How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?
Tuesday 7 May 2013
Tuesday 30 April 2013
3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?
In this evaluation question, I gained some feedback from a selection of audience members, in person and also on Facebook and YouTube to gain an insight into positive and negative features of our film. I also gained some useful comments on how to improve, adjust and change the film for our audiences entertainment.
1. The first step in gaining audience feedback:
I began with getting a selection of ten different people, from all different age groups and genders to spend just under ten minutes of their time to view our film and to fill out a questionnaire about some personal questions, and also some questions about the film.
The questionnaire is as followed:
 Pie chart 1 |
 |
Pie chart 2
|
 |
Pie chart 3
|
These are the results of several questions placed into pie charts:
The pie chart which shows the age of the audience members (Pie chart 3) is very telling, as although it ranges from 10-50 years of age, it still achieved a 100% recommendation rate (Pie chart 1). This is then furthered as the gender of those who filled out a survey was divided, although not equally, between male and female but it still shows that 40% of females that watched the film, also enjoyed it (Pie chart 2). This shows that a crime/thriller film is an extremely broad genre, reaching out to a wide range of age groups and also both genders.
Other questions on the questionnaire required an individual, written response so cannot be placed into a chart. So I have picked out several that are the most significant. Several of the written responses are below. My camera phone quality is not great, so I will type out the relevant answers to these questions from each audience member so it is easier to read. There are also videos of me interviewing different audience members to gain more information of their responses and then to elaborate on them.
These responses included:
‘Are there any negative features in the film which you would like to mention?'
‘If I had to mention one, it would be the ending and how I wanted to find out more about the situation involving the briefcase’
‘Are there any positive features in the film which you would like to mention?’ ' 'A lot is very impressive, especially the chase scene. That and the music made a great tense scene’
‘Are there any negative features in the film which you would like to mention?’
The pie chart which shows the age of the audience members (Pie chart 3) is very telling, as although it ranges from 10-50 years of age, it still achieved a 100% recommendation rate (Pie chart 1). This is then furthered as the gender of those who filled out a survey was divided, although not equally, between male and female but it still shows that 40% of females that watched the film, also enjoyed it (Pie chart 2). This shows that a crime/thriller film is an extremely broad genre, reaching out to a wide range of age groups and also both genders.
Other questions on the questionnaire required an individual, written response so cannot be placed into a chart. So I have picked out several that are the most significant. Several of the written responses are below. My camera phone quality is not great, so I will type out the relevant answers to these questions from each audience member so it is easier to read. There are also videos of me interviewing different audience members to gain more information of their responses and then to elaborate on them.
These responses included:
‘Are there any negative features in the film which you would like to mention?' ‘If I had to mention one, it would be the ending and how I wanted to find out more about the situation involving the briefcase’
‘Are there any positive features in the film which you would like to mention?’ ' 'A lot is very impressive, especially the chase scene. That and the music made a great tense scene’
‘Are there any negative features in the film which you would like to mention?’
‘the scene where the two characters and the briefcase, the dialogue is very limited, I wanted to know more about the storyline'
‘Are there any positive features in the film which you would like to mention?’ ‘ 'the flashbacks especially when the briefcase closes! Great editing work’
‘Are there any negative features in the film which you would like to mention?’ ‘maybe the lack of action - especially shoot out scene!’
‘Are there any positive features in the film which you would like to mention?’‘the acting in the whole film was very professional, I though alex and ed were Hollywood quality :) ’
‘Are there any other comments that you would like to mention?’
From my questionnaire from the focus group, it allowed me to find out more about an individual comment as it was in person. Contrasting with this would be my online survey, where people from Facebook and YouTube had the chance to share their opinions on my film through SurveyMonkey.
To create a survey online, I used a programme called ‘SurveyMonkey’ which allowed me to upload an interactive questionnaire onto the internet so I could gain a broader range of views. This also allowed other friends, and YouTube, Facebook members to have their say on the film, rather than having to get a physical copy of the questionnaire.
This is the URL for the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9VV7V7V
My results have been collected and I will express my views and what I have learnt on some of them.
Gender, age and recommendation charts
Spider diagram of 'If you had to pick any word to describe the film, what would it be?'
A somewhat trivial question has actually led to some great feedback. When planning my questionnaire, I placed this question in as almost everybody would answer it and some feedback is better than the question being ignored (like some larger questions which require a larger comment). My results were all very positive and I have learnt from this question that all those willing to answer the question and who have watched the film, have enjoyed the film.
Two responses that have caught my eye include:
‘alright’ - This is the least positive comment we received, and this still counts the film as on an average level which is still positive.
‘different’ - This comment perhaps suggests that our film is unique. And from the evaluation question 1 this actually has some truth behind it.
The negative with this question, is that I am limited from feedback apart from the single word so I am left to decide and learn from very little.
Evaluation of, 'Are there any positive features in the film which you would like to mention?'
Evaluation of, 'Are there any negative features in the film which you would like to mention?'
‘Are there any positive features in the film which you would like to mention?’ ‘ 'the flashbacks especially when the briefcase closes! Great editing work’
This is me interviewing James Henson and his responses to the film.
‘Are there any negative features in the film which you would like to mention?’ ‘maybe the lack of action - especially shoot out scene!’‘Are there any positive features in the film which you would like to mention?’‘the acting in the whole film was very professional, I though alex and ed were Hollywood quality :) ’
‘Are there any other comments that you would like to mention?’
‘the flash back scene was awesome’
2. The second step in gaining audience feedback:
This is me interviewing Alex Mathieson and his responses to the film.
From my questionnaire from the focus group, it allowed me to find out more about an individual comment as it was in person. Contrasting with this would be my online survey, where people from Facebook and YouTube had the chance to share their opinions on my film through SurveyMonkey.
To create a survey online, I used a programme called ‘SurveyMonkey’ which allowed me to upload an interactive questionnaire onto the internet so I could gain a broader range of views. This also allowed other friends, and YouTube, Facebook members to have their say on the film, rather than having to get a physical copy of the questionnaire.
This is the URL for the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9VV7V7V
Gender, age and recommendation charts
Spider diagram of 'If you had to pick any word to describe the film, what would it be?'
A somewhat trivial question has actually led to some great feedback. When planning my questionnaire, I placed this question in as almost everybody would answer it and some feedback is better than the question being ignored (like some larger questions which require a larger comment). My results were all very positive and I have learnt from this question that all those willing to answer the question and who have watched the film, have enjoyed the film.
Two responses that have caught my eye include:
‘alright’ - This is the least positive comment we received, and this still counts the film as on an average level which is still positive.
‘different’ - This comment perhaps suggests that our film is unique. And from the evaluation question 1 this actually has some truth behind it.
The negative with this question, is that I am limited from feedback apart from the single word so I am left to decide and learn from very little.
Evaluation of, 'Are there any positive features in the film which you would like to mention?'
Evaluation of, 'Are there any negative features in the film which you would like to mention?'
Thursday 25 April 2013
4. How did you use media technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?
How did you use media technologies in the construction, research, planning and evaluation stages?
Tuesday 23 April 2013
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Thursday 18 April 2013
Final film poster
The Dominant Commodity final film poster. All three of us worked very hard on this poster, all of us assigned to different parts in creating it. Our group research and ideas for this poster have obviously paid off with a professional quality movie poster created as a result.
Most discussion was in person, and I will try to sum up certain aspects that all three of us worked together on and certain points that me as an individual was assigned, to play my part in creating the film poster.
We all went away and then researched some key questions that we thought were useful topics in helping to create a movie poster. Although initially placed in note form and basically scribbles into the back of my book, I thought it was necessary to make additions to my blog on certain features that I found. I will also add to them.
These included:
After gaining the research all three of us were left to talk about certain conventions we found and then decided upon what to do with the film poster. Oli artistically painted our protagonist character on the front, with the placement of the briefcase on the top of the picture situated carefully and precisely by myself. Certain superimposed text was placed onto the picture by both myself and Ed, after finding it pretty tricky to work alone we combined our skills and then placed this onto the picture while in class so it was easy to work together. Final film poster.
Most discussion was in person, and I will try to sum up certain aspects that all three of us worked together on and certain points that me as an individual was assigned, to play my part in creating the film poster.
These included:
- What images to add onto the film poster?
- Should we edit the picture?
- In what style should the film titles be developed?
- Where to put the film title?
- What to put on the film poster?
Friday 15 March 2013
Tuesday 12 March 2013
12 March - Blog update - Music sources
Editing is moving on swiftly, and we are all extremely happy with the results of our hard work. Our film is effectively finished and could be uploaded now, but as we still have some time left we are just adding in some additional features including some extra sound effects which will hopefully be recognised by the examiner. This blog post is also to recognise our background music sources:
These are both free and un-copyrighted so we are legally able to use them in our film. After considering GarageBand, we believed our film would be more professional after researching some music, as what we were producing was very limited in representing our theme. Nonetheless, the music used fits perfectly with what we are trying to portray with the violins used being similar to what the viewers would expect in a foreign country, transporting the viewer to an exotic, unfamiliar environment linking to our film where the viewers are taken to a underworld gang life, equally as unnerving.
Wednesday 6 March 2013
6th March - Blog update
We have almost finished our final film and so we WILL meet the final deadline. We just need to add a few more titles and some background music through iMovie and then we will upload the film.
After losing all our material and having to transfer it onto another computer we starting worrying about meeting the deadline but we have all put in lots of our own time to make sure we meet the deadline and that we are happy with our film.
Recently we have done some filming, including a final scene where it shows the protagonist character saved which we placed in to make sure we were close to meeting the 5 minute short film requirement.
And also we have all assigned ourselves certain positions to make sure we are organised and that we will complete our film with Oli on title sequences, Me on the music and Ed focused on touching up the project.
After losing all our material and having to transfer it onto another computer we starting worrying about meeting the deadline but we have all put in lots of our own time to make sure we meet the deadline and that we are happy with our film.
Recently we have done some filming, including a final scene where it shows the protagonist character saved which we placed in to make sure we were close to meeting the 5 minute short film requirement.
And also we have all assigned ourselves certain positions to make sure we are organised and that we will complete our film with Oli on title sequences, Me on the music and Ed focused on touching up the project.
 |
| Oli just making some adjustments to our film. |
Friday 1 March 2013
Magazine Review
Reviews of films are presented in both magazine and online formats, helping to engage the reader and ultimately audience that may watch the film being reviewed. But everything a reviewer has to consider before writing falls under certain sub-headings including:
I noticed not all the magazine reviews were not the same, and they seemed to differ on size and the amount of reviewing space for each movie. But they all contained certain characteristics that I will replicate for my review. Certain reviews contained certain benefits and I will link all those benefits into one review.
Research on an Empire magazine review - focusing on writing style and what to include when writing the review. - The Hobbit
Before I start writing my review, research is vital to understand how to write a movie review in the best manner. When writing for a magazine, the readership will be people who have bought them magazine for entertainment purposes, to gain information or both. So that is what I am going to include in my review. I will be entertaining and informal with my writing style, but also include material reviewing the film. I want to engage the reader and provide them with enjoyment but also inform them with the reason they are reading the review.
I copied a review from www.empireonline.com/ of The Hobbit and have picked out certain points that I am going to replicate.
These include:
The Dominant Commodity
Plot
Two characters (Smith and Rose) find themselves in a sticky situation after robbing a high profile terrorist group. While one takes it in his stride, the other fears their capture, with the plot taking the audience through this tense situation and its results. Is there any reasoning for the characters fear of this group? Or will it be impossible to escape their punishment?
Review
“They are going to find us,” (Alex Rose) tells his partner in crime at the start of the short film. This is perhaps just the start of what the reader are expecting, allowing this petty crime robbery to lead both characters into the real world, dealing with real crime. All three directors, Rose, Smith and Trinh have obviously formed the plot ingeniously taking the reader through the eyes of this gang underworld with both its smooth editing and precise camera work emphasising that this world is not too far from our own.
It is hard to relate this film to any other, a short film but with a confusing yet thrilling twist may be a controversial to some but packs a mighty punch. The film is a one off, having little emphasis on individual characters but focusing mainly on the plot and its chaotic development with the two characters that initiated its events, unnamed emphasising what little effect they have upon those of a higher class (even if it is still in the gang world).
Yet these positives, are counteracted with the negatives of the slowly paced action that is involved through the torture scene. The audience in the following scene were in a fast cutaway with the editing and camera work adding to this effect and then they are immediately taken to a contrasting scene. Some may see this a real victory for Rose and his team, yet personally for me I believed it was just too confusing. Although I do respect how much time the lads had to film and also the length of it, so in that respect for what they had it was as good as it gets.
Even so, all the scenes from its starting safe house to ending basement provides the viewer with stereotypes helping them to almost feel as if they were in the film. The protagonist (Smith) character provides an interpretation which few have seen before of being inside the terrorist strong hold and seeing their dirty work at close quarters. This perhaps links to the current affairs constantly featured around the world, not just in the expected stereotyped middle east but also everywhere on the planet where crime and its terrorist enterprise has a corrupt rising that is sadly unstoppable. But do not expect this to run quite so smoothly as you hope, its five minute maximum filming time has left out a key focus on what the viewer really wants to see including more on the torture character (Oliver Trinh) and also the initial partner to the protagonist (the famous Rose’s unbeatable talent seems wasted).
Still, with this quick storyline we are not left disappointed with what we are provided with, understanding thoroughly the nature of all the characters and the position they are in. This is not a petty crime raid as what the audience expects when they first see these initial two characters. It eventually leads to a bloodbath of gun shots and hostages; something that would not have been expected. Some have suggested that they would have preferred and on-going unprofessional crime scene with more of an equal crime hierarchy providing more of a chance for the underdogs, but I think Team Rose has managed to pull this off spectacularly with its cinematic touches and music creating the experience that I have long waited for in a film.
A place of critical review of the short film is why did these petty criminals deal with (or more like rob) these extreme killers? What got into their heads and what precisely were they thinking? Well all I can say to these critics is if you do not have the insight of basic imagination then you should not be in a position to watch a film where imagination is the key. It makes the film enjoyable when you are left questioning from the start to end whether the decisions made are successful and it places emphasis on what exactly do people think when they are doing something at the time. Who originally has a plan for everything they do? Well the answer is, nobody. Even these amateur directors had little idea of what they were going to produce.
The chief character played by the magnificent Ed Smith helps make the film. He is argued to be the films strongest with his acting skills matching up to Hollywood’s finest. His facial expressions and amazingly produced dialogue ( not forgetting his fine looks) has a unique character presence than any other. His cheeky naivety helps lead to his downfall but we can not blame him for wanting to be wealthy stating something that the audience can relate to, ‘We’ll be fine’. Although the film takes the audience on an adventure through the decrepit underworld of gang life and terrorism, Smith still keeps his cool and makes the audience realise that we are not so different.
The most spectacular moment would be rapid chaotic movement away from the safe house and into the vast surrounding fields. The effortless smooth movement from the POV of the protagonist character is featured in such a way where the viewers are left in an ore of escaping from the terrorists. It really brings into context the lack of planning of the whole operation when leaving through a window is the only available exit for the characters. Yet this shows clearly that these two characters can deal with any working environment and highlighting how Edward Smith and Alex Rose are at the height of their film career.
A final note to mention would be the interesting editing undergone be Team Rose. An obviously time consuming effort may have gone unnoticed by the lack of lighting effects due to the flash back when it is in black and white. May be this is just so the audience can understand the situation, that this scene has already happened (similar to Casino Royale) or may be this loses the films cinematic realism as it distances us from the colours we know and makes it obvious that this was just created post-filming. This is just something to consider when viewing the short film.
Verdict
The film sees a final examination of the crime world which is almost forgotten in present cinema. Rather than crime vs. the innocent it is crime vs. crime providing a different yet thrilling experience. A final conclusion can be directed around one of Rose’s famous quotes, ‘A film can only be described as ‘great’ by those who understand the capability of a great film’. There is definitely potential here and maybe, just maybe I can describe it as ‘great’.
- Layout
- Style of writing I.e formal, informal
- To take an objective stance or a more subjective one
I noticed not all the magazine reviews were not the same, and they seemed to differ on size and the amount of reviewing space for each movie. But they all contained certain characteristics that I will replicate for my review. Certain reviews contained certain benefits and I will link all those benefits into one review.
Research on an Empire magazine review - focusing on writing style and what to include when writing the review. - The Hobbit
Before I start writing my review, research is vital to understand how to write a movie review in the best manner. When writing for a magazine, the readership will be people who have bought them magazine for entertainment purposes, to gain information or both. So that is what I am going to include in my review. I will be entertaining and informal with my writing style, but also include material reviewing the film. I want to engage the reader and provide them with enjoyment but also inform them with the reason they are reading the review.
I copied a review from www.empireonline.com/ of The Hobbit and have picked out certain points that I am going to replicate.
These include:
The Dominant Commodity
Plot
Two characters (Smith and Rose) find themselves in a sticky situation after robbing a high profile terrorist group. While one takes it in his stride, the other fears their capture, with the plot taking the audience through this tense situation and its results. Is there any reasoning for the characters fear of this group? Or will it be impossible to escape their punishment?
Review
“They are going to find us,” (Alex Rose) tells his partner in crime at the start of the short film. This is perhaps just the start of what the reader are expecting, allowing this petty crime robbery to lead both characters into the real world, dealing with real crime. All three directors, Rose, Smith and Trinh have obviously formed the plot ingeniously taking the reader through the eyes of this gang underworld with both its smooth editing and precise camera work emphasising that this world is not too far from our own.
It is hard to relate this film to any other, a short film but with a confusing yet thrilling twist may be a controversial to some but packs a mighty punch. The film is a one off, having little emphasis on individual characters but focusing mainly on the plot and its chaotic development with the two characters that initiated its events, unnamed emphasising what little effect they have upon those of a higher class (even if it is still in the gang world).
Yet these positives, are counteracted with the negatives of the slowly paced action that is involved through the torture scene. The audience in the following scene were in a fast cutaway with the editing and camera work adding to this effect and then they are immediately taken to a contrasting scene. Some may see this a real victory for Rose and his team, yet personally for me I believed it was just too confusing. Although I do respect how much time the lads had to film and also the length of it, so in that respect for what they had it was as good as it gets.
Even so, all the scenes from its starting safe house to ending basement provides the viewer with stereotypes helping them to almost feel as if they were in the film. The protagonist (Smith) character provides an interpretation which few have seen before of being inside the terrorist strong hold and seeing their dirty work at close quarters. This perhaps links to the current affairs constantly featured around the world, not just in the expected stereotyped middle east but also everywhere on the planet where crime and its terrorist enterprise has a corrupt rising that is sadly unstoppable. But do not expect this to run quite so smoothly as you hope, its five minute maximum filming time has left out a key focus on what the viewer really wants to see including more on the torture character (Oliver Trinh) and also the initial partner to the protagonist (the famous Rose’s unbeatable talent seems wasted).
Still, with this quick storyline we are not left disappointed with what we are provided with, understanding thoroughly the nature of all the characters and the position they are in. This is not a petty crime raid as what the audience expects when they first see these initial two characters. It eventually leads to a bloodbath of gun shots and hostages; something that would not have been expected. Some have suggested that they would have preferred and on-going unprofessional crime scene with more of an equal crime hierarchy providing more of a chance for the underdogs, but I think Team Rose has managed to pull this off spectacularly with its cinematic touches and music creating the experience that I have long waited for in a film.
A place of critical review of the short film is why did these petty criminals deal with (or more like rob) these extreme killers? What got into their heads and what precisely were they thinking? Well all I can say to these critics is if you do not have the insight of basic imagination then you should not be in a position to watch a film where imagination is the key. It makes the film enjoyable when you are left questioning from the start to end whether the decisions made are successful and it places emphasis on what exactly do people think when they are doing something at the time. Who originally has a plan for everything they do? Well the answer is, nobody. Even these amateur directors had little idea of what they were going to produce.
The chief character played by the magnificent Ed Smith helps make the film. He is argued to be the films strongest with his acting skills matching up to Hollywood’s finest. His facial expressions and amazingly produced dialogue ( not forgetting his fine looks) has a unique character presence than any other. His cheeky naivety helps lead to his downfall but we can not blame him for wanting to be wealthy stating something that the audience can relate to, ‘We’ll be fine’. Although the film takes the audience on an adventure through the decrepit underworld of gang life and terrorism, Smith still keeps his cool and makes the audience realise that we are not so different.
The most spectacular moment would be rapid chaotic movement away from the safe house and into the vast surrounding fields. The effortless smooth movement from the POV of the protagonist character is featured in such a way where the viewers are left in an ore of escaping from the terrorists. It really brings into context the lack of planning of the whole operation when leaving through a window is the only available exit for the characters. Yet this shows clearly that these two characters can deal with any working environment and highlighting how Edward Smith and Alex Rose are at the height of their film career.
A final note to mention would be the interesting editing undergone be Team Rose. An obviously time consuming effort may have gone unnoticed by the lack of lighting effects due to the flash back when it is in black and white. May be this is just so the audience can understand the situation, that this scene has already happened (similar to Casino Royale) or may be this loses the films cinematic realism as it distances us from the colours we know and makes it obvious that this was just created post-filming. This is just something to consider when viewing the short film.
Verdict
The film sees a final examination of the crime world which is almost forgotten in present cinema. Rather than crime vs. the innocent it is crime vs. crime providing a different yet thrilling experience. A final conclusion can be directed around one of Rose’s famous quotes, ‘A film can only be described as ‘great’ by those who understand the capability of a great film’. There is definitely potential here and maybe, just maybe I can describe it as ‘great’.
FINAL REVIEW WITH LAYOUT
Tuesday 26 February 2013
26th February - The Dominant Commodity - Our film title.
In today's lesson we have finally decided on the title for our film. We left it so long on purpose, as it was likely certain aspects of the film would change and we wanted our title to directly represent the plot. After a time consuming discussion we narrowed our film title idea to:
'The Dominant Commodity' or 'Contents Unknown'
But we eventually decided on 'The Dominant Commodity'. We wanted our title to relate to the key aspect of our film which would be the contents of the briefcase and the consequence of events due to the briefcase. This is the reasoning for the 'Dominance' and 'Commodity' is a synonym for product which is what the briefcase is, and we want to keep this as ambiguous as possible to draw the viewers in so 'Commodity' is a good word to use.
'The Dominant Commodity' or 'Contents Unknown'
But we eventually decided on 'The Dominant Commodity'. We wanted our title to relate to the key aspect of our film which would be the contents of the briefcase and the consequence of events due to the briefcase. This is the reasoning for the 'Dominance' and 'Commodity' is a synonym for product which is what the briefcase is, and we want to keep this as ambiguous as possible to draw the viewers in so 'Commodity' is a good word to use.
PPP First draft - NOT FINAL
This is our first draft of our film production. We still have not finished so expect more to come.
Tuesday 12 February 2013
Productions music - Research
Background
Almost every film uses music, non-diegetic or diegetic to enhance the effect on the audience to feel more engaged. All are used for different effects with slower, mellow music for situations which are slow, and at contrast faster music for tense situations. The music parallels the plot and so it is essential for a professional production and is expected. Last year I made the music through my own musical instruments, and this year I will use the Apple computers and use the tool, GarageBand. This is music software where you can record your own music according to the hundreds of instrument choices provided by Apple and then I will place it over certain scenes throughout our final iMovie production.
Other films and its music
Alfred Hitchcock with Bernard Herrmann
Hermann is a notorious American composer known prominently for working with the director Hitchcock, most notably in Psycho, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much and Vertigo. This is important as Hitchcock has been described with the nickname, ‘The Master of Suspense’. His large collection of films directed by him are almost always thriller films and he has gained one of the greatest reputations for any director, ever suggested by the Daily Telegraph as ‘Unquestionably the greatest filmmaker to emerge’. Being a filmmaker has a large impact on what music he wants to choose for his film and every other aspect of filming so Hitchcock should be recognised.Perhaps taking notes off some of his films will help our group choose a suitable style of music.
This shows the fast paced string instruments, increasing in pace to the antagonist dark character within Psycho. When making the music on GarageBand I will be referring back to Hitchcock's and Hermann’s work.
Stanley Kubrick
Full Metal Jacket is one of Kubrick’s all time classics which has received very few critical responses but only praise. Although in reality it will be impossible for us to create any music production on level to Kubrick’s or Hitchcock’s films, we can show ambition. A certain scene I have recognised would be where one of the soldiers shoots himself in the head after shooting his Sergeant. He has gone insane because of the pressure, and the music really highlights this. But the music is only that of diegetic sound so is very unique but has an extreme effect. This is possible for our group to create and could be used for the torture scene, saving us time and having an even greater effect because of its individuality
Potential genre or style
As our film is a crime/thriller production I need a genre of music which will link to this and base the music I make to a suitable genre or at least a style of music which can be used throughout large proportions of our film.
Certain styles of music I have considered include:
Acoustic
Bass
Electric
Strings
Classical
Military
Discordant
Harmonic
Foreign
Disharmony
Crescendo
Lo-fi
Up-tempo
Rhythmic
Currently I feel a foreign style music would link to our film, linking the gang members to a different society, not just literally, but also through how they are from a different occupation so an unusual type of music for the audience would make the terrorists seem even more distant. Or if not foreign music then definitely eerie music making the terrorists almost inhuman emphasising their acts upon the protagonist including the torture. An example would be the opening scene of The Shining:
It brings chills to the spine, a great piece of music, may be a bit too eerie for our production but nonetheless this opening is incredible.
Friday 8 February 2013
5th February - Blog update
SoundCloud plan.
In our last lesson we decided to re-film several shots, due to problems with lighting and also some shots had a blurred effect, so lacked vivid detail losing the films cinematic atmosphere. To further this cinematic filming style we included other actors, so our film is presented to be more professional, showing the effort we have put in. We also found new props and guns to help them fit in when we used them for the hostage scene. They do not produce any dialogue, so they do not take any credit and keeps the audience focused on the main actors, yet their presence is telling to show that these terrorists mean real business and have a large gang base. We also used another person to help film a certain shot so all three of us who created the production could be featured in a shot together, including me, Ed and Oli. I also insisted on having this shot for a potential poster photo so the audience understand who will be featured within the film and this also shows planning ahead so our group is not kept behind.
In our last lesson we decided to re-film several shots, due to problems with lighting and also some shots had a blurred effect, so lacked vivid detail losing the films cinematic atmosphere. To further this cinematic filming style we included other actors, so our film is presented to be more professional, showing the effort we have put in. We also found new props and guns to help them fit in when we used them for the hostage scene. They do not produce any dialogue, so they do not take any credit and keeps the audience focused on the main actors, yet their presence is telling to show that these terrorists mean real business and have a large gang base. We also used another person to help film a certain shot so all three of us who created the production could be featured in a shot together, including me, Ed and Oli. I also insisted on having this shot for a potential poster photo so the audience understand who will be featured within the film and this also shows planning ahead so our group is not kept behind.
Friday 25 January 2013
25th January - Blog update
Thankfully over the last two periods, we had a double lesson of filming which is what we have needed since the beginning of the project to enhance the amount we filmed. Through this double period we filmed a whole scene, being the torture scene and we also managed to film other shots within the hostage scene. For continuity reasons we had to film many of the shots on the same day otherwise we would face problems with sustaining the same make-up and costumes the next time we filmed.
We added certain media techniques including a match on action where you see a torture weapon hit the character and then you see his reaction afterwards. This is made cinematic with a quick zoom showing the results of this attack with blood upon the wall. It links to the fast paced the attack which juxtaposes the rest of the scene whereby it is slow, which slows the plot down to reach the climax of the attack keeping the audience in suspense.
The next lesson we have, we hope to finish off some more shots of the hostage scene, and place in some dialogue over the top through the editing process. We need to make sure we do not fall behind on one or the other parts of filming otherwise we will suffer when it comes down to handing in our final film.
We added certain media techniques including a match on action where you see a torture weapon hit the character and then you see his reaction afterwards. This is made cinematic with a quick zoom showing the results of this attack with blood upon the wall. It links to the fast paced the attack which juxtaposes the rest of the scene whereby it is slow, which slows the plot down to reach the climax of the attack keeping the audience in suspense.
The next lesson we have, we hope to finish off some more shots of the hostage scene, and place in some dialogue over the top through the editing process. We need to make sure we do not fall behind on one or the other parts of filming otherwise we will suffer when it comes down to handing in our final film.
Tuesday 22 January 2013
18th January - Blog update
These last few lessons have given us the time to be able to completely finish our second scene and to even complete certain parts of the editing stage. Sadly, I have been off ill for several lessons last week, and nothing has been completed film wise since I’ve been gone, with the other members of the group just completing their own blogs, trying to catch up.
Recently we have started to film our first scene, which includes the shots on the terrorists and also the hostage situation. Firstly we needed to clear the setting making it seem more professional by placing a banner up and by clearing some objects in the room that had no relevance to our film. This will be efficient for future filming as by the next lesson we can just begin to carry on as we had previously done. Several shots have been completed, but for the next lesson we have organised other characters to be involved by being extra terrorist members so the whole scene seems more realistic and professional using additional actors.
Recently I have also focused more upon ‘blogging’ from my mobile phone. This makes it easier to blog at every opportunity as I can write my blog on my phone, include pictures from my phone onto that same post and then post it. Especially through a wi-fi connection this is a very fast process, and even without the wi-fi, I can still write drafts and ideas quickly and efficiently, furthering the production of my blog.
Recently we have started to film our first scene, which includes the shots on the terrorists and also the hostage situation. Firstly we needed to clear the setting making it seem more professional by placing a banner up and by clearing some objects in the room that had no relevance to our film. This will be efficient for future filming as by the next lesson we can just begin to carry on as we had previously done. Several shots have been completed, but for the next lesson we have organised other characters to be involved by being extra terrorist members so the whole scene seems more realistic and professional using additional actors.
Recently I have also focused more upon ‘blogging’ from my mobile phone. This makes it easier to blog at every opportunity as I can write my blog on my phone, include pictures from my phone onto that same post and then post it. Especially through a wi-fi connection this is a very fast process, and even without the wi-fi, I can still write drafts and ideas quickly and efficiently, furthering the production of my blog.
Friday 11 January 2013
8th January - 2nd day of filming.
We continued filming today, with a positive and ambitious attitude to finish the filming of this part within today's lesson. We carried on the filming of part 2 being the briefcase scene. Currently, we have implemented many different shots within this part which have made it more professional. The downside of it could also be seen as a positive because our storyboards have only been used as a basis to film on, we have been adding many different shots in which seem right at the time. Some of these shots include:
Low angle shots to show the dominance of the protagonist character.
Over the shoulder shots to make the whole scene seem more realistic.
Within the future, I will update the storyboards with our newly added shots so the examiner can see the change from our originally thought out storyboards to our newly developed shots.
Other progress we made today will be shown by this documentary film created:
Other progress we made today will be shown by this documentary film created:
Thursday 10 January 2013
Vimeo anaylsis
http://vimeo.com/31829892
I believed it would be for the best interests of the group if I continued researching, even throughout our filming work to see if there are any possibilities to gain ideas on all different aspects of filming in a similar short film. Within these categories, I researched the camerawork, soundtrack, editing and mise en scene of my chosen short film.
All of these are needed to create a successful film so I believed I should research a successful short 5 minute film to gain some insight to these aspects. Although this film is just under 5:00 minutes it still adds emphasise to our group about how important these aspects are, especially in a confined time period.
Sound
The soundtrack throughout this production varies to different situations within the plot. It starts with an eerie, unusual music, most likely to lead the audience into a false sense of security creating an enigma effect as we as the audience are unaware of what is to come.
Yet, when the plot progresses, this changes to a fast paced, techno music because of the action beginning to unfold. This draws in the attention of the audience, expecting something to happen more prominently, especially some action.
The diagetic sound also used is emphasised, used most effectively when the protagonist character breaks the neck of an individual outside of the terrorists building. The audience tingle after hearing the sound because it is realistic and gruesome.
Mise en scene
I also took note of the clothing they were wearing, especially the terrorist characters. They all seemed to be in dark colours, with balaclavas and also scarves. This emphasises the stereotypical view that these characters are criminal and feel the need to hide their faces to the hostage. They also have illegal dangerous weaponry, making the scene seem realistic and what the audience would expect from these criminals.
More importantly would be the setting of the film. The majority exists in an urban, graphitised environment with the walls crumbling and the floors covered in dust. This information is perfect to what we would like to implement within our film and adds to the effect of the reader that these are criminals and they do business in squalor linking to the underworld they find themselves in.
Camera work
The majority of the film was taken with a handheld camera, to emphasise the chaotic situation and the fear from the hostage. It was also used to create tension with the action scene so the audience are left clinging to their seats to find out what the results of the fighting will be. Our group has already decided on implementing this into our production because we feel it will draw in the audience and bring emphasise onto the fear from our characters.
The shots all vary within this film some being long establishing shots, while others being close ups. The establishing shots being very broad show the setting and thus the audience can have a fuller understanding of where these criminals are and are more interested.
Editing
This has quite possibly made the most impact on our film. The other three aspects, the majority we had all ready thought of and used for our film but now the editing showed different and improved ways to add to our film post filming. Firstly would be the flash backs that take place. These are increased in pace and show what has already but in reverse and at high speed to a key point which brings attention to that particular point. As our group was thinking about creating something similar with the flashbacks, this could be how we could implement it into our production.
My chosen short film is by Giannis JR Kritikos, from Chania in Greece. Where he is from would normally have little importance to the film, but within this film, there are subtitles in English to translate the Greek language. Our film also contains subtitles because of the terrorists, as it was great to see another film/editor using subtitles with the same effect due to the terrorists within this film (although this is quite possibly indirectly due to actually being Greek).
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