Final Film

Evaluation Question 7

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

Towards the beginning of our course, we were set a preliminary task to complete as a class. We then had to replicate the same skills as part of a smaller group. This was completed using what knowledge we already had of media concepts and equipment (both hardware and software). The teacher's suggested we used Imovie to edit the preliminary films but instead we began using Premiere Pro in order to gain some knowledge of how to use it before starting on our singular productions.

For both of these preliminary films we had to create a short film with a variety of angles, camera shots and effects to showcase our initial understanding of film making. Then we had to edit to the best of our ability. The narrative for the class film was very simplistic. It followed the movement of a boy who feels isolated from the rest of his school. His paranoia makes him believe that he is being bullied by a female student who turns out to just be asking for a pen, In order to create a clear narrative, we used a linear structure. Therefore, the shots we filmed had to be continuous. The number, frequency and length of eclipses that we used were limited so that the structure seemed as continuous as possible. We used match-on-action as he was walking through the door to give the film this structure as well as tracking shotsas he walked through the corridors. Then, we used high and low angled shots to connote the idea of power between him and the other characters. High angled shots of him connote the idea that he feels smaller and less powerful than the other characters. Additionally, this highlights how bullying can be percieved by both the victims and the people who observe it.

For the second preliminary that we produced, we decided to create a more complex narrative. The story line began with the introduction to a very nervous male, following him to a hall where we see a circle of people. He sits down and begins telling the class about his experience with alcoholism. This is then met with confusion when he realises that it isn't an AA meeting, but a book club. With haste, he quickly exits the room. We decided to use this narrative in order to challange our directing, editing and ability to follow a more complex story whilst also concidering it's continuity. We used a wider variety of shots for this film as we felt more confident in our ability to produce. Although, for this film, we spent a longer amount of time on every aspect. This includes planning, editing and such.

For both preliminaries, we created a detailed story boards. These contained the direction that we would give on set as well as dialogue. The visuals then show the types of shots and angles that we wanted to capture. Although, when we began filming, some of the shots were changed slightly and some completely to connote new ideas that we'd developed in the process.

Both preliminary tasks helped us to gain an understanding and experience in film making that became useful when it come to producing our film opening. We were able to control the production process by creating project related story boards, conduct research and plan shots in detail. Therfore, the planning process worked to help us make our ideas clearer than they may otherwise have been. In summary, producing the preliminary films was a useful tool in extending our knowlege and completeing a comprehensive piece of work.

Evaluation Question 6

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

Evaluation Question 5

Evaluation Question 4

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Evaluation Q4 from Megan Ferry

Evaluation Question 3

That kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

The process of marketing the film to an audience/consumer is known as distribution. In order to distribute a film, you'd have to market the production using social media such as: Youtube, Facebook, google and television advertisement. You could even create a website offering information and sneak previews of the movie to help generate interest. We would also have to distribute the film in cinemas which would come with additional advertisement.

When looking at which companies would distribute our film, it would be ideal for larger companies such as Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Disney or 20th Century Fox. These distribution companies would be ideal given their renowned reputations, large budget and high status. The budget of the company would determine whether the production is released on a local or global scale. The tent pole structure of these companies and their distribution is what would make them an ideal for us.

Companies included in the 'Big 6' have much larger budgets to be able to distribute to a global audience. They use their status to target movies towards tent pole audiences, generating enormous box office sales all over the globe. When considering our film, using companies like Warner Bros and Disney for distribution to audiences would result in a larger profit and a wider viewership. A more successful production scheme would result in a larger profit.

However, getting backing (and funding) from as large a production company as Warner Bros etc, would be difficult. We would have to pitch the film, suggesting the extent to which we could market and make profit from the film. If we were to get this funding and support, then the film would likely become popular in cinemas and so, merchandise could be produced. All cinemas, material distributors and shops could release movie-related stock. In tern, this would contribute to the over all profit of the film. Normally, this comes as a result of a large viewership and popularity of a film in it's success.

One of the companies that has released a lot of merchandise related to their films is Disney. In particular, the film 'Frozen' generated a lot of interest. Disney released backpacks, notebooks, pencil cases and stationary as well as many more products to sell to the viewership. They placed these in their own merchandise stores and also, other stores that brought the licensing to sell them. Doing this creates more interest and so, generates more profit for the companies with ownership of the film. Although, the genre of film that we produced would probably not have as much of an appeal to market products for. In saying this, a larger company would know how to market this most appropriately to the most appropriate audiences. Smaller production/marketing companies wouldn't have as much status and so releasing merchandise wouldn't be likely to produce much profit.

On the other hand, distributing the film through/as an independent company would allow us to maintain the specific, narrow viewership that we'd initially suggested as opposed to branching out to other audiences. This would be the likely result if we were to distribute through a larger company. In addition, the budget we'd have to work with through a smaller company would be much lower than if we were to partner with one of the big six, resulting in the film being distributed in local cinemas and stay with a localised audience.

In terms of distribution, initially obtaining a wholesome budget would be necessary for later production and distribution. For a small scale film like our own, one method that we could use to obtain this budget is through crowd funding. This work by the general public donating money to a film company if they like the narrative. One website that allows you to do this is Kickstarter. This funding could then be used to produce the film itself as well as merchandise if there was enough.

Furthermore, to distribute our film, we could attempt to contact and work with a large media institution like Warner Bros or Disney as we feel this would help us to reach a larger audience and so, gain a larger profit. We could attract this companies by producing a trailer for youtube and advertising on other social media plat forms. These are methods that would be the most popular to todays audiences as they are easily accessible and reach the most people. Companies such as Netflix, Facebook and Youtube would be very helpful in promoting the film.

Evaluation Question 2

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Evaluation Question 1

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

Shot List: Planning

The following shots arenas that will be used at various points within the film.
Mid shot
Close up
Dolly zoom
Long shot (establishing shot)
High angle
Low angle
Extreme close up
Upside-down shot

Characters and Castings: Planning

All castings will be conducted on the same day to ensure that they are completed within the time scales given. We will have to organise the actors, provide lines and record their auditions within the 7 hours allocated time. In preparation for the casting/auditions, we will have to print scripts to hand out to the actors. These will be handed out before the the auditions to give the actors time to learn their lines and create an understanding of the directions. Each will be recorded for us to watch back and analyse.

Characterisation Changes: Planning

After the first day of filming, we realised that a lot of the footage that we had shot needed to be redone. We organised to re-film on a later date to add additional lighting and props to strengthen the narrative. Both actors were unavailable on the dates that we proposed and, in order to utalise our time effectively, we decided to re-cast the actors to suit the days that we needed to film on. As a result, we re-cast the female protagonist as Emily Sommerfeld, as well as the male antagonist to Harry Beck. 

Once we'd conducted a short audition with screen test using these two actors, we begun to reconfigure. The actors were slightly different from the specifications that we'd previouly set but we concluded that such details weren't important. The male actor had had previous experience working on a set and therefore, was expectant of what we asked of him. His co-oporation made it easy to film the appropriate shots of him in an efficient manner. 

Then, the female actor didn't have previous experience in acting but matched a lot of the criteria that we had previously proposed. She was very feminine which emphasised the features of the character we were trying to create in Martha. In particular, her appearance contributed to her overall aesthetic. She is quite petite; making her appear less powerful when compared to Harry. In addition, her hair made her appear both innocent and also younger as it isn't dyed. This helps to subvert the stereotype that teenage girls dye their hair different colours. Moreover, this also made her appear innocent and vunerable because the audience could make a comparison between this feature and a younger persons. 

Characterisation: Planning

The actor that we have cast for the role of Martha, is a female aged 16. Her appearance matches the specifications that we had previously set. Her nose ring characterises her separation from the other characters and helps to emphasise her rebellious nature. Martha (the actor) is an A level drama student, and therefore she is equip to play the role of a complex character. Her previous experience working in a filming environment means that she will be able to adhere easily to our direction. In addition, her on-screen presence is believable and adapts well to the other characters.

The character of Noah will be played by Ollie. After holding auditions and performing screen tests, we decided that his appearance and screen presence best fitted to the requirements that we had previously set for the character of Noah. In addition to this, we noted that himself and Martha have a chemistry between them that makes their acting seem believable. They presented a jokey, yet caring persona that we found desirable for their roles. Ollie also has the ability to change his expression to make him seem menacing.

His appearance further supported our decision to cast him as Noah. His lighter coloured hair promotes the idea that he is a positive character at the surface, given the association between lighter colours connoting positivity. This then creates contrast when the audience are shown a more sinister side to his character. Then, his height characterises his significance as he will stand out amongst a group of people. This could be used as a visual to foreshadow his later role in the film. When put next to Martha, it's difficult not to assume that he could have power over her given that he is taller and more muscular than she is.

Filming days: Production

For our main film, we filmed over a two day period. The first filming day consisted of us filming our initial plot with the original script, props and actors. We covered all the scenes and shots we wanted to include. However when watching the clips back, we thought it was difficult to make sense of the plot/narrative. In addition, the filming that we did was too lenthy to all be included in the film. We found that a lot of the lines and directioins that we had initially planned, were too and therefore we filmed again. We also found that in the first set of clips, the lighting was very dark and it was difficult to work with. Therefore when filming again, we changed the lighting. The three pictures on the left are shots from the first filming day and the two on the right are from the second day. As you can see the shots are very different. They are clearer and have a lot better lighting.

Originally, our actors in the film were Oliver Poole and Martha Holley-Moore.  However after our first filming day we didn't think they worked well together and therefore we swapped Martha Holley Moore for Emily Sommerfeld and Ollie Poole for Harry Beck.  We thought that this worked better on screen and also it was a lot easier to work with as if there was any additional shots we needed to do. It was simpler getting everyone in one place.  

Peer Feedback: Post Production

Video to be uploaded.

Filming Days: Production

Filming days - Megan Ferry from Megan Ferry

Choosing an idea: Planning

We decided that our opening will follow two characters, the victim and the antagonist through their involvement in the accident. The antagonist will be a male but to make sure his identity is not fully revealed until later on in the opening. We decided that this character would be a male as males stereotypically have traits such as strength, agility and intelligence which would be needed to plan and carry out a criminal act. In addition, males are often portrayed as antagonists for these reasons. When compared to a female, we concluded that the male would appear more powerful. To subvert this stereotype slightly, we decided to cast a male as the victim. However, the character would be older and therefore present the stereotypes of an individual who is vulnerable and slightly naive; dusk making them seem like a likely victim of crime.

One side of the narrative would be mainly in the point of view of the female protagonist apart from some over the shoulder shots to establish her costume and the location. Most of this proportion of the narrative will be located in a dark, low- key lighted room in which she will appear to the audience to be vulnerable and in turmoil. The low-key lighting helps to connote darker themes within the narrative. This room will feature props such as a sofa and a picture of two people on their wedding day to develop the idea of a family setting. The contrast between this setting and her turmoil should spark confusion and intrigue from the audience.

Another prop we were thinking of using would be an investigation board. This will signify obsession and mystery as well as to build up suspense to the time of the crash. We decided to use a chip board and attach images of multiple male characters, as well as maps and letters to build a stronger narrative. This can then be used to establish a broader narrative without having to explain so much of the narrative in the other shots. Close ups and extreme close ups of this prop with reveal more to the audience within the opening scenes and throughout.

Camera Angles: Research

Camera Angles

The term 'camera angle' refers to the way that a shot is composed. Some people may refer to a camera angle as though it includes all camera shot types; whereas others use it to specifically refer to the angle between the camera and the subject. The latter may be clearer to think of when analysing the angle of the camera relative to the subject.

Eye-Level

This is the most commonly used angle in media considering that it is the most real-world angle. It shows subjects as we would expect to see them in real life and so, easily helps build rapport with the audience. It is a fairly neutral shot, used more than most other angles. Often the character(s) will make eye contact with the camera during this shot.

High Angle

A high angle shot shows the subject from above, The camera will be tilted down towards the subject, emphasising the size of the subject in comparison to the other objects/people in frame. This can have the effect of diminishing the subject, possibly making them appear less powerful or less significant or even submissive.

Low Angle

A low angled shot shows the subject from below. This can give the impression that the character in frame is more powerful or dominant. This could be in comparison to another character or as a representation of their character growing stronger.

Bird's Eye

A birds eye angle shows the subject from directly above. This is a completely different and somewhat unnatural point of view, which can be used for dramatic effect or for showing a different proxemics. The audience can make visual comparison between the different subjects included in the shot. In drama, this shot can be used to show the positions and motions of different characters and objects. This enables the viewer to see things that the characters can't.

Slanted

A slanted angle is also known as a dutch tilt. This is where the camera is purposely tilted to either side so that the subject is placed on the horizontal. This creates an interesting and dramatic effect, unlike any other camera angle. This type of angle is used to create the feeling of unease or confusion in the audience, as well as perhaps generating interest. Because of the unusual angle, the viewer would likely have to pay more attention to the shot in order to process and understand it. Therefore, this shot is successful in making for a interesting shot.

Preliminary Film

Theories: Research

Theories in Media 

There are multiple different theories that can be considered when analysing film. These theories offer explanations as to why: different props have been used; characters have been included and various structures followed. Combined, these are what make up the content of the film and can have detrimental impacts on the way that the film is perceived.

There are four main theories.

Propp's character roles

The first is Propp's character roles. This theory suggests that all characters within film fit into a category. These are used so that the portrayal of individuals can be categorised to decide their role in progressing the film. For example, a character such as Spider man would be categorised as a hero, whose purpose is to contribute a positive motive. Whereas a character like Cruella Deville is a Villain. The purpose of a villain to be to fight against the actions of the hero/heroin. Every character in every film, according to Propp, can be filtered into one of the following roles:

• Hero
• Villain
• Donor (somebody who gives something)
• Dispatcher
• False hero (the one who is thought to be a hero but it later found to not be)
• Helper 
• Princess
• Father figure

It's important to note that a character can fit into multiple roles, and are not confined to just one description.

Levi-Strauss's Binary Oppositions

A second media theory is that of Levi- Strauss's. His theory of Binary Oppositions, suggests that there must be contrast within film. A binary opposition is a pair of related items or concepts, that are opposite in their meanings. For example: rich/poor, black/white, up/down, slow/fast, young/old and gay/straight - along with many more. Including these in film increases the complexity and therefore the interest generated of a piece of media by developing a more interesting narrative.

Thodorov's Narrative Theory

Thodorov's Narrative Theory encourages the idea that all narratives follow the same three part structure. They begin with equilibrium. This is the part of the story where everything is balanced and controlled. Then, this progresses as something comes along to disturb the equilibrium. This could be a disaster or fight which must be amended by one or more of the characters. Finally, the film will reach a resolution. This is when the equilibrium is restored.

Mood Board: Planning

Making the Ident: Production

I began making the ident using Adobe After Effects. Using this programme allows me to add layers to the ident (as you would in photoshop) but with the addition of using moving transitions and other video effects. 

The first thing that I had to do was import a background from google images. When doing this, I had to ensure that the graphic was royalty free and open for reuse with the inclusion of editing. I chose to use a brick wall to imitate a wall in a bar. This would later accompany the look of a wall light. Then, I changed the colouring of the background by applying a monotone filter. Initially, I thought that I would apply a vignette effect whilst in After effects so that the centre of the frame would be highlighted, but I decided to add this in once i'd imported the ident into Premiere pro as the process would be much faster if done via that programme. 

Secondly, I added the text. There were no fonts on Adobe After Effects that particularly suited the look that I was going for and so I downloaded some fonts from google. Again, these were open for use by anyone. I changed the colours of the two fonts that I had imported so that they would appear neon, with the characteristics of a glowing bulb. I decided to make the two fonts different colours in order for the two elements to be read separately (emphasising what the differing fonts may have already achieved). Once this was complete and I was happy with the choice of colours, I used a transform effect to slightly tilt the writing. I changed the orientation of the text by -10 so that it was still legible but looked good. 

After editing the writing, I added a neon ring. I used the eye dropper tool to match the colour of the ring to the text at the top. I then wanted to make the ring slightly more rough looking. To achieve this, I used the 'pen tool' with a no-fill setting on it. I followed the line of the already established circle and finished by also matching the colour to the pink text. This allowed me to achieve a circle shape that was less structured that the one i'd initially made. Lastly, I deleted the first circle- leaving just the drawn ring.

Title Sequence Research: Planning

The Title slot for the crime/psychological thriller Se7en, connotes a psychological thriller/horror genre. After seeing the title, you begin to question what the film is going to be about. The typography used here has a rough look to it because it is slightly uneven and faded in places. This is something that is regularly used in thrillers and the sub-genre of psychological thrillers as it creates ambiguity and a sense on unease.

The opening of this film (excluding the title), starts with a close up shot of a book from a mid-angled position of the top of it. This could generate mystery as the audience doesn't know what the book contains, given that they are unable to see the page contents. The camera is steady and so the movement of the pages in the foreground and the hand in the background is emphasised. Automatically, our focus is drawn to the movement of the hand, which is unidentifiable because it is out of focus and therefore, not detailed. As a viewer, we begin to question the identity and involvement of this figure as part of the narrative.

Next, camera is placed at a high angle, allowing the viewer to look down on the book revealing what’s written on the pages and showing pictures people that appear to look tortured most inflicted with wounds relaying that fact that there is possibly going to be gore and murderous occurrences in the film. We also see close ups of certain words that are being blocked out by black pen but are half recognisable without looking very closely at the shot as it runs at a fast pace from each shot. The words that are revealed are words such as "Homosexual". This perhaps suggests that the film will begin to challenge delicate ideologies and deal with sensitive subjects in a manner which is intended to provoke a reaction from the audience. 

In addition, the mystery person could possibly be a psychopath as they block out people’s faces and various words that look like sections from religious prophesies. In one shot, we see a newspaper cutting where they have specifically removed the word "God". This suggests that the film will involve religious themes, or possibly satanic themes. Also, there could be an element of murder in the film. It also suggests there are religious references throughout due to the religious connotations from the word "God". Everything shown here, keeps the audience guessing. It is unknown as to whether or not the imagery here could be taken as clues and pointers that reveal more about the storyline/context. The clues are shown on different paper clippings that the person is seeming to be collecting and adding to what could be their diary or portfolio. This ambiguous action can be seen as a convention throughout a lot of psychological thriller/horror genre films.

Finally, the lack of long shots in the title Sequence prevents the viewer from seeing fully, what’s happening. As a result, we see no overview of the action that is taking place on screen. This could have been used to reinforce the fear of the unknown and the mystery of what the character is doing. In addition to this, everything that we see in the title Sequence is what can be seen from the villain’s viewpoint. Therefore, we see the whole thing through his or her eyes as opposed to our own. This visual device may have been used to characterise our likeness to the villain, or to portray the idea that we aren’t as far removed from the film as we may wish we are.  

Rushes: Production

Here is a brief edit of our film opening. We will use this to gain feedback from our target audience. We will do so by shwoing a group of 15+ year olds this clip and record their reactions. Then, we can ask them a series of questions to help us digest their reaction in a more structured format. From this, we will be able to establish where the strengths and weaknesses are, in order for us to improve the opening.

Risk Assessment: Planning

There are a number of hazards that need to be considered in preparation for filming and production of our two minute film opening. All locations must be put under inspection to ensure that they're suitable for use. By conducting a risk assessment, we will be ensuring the safety of everyone physically involved at the locations. I am going to categorise the risks during my production process into three separate categories. These are: environment, characters and equipment. I will then evaluate how to minimise these dangers to ensure that the production process is as safe as possible. In order to initially identify the risks, I visited the filming locations and noted down both the major and minor risks. I then inserted these general risks into tables and suggested the most effective ways that I could minimise or eliminate them.

Environmentally, there are a few risks to consider. Firstly, the house proposes several possible dangers. This filming location is directly adjacent to a road. Therefore, I will have to make all individuals on set, aware of this hazard and in turn, this should reduce the risk  Due to this I will have to take precautions that none of my cast or crew accidentally fall. Secondly, the car park may have several dangers. Considering the time of filming the cast a crew should be reminded of oncoming cars so that no one becomes injured. Furthermore if individuals are not on camera then they must make themselves visible so that we know everyone is safe and that no one is in harms way, considering it's an open site.

Screen tests: Planning

Final Script: Production

SCENE 1

1. EXT. HOUSE. NIGHT

                                                                                                                                        JUMP CUT:

In the heart of a suburban neighborhood, a house glows with light from a teen party. The heavy bass sound echoes through the air, partially muffled by the walls of the house. 

MARTHA, .. Teenage girl with ginger hair and nose ring. Appears constantly distracted.

NOAH, .. Tall male with light coloured hair. Seems constantly concerned with MARTHA.

ANONYMOUS, .. Slightly muscular figure, dressed all in black, lingers outside of house. The figure breathes heavily.

MOLLY, .. Wearing a short dress, finished with fishnet tights and holding a wand; her intent to be a fairy princess. Her bright­­ blonde hair stands out from the dark backdrop of the house at night.

CRAIG, .. Dark haired male 

OUTSIDE OF HOUSE

­­­­­­

MOLLY

(Laughs loudly in-between talking and stumbles in heels to the open front door)

God, I hope no one else is wearing the same as me. What if they think that I look shit? 

CRAIG

(Holds MOLLY up by her waist and laughing at her) 

I don't think anyone would think that Molly. Honestly, you look fine. They won't care about what you're wearing anyway. They'll be too busy looking at me.

(Holds bottle of beer in the air, wink, swigs from it and then smirks)

MOLLY

(Rolls eyes)

Obnoxious prick. 

(Both CRAIG and MOLLY stumble towards front door and through it.)

INTERIOR: DOORWAY

MARTHA

(Standing opposite to the door)

                    Hey. Craig (Nods to him) Molly, you look so good! Everyone else is just through there.

(Points towards groups of people in the distance behind her)

                            MOLLY

(To MARTHA)                      Cheers. 

(Turns to CRAIG)

            Told you.

(Back to MARTHA)

        Is your nan in?

                          MARTHA 

                                 No, she's staying with her friend in Oxford.

      MOLLY

             Ah okay. We'll go get a drink. Do you want  anything?

      MARTHA

             No it's okay. I'll come get one in a minute.

(Interrupted by NOAH. MOLLY and CRAIG walk past MARTHA towards groups of people in distance)

                               NOAH

(Grabs MARTHAS hand and spins her around)

Someone doesn't look very happy... or drunk!

(Goes to hug MARTHA but she gently pushes him away)
Martha! Come get a drink and dance with me. 

MARTHA

No. I'm not really feeling it to be honest.

NOAH

Marf mate, chill out and enjoy your night. Forget about all  that stuff.

MARTHA

(Unclear murmurs)

        I know. 

        NOAH

        Well i'm getting a drink and then i'm going to see if Molly wants a dance. (Laughs) 

        MARTHA

        Go on then, get me a drink. (Smiles at NOAH)

(NOAH turns to get a drink and puts packet of cigarettes on the side.  MARTHA watches him and smiles then turns to shut the door.)

                                  MARTHA 

(Sees ANONYMOUS and slams the door. She backs away and falls to the stairs)

                   BEN 

(Walks back towards MARTHA with a drink in hand)

             Here's your drink. You okay?


(MARTHA doesn't answer so he kneels beside her, putting his hand on her back)

             Marf, what's up? What's going on?

                   MARTHA

(Stutters)

                        Did you just see that?

                                  NOAH

                       See what? 

                   MARTHA

(Shakes head gently)

                       Doesn't matter. 

                   NOAH

                       I'm going out for a fag. Will     you be okay?

                   MARTHA 

                       Yeah. Yeah. I just need to chill out.

                                             NOAH 

(Smiles)       

                       Come get me if you need me okay?

(Picks up packet of cigarettes) 

END SCENE