Evaluation - Question 7

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

Evaluation - Question 6

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

When filming our opening sequence, we used the Canon Powershot SX260. We had to decide upon using this camera or one of the schools cameras. One of our group members owns the Canon Powershot so we thought it was be ideal if we used that one as she has experience with it and knows how it works, also with us using Nicole’s camera we can go out and record whenever we want. The camera was really simple to use and the quality of the recordings was excellent.

We also used the software Garageband. I’ve been on the software briefly a few times but never on it to the extent that we did for editing our sound. Garageband is really simple to use and I was able to access it at home as I have a MacBook.  Using the software enabled us to use the Foley sound effects, which were necessary for our opening sequence to work.

We used Final Cut Pro and iMovie to edit our opening sequence. Initially, we wanted to use iMovie to edit since I have the software at home so I can spend as much time on it as I need, however, we were introduced to Final Cut Pro and one of my group members grew to really enjoy using it and got to know all the basics. Using Final Cut allowed us to use effects we wouldn’t have been able to on iMovie like ‘Blink’. Final Cut also allowed us to change the colours of our clips.

Google Images was used at the start when planning our opening sequence. We used google images to find inspiration for our ideal location and mise-en-scene. When researching our target audience, I found the website SurveyNuts which I then used to discover what sort of things we should and should not have in our opening sequence.

I used Blogger to present my work. It is the first time I’ve ever used blogger but I feel it was easy to get used to and I know my way around it fairly well. I also used Prezi to present all my work. It was easy to set up and was a really enjoyable way to present my research.

Evaluation - Question 5

5) How did you attract/address your audience?

 

Evaluation - Question 4

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

 

Evaluation - Question 3

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

 

Evaluation - Question 2

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

 

Evaluation - Question 1

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

 

Finished opening title sequence

Casting

Casting

 

 



We agreed to cast myself (Ellie) as the main character in our film. The reason we thought I'd play the character best is because when we imagined our character, we thought of 'innocence', 'vulnerability', 'feminine' and after discussing it as a group we said I would be best suited for this character. My appearance also fitted the character as I'm small with light hair and eye colour. I don't have much past experience with being on camera or acting but everything went as planned.

 

We also agreed on our friend Kayleigh Roberts to be the other character - the killer. The reason we thought she would play the character the best is because she enjoys doing drama and she was very enthusiastic about taking part in our film. Her appearance also fitted the character as she has fairly dark hair and owns a lot of appropriate clothing that would fit the characters appearance.



 

 

Film institutions

After entering 'film institutions' into google I found a really good slideshow that has a lot of research on all the different film institutions. That being 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, Hammer Productions.

20th Century Fox

• 20th Century Fox is a film corporation which is one of the 6 major American film studios.
• This corporation has become one of the most recognised film institution in the world.
• Although 20th Century Fox prefer to create comedy/fantasy and family films because they are most popular and profitable, they also do create horror films. (This is relevant because my group are producing a horror film.
• Some horror films that 20th Century Fox have created are: From Hell, Alien, The Omen, Jennifer's body, The Haunting Of Molly Hartley and Shutter.
• 20th Century Fox prefers to distribute horror films rather than produce them. If I was to pick 20th Century Fox as the institution for my film, they would be able to distribute my film worldwide.

Warner Bros

• Warner Bros is a global leader in the creation, production and distribution of all forms of creative content.
• Warner Bros produce and distribute a variety of films in different genres. From comedy, romance, fantasy, adventure, action and horror.
• The Warner Bros are dedicated to producing a variety of films to suit different types of audiences.
• Compared to 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros have produced more well-known, successful horror films.
• Some of the best horror films Warner Bros have created are: Orphan, Friday The 13th, One Missed Call, Sweeney Todd, The Wicker Man and House Of Wax.
• Since Warner Bros have produced and distributed more horror films than 20th Century, and they were more successful, I would choose Warner Bros to distribute mine as they have more experience with horror films.

Universal Pictures

• Universal Pictures creates and distributes theatrical and non-theatrical filmed entertainment.
• Like 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures prefer to focus on creating films on the drama, romance and adventure genre. The reason they focus on these genres is because their films that are most successful are within this genre.
• Some of the well-known horror films created and distributed by Universal Pictures are as followed: Drag Me To Hell, The Strangers, Dead Silence and Dracula.
• Universal Pictures experience with horror films isn't as promising as Warner Bros, so if I was to choose now which institution I'd like to use for my horror film out of the three I've looked at, I'd still choose Warner Bros.

Lionsgate

• Lionsgate produce and distribute motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment and family entertainment.
• The majority of Lionsgate's films were in the same film genre and these genres are drama, action and thriller.
• Horror films are produced often by Lionsgate, some better known than others. The best horror films produced and distributed by Lionsgate are: Saw 3D, Saw 1/2/3/4/5/6, The Last Exorcism, My Bloody Valentine and The Eye.
• However, Lionsgate has only had success with their horror films in the past 5 years.
• Clearly, horror films are not Lionsgate's strongest genre to produce and distribute as they have only just had recent success. Therefore I would not choose this institution.

Hammer Films

• Hammer Films is best known for a series of Gothic Horror films produced between the mid-1950s until the 1970s.
• Hammer Films would be a great institution to use as they focus all their production on horror films. Some of their best produced and well-known films are: The Curse Of Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy and The Phantom Of The Opera.
• The 4 other institutions were all American based, however Hammer Films is British based.
• Compared to the 4 American institutions, this British institution is definitely a smaller company. Lionsgate, Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros are all huge successful companies which have been running continuously for years, unlike Hammer Films.
• Another difference between them is that Hammer Films is better for producing independent films and the American companies produce mainstream films.

Out of all the 5 institutions I have looked at, the best to represent my film would be Hammer Films. The reason for this is that Hammer Films specialise in producing and distributing horror films and they have a lot more experience in the field. But also, because they prefer to create independent films, it would be more suited for our film as it would be cheaper to produce and since they specialise in creating horror films, they will use the right settings, characters, costumes, props etc.

Tribes

After taking the test, it is apparent our perfect audience member would be a townie. 

Clothing wise, townies often wear clothing from stores on the high street - Primark, New Look, River Island, Top Shop etc. 

Townies live for Saturday night shows such as The X Factor, Britains Got Talent etc. They enjoy fast food/takeaways while they're watching these shows.

Townies like to listen to chart music, they like to be up to date with all the coolest songs. Singers vary from Ellie Goulding to Sam Smith.

Townies live for the weekends - they like to go to local places like the pub then hit the clubs.

9 key shots

- Note: music is being played throughout the nine shots.

The film that I have chose within my genre to show the main key shots is The Black Swan. All the shots are important because it shows a story within the story of the film.

The first shot is a key shot because it introduces the title of the film. The colours used are fitting, the use of the colour denotes innocence which is exactly what the main character is portraying. However, the black background denotes to the unknown.

The second shot is of the main character that is significant in the film. You can tell her importance almost immediately by her being in the middle of the shot with the light centring on only her.

The third shot is a close up of her feet. This shot is key because it shows the audience what the film is about - dancing. I chose this shot because it is important to the storyline. The use of the close up also signifies it's importance.

The fourth shot is of her in the middle of dancing. It's a key shot because she is in the centre and you're now able to see her costume. The lighting again denotes her importance as a character.

The fifth shot is a key shot because we're now being introduced to the next character. This character is sneaking up on her while she is unaware, the fact that he is dressed in black signifies power and control, it is intimidating and unfriendly. An over the shoulder shot is used.

The sixth shot is a close up of the female characters face with the male character just behind her. The close up allows the audience to see her emotions and reactions. It's a key shot because it shows us something is just about to happen.

The seventh shot is the encounter between the two taking place. It is an important shot because it is the one where it leads to the final outcome. Both characters are now in the lighting.

The eighth shot is when the main character finally becomes who she wants to be (the swan) after defeating the evil antagonist. It's a key shot because this shot is when she changes costume on screen although she is still in white.

The ninth shot is another close up of the protagonist. We can see her emotions here clearly.

Risk assessment

We decided to film our opening sequence surrounded by loads of trees and on an isolated lane. There aren't many risks present at the place we are filming.

Though, some of the risks could be slipping on the wet mud and hurting ourselves and because we are filming in an isolated place it's unlikely we could get immediate help. However, we are filming next to our school so if the worst comes to worst we can just go into school to clean up. To prevent us from slipping on the mud, we will wear suitable shoes that grip to the ground.

Another hazard would be because we are filming outside the potential change in weather could be a problem. It could start raining and that could damage our filming equipment. Also, if it starts raining we may have to stop filming and continue another day which may not be easy. To prevent this, we will keep up to date with the weather report and choose a day we are completely sure is perfect for filming.

The place where we are filming is often used for dog walkers so us filming there could be a hazard to the dogs if they are let off their leads by the owner. It could also be a danger to the cast and the person filming if the dog is let of the lead. To prevent this, we will keep well out  of the way when filming if dogs are let loose. We are also to consider other wildlife such as birds, squirrels etc.

Audience research

Survey Maker


This is a survey I have created that looks into the films people watch, questioning them what films have good openings, what attracts them to films and what puts them off films.

Shot list and shooting script

We plan on using 7 shots

1. Tracking shot
2. Match on action
3. Close up
4. Shot/reverse shot
5. 180 degree rule
6. Low angle
7. Fades out
8. Camera pan

I will use the tracking shot when the character is walking down the lane. - Tracking shots are used very effectively in horror films to make a character is being followed or watched. The suspense builds up when the camera moves. Following that, match on action will be used. This creates a sense of continuity and a visual bridge which takes the audiences attention away from the slight cutting. 

I next will use a close up on the characters face. Close ups used in a horror genre are used to see the reaction on the characters face. This shot uses the most emotion from the character. It also captures detail in an important scene.

After, I plan on using the shot/reverse shot and 180 degree rule in the same scene. I will use these shots when the character is looking at another character. The 180 degree rule allows the audience to have a greater sense of location in the scene. The shot/reverse shot often ties in with the 180 degree rule to retain continuity by not distorting the audience's sense of location of the characters in the shots.

Later on in the opening sequence, I will use a low angle when the killer in our film is stabbing. Low angle shots are very powerful in the way they can emphasise just how intimidating someone is. It can show domination, which we are interested in having in our opening sequence.

In our last scene, the camera will zoom out from the dead body and pan to the killer walking away. The screen will then fade to black.

 

This is my shooting script.

Film locations

Me and Bailey went out searching for good locations to film our media on. We already knew that we wanted somewhere isolated and dark. We found 2 locations that would be ideal to film at.

This was the first location that we found. It looks good with all the scenery around it and the dark clouds. It's definitely a lot more isolated than the second location we found. I don't believe we need any authorisation to film on this location.

This is the second location we looked at. I think it would look a lot better when it's dark. It's not as isolated as the first location though I think having all the trees surrounding the area it would look a lot spookier in the dark.

I think we will use the first location as it's more isolated than the second, it's more of what we're looking for.

Narrative theories

I don't think my film fits Propp's theory fully as in my film I only have a villain and a victim. I don't have 8 characters and none of the functions fit my story plot. Barthes theory does not fit my film as there are no puzzles to be solved nor does Levi's theory because there are no binary oppositions. Stanley's theory does fit my film because a lot of what happen can't be ignored or forgotten for reasons such as events, characters and locations.

Categorising audiences

Pearl and Dean categorise their audiences into four categories:

The audiences are highly targetable by any number of such criteria including film choice, location, age and gender. I can see from these that the age group 15-24 is popular and so I would like to have my film targeting this age range. The ratio of popularity to female and males is varied so for my film I want it to target both genders.

Planning the sound of our movie

Upon research, I have decided that I would like to add backing music and foley sounds to the appropriate scenes throughout my movie. I've researched a lot of different music and sounds but when it comes down to me editing the final thing, I may not use some of them.


I have found the backing music for when my character is walking down an isolated lane. I found the backing music from this website - http://www.audiosparx.com/sa/links/horror-music.cfm. I was having trouble finding sound that fit with the type of movie I'm producing but then I came across the backing music "Don't Walk In The Woods" and immediately thought it was fitting. I additionally found another sound that I thought would go well for when the character is walking down the lane. When I start to edit my movie together, I'll use the backing music that I think fits better most.

Here I am on garageband editing the backing sound as there were bits I needed to edit out.

The second backing music I found that would fit well with the character walking down the isolated lane.

I found more backing music on the same website for when the main character turns arounds. It's appropriate to that exact moment she turns around because it lets the watchers know that something is about to happen or there is something to expect.

I also found another good website with horror backing sounds. From the website www.freesound.org. I came across the sound http://www.freesound.org/people/klankbeeld/sounds/192489/ that would fit perfectly somewhere in our film.

The chances are that this sound is a lot longer than I need it to be so when I create my movie I'm probably going to have to shorten the length or cut specific bits out that I think would go well in the movie.

Creating my own sound

I decided instead of just using another sound from the internet I would produce my own on Garageband. I created around a 6 second sound audio that can be used as the sound of someones heartbeat. I think this would look really good in my film for when the killer is approaching the main character.


Foley sounds  (from http://www.freesfx.co.uk)

One foley sound effect I would like to have in my film is footsteps approaching. I found three good ones that are possible candidates for my film. One if footsteps on gravel, the second is footsteps in a forest and the third is footsteps on leaves. The one I eventually choose will depend on where my film is located.

Another Foley sound effect I would like to use is the impact sound of a knife stabbing. I found two that sound really good one after the other and it will make my movie sound realistic.