Evaluation

Question 7:

I feel that I have developed as a film maker and editor quite dramatically since first starting media. During the preliminary we realised how important it was to not make the same mistake twice and make sure you have plenty of film. It also taught us the unconventional ways of shooting things sometimes pay off. Quirky camera angles helped create some shots we wouldn’t have thought of doing if we hadn’t just gone for it. This came across when shooting out main task because we thought back to our preliminary task and thought about giving it a go succeeds or fails letting you know not to try it again. It also helped me develop my attention to detail. Normally I would say “that will do”, but after studying media you realise how important it is to piece everything together and go the extra mile. We learnt the colour change editing skill in our preliminary and we wanted to use this in our final piece as a kind of signature to our work. People who have seen our preliminary task said that it was something they associated with our film so we used it again. I feel that it worked just as well, if not better the second time. I realised that planning for all events is a must and being clear with all your ideas and plans is equally important. Allowing others to express themselves in the group helps this because they might have the solution to an idea you have that doesn’t quite make the cut. Sticking to the plan was important but as in our preliminary, a lot changed from our initial plan. Even when you have a picture in your head of how it is all going to pan out, it doesn’t tend to happen. The changes we made were quite significant but I am pleased they happened because I think that it really added to the final product. I have learnt that producing a short piece of film is a lot more time consuming than you would expect it to be. I have also learnt that team work is key, as well as adding originality to the piece. If I were to do the project again, I would try organising things a lot earlier and better. We didn’t have reserve plans so when the location we thought we could have failed it stopped us in our tracks and hindered the whole production. I would also make sure everything is filmed a few more times. Maybe going everywhere and communicating together more would have helped because when it came to the day of filming, Niall and I had only seen pictures of the location that Ed had taken. I feel that as a group we worked really well. We are all interested in similar genres and directors so we can relate to each other’s inspirations. We also know each other well which meant we could spend a lot of time editing together. We all took on different roles in a way. Ed took a very creative position which he thrived in, as well as setting up shots and checking continuity. Niall helped with the continuity and offering a different perspective and eye for detail on the editing process. He also did a fantastic job of writing and performing both pieces of music in our piece. I took on the role of camera work at first, as well as helping the other two get to grips with the cameras. I was also quite heavily involved in the editing process with Ed and Niall. I would say that the editing was the most evenly spread part of the team process. I really enjoyed filming our thriller and I couldn’t have chosen a better group to do it with.

Evaluation

Question 6:

For our production we learnt how to use Cameras, Tripods, Apple Mac computer, basic editing software such as i-Movie and music software such as Garage Band. For the video shooting skills we firstly learnt how to film a steady shot using a tripod, then developed onto pans and then using different angles.

We learnt how to change the zoom length on the cameras and also using the manual focus on the DSLR’s. We used two Canon 550D’s to film our media work which we purposely used for the high definition they deliver, the interchangeable lenses and the ability to manually focus.

As someone who uses a DSLR for photography I already knew how to change lenses and what lens would suit a particular shot, and by the end Niall and Ed were both in tune with this as well. However, I had never filmed with a DLSR before so this was interesting and I feel that as a group we all coped with the step up very well. The camera allowed for some very interesting shots which we wouldn’t have been able to achieve with the school camera. For example, the school cameras cannot be manually focused which means that we could not do several of the effective shots e.g. the barbed wire shot.

For our editing techniques we learnt how to make basic changes to the footage. Although they were basic, we felt that this worked with the piece. The cuts were something we wanted to make perfect and we were really chuffed when we cut things to match the music. We had to cut and edit the footage to flow. For example, when the coin is picked up it is in time with the beat of the music.

This meant cutting and re-cutting meticulously.

Also with the colour touch up, we couldn’t use the same levels for each bit of film because the lighting conditions changed throughout the shooting of the footage.

This is also something we had to contend with; lighting. The day was overcast but the clouds were moving fast so the lighting conditions brightened and dimmed depending on the cloud cover. This meant that continuity and filming shots varied. We came over this by editing each piece individually and also shooting things several times. Shadows were also an issue because of the amount of time we were there, this effected continuity. Unfortunately we were let down by the equipment towards the end. When doing the zooming out shot, the camera starting to freeze every time, meaning that it didn’t come out as smooth as it should have been. Even using the shake reducing tool on i-Movie didn’t correct it.

Evaluation

Question 5:

To attract our audience we used a dual narrative. We felt that dramatic and obvious flash backs were over used and we avoided this by keeping the fact that it was a dual narrative and also a flash back until the end. I think that the hidden details and the subtle hints would appeal to our audience. I know this because in the interview our audience asked for evidence, which means we could conceal some to make them question what they were seeing. The questioning of what they were seeing was something else we picked up on in the questionnaire. In terms of editing, we wanted to keep the majority of it subtle, but we felt that keeping it the same all the way through would bore the audience. The use of the black outs helped keep the piece broken up but flowing so the viewers paid attention. We wanted the audience to be intrigued as to what or who the detective found. We didn’t want to give too much of the story line away so the viewer was left thinking “what happened? Why? When? What happens next?”. This engaged them because they had to take the little clues that were there and also knowing what the killer looks like might add to the tension later in the film. This is because the detective might walk straight past them and you are sat there thinking “get them, they’re right there!”. I think we met our audience’s expectations by keeping the piece simple but effective. Simple camera worked quite well because of the use of angles and focusing. The focusing was something that was picked up in the post editing interviews. It created mystery as to who each person was before they were revealed.

 The story line is quite basic but pleases the audience because there is an overall puzzle to solve. The BBFC guidelines affected our thriller quite a bit because limited what could be included. This didn’t affect the focus group we chose to evaluate our work because they all were above the age restriction we set. Looking back at our focus group video, it appears that our thriller was a success. The majority said that there wasn’t anything they would change to it and also the use of focusing was a key element most of the picked up on and really liked. The story suited them quite well but could have had a bit more direction to it. I think it reached their expectations from the feedback we got, and people we didn’t ask gave us feedback saying how much they enjoyed it. This feedback was given on the social networking site Facebook. 

Evaluation

Question 4:

We researched BBFC to find out what age would be suitable for our opening. The British Board of Film Classification has been classifying cinema films since 1912. It is an independent board that is not funded by government or the film industry. It classifies films on what they contain and give them an age restriction. The specifications for a rated fifteen film are as follows: “Films under this category can contain adult themes, hard drugs, strong language and one use of very strong language, moderate-strong violence/sex references, and undetailed sex activity”. Our opening confines itself in these criteria easily. For one, the only adult theme we have is murder. As shocking as murder is, the audience does not see the assault take place so this also passes moderate-strong violence. Having no dialogue meant that we didn’t have to edit out any swearing from the script or video. As for the sex activity, there is not reference or hint that it would happen or has happened. By reaching this criteria we can aim for an audience of teenage ages (fifteen years and over) up to the 50 year old margin. This leaves is quite open for different age groups. We researched what teenagers were looking for by interviewing our peers (featured on our blog). We went for different genders and people with different ideas on what a thriller should feature and used them as well as we could.

The audience profile that we were aiming for is that of the above. These are teenagers over the age of fifteen who enjoy thrillers. We know this from our audience research. We chose both genders because it gives a broader opinion on what should go into a thriller. By asking for their views we can tailor it to them in a way. And as I said before about having a broader opinion, it means that the ideas are varied, just like the publics would be which helps us hit the target. From our questionnaire we picked out certain features and ideas that the interviewees liked in a thriller and put them in a Wordle to see well. Almost like a check-list.

There are many types of thrillers and different thriller sub genres appeal to different people. For people who like solving puzzles they might be drawn to a crime thriller, whereas adrenaline junkies might be drawn to a thriller that constantly keeps you on edge. We went for a mix of the two, making it a puzzle and also exciting.

Evaluation

Question 3:

For our thriller, I would use Warner Brothers. Entertainment, inc. They are an American company that produce film, entertainment and television. They are a branch off from Time Warner and have their headquarters located in California and New York. Warner Brothers itself has companies branching off it such as Warner Brothers Studios. I would choose this company for several reasons. Firstly they are a big, well known of firm which are also thought of highly in the film industry. This would help promote the thriller because people associate their films with a high standard; therefore they would assume ours follows that benchmark.

 Secondly they have an abundance of resources. Being such an established company they have years of experience which would help us because we have none. Part of the resources would be a non restrictive budget which in turn means plenty of pricey publicity opportunities. Our opening would fit into this company because they have a wide genre of films released by them. There have been a few classic/amazing thrillers released by them in my opinion such as The Dark Knight. Other thrillers released by them include: V for Vendetta, One Missed Call, and The Getaway. I would say out of all of these, The Dark Knight is the most similar. For starters, TDK has the clear sense of good and evil. In our thriller this same message is portrayed with the murderer and the detective. Secondly the ideals behind the music are close. Batman has the monotonous drone that ours has when trouble starts to brew. In ours, as the story is revealed and you see the problems that have arisen the music is a constant pitch and tempo. The big difference is when the music at the end of ours picks up. Also, our opening isn’t as action packed as the Dark Knights but reveals quite a lot.

Evaluation

Question 2:

In our production we tried to portray the classic good/ justice, the innocent and the bad. For the justice aspect of our production we decided that there are one group of people who are commonly seen as protectors and good doers; the police. We asked Ed’s dad to play the role because we felt an adult as a police officer makes the character more realistic. Costume was a big part of this. After watching TV series such as Luther, we decided that the attire that would further the authenticity would be a suit worn slightly scruffy and a long coat. We feel that this worked quite well to portray him as a detective.

Barry also had quite a stern look about him which helped, and when discovering the body he did a face that made it look like he was thinking “here is another one, seen it before but it is still a shame”. This shows him as being an experienced detective because the idea of him going through the same tragedies again and again means that he has been in the business maybe too long. His eyes really concrete this because they look aged, tired but still sharp.

 We tried to make his car look like a detective’s car by installing a strobe, but unfortunately this wasn’t as effective as we thought it would be. This is because the daylight was stronger than the strobe light. Although it is still visible, it didn’t give such a big impact or give away who he was.

For the victim we tried to dress and give him the behaviourisms of somebody that is a nobody and clearly has something wrong with him. For this we used the shots of playing with the coin as a way of making the character seem like he was trying to keep his mind off things.

We tried to get Niall to act like he was on edge a lot of the time. This was done by subtle facial impressions and when he runs his hand through his hair like he is stressed or anxious.

By dressing him slightly scruffy and in ordinary clothes we aimed to make it seem like he could be anyone that you would see on the street and wouldn’t think twice about them being murdered.

The police tape was added as a serial killer calling card.

For the murderer we didn’t attempt to make him (me) look like a crazy serial killer and really obvious. We did subtle things such as a sinister facial expression and rubbing of the hands. To stick to the convention of turning the normal into the extraordinary we dressed me in normal but clothes that concealed the killer’s intentions, making it seem like someone you wouldn’t look twice at.

We used the golden mean when we filmed the killer entering the scene, picking out key things.

The lighting in the chip shop worked well because it gave a yellow, warm glow. This softened features and gave a false sense of safety. It is protecting the victim from the cold, but not the killer. The softness the light gave helped us because it helped give the subtle feel of flash back which meant that in editing we didn’t have to go over the top with trying to make it look like a flash back. The sound in this part was quite important. We kept the monotonous, tense music running through the scene but added in sound over the top. We wanted to give the feel of the character being in a busy place but isolated and left to his own troubles. To do this we looked at making the sounds appear as if he was listening to something under water or with his ears covered. We took the natural sound from the chip shop and opened it on Garage Band where Niall added an effected on it. The final result was good because you can vaguely hear the sound of people talking, plates and cutlery crashing together but it is all flat and echoed.

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