research was mainly aimed at the age groups 16-18 this is because I asked people in the sixth form common room, so this is a very closed research method. But as our production is only small aiming at that audience is acceptable.
When I pitched my idea in front of the media class I received excellent feedback on the idea from both my fellow class and my mentors. The demographics of our targeted audience will be ages between 15-20 of both sexes who enjoy a thriller with action and fast editing.
As a result I will be aiming at a typical audience of the psychological thriller film ‘memento’ the reason for this is there could be a court of case during that film when Lenny the main character keeps on having flash backs which is linked to his amnesia. So I will aim to produce an opening which could be involved in part of that film.
When I did my questionnaire, the feedback which I received helped me come to a conclusion on the type of idea which the niche market I am aiming at enjoy watching. An idea which I thought could bring suspense to the opening was a chase but via the research I did, the feedback showed that they weren’t too fond of the idea. So as a result I didn’t include a chase scene in my final production.
In ‘psycho’ the use of non-diegetic sound was integral to make sure the tension rose whilst she’s in the shower. So I have in mind the use of non-diegetic sound is important, because my production doesn’t have much dialog in there will be a lot of edited sound as well.
The jury are going to wear generic and ordinary clothes to show the element of public, so they can imagine themselves in the case as well. Also the age group would be over 15 as it would be too hard to make a film opening too restricted to the footage shown; also the research I have performed is specifically aimed towards the age groups of 15-18, so I will try and include as many ideas I received from my feedback as possible. The lighting in court cases are darker where the jury are as there is always an air of mystery surrounding what sort of decision they will come too, so I will also try to execute this as well. But unfortunately the lighting wasn’t right as the sun was shining through the window whilst we were filming so this effect couldn’t be achieved
How did you attract/address your audience?
I used various conventions of the thriller genre all the thriller elements I have discussed earlier I tried to achieve these as well as possible during the production of my film.
I used an easy narrative to understand so that the audience would be able to watch the opening without having to concentrate too much or have background information on the area of criminology and court structure. This will help the audience understand what is happening, this is what would make a successful film if the audience understand the narrative.
I used cliff hangers - at the end of the production when the solicitor was working on a new case and the convicted murderer who he represented in an old case comes into his office. From there the start finishes with a scream and the screen goes black with the credits rolling, this will entice the audience to watch the rest of the film.
Fast editing - was used when the convicted murderer was waiting for his court case to be heard, and was sitting on the chair in the waiting room. It suddenly goes to a flash-forward to show the decision being made, and then the shot goes back to the extreme close up showing the thought in the face.
Use of diegetic and non diegetic sound - this was used frequently whilst there is no dialog, a good use of this was when the murderer was walking up the stairs and walking into the solicitors door, we used some suspicion music which made the audience feel as though something important is about to happen.
The diegetic sound that we used was the slamming of a door this makes the intention of the murderer obvious to the audience, it was completely silent apart from the slamming which echoes around for a long time. The echoes show the emptiness of the character.
The use of sound in diegetic and non-diegetic forms are important to film production because they can increase the tension where needed with spooky sound clips. Also the choice of dialog of which they speak in is important because you can see their true emotions. This is used frequently during black flashes because it shows an air of mystery with a faint sound in the background. If this is created successfully then the audience will be interested in the narrative.
Hero/villain - the heroes was the person who put the person away, the judge but this wasn’t too obvious the audience could feel as though the solicitor was the hero. So this is left down to the audience’s imagination, whereas the villain is obvious. The murderer didn’t have any backing from family or friends because they know he deserved to go to jail.
Mise-en-scene was extremely important as we needed to show that it’s set in the court, the costumes used by the judge was the wig and gown from the law teacher. The murderer was wearing a suit as he’s representing himself as a good man so appearance would be important so the jury might feel as though he’s trying. When the judges comes to the decision and uses the hammer made the authenticity of the decision more important. As it looks more realistic, people will find it a lot easier to follow. They might even be able to imagine themselves in this position in the future.
The reaction which we received from fellow class workers and friends was that the location made the opening work well, and the editing with the sound increased the tension. The use of extreme close up was used well as they thought as though they were in the shoes of the actor. But they thought that some of the continuity was a problem for example in one of the shots there was a hoover, and the next time the solicitors room was used it wasn’t in the same place. Also there was some confusion about whether each part was a back flash or and flash forward. Apart from that the use of editing was good, our YouTube link will also in the next couple of days receive comments from viewers.
When I asked the interviewees that answered my questionnaire if I had met all the criteria they expect from a thriller. All via one agreed it was a success, the person who disagreed didn’t like the way the lighting changed from some shots to a different one. This was hard to amend with the limited finance and lack of specialised equipment.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
During the production of the movie we used various technologies
• Apple Mac
• Hand held camera
Using the hand held camera was a learning curve as I had never used one for a sustained amount of time, so I wasn’t sure what all the different settings did to the quality of the filming. There were some obvious technical problems, when we received the camera there was an error saying the camera lens was blocked. So for a start I had to go back to school and retrieve a new camera. Once this was sorted and started to film the battery ran out because I had to use an uncharged camera, so this slowed down the production. As I couldn’t film while the camera is charging this wasted even more time. Apart from that camera hitch I had no more problems during the filming day. I have learnt how to zoom in with the camera with no juddering, also placing the camera at different angles to get the most of the actors body into the picture. The main problem we had with the shooting was the lighting, as we had the court for one day only and needed supervision whilst in there we could only film with a teacher. There was a big window in the court which let sunlight through, so half our shots have shadows from the sun in, so the editing task was made harder. When filming we ensured that we abided by the 180 degree rule so that the audience will understand to what character the perspective is. We learnt that we needed to take shots from various angles to be able to avoid continuity errors, as we the film needs to make sense. If it’s not in chronological order then this could start to confuse the audience.
At the start our mentor gave us a booklet of beginners guide to iMovie which taught us how to do the basic task on the Macs. When we were using the Apple Macs there were a lot of problems for a start we wanted to detach a sound from a clip and then edit how long the sound lasted for. As I have never used one before the process in which it took to find out how to avoid it was strenuous. But we eventually found out we couldn’t do it so we ended the movie with a black screen over the shot, just with the screaming the background. The production stage of the editing was sound after this, but the next problem we hit was when trying to convert the production into a DVD format as well as having an m4a file. A fellow Mac user showed me how I could do this; as a result we burnt our finished product onto a DVD without any problems. We also tried to use “match on action” this will make the continuity of the opening more obvious, as the audience can focus on the main part of the shot and it still present in a later shot.
I conclude that using Macs for editing is easier than other editing software, but it’s just a case of getting used to how a Mac works compared to a Microsoft computer.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in progression from it to the full product?
From the preliminary to the main task I have learnt various shots which I used in the main task.
Mid shot
Establishing shot
Extreme close up
High angled shot
Zooming
The preliminary only used a little variation in shots, so in this sense I have progressed as I have thought about different ways in which the same shot can be interpreted.
When we had shots with the jury involved organising people to be at the court at the same time involved a lot of organising as we only had 1 hour to complete these shots. Throughout the day whilst filming trying to tell the actors where to stand and what to do, I naturally adopted the director’s role. When we took each shot we needed more than one take of each so ensuring that the actors stayed focused I had to remind them what is needed from them.
Also the props and continuity was a problem, because every time we shot we had to make sure everything was in the original place. So the preparation was huge before we started to shoot. The mise-en-scene was far more realistic in the main task as the actors had the correct costumes for the court case. On the other hand the preliminary was acted by who ever was free, and in which ever free classroom was available, something we learnt in the preliminary was about continuity. As our preliminary had some slight jumps were we tried to edit together various shots together as we didn’t have a wide enough range from the start.
The location wasn’t easy to get hold of this is what I personally did to secure the right place;
• Ring the magistrates court in Bourne to see if we could use there facilities – this task ended up taking weeks because I kept on being diverted to different people.
• Then I had to go to the magistrate’s court in person to talk to the town clerk, then progression stopped for about 2 weeks again.
• I finally got a response from the court saying we could as long as we had supervision at all times.
• Had to find 5 teachers at school all with different free periods from 1-5 on a Thursday, and then ask them if they would come along.
• For the judges props I asked the law teacher for her gown and wig
• For the hammer we went to the local auction house
If I was to film another opening I would check the lighting facilities as some of the shots that we took weren’t very well lit. As we didn’t know the format of the court room before we got there on the day it was hard to tell if this would be a problem. The planning was a lot more in depth for the main task than for the preliminary, so we were ready to get on as soon as we had all the recording equipment. But because we didn’t have a plan of the court structure we had to adapt whilst filming to ensure we had varied shots.
I conclude that the improvements from the preliminary to the main task are huge as the standard is so much higher. The reason for this is because we have already used a hand held camera whereas before the preliminary I had never used one. Even though we had a much better idea for the main task we still could have leave more time for planning, and also go in a group which everyone would share the work load equally. Also the editing will be a lot easier next time as we have had experience, also we should consider the lighting more in the planning stages. Whilst in the filming stage make sure we have the right amount of shots with plenty of takes so it’s easier to edit.
When we had shots with the jury involved organising people to be at the court at the same time involved a lot of organising as we only had 1 hour to complete these shots. Throughout the day whilst filming trying to tell the actors where to stand and what to do, I naturally adopted the director’s role. When we took each shot we needed more than one take of each so ensuring that the actors stayed focused I had to remind them what is needed from them.
Also the props and continuity was a problem, because every time we shot we had to make sure everything was in the original place. So the preparation was huge before we started to shoot. The mise-en-scene was far more realistic in the main task as the actors had the correct costumes for the court case. On the other hand the preliminary was acted by who ever was free, and in which ever free classroom was available, something we learnt in the preliminary was about continuity. As our preliminary had some slight jumps were we tried to edit together various shots together as we didn’t have a wide enough range from the start.
The location wasn’t easy to get hold of this is what I personally did to secure the right place;
• Ring the magistrates court in Bourne to see if we could use there facilities – this task ended up taking weeks because I kept on being diverted to different people.
• Then I had to go to the magistrate’s court in person to talk to the town clerk, then progression stopped for about 2 weeks again.
• I finally got a response from the court saying we could as long as we had supervision at all times.
• Had to find 5 teachers at school all with different free periods from 1-5 on a Thursday, and then ask them if they would come along.
• For the judges props I asked the law teacher for her gown and wig
• For the hammer we went to the local auction house
If I was to film another opening I would check the lighting facilities as some of the shots that we took weren’t very well lit. As we didn’t know the format of the court room before we got there on the day it was hard to tell if this would be a problem. The planning was a lot more in depth for the main task than for the preliminary, so we were ready to get on as soon as we had all the recording equipment. But because we didn’t have a plan of the court structure we had to adapt whilst filming to ensure we had varied shots.
I conclude that the improvements from the preliminary to the main task are huge as the standard is so much higher. The reason for this is because we have already used a hand held camera whereas before the preliminary I had never used one. Even though we had a much better idea for the main task we still could have leave more time for planning, and also go in a group which everyone would share the work load equally. Also the editing will be a lot easier next time as we have had experience, also we should consider the lighting more in the planning stages. Whilst in the filming stage make sure we have the right amount of shots with plenty of takes so it’s easier to edit.
Audience Feedback
The ways in which I checked if the production was successful, is by uploading the movie onto YouTube and ask people to comment on their personal thoughts of how effective the opening has been made. Another way in which we could check if our production was good, this was from the word of mouth.
Miss Howard is quoted saying "I watched your production last Friday, I thought it was exceptional", this shows that she really enjoyed watching the opening. So this is a satisfied consumer.
My brother said "How did this take you so long to complete, with the editing" Whether this is because he was being honest, or not this shows that people have high expectations. So if i was too make another production I could try and produce a film with a more interesting narrative.
I have yet to recieve a comment on YouTube, so this might not be the best form of feedback. The reason for this could be that people don't know that the production is available to watch, even if they do watch the film they might not comment on it as this requires some audience input.
Miss Howard is quoted saying "I watched your production last Friday, I thought it was exceptional", this shows that she really enjoyed watching the opening. So this is a satisfied consumer.
My brother said "How did this take you so long to complete, with the editing" Whether this is because he was being honest, or not this shows that people have high expectations. So if i was too make another production I could try and produce a film with a more interesting narrative.
I have yet to recieve a comment on YouTube, so this might not be the best form of feedback. The reason for this could be that people don't know that the production is available to watch, even if they do watch the film they might not comment on it as this requires some audience input.
Tuesday 19 January 2010
Shooting and editing evaluation
The shooting was all planned out with shot lists and story board. So we were prepared for filming. But the first problem that occurred was that the camera lens was dirty so we couldn't film, as a result I biked to school to find a replacement video camera. In the mean time we couldn't progress as there was no way of filming.
As the court is being used to film in, they said we needed adult supervision at all times. I had to organise 5 different teachers to come and accompany us whilst we film but between lesson 1 and 2 the teach didn't turn up so Miss Sutton who was there lesson 1 offered to do a second hour to help out.
Then we started to film and there were no problems we took all the shots according to the plans, so we got off to a good start. But then we found out we had some props missing which needed printing off, so Jack went back to his to print off. Whilst this was happening the camera was being charged so we took actions before it was too late.
The lighting was a big problem as there was a big window in the court room as the day progressed the sunlight shines through more and more, so this would effect the quality of the camera shots. But we took 2 shots of the jury which was worst effected, both from different angles so we could choose which one works best at the editing stage.
While filming something that was achieved well was ensuring we didn't break to 180 degree rule, to ensure that the audience understand whats actually happening. Also the mise-en-scene came together really well with the costumes of the actors as it looked as though they were actual people in a real case. As a result an effect of realism has been achieved, so the audience could imagine themselves in there positions. The court would only let us film in there premises for the school time so we had to ensure we filmed within a deadline. We successfully recorded all the shots we needed and more before our time allocation had expired, i also think that all the scenery in the court we used to full capacity.
So I conclude that the day was very successful we achieved everything we set out to complete, with more footage than needed. This will make the editing part of the production easier as we can choose between a variation of shots of each part.
When editing we had no problems until we wanted to detach the sound completely from a frame and use this on its own, so the way round this problem was to place a black screen over the top of the clip. As a result we will still hear the noise but not where the shot was taken, as we had to do this we made it so it cut straight to the credits at the end.
Another problem which we stumbled upon whilst editing was when we needed to burn the finished product onto a DVD, we weren't sure how we had to do it. We tried first time and failed it didn't even start to burn onto a DVD. But the way of sorting this out was cleaning the disk and replacing it, me and Jack also came back in a free when students from the other media group were in there who showed us how to burn it. A small problem we stumbled upon whilst editing was because me and Jack were the only two people who did any editing, and all the filming on the filming day. We had limited time to ensure we met all the deadlines set, to make sure we did our own free time was spent on editing.
I conclude that the whole production of our thriller opening, including filming and editing was successful, the reason I say that is because we set out to make the film for the age certificate of 15 and over. From the research performed we ensured that all the typical thriller elements are present, whilst taking into consideration to what students want to watch.
As the court is being used to film in, they said we needed adult supervision at all times. I had to organise 5 different teachers to come and accompany us whilst we film but between lesson 1 and 2 the teach didn't turn up so Miss Sutton who was there lesson 1 offered to do a second hour to help out.
Then we started to film and there were no problems we took all the shots according to the plans, so we got off to a good start. But then we found out we had some props missing which needed printing off, so Jack went back to his to print off. Whilst this was happening the camera was being charged so we took actions before it was too late.
The lighting was a big problem as there was a big window in the court room as the day progressed the sunlight shines through more and more, so this would effect the quality of the camera shots. But we took 2 shots of the jury which was worst effected, both from different angles so we could choose which one works best at the editing stage.
While filming something that was achieved well was ensuring we didn't break to 180 degree rule, to ensure that the audience understand whats actually happening. Also the mise-en-scene came together really well with the costumes of the actors as it looked as though they were actual people in a real case. As a result an effect of realism has been achieved, so the audience could imagine themselves in there positions. The court would only let us film in there premises for the school time so we had to ensure we filmed within a deadline. We successfully recorded all the shots we needed and more before our time allocation had expired, i also think that all the scenery in the court we used to full capacity.
So I conclude that the day was very successful we achieved everything we set out to complete, with more footage than needed. This will make the editing part of the production easier as we can choose between a variation of shots of each part.
When editing we had no problems until we wanted to detach the sound completely from a frame and use this on its own, so the way round this problem was to place a black screen over the top of the clip. As a result we will still hear the noise but not where the shot was taken, as we had to do this we made it so it cut straight to the credits at the end.
Another problem which we stumbled upon whilst editing was when we needed to burn the finished product onto a DVD, we weren't sure how we had to do it. We tried first time and failed it didn't even start to burn onto a DVD. But the way of sorting this out was cleaning the disk and replacing it, me and Jack also came back in a free when students from the other media group were in there who showed us how to burn it. A small problem we stumbled upon whilst editing was because me and Jack were the only two people who did any editing, and all the filming on the filming day. We had limited time to ensure we met all the deadlines set, to make sure we did our own free time was spent on editing.
I conclude that the whole production of our thriller opening, including filming and editing was successful, the reason I say that is because we set out to make the film for the age certificate of 15 and over. From the research performed we ensured that all the typical thriller elements are present, whilst taking into consideration to what students want to watch.
Mise-en-scene
This shot is a good example of the mise-en-scene, as its been chosen to do a court case being able to use. As we will able to use all the facilities to the best of our ability. The basic setup of the court is already available. This makes the whole idea more realistic as to the audience this is the real thing with the court case being held.
I personally think that this is a very good shot to set the scene because it shows how important mise-en-scene is. This shows that the chair has been used for generations in the law industry. From the detail of this it implies that the authority of the personnel who is sitting there is of a high stature.
In this shot the mise-en-scene is excellent as both the defendant and the judge are wearing the appropriate costumes, so they fit in well with the surrounding court. This was always going to be a danger about securing the location, that the actors will need to be in the correct costumes to complete the mise-en-scene.From all the screen shots that I have taken I believe that the mise-en-scene of the production has been achieved well with budget we had. Throughout the effect was supposed to look as though it was produced and edited in a professional manor. Apart from the occasional lighting problem I think it's been achieved to a high stadard.
Shot list
This is the shot list which we recorded by;
Shot of sign that reads "Court Room", zooms out to shows Defendant waiting for court to start. Date along the bottom.
Fade to Black
Shot of courtroom before court so it is empty.
Fade to Black
Zoom in of Defendants face.
Fade to White to show Defendant thinking
Over the shoulder shot of Judge saying "Guilty".
Slow-mo shot of Gaffle going down (In black and white)
Fade to White
Back to Defendants face looking nervous.
Low shot of Defendant being escorted in to the Dock.
Fade to Black
Shot of Judge's chair with emblem on it.
Fade to Black
Over the shoulder of Defendant with Judge in shot.
High shot looking down on Defendant which pans to Judge.
Low angled shot of Jury to show they have some power.
Judge off shot says "All Rise".
Shot can see Jury who all stand up.
Camera zooms in on one member of the Jury who says "We the Jury have come to the desicion, we find the Defendant-"
Shot jumps to Defendant and his Lawyer, "Guilty" is said from the previous shot and both characters look down.
Shot pans across books with the date changing to in the future.
Three shots of Defendant (After being released) walking up stairs and entering a door.
Shot from Defendants view of the Lawyer reading a book.
Lawyer looks up.
Fade to Black
Black screen with a scream as audio.
Credits.
Shot of sign that reads "Court Room", zooms out to shows Defendant waiting for court to start. Date along the bottom.
Fade to Black
Shot of courtroom before court so it is empty.
Fade to Black
Zoom in of Defendants face.
Fade to White to show Defendant thinking
Over the shoulder shot of Judge saying "Guilty".
Slow-mo shot of Gaffle going down (In black and white)
Fade to White
Back to Defendants face looking nervous.
Low shot of Defendant being escorted in to the Dock.
Fade to Black
Shot of Judge's chair with emblem on it.
Fade to Black
Over the shoulder of Defendant with Judge in shot.
High shot looking down on Defendant which pans to Judge.
Low angled shot of Jury to show they have some power.
Judge off shot says "All Rise".
Shot can see Jury who all stand up.
Camera zooms in on one member of the Jury who says "We the Jury have come to the desicion, we find the Defendant-"
Shot jumps to Defendant and his Lawyer, "Guilty" is said from the previous shot and both characters look down.
Shot pans across books with the date changing to in the future.
Three shots of Defendant (After being released) walking up stairs and entering a door.
Shot from Defendants view of the Lawyer reading a book.
Lawyer looks up.
Fade to Black
Black screen with a scream as audio.
Credits.
Camera Shot Angles
This is the camera angle shots used to film the productionShot 1 is a close up of the protagonist actor who is the murderer and a sign saying "court room" this sets the scene to the audience and lets them know what the narrative is already through the mise-en-scene.
Shot 2 is an establishing shot of the court room when empty which shows the how much it would echo when a decision is made, which emplies it will stay with him for a long time in his thoughts. This also sets the scene for the following sequence of events.
Shot 3 is back to the murderer showing him waiting in anticipation (extreme close up)
Shot 4 is of the hitting of the hammer on the table which shows the power given to the judge in the court (extreme close up)
Shot 5 is zooming back into the actor so its a way of representing that he was flash forwarding to the future (extreme close up)
Shot 6 is when the murderer and the assistant are walking in, this shows that the protagonist charactor is highly dangerous if he has to be assisted while walking into the court case (mid shot)
Shot 7 is a sceneary shot of the judges chair so that we are now representing the judge (mid shot)
Shot 8 is a point of view shot from the dock of the defendant looking towards the judge (long shot)
Shot 9 and 10 are both different angles of the jury this is important to show that there is as many people in the jury as possible so it looks like an important case (long shot)
Shot 11 is a high angled shot from the long distance panning round from the defendant to the judge
Shot 12 is of the bookcase in the solicitors room this is setting the scene for a new room (close up)
Shot 13 is of the murderer after his sentence walking up the stairs towards the solicitors office (long shot)
Shot 14 from the top of the stairs looking down upon the actor walking up (long shot)
Shot 15 is the final shot when he comes around the corner of the door to attack the solicitor (mid shot)
Final Task Planning
This is the story board of what we would like to happen whilst filming our thriller opening
;
When producing the production we had to ensure that we made a piece of work which is aimed at our target market. The questionnaire which I asked a sample of 6th formers to participate in, as this was the age group it was projected at.
;A brief outline on how the film is going to look as shown on the story board.
In shot 1 this will be of the murderer waiting in be wilderness, with the outline of the court room plaque. This will be a sloe up zooming in to show the emotion on the actors face resulting in an extreme close up. This is good because the audience know what the protagonist actor is before knowing the story line, this means the audience can think about the narrative on their own.
The 2nd shot is an establishing shot of the court room, this will be effective for the audience because they have an idea of where the opening is set. As they might be asking themselves questions from the first shot, which have been answered as a result of this establishing shot. Also this is where the whole future film could have been a changing point, so if i was to produce a whole film i may refer back to this later in that film.
The 3rd shot is back to the murderers face at this point he is sitting their with great thought rushing through his head and his eyes are rolling, this will be fast edits from the 2nd to the 3rd shot, which will increase tension. We will use non-diegetic sound at this point as well of a heart beat of the actor.
The 4th shot is a flash forward to when the sentence had been decided, and the judged say "guilty" which will ring in his head whilst sitting there. As we are supposed to be making a physchological thriller this could be seen as a convention the reason for that is because its showing the murderer is going mad. Which happens in some typical physchological films.
In the 5th shot we only see the murderers feet and a person escorting him to the dock. This is an interesting shot as it doesn't give away any emotions but also shows that's there is movement which shows a progression in the case.
For both shots 6 and 7 it is going to be of the jury which will make the decision to prosecute the defendant. The reason there is to shots of this is so that we could use less actors but still make it look as though it was full, as we had no money to spend on actors or props.
Then on shot 8 we will quickly edit from the 7th shot where the decision is being made to the dock where the defendant and his lawyer is sat. Which will show the reaction of these two as the news comes apparent that they lost the court case.
This would then end, but we later decided to add another bit to the end to make it more like a thriller genre. But this was the plan we had for filming so we changed our minds as we were filming.
When producing the production we had to ensure that we made a piece of work which is aimed at our target market. The questionnaire which I asked a sample of 6th formers to participate in, as this was the age group it was projected at.
They wanted the following and this is how I achieved this;
Fast editing - which was achieved when flashing from the court to the murderer
Protagonist charactor - which is the defendant (murderer) as the whole scene is set around him
Sound - this was added whilst zooming in on the murderer, with a heartbeat added to increase tension
No chase scene - the narrative could have been showing the crime being commited and then him running away, but decided against it through the research
Sunday 17 January 2010
My proposed thriller opening
My proposed thriller opening is of a court case of a murderer, and the decision for him to be sentenced to a jail term. This would be set out as follows;
First shot will be an establishing shot, of the court room completely empty so this will share an echoing silence. This will catch the attention of the audience because they will be thinking what will happen next.
Second shot would be to have the prosecuted murderer in the waiting room, waiting for his trial to be heard. Whilst zooming in on his face quickly change to a flashforward to the case in action. With the final decision made by the judge.
Third shot would be of the murderer in his dock, deep in thought with the camera panning round to where the judge is examining to finer details of the case. At this point we will use non-diegetic sounds which will build the tension.
Fourth shot will be of the jury sitting in and listening to this judges speech, then the judge will ask for the juries decision. The person who will say the decision is situated in the middle of the camera as its the most prominant actor, whilst he says the juries decision we will cut to the reaction of the lawyer and murderer in the dock together.
5th shot will be of the solictor the day when the murder has been realised from prison. He will be working on a new case, then he will hear a noise outside the door. Then the camera will flash to the murderer walking up the stairs towards the office. Then he walks round the corner and the solictor shouts, it will cut then to black to show its the end. Then the credits will role in after this.
First shot will be an establishing shot, of the court room completely empty so this will share an echoing silence. This will catch the attention of the audience because they will be thinking what will happen next.
Second shot would be to have the prosecuted murderer in the waiting room, waiting for his trial to be heard. Whilst zooming in on his face quickly change to a flashforward to the case in action. With the final decision made by the judge.
Third shot would be of the murderer in his dock, deep in thought with the camera panning round to where the judge is examining to finer details of the case. At this point we will use non-diegetic sounds which will build the tension.
Fourth shot will be of the jury sitting in and listening to this judges speech, then the judge will ask for the juries decision. The person who will say the decision is situated in the middle of the camera as its the most prominant actor, whilst he says the juries decision we will cut to the reaction of the lawyer and murderer in the dock together.
5th shot will be of the solictor the day when the murder has been realised from prison. He will be working on a new case, then he will hear a noise outside the door. Then the camera will flash to the murderer walking up the stairs towards the office. Then he walks round the corner and the solictor shouts, it will cut then to black to show its the end. Then the credits will role in after this.
Our chosen thriller opening
We chose the idea of the magestrates court, when the murderer is on trial for the sin he commited. The reason we chose this is because from my research i found out that people want suspense build via non-diegetic sounds aswell as diegetic, so there would be various chances for us to achieve this in this environment. Also the use of a protagonist character is present (the murder) and at the same time he is the villan, we also have to hero. The judge who sentences him to a jail sentence. But it's also left down to the audiences digerestion to who they think is the hero, they might think that the lawyer who represented him is because he lost the case for the murderer.
So the use of a protagonist and a hero and villan are some typical thriller conventions. Also the use of quick editing is used frequently in blockbuster of this genre. So when the murderer is in the waiting room the use of editing till flash forward to the decsion made, and straight back into his face deep in thought. The mise-en-scene of this will be good as we wil use the actual court in Bourne with the judges gown and wig from the law teacher at school, and the hammer from the local auction rooms. As we have this sorted the lighting will be needed for exact precision, as we will be filming throughout the day the sun will shine through windows at different stages.
The narrative will be made clear as the opening progresses as hints will be given, also via the mise-en-scene and the dialog the audience will be able easily follow the idea. Also I used intertextuality of "the run away jury", this is a film which is based around a jury who escape their juties. So this could be directly linked with part of that story, at the start when they are still in a court hearing.
So the use of a protagonist and a hero and villan are some typical thriller conventions. Also the use of quick editing is used frequently in blockbuster of this genre. So when the murderer is in the waiting room the use of editing till flash forward to the decsion made, and straight back into his face deep in thought. The mise-en-scene of this will be good as we wil use the actual court in Bourne with the judges gown and wig from the law teacher at school, and the hammer from the local auction rooms. As we have this sorted the lighting will be needed for exact precision, as we will be filming throughout the day the sun will shine through windows at different stages.
The narrative will be made clear as the opening progresses as hints will be given, also via the mise-en-scene and the dialog the audience will be able easily follow the idea. Also I used intertextuality of "the run away jury", this is a film which is based around a jury who escape their juties. So this could be directly linked with part of that story, at the start when they are still in a court hearing.
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