Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Differences
Narrative
Compared to our preliminary task, the difference in narrative was significant. The narrative of our preliminary task was very dull, and simple. We had minimal planning for it, and did not necessarily have an idea of where it could lead to, or similarly, lead from. However, in our opening sequence, the narrative of our piece was extremely well planned. We had planned where our film was going to lead after the opening, as well as a rough story throughout our opening.
Costumes
Our main task was well planned and produced in terms of costumes. We planned for our actor to wear exactly what we asked, as we wanted to relate it to mise-en scene, representation as well as verisimilitude. In our preliminary task, we did not think about costumes, and did not see them of importance. When it came to our main task, and after investigating into the effect of costumes in not only our chosen genre, but all films, we realized how much importance costumes had on the impact of the film, as well as the large connotations they omitted.
Actors
Compared to our preliminary task, our main task was well thought out in terms of characters. We knew the exact type of actor we wanted to act in our piece, and why. We held auditions for the actor of our main character in order to gain a wide variety of choice for our main task. Our preliminary task did not have such effort put into the actors. We had friends who were free at the time to act in our piece, as the actor's characteristics were not of importance the the narrative or the impact of the film.
Improvements since our preliminary task
A significant improvement we made since filming our preliminary task was our filming techniques. Our match-on-action shot has improved largely. We used this shot when our character was entering and exiting the car. We also experimented with different shots, such as a tracking shot. This ended up effective, as we used a dolly to complete this shot successfully.
I personally feel much more comfortable using the equipment, as well as comfortable with experimenting with new pieces of equipment, such as the dolly and tripod. This is because i have used them several times since filming our preliminary task, and i am now largely familiar with how they work, and the best techniques to get a finer piece filmed using these pieces of filming equipment.
I believe our final piece is successful. This is firstly because it is a professional looking opening. It is effective in highlighting the lifestyle of our main character, and successfully hooks in the audience to further view the film. In order to improve, we could have been more organized in filming and editing, as well as filming our shots several times to ensure our final piece was as high a standard as it can possibly be.
Tuesday 29 April 2014
Evaluation question 6
Camera Equipment
The camera equipment we used was a full HD camera that filmed in 1080p. This camera was effective as it allowed us to make our film look a lot more professional, therefore making it more effective to the audience. The weaknesses of using this camera was that it was reasonably difficult to use. It was difficult to to navigate the touchscreen interactive screen, however was easily remedied with a bit of experience after using it several times.
We used a tripod in order to make a shots stable, and to keep it at the desired height we wanted to film our piece. This was good because it helped us keep our shot steady, therefore emphasizing the professionalism in our piece, as a handheld look is something we did not want to incorporate in our opening. The weakness of this piece of equipment was that it was difficult to rotate when filming. In order to keep it remaining steady, it must be tightened, however once loosened it was difficult to keep it steady; especially when the camera was moving on the tripod.
Our group also used a dolly to generate the tracking shot used in our opening scene. The tripod and camera were fastened to the bolts on the dolly, and was then able to be pushed around giving the illusion that the camera was floating. This piece of equipment was effective as it allowed us to form a tracking shot successfully, and give our piece a professional feel. It allowed us to keep a steady shot, even when we were on the move with our camera. The weakness of this piece of equipment was that when running over the smallest of rough ground, it was very apparent when filmed. This resulted in the clips being very jittery, baring in mind the ground we used the dolly on was reasonably smooth. Secondly, it was very loud when in use. This meant that we could not use diegetic sound in our opening.
The computer we used to edit, import and finalize our piece was the Apple iMac. This was effective because it allowed us to gain access to editing programmes such as iMovie, Final Cut and other computer applications to make our piece as professional as possible. The strength of the Apple iMac was that it was very fast, therefore allowing us to complete our editing very quickly and efficiently. The weakness of this computer was that it was reasonably difficult to use for a first time user. Minimal training was needed as to the simple layout and navigational features of the Apple iMac.
The editing programmes we used to edit our work were iMovie and Final Cut. These allowed us to add text to our pieces, trim our clips, as well as add sound and other effects to our opening. These were good because they allowed us make our piece look professional, as well as doing it with good speed. The weakness of these programmes was that they were fairly hard to use for first time users, much like the Apple iMac's themselves. Extra training was needed, therefore reducing the amount of time we had to complete editing on our pieces.
Other applications we used to complete our coursework was Blogger. We used Blogger to continually update our progress into our media AS level. It was helpful because it was easy to use, and allowed us to see what work needed to be done, and what was of good standard already.
The camera equipment we used was a full HD camera that filmed in 1080p. This camera was effective as it allowed us to make our film look a lot more professional, therefore making it more effective to the audience. The weaknesses of using this camera was that it was reasonably difficult to use. It was difficult to to navigate the touchscreen interactive screen, however was easily remedied with a bit of experience after using it several times.
We used a tripod in order to make a shots stable, and to keep it at the desired height we wanted to film our piece. This was good because it helped us keep our shot steady, therefore emphasizing the professionalism in our piece, as a handheld look is something we did not want to incorporate in our opening. The weakness of this piece of equipment was that it was difficult to rotate when filming. In order to keep it remaining steady, it must be tightened, however once loosened it was difficult to keep it steady; especially when the camera was moving on the tripod.
The computer we used to edit, import and finalize our piece was the Apple iMac. This was effective because it allowed us to gain access to editing programmes such as iMovie, Final Cut and other computer applications to make our piece as professional as possible. The strength of the Apple iMac was that it was very fast, therefore allowing us to complete our editing very quickly and efficiently. The weakness of this computer was that it was reasonably difficult to use for a first time user. Minimal training was needed as to the simple layout and navigational features of the Apple iMac.
The editing programmes we used to edit our work were iMovie and Final Cut. These allowed us to add text to our pieces, trim our clips, as well as add sound and other effects to our opening. These were good because they allowed us make our piece look professional, as well as doing it with good speed. The weakness of these programmes was that they were fairly hard to use for first time users, much like the Apple iMac's themselves. Extra training was needed, therefore reducing the amount of time we had to complete editing on our pieces.
Other applications we used to complete our coursework was Blogger. We used Blogger to continually update our progress into our media AS level. It was helpful because it was easy to use, and allowed us to see what work needed to be done, and what was of good standard already.
Evaluation question 5
How did you attract/address audience?
Sound
The sound used throughout our opening was non-diegetic music. This was effective at attracting our audience because it met the stereotype of class and wealth, due to it's calmness and simplicity. Its feel was classy and sophisticated, and juxtaposed the lifestyle we see our main character living as our film continues on. This meets our target audience's demographic as its calmness and simplicity matches that of the lifestyle young adults lead, enforcing the idea of realism, of which this audience type can relate.
Titles
The titles used in our piece labelled the actors, institutions and other key people in the crew. This attracted as the titles listed well known actors, producers and directors as well as large mainstream institutions. The fonts used are serious and give the idea of action. This attracts the target audience as it matches the idea of the crime genre, as well as the action and thriller genre, all of which are popular among young adult males.
Location
The location of our opening piece attracts our audience as - contrarily to the sound and titles - it gives a sense of desire to the audience. The use of a large house, as well as a luxury car gives the young adult males something to aspire to have. Similar to that of Wolf of Wall Street, the main character, Jordan Belfort, has a desirable lifestyle; so much so that the majority of people who viewed the film wanted to undergo a similar career to him.
Generic Conventions
The generic conventions that we included in our text are similar to that of popular crime films. Firstly, the use of a classy costume to connote the wealth, class and power of our character was used largely. We had him wear an expensive suit when filming to enforce these ideas. Secondly, the use of a luxury car in our piece is similar to that in most crime films. Usually, it is the criminal's wealth that has bought him this car.
Audience Theories
The hypodermic needle theory was used in our piece. This is because we are a mainstream film, and our audiences were predominantly passive. This meant that the information sent out by our film was taken in easily by the audiences of the text.
Sound
The sound used throughout our opening was non-diegetic music. This was effective at attracting our audience because it met the stereotype of class and wealth, due to it's calmness and simplicity. Its feel was classy and sophisticated, and juxtaposed the lifestyle we see our main character living as our film continues on. This meets our target audience's demographic as its calmness and simplicity matches that of the lifestyle young adults lead, enforcing the idea of realism, of which this audience type can relate.
Titles
The titles used in our piece labelled the actors, institutions and other key people in the crew. This attracted as the titles listed well known actors, producers and directors as well as large mainstream institutions. The fonts used are serious and give the idea of action. This attracts the target audience as it matches the idea of the crime genre, as well as the action and thriller genre, all of which are popular among young adult males.
Location
The location of our opening piece attracts our audience as - contrarily to the sound and titles - it gives a sense of desire to the audience. The use of a large house, as well as a luxury car gives the young adult males something to aspire to have. Similar to that of Wolf of Wall Street, the main character, Jordan Belfort, has a desirable lifestyle; so much so that the majority of people who viewed the film wanted to undergo a similar career to him.
Generic Conventions
The generic conventions that we included in our text are similar to that of popular crime films. Firstly, the use of a classy costume to connote the wealth, class and power of our character was used largely. We had him wear an expensive suit when filming to enforce these ideas. Secondly, the use of a luxury car in our piece is similar to that in most crime films. Usually, it is the criminal's wealth that has bought him this car.
Audience Theories
The hypodermic needle theory was used in our piece. This is because we are a mainstream film, and our audiences were predominantly passive. This meant that the information sent out by our film was taken in easily by the audiences of the text.
Evaluation question 4
Who would be the audience for your media product?
Certification
The age for our film is 18-30. This is because we are targeting young adults aged 18 and above. In terms of certification, our film will contain violence, scenes of a sexual nature as well as the strong use of drugs. Whilst this is not seen in our opening, it will be frequent throughout our feature film.
From our research, we found that the predominant certificate age for the crime genre is 18. This is because of similar reasons as listed above.
Demographics
The demographics of our target audience are as follows:
Age - 18-30
Occupation - Full-time/Part-time/Student
Gender - Male
Location type - Urban
Interests and hobbies - Football, films, golf, gym
Favourite film genre - Crime, Action, Comedy
Albeit brief, this demographic profile shows the stereotypical young adult male's interests. The reason they would like our film is because they are driven by money, hence their student status (studying towards a degree in order to be wealthy, much like our main character), or are full time employed and working their way up to the top position, similar to our character in our feature. They feel a sense of relation to our character.
Theories
The predominant theory used in our piece will be the hypodermic needle theory. This is because our audience members will be passive, and will intake information put forward throughout the film in order to understand it easily. This is good as it is mainly used in mainstream films, considering they are targeted at a wider variety demographic.
Certification
From our research, we found that the predominant certificate age for the crime genre is 18. This is because of similar reasons as listed above.
Demographics
The demographics of our target audience are as follows:
Age - 18-30
Occupation - Full-time/Part-time/Student
Gender - Male
Location type - Urban
Interests and hobbies - Football, films, golf, gym
Favourite film genre - Crime, Action, Comedy
Albeit brief, this demographic profile shows the stereotypical young adult male's interests. The reason they would like our film is because they are driven by money, hence their student status (studying towards a degree in order to be wealthy, much like our main character), or are full time employed and working their way up to the top position, similar to our character in our feature. They feel a sense of relation to our character.
Theories
The predominant theory used in our piece will be the hypodermic needle theory. This is because our audience members will be passive, and will intake information put forward throughout the film in order to understand it easily. This is good as it is mainly used in mainstream films, considering they are targeted at a wider variety demographic.
Evaluation question 3
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Our film would ideally be distributed by a mainstream institution. An example of a mainstream institution would be Warner Brothers, or Universal Studios. This is because our film is a mainstream film, as well as our company being a mainstream institution. Secondly, our cast is a series of a-list Hollywood celebrities, which will increase the status of the film. This, once distributed, will then increase the profits for the company as more people will want to see the film.
This is similar to a film like Wolf of Wall street. This is because the cast already had a very popular cast (Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie) which helped boost the film during marketing schemes as well as exhibition.
Our film is for a mass audience, as it is similar to already popular films on the market today. This is because the genre is very popular amongst our audiences, as well has having popular actors that every audience is hugely familiar with.
Our film would be released as it will allow a chance for merchandising to be put forward. This could be a key prop within the film, as well as t-shirts, posters and fan base material. This is similar to Breaking Bad, in which they released candy versions of their famous blue crystal meth.
Our film would be distributed to all kinds of exhibition methods available. This is because we are a mainstream film, and therefore have more funding to perform such tasks. We will distribute on to digital technology platforms such as LoveFilm and Netflix, as well as releasing our film onto DVD, Blu-ray and HD DVD. However, before these, we will release our film into cinemas to boost the marketing schemes using large companies such as Odeon and Cineworld, as well as large other famous global cinemas.
Our film would ideally be distributed by a mainstream institution. An example of a mainstream institution would be Warner Brothers, or Universal Studios. This is because our film is a mainstream film, as well as our company being a mainstream institution. Secondly, our cast is a series of a-list Hollywood celebrities, which will increase the status of the film. This, once distributed, will then increase the profits for the company as more people will want to see the film.
This is similar to a film like Wolf of Wall street. This is because the cast already had a very popular cast (Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie) which helped boost the film during marketing schemes as well as exhibition.
Our film is for a mass audience, as it is similar to already popular films on the market today. This is because the genre is very popular amongst our audiences, as well has having popular actors that every audience is hugely familiar with.
Our film would be released as it will allow a chance for merchandising to be put forward. This could be a key prop within the film, as well as t-shirts, posters and fan base material. This is similar to Breaking Bad, in which they released candy versions of their famous blue crystal meth.
Our film would be distributed to all kinds of exhibition methods available. This is because we are a mainstream film, and therefore have more funding to perform such tasks. We will distribute on to digital technology platforms such as LoveFilm and Netflix, as well as releasing our film onto DVD, Blu-ray and HD DVD. However, before these, we will release our film into cinemas to boost the marketing schemes using large companies such as Odeon and Cineworld, as well as large other famous global cinemas.
Evaluation question 2
How does your media product represent particular social
groups?
Gender
All of the characters in our opening are male. This links to our target audience as our target audience are young adult males, much like our main character. This is similar to Wolf of Wall Street in that the main character is also male, and is seen as the protagonist. We have represented the male as dominant, wealthy and sophisticated. This meet the stereotype of males, being seen as the main bread-winners in the family, as well as being smartly dresses in suits.
In the latter part of our feature, females would be introduced, being portrayed as less wealthy, and the 'damsels in distress', whereby our main character helps them out in the situation.
Age
Our character is a young adult male. He is represented as wealthy, successful and powerful. This is contrary to the stereotype on young adult males, whereby they are stereotypically seen as career driven in terms of finance. However, our characters juxtapose this significantly. This is similar to the main character, Jordan Belfort, in Wolf of Wall Street.
Other Representations
Social class will be represented throughout our piece. We will see our main character in a flashback as a drug lord, being represented in a negative light as he is low class. He is then seen in a positive light, as he becomes wealthy and has many luxuries in his life.
Tuesday 22 April 2014
Evaluation Question 1
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms on conventions of real media products?
 |
| Tracking scene in Pulp Fiction |
A typical convention of the crime genre is the tracking shot. This is to show that the character being tracked is of importance, and needs to be followed. This is apparent in several crime films, such as Wolf of Wall Street, Pulp Fiction and Wall Street. Our media product uses this camera angle during the construction site scene to connote the same idea of importance for our character.
Wealth
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| We're the Millers, criminal shown with a large aquarium containing an orca |
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| The Godfather wearing an expensive and classy suit |
The costumes of the characters in crime films usually include suits. This shows that the characters are sophisticated and powerful, which is connoted by the luxury suits. This is shown in several films such as Savages, Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather. This also connotes the idea of wealth, as expensive suits are worn by rich characters. Our media text uses this convention largely, as our character is wearing an expensive suit throughout the duration of our piece. This encourages the portrayal of wealth and power, as well as sophistication.
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| Jordan Belfort's Summer House in The Wolf of Wall Street |
criminals is apparent in a large number of films. This - again - shows wealth and power, as well as the enjoyment of a luxury lifestyle. This is apparent in films such as Wolf of Wall Street, Pain & Gain and Scarface.Our media piece uses this idea largely. We filmed outside a large mansion in our local area, making it look as if the character was exiting it to his car. This showed that he owned a large house, and lead a luxury lifestyle in every single way, from clothing, to cars, to estates.
To conclude, our piece uses several typical conventions shown in crime films such as wealth, power, and a luxury lifestyle.
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