Friday, 27 April 2012
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Question 7 - Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to your final product?
Comparisons
Preliminary Task Final Production
Both of these shots are long shots. However, in our prelim, the lighting and surroundings are basic. In our final film we set the scene by having a nightlife surrounding, but also added atmosphere by having a green tint. This would clue to the audience that someone out of the ordinary is about to happen.
The shot from our prelim is yet another long shot. After we had edited our clip we realised that there was a repetition of camera shots - something we didn't want in our main film. This is the reason we had a shot of Lowri's feet walking, we felt it helped move the plot along, and used a different angle to make the sequence less tedious to watch.
When doing the over the shoulder shot in the prelim, we realised we had not captured the emotions of the actors, as the supposed 'close up' was, in fact, not close enough. While making missed calls, we used extreme close ups to capture the vulnerability and fear in Sarah's eyes. Also, it was a mutual feeling that the repetition of a shot-reverse-shot made the prelim sequence rather jumpy. Due to this effect, we decided not to have dialogue in our main sequence, making the film run much more smoothly, and allowing us to experiment setting the mood and atmosphere using other effects such as sound and lighting.
Once again, the prelim shot shows how little our variety of camera angles we had. The screen shot from Missed Calls - our final production - shows how we used other elements to set the scene. Also, from the main task shot, it is visible that we experimented with different lighting, rather than sticking with the natural lighting right the way through, as this would make the film predictable.
Issues Encountered in Preliminary Task:
When it came to editing the footage we had filmed for our preliminary task, it was discovered that we had not filmed enough shots. This made the editing process extremely difficult as we were at risk of having numerous jump cuts. Laura (chief editor) had to be extra careful when selecting clips to ensure that there was the minimal amount of jumpy cuts possible. I think the main reason we had this problem was because we had rushed the filming process of the prelim - a lesson we took with us when filming Missed Calls.
Secondly, our preliminary task brief included the use of dialogue. My group found this a great learning curve as we had to film the conversation several times due to slip ups, and the fact we needed the conversation from two angles (in order to complete a successful shot-reverse-shot). Also, the dialogue made us concentrate mainly on keeping certain rules such as the 180 degree rule. This made us lack focus in other areas, showing that filming takes much more perseverance as we had initially thought.
Through the whole of our preliminary task basic shots and angles were used. This made the sequence become predictable, and therefore lose audience interest. I feel that the the reasoning behind this was that during the prelim task, my group and I were still getting used to working with each other, and with the equipment. We took our experiences from the prelim with us into the main task, making us a strong team, who all knew our roles and how we could use them for the benefit of the main task.
Examples of Improvement Made in Final Product:
When planning Missed Calls, it was decided that there would be no dialogue used, as this caused editing problems during the preliminary task. Through the elimination of dialogue, we were able to let our opening sequence run more smoothly, which makes it more enjoyable for our audience. Furthermore, my group was able to overlay piano and orchestral sounds into the sequence to emphasise where the tension was building, and create atmosphere. By doing this we also discovered how little sounds, such as the music you can hear in the clubs (the scene where Sarah leaves her friends), play a huge part in making the film much more realistic.
During the filming of Missed Calls we made sure we had a variety of shots, and transitions between shots. To take this further, whilst filming in the T.V. studio we kept the camera rolling - learning from our mistake in the prelim. This resulted in giving us a much wider choice of clips to put in our sequence, as many didn't make it into the final cut! Having a variety of shots, with longer footage than what we needed gave my group the flexibility we needed to ensure there were no jump cuts. Changing our angles and shots also helped us to maintain audience interest throughout the whole of the opening sequence. Our final film needed to look professional, we exceeded our expectations when considering what was possible to produce.
When we watched our finished prelim footage, we noticed how the same lighting throughout had made the film look extremely cheap, which was not the original plan. After seeing this, we decided to use a range of lighting in Missed Calls, lighting which would emphasise the feelings of the characters, and the situation there and then. An example of this would be in the scene where Sarah is saying goodbye to her friends - we used natural lighting to make it more realistic, but places a green tint, adding uncertainty of what was about to happen. Another example is during the final scenes, when Sarah is tied up in a dark room. We used one single over-head light to make the actress (Lowri) stand out against the darkness in the room, showing she is alone and vulnerable. My group and I felt subtle changes like this gave Missed Calls a more professional feel, and therefore not making the same mistake we did on the preliminary task.
What Skills Have you Improved Upon or Gained Over the Course of This Project?
Firstly, I think the main thing I have learnt throughout this whole process is how to use equipment such as the camera and tripod. Before this project I had never used a camera before, and now I can confidently use one, and choose the positioning and angles. Using the editing software - Adobe Premiere Pro - has also been a lesson learnt, from basics such as cutting relevant clips down, to adding sounds and transitions. I know understand fully the time and effort which goes into editing a clip into the final product. Sound also plays a large part in a clip, something I also learnt during the editing process. The smallest of sound effects can have the largest impact, when we added the Sarah's 'footsteps' on her entry to the alley, it gives a feel to the audience of being there with her, a feeling that was not there prior to this simple sound. The concept that the smallest things make a huge impact ran right through the whole process, from sound, to lighting and props, even the hairstyle of our actors made an impact - this was something I had never considered before the project. Lastly, I have gained the understanding of how much time, patience and work goes in when making a project like this.
Preliminary Task Final Production
When doing the over the shoulder shot in the prelim, we realised we had not captured the emotions of the actors, as the supposed 'close up' was, in fact, not close enough. While making missed calls, we used extreme close ups to capture the vulnerability and fear in Sarah's eyes. Also, it was a mutual feeling that the repetition of a shot-reverse-shot made the prelim sequence rather jumpy. Due to this effect, we decided not to have dialogue in our main sequence, making the film run much more smoothly, and allowing us to experiment setting the mood and atmosphere using other effects such as sound and lighting.
Once again, the prelim shot shows how little our variety of camera angles we had. The screen shot from Missed Calls - our final production - shows how we used other elements to set the scene. Also, from the main task shot, it is visible that we experimented with different lighting, rather than sticking with the natural lighting right the way through, as this would make the film predictable.Issues Encountered in Preliminary Task:
When it came to editing the footage we had filmed for our preliminary task, it was discovered that we had not filmed enough shots. This made the editing process extremely difficult as we were at risk of having numerous jump cuts. Laura (chief editor) had to be extra careful when selecting clips to ensure that there was the minimal amount of jumpy cuts possible. I think the main reason we had this problem was because we had rushed the filming process of the prelim - a lesson we took with us when filming Missed Calls.
Secondly, our preliminary task brief included the use of dialogue. My group found this a great learning curve as we had to film the conversation several times due to slip ups, and the fact we needed the conversation from two angles (in order to complete a successful shot-reverse-shot). Also, the dialogue made us concentrate mainly on keeping certain rules such as the 180 degree rule. This made us lack focus in other areas, showing that filming takes much more perseverance as we had initially thought.
Through the whole of our preliminary task basic shots and angles were used. This made the sequence become predictable, and therefore lose audience interest. I feel that the the reasoning behind this was that during the prelim task, my group and I were still getting used to working with each other, and with the equipment. We took our experiences from the prelim with us into the main task, making us a strong team, who all knew our roles and how we could use them for the benefit of the main task.
Examples of Improvement Made in Final Product:
When planning Missed Calls, it was decided that there would be no dialogue used, as this caused editing problems during the preliminary task. Through the elimination of dialogue, we were able to let our opening sequence run more smoothly, which makes it more enjoyable for our audience. Furthermore, my group was able to overlay piano and orchestral sounds into the sequence to emphasise where the tension was building, and create atmosphere. By doing this we also discovered how little sounds, such as the music you can hear in the clubs (the scene where Sarah leaves her friends), play a huge part in making the film much more realistic.
During the filming of Missed Calls we made sure we had a variety of shots, and transitions between shots. To take this further, whilst filming in the T.V. studio we kept the camera rolling - learning from our mistake in the prelim. This resulted in giving us a much wider choice of clips to put in our sequence, as many didn't make it into the final cut! Having a variety of shots, with longer footage than what we needed gave my group the flexibility we needed to ensure there were no jump cuts. Changing our angles and shots also helped us to maintain audience interest throughout the whole of the opening sequence. Our final film needed to look professional, we exceeded our expectations when considering what was possible to produce.
When we watched our finished prelim footage, we noticed how the same lighting throughout had made the film look extremely cheap, which was not the original plan. After seeing this, we decided to use a range of lighting in Missed Calls, lighting which would emphasise the feelings of the characters, and the situation there and then. An example of this would be in the scene where Sarah is saying goodbye to her friends - we used natural lighting to make it more realistic, but places a green tint, adding uncertainty of what was about to happen. Another example is during the final scenes, when Sarah is tied up in a dark room. We used one single over-head light to make the actress (Lowri) stand out against the darkness in the room, showing she is alone and vulnerable. My group and I felt subtle changes like this gave Missed Calls a more professional feel, and therefore not making the same mistake we did on the preliminary task.
What Skills Have you Improved Upon or Gained Over the Course of This Project?
Firstly, I think the main thing I have learnt throughout this whole process is how to use equipment such as the camera and tripod. Before this project I had never used a camera before, and now I can confidently use one, and choose the positioning and angles. Using the editing software - Adobe Premiere Pro - has also been a lesson learnt, from basics such as cutting relevant clips down, to adding sounds and transitions. I know understand fully the time and effort which goes into editing a clip into the final product. Sound also plays a large part in a clip, something I also learnt during the editing process. The smallest of sound effects can have the largest impact, when we added the Sarah's 'footsteps' on her entry to the alley, it gives a feel to the audience of being there with her, a feeling that was not there prior to this simple sound. The concept that the smallest things make a huge impact ran right through the whole process, from sound, to lighting and props, even the hairstyle of our actors made an impact - this was something I had never considered before the project. Lastly, I have gained the understanding of how much time, patience and work goes in when making a project like this.
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Question 6 - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
We have used many different technologies whilst creating our project:
Camera
We used the camera to film our project. I had not previously used a camera so had to learn all the different functions. One of the functions - the focus - became a key part in our film, as it was used as a transition in places.
Adobe Premiere Pro
I contributed my ideas as to how we would edit our film. We used Adobe Premiere Pro to bring together our shots and ideas when creating our film. I had to learn how to do; transitions, cutting irrelevant clips, and even the basics like how to upload a clip onto the software.
Blogger
I used Blogger to track my progress during all stages of creating the film; from Planning and research, right through to evaluating the final film.
Facebook
Facebook played a key part in Missed Calls, as we used it to show that Sarah had moved on in her life. This was so that our audience could relate to not only Sarah's emotions, but also the feelings of the kidnapper. Me and Laura also created fake Facebook profiles for both Sarah and Dave (Sarah's new boyfriend) to make the film more realistic.
YouTube
I have used YouTube to find relevant clips for part of my planning and research. Also, my opening sequence has been put on YouTube for me to be able to take screenshots whilst doing my blog entry. Furthermore our production company will use YouTube as our way of distributing Missed Calls, therefore, this website in particular has been useful throughout this project.
Powerpoint
We used a Powerpoint presentation when we were pitching our idea to the rest of our media class. This enabled us to show images, and have an explanation to what we were telling them.
Microsoft Word
When creating our 'Stalker Wall' we needed to print out some photographs of Lowri that we had taken in various places around Wrexham Town Centre. We used word to place a number of photos onto one sheet, which made printing them much easier.
Paint
When taking screenshots, I have used Paint to paste them onto and then crop them into a smaller/more relevant image, to make the picture more clear, and cut out any unnecessary images.
Camera
We used the camera to film our project. I had not previously used a camera so had to learn all the different functions. One of the functions - the focus - became a key part in our film, as it was used as a transition in places.
Adobe Premiere Pro
I contributed my ideas as to how we would edit our film. We used Adobe Premiere Pro to bring together our shots and ideas when creating our film. I had to learn how to do; transitions, cutting irrelevant clips, and even the basics like how to upload a clip onto the software.
Blogger
I used Blogger to track my progress during all stages of creating the film; from Planning and research, right through to evaluating the final film.
Facebook played a key part in Missed Calls, as we used it to show that Sarah had moved on in her life. This was so that our audience could relate to not only Sarah's emotions, but also the feelings of the kidnapper. Me and Laura also created fake Facebook profiles for both Sarah and Dave (Sarah's new boyfriend) to make the film more realistic.
YouTube
I have used YouTube to find relevant clips for part of my planning and research. Also, my opening sequence has been put on YouTube for me to be able to take screenshots whilst doing my blog entry. Furthermore our production company will use YouTube as our way of distributing Missed Calls, therefore, this website in particular has been useful throughout this project.
We used a Powerpoint presentation when we were pitching our idea to the rest of our media class. This enabled us to show images, and have an explanation to what we were telling them.
Microsoft Word
When creating our 'Stalker Wall' we needed to print out some photographs of Lowri that we had taken in various places around Wrexham Town Centre. We used word to place a number of photos onto one sheet, which made printing them much easier.
Paint
When taking screenshots, I have used Paint to paste them onto and then crop them into a smaller/more relevant image, to make the picture more clear, and cut out any unnecessary images.
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Question 5 - How did you attract/address your audience?
For our group to get some feedback, I interviewed someone who was similar to our audience profile to find out her opinion, below is a video of this interview:
In our film, we have used many effects which make it relevant and relatable to our audience.
This screen shot demonstrates the fear in Sarah's eyes. This image flashes up on screen inbetween other shots, and it will make the viewer want to continue watching to see if she overcomes the fear, or if she lets it take hold of her, leading to her not being able to escape.
We used a typical stereotype of having a 'stalker wall'. Using this prop sends instant signals to the audience that something bad will happen to the girl in the photographs.
In this part of the film, we have engaged our audience by showing Sarah about to walk down an alleyway on her own at night. The Audience will be able to relate to the instant feeling of vulnerability anyone feels when they are in this situation.
Facebook is used to show that Sarah is now in a new relationship, this helps to move the story on, and the viewer will want to see how the kidnapper will react.
We have also included modern technologies such as the iPhone to make the film more relevant to today's society.
Most normal teenagers like to go out in their local town, so by using this setting we can make the film seem more realistic, therefore it will appeal to our target audience.
In our film, we have used many effects which make it relevant and relatable to our audience.
We used a typical stereotype of having a 'stalker wall'. Using this prop sends instant signals to the audience that something bad will happen to the girl in the photographs.
Question 4 - Who would be the audience for you media product?
Audience Member Profile
Name: Lisa Harrington
Age: 18
Location: Manchester
Likes: Going out with friends, watching films, going on Facebook and Youtube, Crime and Horror films.
Dislikes: Comedies, pop music and being alone.
T.V. Programmes: C.S.I. Waking the Dead, True Blood
Music Interests: Hard rock and metal
Lisa Harrington is an 18 year old Film student. She has recently split from her long term boyfriend, so can relate to Sarah wanting to move on, and go out with friends. This emotional connection with Sarah will enable Lisa to relate to the film, which means that she would enjoy watching 'Missed Calls'. Lisa has an alternative style, and loves vintage clothes, she regularly uses Facebook, Youtube and Twitter to see the latest trends and what is going on in the world. Being a student, Sarah does not have much money to spend on trips to the cinema, and is likely to find out about a film she would enjoy through mediums such as Youtube and Twitter.
Name: Lisa Harrington
Age: 18
Location: Manchester
Likes: Going out with friends, watching films, going on Facebook and Youtube, Crime and Horror films.
Dislikes: Comedies, pop music and being alone.
T.V. Programmes: C.S.I. Waking the Dead, True Blood
Music Interests: Hard rock and metal
Lisa Harrington is an 18 year old Film student. She has recently split from her long term boyfriend, so can relate to Sarah wanting to move on, and go out with friends. This emotional connection with Sarah will enable Lisa to relate to the film, which means that she would enjoy watching 'Missed Calls'. Lisa has an alternative style, and loves vintage clothes, she regularly uses Facebook, Youtube and Twitter to see the latest trends and what is going on in the world. Being a student, Sarah does not have much money to spend on trips to the cinema, and is likely to find out about a film she would enjoy through mediums such as Youtube and Twitter.
Monday, 23 April 2012
Question 3 - What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
What is a production company?
The production company plays a huge part in the creation of a film, and many main roles. They fund the film and organise finances, have involvement in the script, and play a huge part in introducing key ideas. Original Productions is the name of our production company, and is a small company who specialise in creating films which exaggerate typical media stereotypes.
As our production company is only small, and the film is a small budget film, we will need to use other mediums to distribute our film. After looking through our questionnaire results, many of our target audience agreed a good way for us to distribute our film would be through internet sites such as YouTube. The people who we hope to represent and also target are mainly students, who use the internet, including sites like YouTube and Twitter frequently, so it would be a good opportunity to use YouTube to distribute the film.
What existing films are similar to yours?
Taken is very similar to Missed Calls, as a phone plays a key part in the kidnapp scene. However, in Taken, it is the fact that Kim is able to answer the phone that helps her father find her, whereas in Missed Calls, Sarah doesn't get the chance to answer her phone, resulting on an uncertain future for her.
 |
| Sarah misses the call |
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| Kim answers the phone |
Where would the money come from to fund your film?
We plan to fund our film through sponsers, as it is rasing awareness of the extremity of media stereotypes, and how they can affect people's lives.
Who are the people you have included in your titles?
Lowri Williams - Leading role
Alex Davies - Actor
Lauren Owens - Director
Question 2 - How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our chosen social group to represent is teenagers. We chose this particular group because we felt that teenagers get bad representations within the media, and by creating our film, we have exaggerated these stereotypes to show how negative stereotypes could in fact create negative behaviour. We have represented our chosen social group by bringing in modern technologies that teenagers today would use and be able to relate to the emotions these technologies create. One of these technologies was Facebook, we used Facebook to show that 'Sarah' had moved on, and was now in a new relationship. Many teenagers have discovered that their ex-partner is in a new relationship this way, so the audience would be able to relate to the anger and frustration the kidnapper would feel. We have also used everyday situations that an 18 year old girl would be doing - having relationships, and going out with friends.
The location we used for our opening sequence allowed us to easily represent our chosen social group. Part of our sequence was based in Wrexham Town Centre, where Sarah was out with her friends. This is very easy for our audience to relate to, as most 18 year old girls would be going out to town with their friends. Other ways we used mise-en-scene to represent our social group was the costume we dressed our actress, Lowri, who played Sarah in clothes that are available on the high street. Therefore, this makes it instantly easier for the viewers to relate to Sarah as an ordinary person. Props, such as using an iPhone also showed a clear representation of our group - teenagers.
The location we used for our opening sequence allowed us to easily represent our chosen social group. Part of our sequence was based in Wrexham Town Centre, where Sarah was out with her friends. This is very easy for our audience to relate to, as most 18 year old girls would be going out to town with their friends. Other ways we used mise-en-scene to represent our social group was the costume we dressed our actress, Lowri, who played Sarah in clothes that are available on the high street. Therefore, this makes it instantly easier for the viewers to relate to Sarah as an ordinary person. Props, such as using an iPhone also showed a clear representation of our group - teenagers.
Other representations in the media, which are similar to our film include; Taken and The Disappearance of Alice Creed. Both these films show a young girl being kidnapped, therefore having similar themes to our film.
The media often depicts teenagers to be anger and love fuelled problems to society. As a group, we wanted people to be aware that if stereotypes in the media are repeated too much, teenagers will act in this way. We have taken the idea to the extreme, to show how love can lead to obsession, and at what point could this become dangerous? We hope people understand how a normal situation, such as going out with friends, and getting into new relationships can take a turn for the worse. Audiences will be able to relate to the pain that the kidnapper is feeling, but also empathise with Sarah wanting to move on from her past.
A teenager in an existing film with a similar genre, compared to Sarah in Missed Calls:
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| 'Sarah' in Missed Calls |
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| Comparing Film: 'Kim' in Taken |
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