Tuesday, 2 May 2017
Tuesday, 25 April 2017
Evaluation: Question 7
What have I learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Internet
I used the internet throughout both our prelim and main task for research and downloading our background music, specifically the BFI Statistical website, Wikipedia and YouTube
Camera
Post production
Internet
I used the internet throughout both our prelim and main task for research and downloading our background music, specifically the BFI Statistical website, Wikipedia and YouTube
- I used the BFI Statistical yearbook website to gather information (facts, statistics etc) to use a reasoning behind our choice of genre and target audience
- I used Wikipedia when researching existing horror/thriller films and when looking into different distribution companies.
- We used YouTube to find appropriate background music to go alongside our sequence of shots
Camera
- We used a CANON 500D to film our film opening. The camera was light which meant that you could film with it for long periods of time without putting a strain on your arms/wrists/hands. However, I personally found it difficult to navigate without looking up what each setting on the dial meant and what features the camera actually had as I had never used a DLSR camera before our preliminary task although by the end of our main task, I had gained more experience and I was completely confident using it on my own.
Post production
- We used adobe Premiere Pro for both our preliminary and main task. It was very useful as it had so many different features that were great for editing films. I had never used it before our prelim task and so I initially found it difficult to navigate as there was so many different options and settings under so many different headings and subheadings however, once I had worked with it and really explored the application, I thoroughly enjoyed using it which made the entire editing process much more enjoyable. I used a lot of the features it had to offer such as audio, transitions, importing, rendering and exporting.
Evaluation: Question 6
What have I learnt in the progression from the preliminary task to the final product?
I think that improvements have definitely been made from our preliminary task to our final film opening. In our first attempt we came across many issues and things we could improve on but I think that overall we learnt from this and it helped us to progress further.
Time management and organisation
In our preliminary task, as we were only working from a storyboard and script, our day of filming was unstructured and unorganised which we later realised was our first mistake. To avoid this in our final production, we used a filming journal and itinerary that kept us on track and everything running smoothly. Each scene was allocated a filming time which meant we were able to start and finish in good time without the unnecessary stress of improper planning and the effect of this on the cast and crew. Instead there was less pressure and filming was organised and calm.
Mariya and I also took into consideration that our filming day might not go completely to plan and to combat this we added time at the end of our day to allow for any unfinished scenes or shots to be retaken (for whatever reason) so that all of our clips were of the best quality. We did this because in our Preliminary task we had to use shots and angles that we didn't necessarily like or want as we ran out of time and actors had to go home etc.
Sound
There was a lot of noticeable differences between our preliminary task and our main task finished product. We used Adobe Premiere for our editing stage on both our prelim and main task as it was best suited for experimentation, offering so many different features, effects and options.
When working on our preliminary task we encountered an issue with sound. When the clip started off the actors voice could be heard clearly but when it changed to a different angle, it was difficult to hear what the two characters were saying. However this meant that when it came to a similar issue in our Main Task, we simply used the 'Audio' option and altered the soundtrack volume in certain areas so that it could be heard but didn't drown out the background music.
Transitions
In our preliminary task we had no transition effects as we hadn't explored adobe premiere fully yet but by the time it came to our main task we'd had time to look at and play around with different transitions. However, for our final product we kept to the dip to black as it meant the clips flowed well and it kept a slow pace and added suspense.
Any mistakes made in our Preliminary task turned out to be beneficial in the completion of our main task. They made me improve on my time management and organisation in our final task, which meant that the filming/editing process would be calmer and easier and that the final product was of higher quality, appealing to our target audience in all the right ways.
Monday, 24 April 2017
Planning
Describe the planning process and what this involved:
For the planning of our Preliminary Inception Mariya and I made a film treatment which we posted on our blogs. It included things such as what the different types of camera shots, angles, characters and scenes. We listed each scene and discussed what the characters will be doing and what they’ll be saying, this made it easier for us when filming.
How did planning benefit you:
Planning certainly helped when filming as we could quickly run through prop placement, shots and lighting using the storyboard we put together. The storyboard was very detailed therefore, the tripod could quickly be put in place without much hesitation. In regards to the dialogue, Mariya and I produced a script for the characters to read from so they knew what they were discussing and what actions they should carry out. Both of us found that the long-term planning produced a successful final outcome, and we will be spending good time ensuring our plan for our main task is as detailed and thorough.
For the planning of our Preliminary Inception Mariya and I made a film treatment which we posted on our blogs. It included things such as what the different types of camera shots, angles, characters and scenes. We listed each scene and discussed what the characters will be doing and what they’ll be saying, this made it easier for us when filming.
How did planning benefit you:
Planning certainly helped when filming as we could quickly run through prop placement, shots and lighting using the storyboard we put together. The storyboard was very detailed therefore, the tripod could quickly be put in place without much hesitation. In regards to the dialogue, Mariya and I produced a script for the characters to read from so they knew what they were discussing and what actions they should carry out. Both of us found that the long-term planning produced a successful final outcome, and we will be spending good time ensuring our plan for our main task is as detailed and thorough.
Basic Treatments : Main Task
Working title: Mariya and I chose the title 'Unknown' as within the opening the 'Stalker' that is shown following Liv, contacts her through text message and the audience receives no other information about the character (until the end of the full film) accept that they come up as 'Unknown' in her phone contacts.
Genre: Thriller/Horror
Mariya and I researched in depth into various movie genres and what key aspects interest the target audience. We discovered that horror movies were highly successful which was clearly shown in our BFI Statistical Yearbook research, although we feel that we can achieve tension, suspense and fear from the audience using camera angles combined with lighting, sound and various transitions.
Central theme: Our film will explore the themes of social media stalking and vulnerability. It will explore these themes through the use of
Synopsis: A teenage girl and her friends start receiving strange messages and pictures from an unknown stranger. They think it is all a big joke and don't take the severity of the situation seriously. Things take a turn for the worst when all 4 girls go missing one by one.
Pitch: Our film will be rated 15 and our specific target audience will be people aged 15-18. We chose to aim our film towards this age range because when research the BFI Statistical Yearbook we found that the top performing 15 rated film was of the horror genre. This information tells us that this particular age range are most interested in this genre meaning that we would receive a higher box office gross from this production. Our film will be different to other films as it will be entirely handheld shots.
Character: Liv played by Olivia Cleeton, Mazbo played by Mariya Sabir, Ella played by Ella Paveley, Samimi played by Samera Khan
We never see the 'stalker' but we are aware the character is present in the middle of the film opening.
Film Opening Sequence/ Screenplay:
Genre: Thriller/Horror
Mariya and I researched in depth into various movie genres and what key aspects interest the target audience. We discovered that horror movies were highly successful which was clearly shown in our BFI Statistical Yearbook research, although we feel that we can achieve tension, suspense and fear from the audience using camera angles combined with lighting, sound and various transitions.
Central theme: Our film will explore the themes of social media stalking and vulnerability. It will explore these themes through the use of
Synopsis: A teenage girl and her friends start receiving strange messages and pictures from an unknown stranger. They think it is all a big joke and don't take the severity of the situation seriously. Things take a turn for the worst when all 4 girls go missing one by one.
Pitch: Our film will be rated 15 and our specific target audience will be people aged 15-18. We chose to aim our film towards this age range because when research the BFI Statistical Yearbook we found that the top performing 15 rated film was of the horror genre. This information tells us that this particular age range are most interested in this genre meaning that we would receive a higher box office gross from this production. Our film will be different to other films as it will be entirely handheld shots.
Character: Liv played by Olivia Cleeton, Mazbo played by Mariya Sabir, Ella played by Ella Paveley, Samimi played by Samera Khan
We never see the 'stalker' but we are aware the character is present in the middle of the film opening.
Film Opening Sequence/ Screenplay:
SCENE 1:
Evaluation: Question 5
Who would be the audience for your media product?
Mariya and I decided to target our film opening towards young people from the age of 15 to about 21. We chose this age range because we felt that the themes we address wouldn't be suitable for anyone under the age of 15 and would be clearly understood by people in the same age bracket as our primary character.
We did some further research using the BFI Statistical yearbook where it became clear to us that the younger generation take an interest in the thriller/horror genre.
Looking at the table above, you can see that 52% of people aged 16-24 watch films via online streaming which is good for our film as we had the idea to use Netflix as our main platform. We can also see that there are 3% more males than females who prefer this option which meant that we know that the gender of the audience watching films on this platform is not an issue. However, since 75% of people aged 16-24 prefer watching films on DVD, Mariya and I would consider selling our film on DVD, so as to satisfy all members of our audience.
Our film would be classified 15, therefore, no one under that specific age is allowed to view this movie.
What might be included in a film rated 15:
Mariya and I decided to target our film opening towards young people from the age of 15 to about 21. We chose this age range because we felt that the themes we address wouldn't be suitable for anyone under the age of 15 and would be clearly understood by people in the same age bracket as our primary character.
We did some further research using the BFI Statistical yearbook where it became clear to us that the younger generation take an interest in the thriller/horror genre.
From our further research we found that the target audience for a horror/thriller film is between the ages of 15 and 25.
"The most common reason for this is because the younger generation enjoy a thrill and adrenaline rush while watching a film that keeps them on the edge of their seats. Many younger audiences are not put off by graphic images, but are in fact drawn towards them. For example, 'The Human Centipede' (2009) is viewed and known for its unsightly imagery and theme. However, many older viewers would be put off by this."
Reference: https://www.slideshare.net/isaac97media/horror-film-target-audience Retrieved: 6th April 2017
Taking this into consideration, our film offers a tense and exciting atmosphere, full of suspense which will attract our target audience.
"The most common reason for this is because the younger generation enjoy a thrill and adrenaline rush while watching a film that keeps them on the edge of their seats. Many younger audiences are not put off by graphic images, but are in fact drawn towards them. For example, 'The Human Centipede' (2009) is viewed and known for its unsightly imagery and theme. However, many older viewers would be put off by this."
Reference: https://www.slideshare.net/isaac97media/horror-film-target-audience Retrieved: 6th April 2017
Taking this into consideration, our film offers a tense and exciting atmosphere, full of suspense which will attract our target audience.
Using the BFI Statistical site, we looked into what draws an audience to the large selection of film genres.
The table shows that 36% of males who answered the survey under the age of 35 enjoyed watching horror and thriller films however 44% of women under the age of 35 enjoyed horror films and 45% enjoyed thriller films. The sky horror channel reported that 58% of their viewers are male. These figures show that both genders under the age of 35 enjoy watching horror/thriller films. The table also tells us that social class C2 which consists of the "
skilled working class who have below average incomes" have the highest interest in the horror/thriller genre which is an important piece of information we need to consider when we market our film
skilled working class who have below average incomes" have the highest interest in the horror/thriller genre which is an important piece of information we need to consider when we market our film
Looking at the table above, you can see that 52% of people aged 16-24 watch films via online streaming which is good for our film as we had the idea to use Netflix as our main platform. We can also see that there are 3% more males than females who prefer this option which meant that we know that the gender of the audience watching films on this platform is not an issue. However, since 75% of people aged 16-24 prefer watching films on DVD, Mariya and I would consider selling our film on DVD, so as to satisfy all members of our audience.
The picture above shows us what the general public want in a film for it to appeal to them, by asking what statement they agree with the most. Our primary character is a working class teenage girl, it is interesting to see what 16-24 year olds think about this. 1 in 3 say there should be more middle class tragedy in UK films over working class tragedy and in total a whole 52% of the young generation agree with the statement alongside 43% of a slightly older generation of 25-34 year olds. These statistics support our films choices and show that our target audience would be thrilled to watch our movie.
Our film would be classified 15, therefore, no one under that specific age is allowed to view this movie.
What might be included in a film rated 15:
- Strong Violence
- Frequent Strong Language
- Discriminatory Language or Behaviour
- Drug Use
- Sexual Activity/ References
- Verbal References to Sex
- Sexual Nudity
I found that younger viewers can tolerate most aspects of a 15 classified movie and therefore, not many changes would need to be made before the film is dispatched.
Evaluation: Question 4
How did you attract/address your audience?
To complete this section, Mariya and I asked our focus group what they liked and disliked about our main task production using a questionnaire. We did this so that we had enough feedback to make a valid conclusion that our film attracted our target audience (15+).
Person 2 (aged 16) enjoyed our film opening the most and had a good understanding of it being in the horror/thriller genre. We didn't tell the group what genre our film opening was to see if we did well in incorporating the usual horror/thriller conventions.
From this questionnaire we gained more specific information such as now we knew the exact age group that would be attracted to our film, and this was ages 16-20. This was because people younger than 15 wouldn't understand the more mature themes of kidnapping and death, however someone aged 15 or above will understand the deeper issues such as young women's vulnerability in today's society.
The tension level is high throughout the opening, peaking at the end when the girls realise they are being stalked. This would appeal to most young people that enjoy horror/thriller genre as feeling tense and being on the edge of your seat is part of the horror/thriller movie experience. Our introduction to the movie reveals enough that the viewer wants to watch more but not too much that they feel like there is no need to continue watching.
Our focus group all said they would be likely to watch the rest of the film.
To complete this section, Mariya and I asked our focus group what they liked and disliked about our main task production using a questionnaire. We did this so that we had enough feedback to make a valid conclusion that our film attracted our target audience (15+).
We chose 4 members of the public (our focus group, all a different age over 15) to answer 4 questions.
Person 2 (aged 16) enjoyed our film opening the most and had a good understanding of it being in the horror/thriller genre. We didn't tell the group what genre our film opening was to see if we did well in incorporating the usual horror/thriller conventions.
From this questionnaire we gained more specific information such as now we knew the exact age group that would be attracted to our film, and this was ages 16-20. This was because people younger than 15 wouldn't understand the more mature themes of kidnapping and death, however someone aged 15 or above will understand the deeper issues such as young women's vulnerability in today's society.
The tension level is high throughout the opening, peaking at the end when the girls realise they are being stalked. This would appeal to most young people that enjoy horror/thriller genre as feeling tense and being on the edge of your seat is part of the horror/thriller movie experience. Our introduction to the movie reveals enough that the viewer wants to watch more but not too much that they feel like there is no need to continue watching.
Our focus group all said they would be likely to watch the rest of the film.
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