Thursday 26 March 2009

Sams Evaluation Blog

This essay will be of the opening of my Thriller movie called ‘The Wanderer’. The media that my team and I produced was based on a climax of thriller to emphasise something bad happening. To help me and my team to develop ideas and plans, we firstly watched openings of other thriller/horror movies for example, ‘The Shining’ and ‘Omen’ this gave us a base of ideas which was very helpful such as the type of thrilling music we should have, the camera effects high, medium and low and other effects it produces. We picked out a few points from each thriller/horror movie then reconstructed those ideas into our own form. From watching these opening documentary’s I have learn to not start of with something over exaggerated or scenes where characters jump into position without the audience knowing what he/she role is. By saying role, I mean each of us individually as a group, had a specific task/job to do. For instance Benedict was the main character in the thriller he had to act all throughout, whereas the girls were the producers of the thriller doing the camera works etc. This is to make sure that everything is placed in chronological order to make the thriller opening flow in place.

Firstly, ‘The Wanderers’ only consisted of two main characters who is a friendly guy (Benny Andallo) and an innocent child (Leon). The main male role is in his early 20s, who is in middle class and is a typical Filipino guy. He begins in a very identifiable scene of gravestones, with bushes surrounded to convey the scene as a sense of dead people lying beneath. On the other hand, the little youngster is in his age range of 5 to 8 portraying as an innocent possessed child who has a mysterious mind. The youngster is representing a vulnerable child who uses a happy teddy bear from the well known cartoon called ‘Sponge bob square pants’, to bring across the idea of child vulnerability though the child is portrayed as evil breaking with conventions, however children are usually normally innocent. Patrick being used as an iconography throughout the thriller every now and again.








‘The Wanderers’ would be a low budget working title because it is a British film production company, based in London, England. It will suit this institution as it is not some kind of big or large scale production. In addition, the Warp production could also produce this thriller, as it is also based on creating low budget films and it already has an established distribution network within its own music industry.

The idea type of audience who would fit into my media product is people who are enthusiastic, enjoys watching thrillers and has a good sense of humour. It is mainly open to all types of age ranges, from as young as 12 and over. Since the movie has frightening moments, younger children should not be allowed to watch. The audience’s ethnic background does not need to be for a particular type, this is because the thriller is not aimed at one type of audience it needs to fit everybody’s purpose and meet their criteria. Therefore, class does matter as to whether a person is lower, middle or upper class. An ideal type of audience could be for example, Harry, 23, currently studying films at university and loves watching the latest horror/thriller movies.

The film has a strong dominant male role which fits the genre of ‘thriller’. Usually when a person or the audience thinks about a genre being thriller, it tends to be a stereotype of a guy being the bad person or there could be a feeling of climax building. In able to advertise this film successfully, I would use spin-offs to help me show the audience through TV adverts’ (trailers), some areas around the UK on billboards and through the internet. Appealing parts of the film would be the main character – he is the bad guy and this grabs the attention of something dangerous happening but also the camera effects can change the audiences reaction to the thriller, this could be either a cliff hanger, shocking moments, romantic parts and so on.

Firstly, I have learnt to use the media equipments with careful instructions from the media staff. I have become familiar with the equipments after our first practice session at the very start. Using the knowledge that I have learnt, my group and I started filming in a park around Islington near the gravestones. It was a pretty hard job because not only we had to use the camera on stand but there were also minor moments where we handheld the camera to film. After doing many shots of each part of the thriller, we used a programme called the Final Cut pro to edit, cut and improve the shots we had done. It was very helpful because not only we done cutting and editing parts but also we added suitable music to make sure it fitted in well with the thriller genre. To use the camera we had to remove the black lid in front, fix the focus without any blur and press record.

I have learnt many things when I first started with this task. The time when my group and I drew up ideas for our filming and what our thriller was going to be based on, we had no definite idea. We had a few rejections on each other’s ideas but we took a careful yet safe choice to go for the basic gravestone idea. Although, I had some doubts about how the idea might turn out wrong, we managed to pull it together and productively make it into a thriller opening. Besides all this, we did a storyboard to help us picture what our thriller might be – I must say, it did help quite a bit. The annotations and drawings on the storyboard was like another version of our actual filming. In addition, editing was not so easy, my group and I had to go through each and every part of the filming we took, to pick out the ones we wanted. Then we edited it to do match cuts, effects, sound etc… after combining above all we came out with the end result, which was the thriller opening.

Tuesday 24 March 2009

Evaluation

My media product develops and challenges forms and conventions of real media products as I have used the technical elements of camerawork, mise en scene, editing and sound/music to develop and construct an opening sequence. By analysing various thrilling media products under these technical elements, this has influenced my development to show similarities to real opening sequences.

Real media products I have analysed and referred from are Horror Thrillers (Chillers) that use a child as a key role for thrilling aspects. Films I have studied and focused on are ‘The Shining’ and ‘The Omen’. From these media products, I have learned how the change in sudden pace and camera shots can create a thrilling climax to shock an audience.

The camerawork in these films varies during a climaxing scene as it begins with slow paced shots and develops into short fast paced shots and ending with a climaxed ‘big bang’. I have used these convention by starting my film with slow paced long shots and gradually developing into faster paced close up shots. This gives the effect, with the combination of sound to shock my audience with a climax.

The mise en scene in these films portrays a sense of darkness and being alone, with an unnatural life form being present. I have used these conventions in my sequence by setting my locations in an empty graveyard leading to an empty park. This gives a sense of darkness and being alone, perhaps even being watched by an unnatural life form.

The editing of shots in these films in a climaxing scene flow from slow paced long shots, usually setting the scene and explains the general feel of the plot gradually building up to more fast paced close up shots, to give adrenaline and suspense to the plot that leads to the climax. I have used this convention by editing a variety of slow paced shots to set the scene of a man in a graveyard placing a toy by his deceased child’s gravestone. This leads to faster paced shots of the man’s interaction to the ghost of his son, leading to his death.

The non-diagetic sound effects in these films during a climaxing scene relates to the camerawork and the editing of shots. The sounds flow according to the flow of the slow paced shots leading to the fast paced shots. This shows a base of quiet soothing music that gradually get louder and louder, in order to reveal a sense of danger. Sometimes before a sound reaches its last ‘big bang’ for its climax, there’s a pause of silence which lowers an audiences expectations, but eventually shocks
them with the ‘big bang’. I have applied this convention to my sequence by creating a sorrowful string instrumental that relates to the atmosphere of being in a graveyard. This tone reveals the man’s mood and emotions and shows empathy for him. As the man makes his way to the bench, the sound changes to a more dramatic thumping noise to reveal a sense of danger is upon him. The dramatic thumping noise varies in tone and volume when the child is seen and makes his way to the man. As the child makes his way, the sound gradually lowers volume but unexpectedly a loud high pitched noise appears when the child’s face is revealed with an extreme close up. This is the climaxing shot of the sequence.

My media product only has two characters portrayed but represents various social groups.

The man in my sequence portrays a young father figure who has recently lost their child or relative. He is a young Asian man dressed smartly in a long black jacket and black trousers. He is most likely to be religious as he is visiting a gravestone.

The connotations of the man being young relates to teenage pregnancy and parents. The man dressing smartly reveals he is intelligent, most likely working class. His black clothing represents death.

The man can relate to people of the working class or possibly higher, teenage fathers and those who have lost love ones. He shows the background of a person who had a child at a very young age but still succeeds through life, with the downfall of a death.

The child in my sequence portrays a diseased family member that is revealed from a man visiting a grave and placing a cherished toy of the child. The child is then portrayed as a ghost that confronts the man with the toy, and leads him to his death. He is a young child that died at the age of 5. He once was of an Asian-Jamaican background but has features of a pale white face. He wears a hooded jacket, jeans and canvas trainers.

The toy laid on the gravestone relates to the child as it resembles a child’s happiness and prised possession. The placement of the toy shows where it best belonged and that it was the child’s favourite.


The connotations of the child having a ghostly appearance can relate to death and monstrous. His youthful costume can relate to rebels, danger or crime. This has twisted the representation of childhood innocence.

The child can also represent the youthful social groups from the trend of the hooded jacket.

Different media institutions could distribute my media product. My movie could start off as apart of a small independent UK release distributed around a small number of UK ‘art-house’ cinemas because of the low budget and lack of popularity. It is probably also most suited for a ‘made for TV’ of ‘Cable rental’ film because it is most likely to have a weak amount of publicity to promote the film for it to distribute around the world since it lacks actors with any celebrity status, the amount of action and effects, and could show a boring and depressing side to film. If popularity grows upon the film from the small independent UK releases or shown on TV, it could be replaced to try break into becoming big Hollywood Blockbuster. Without any type of appeal or maybe even famous actors, it is rare it would be fairly successful as a big Hollywood Blockbuster. Everything about the product would need to be constructed well with well-known distributors, an excellent production team and a high funding facility, as well as an excellent pitch.

My main audience for my media product are my piers, classmates, students, teachers and those who use it for an educational use. It is aimed to a mainstream audience of teenagers and students of both genders who enjoy Horror Thrillers (Chillers) that use a child as a key role for thrilling aspects. A typical person who fits into my target audience could be:

‘Benny, 21, Graphics Design student, works in Starbucks and loves going cinema most Friday’s with his girlfriend to watch scary movies to scare her. Shops in American Apparel and likes old fashion American dinner food.’

The theme of my film is a Horror Thriller and the most thrilling and scariest aspect of my film the child. I could market my film by making the lead role of the child a ‘star’ and attract audiences with his frightening appeal. I would advertise the child’s terrifying face or his toy or both or even the effect he has on people around him (death, shock, reactions) on billboards, bus posters, bus stops, trailers, television advertisements and internet website and campaigns. I think my attracting/addressing my film to popular restaurants like McDonalds would be inappropriate because restaurants promote families, fun and happiness while I promote the opposite of death, horror and shock.

From the process of constructing my media product, I have learned that technology plays a big part for it to be successful.

On a practical hands-on level, I have learned that using modern high quality up-to date digital cameras and using computers with up-to-date software’s allows filming and editing become easier and quicker to produce a film. Using modern cameras allows the visual and hearing aspects of film much clearer to watch and hear. Software’s like Final Cut Pro allow clips to be manipulated and have effects that can not be recorded through the camera lens. It allows the entering of text onto a clip to allow credits and subtitles the software.

Soundtrack Pro allows music to do anything it wants. You can create sounds that relate to the film and easily edit back and forth from different software’s if you are unhappy with outcomes with shot editing or sound editing. Soundtrack Pro has a variety of short sounds that constructed together can make a really good piece of film.

There are no boundaries when using these software’s. They help contribute towards the films plot and story through effects. It expands the genres of film and allows the impossible possible.

Other technologies I have used throughout this media project is the internet, both to record the filming process on a ‘blog’ and to research thrillers on sites like ‘Youtube.com’.

The internet has allowed me to do online blogging rather than developing a written diary, which has made the process of writing it far quicker and the quality of my writing better. The internet allows me to show my blogs clearly. The blogs allow me to present straight links and photos that I can upload that relates to what I am writing about. It is easy to access from any computer around the world and for teachers to view it and comment upon. You can edit any blog if necessary and it can not be lost like a book.

Also, the internet helps me for my research and analysis as I can access information and clips related to my work. Sites like ‘Youtube.com’ allow me to view mostly any clip I want for free at a fast rate. In addition, the internet allows me to upload my film on my blog and any video site including ‘Youtube.com’, which widens my potential audience for my product.

Cinema Visit - Preview of entire years Media Product

The entire media year had to visit the Vue cinema in Angel to view every groups media product in order to get feed back on other peoples reactions.

Once again, me and my groups reactions of our film were similar to those of my classmates who had previewed mine already. People in the cinema were shocked when the climax of the close up of the child's face had appeared. Me and my group had achieved to make our film thrilling.

Preview of Classes Media Products

The lesson following the final deadline to hand in the final media product, me and my group, and the other groups in my class watched each others opening sequence. My teacher Andrew had commented and analyzed upon each film.

The reactions and comments on our film were all positive. Me and my group had achieved to thrill our audience with a climax. When our classmates had watched our product, they where shocked when the climax of the child's face had reached.

Andrew had many comments about our film and seemed to be please without final outcome. He said he liked how we had twisted the connotations of an innocent child.

EVALUATION

My media product uses forms and conventions of real media products. The first convention that is used is the music used in the beginning. This is because the music is very quiet and you cant really hear much then suddenly the music goes harder and louder which makes the audiences hearts race because they know that something is going to happen but they don’t know what. So it keeps the audience engaged which will make them watch the whole film instead of getting bored. For example when we done a close-up shot of the child’s face we put the pitch of the music up and we also put a screaming voice in so it stuns the audience when they least expect it. Another element that we used which is usually used in real thrillers is the camera shots. The camera shots we used were mostly point of view shots to show what Ben was looking at. We also used close-up shots to show emphasis on a character or an object. Ben was dressed formally to show that he is a much older and sophisticated person; on the other hand we dressed Leon in dark clothes and a hoody as these clothes represent evil or a dark side. we also put my gloves on Leon which made him look inhuman. The location we chose was Priory Park, which is set near a few gravestones. This gave the park a sinister look which made the location perfect to film in. The devilish graffiti on the walls behind the swings worked well to create a scary atmosphere.

My media product represents people that are interested in spooky mysterious things. my media product will attract these people because my film is very mysterious and you never know what is going to happen. The characters are also very mysterious as the audience don’t know who Leon (the ghost) is, the only thing that they know is that he is a mysterious inhuman creature. There are only two characters in my film which is Ben (the man) and Leon (the ghost).

I would want my movie to be a big Hollywood blockbuster and get lots of media attention. it should be distributed across the world not just England. my film should be first released in cinemas like ‘CineWorld’, it should be later released on DVD and blue ray.

The audience for my media product would be middle class young adults or teenagers aged between 15 and 25. A typical person that would fit the characteristics of my target audience is ‘Jack aged 17 who goes to college and loves watching horror and thriller films. In his free time he goes to the cinemas with his friends to watch a movie’.

My film should be a big Hollywood blockbuster so I would attract my audience by having a well known actor starring in the film. I would advertise my film on channels such as film four, sky movies etc. The trailer should be shown every 30 minutes so that my film gets as many viewers as possible. I will also advertise on billboards and put promotions on McDonalds such as two tickets for the price of one with every Big Mac.

I have learnt a lot about technologies from the process of constructing my thriller trailer. Firstly on the hands-on-level, i experienced how to use a camera and film from different angles. I also learnt how to use the different functions on the camera such as the on and off button also the forward/rewind functions. We were also taught how to use different effects such as black and white, sepia etc. I also learnt how to use Final cut pro which is a programme that we used in order to edit our film. I learnt how to log and capture my footage and upload it onto the computer. After logging and capturing i put all the clips together and it started to look more and more like a real thriller opening. I also tried out some transitions even though we didn’t use it in the opening because we thought that transitions would make the opening look more like a music video. We added titles and credits using Final Cut pro. We also put soundtrack into the film. For example we created footsteps noises when a character was walking and a dropping noise when the man drops the teddy on the floor.

I also learnt how to use blogger to leave a blog of what we covered/done every day of the filming process. For this i had to use the internet so most of the evaluating process was done on the internet. I was taught how to upload our film onto the internet (blogger). We had to upload our videos onto our blog so that we could talk about the film while it could be viewed at the same time. The internet allowed my film to have more viewers as the internet is accessible by everyone.

We did match cutting exercises on the computer where we had to put a few clips together in chronological order showing one movement from lots of different angles. This helped me because we had to do match cutting in our thriller opening in order to get more marks and make the thriller look more exciting. I learnt that making a storyboard before making the film is really important so that we know exactly what to film and where to film. During our practice videos we had to do a storyboard before we started filming, which helped a lot because we didn’t know what we were doing half the time so we just went back to the storyboard to see what we were missing. I’ve learnt that it is best to plan before filming as i have learnt from my mistakes because my group lost our storyboard and we found it very hard to film as we didn’t know what we were doing.