Evaluation: Technology

 

How we used technology in the making of our film?

To begin with, during our reaserch and planning, we used various internet websites and youtube to be able to correctly judge what we needed to do to create a realistic film opening two minutes, in addition to this, we watched other schools opening clips to see what they did well and how it could been improved, youtube allowed us to do this without any problem. We also used various social networking web sites such as twitter, facebook and tumblr to ask our peers what they would expect to see from particular generes.

 

During the making of the film:

 The Camera we used was a JVC Everio Hd1080p Camcorder. We found this camera worked great with what we were trying to do without comprimising the video too much. However, it didn't really create cinema ready shots. 

Adobe premier pro

 

 

 

 

With Adobe Preimer Pro the functionality it provided for me is by far uncomparable to Imovie. These functions include:

-Uninterrupted playback whilst editing (Allows me to not have to wait for the programmer to render the video. Which in turn means the time of editing is reduced significantly)

-Unlimited Multicam tracks (being able to see all the different angled shots that i had taken play simultaneously all of them on my screen. This made the decision to put which shot in very quick and easy to choose the one i wanted.)

-Warp Stabilizer effect (The stabiliser available in most video editing packages is very limited only allowing you to stabilise it by the computers standards. being able to select frames that are un-stabalised)

-16-channel audio export

-Closed captioning playout to firewire and third-party hardware

(perfect for syncing the image up onto my tv to allow me a separate playback monitor and audio to go through a set of phoic studio speakers resulting in a fully functional video editing suite)

-Final Cut Pro XML export

(The ability to produce high definition video footage is irrelevant if you cannot export it at this high quality.)

As for the usability of the programme i found that with more use of the programme the quicker i became at doing selected things within the programme. This included editing the lengths of the clips. The main reason being shortcuts:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Audience Feedback

What was your initial reaction to the openinig of Twelve?

"The use of the camerawork really made the piece flow and made it easy to watch"- Kim John

"I was intrigued and wanted to see the character to be developed, it was like they're waiting for the exact right movement to reveal the truth" - Nick Ashurst

Did you feel it met the expectations in relation to a block buster film?

"It exceeded my initial expectations through the quality the quality of the image could be improved i guess" - Philip smith
"Over all it was very well done however, i fell the costumes weren't as expected from thriller" - Damian Marley

 Did the soundtrack fit in to the clip?

"It flowed well with the chase scene but i feel like there should have been some sort of  music at the beginning" - Jordan King
"It was what i would have expected from a thriller genre" - Logan Micheles

Did the way the characters were dressed suggest anything about the characters personality?

"I couldn't really distinguish between the antagonist and protagonist, However, i did think the darker clothes helped to create a more mysterious and darker character" - Kim John

"The casual costume of the protagonist portrayed a more unprofessional and inexperienced character" - Damien Marley

Did it meet the expectations of a thriller genre?

"It was what i was expecting to watch, the high level of action and fast paced editing which created tension is exactly what i got from the clip"  - Jayceon west 

How could it have been improved?

"I think it could have been made better if it had a more action packed fight scene" - Samantha Jennings

Sceen shots

Finale

evaluation: sound

SOUND

The suspense and thrill of a film opening relies upon not only the visual aspect of the film but also the use of sound. This does not mean that sound always must be present as the absence of sound can create a tense atmosphere that the director would of been looking for.

One aspect of this is ambient sound. the background noises that create a sub-conscious emotional attachment to the viewer. this is not a strong attachment but if there was no ambient sound the viewer will immediately realise and become uncomfortable and tense. This is a good technique to create suspense and is most often used in a horror film but does appear in thrillers and action movies as well.

Soundtracks better known as music fill the spaces of the ambient sound to create emotions that portray the way the characters on screen feel. You would not expect a dance song such as a waltz in a gun fight scene. Except in certain films such that the song creates a juxtaposition of what is on the screen. If this was to happen then the other sounds would be removed and a slow motion filter would of been applied. A main character or a close attachment to one of the main characters would also be injured or killed.

Our Sound

In our opening we begin the film with only the noise of X walking. when X is in the tunnel the sound reverberates representing the idea of he is alone. The choice to not have any soundtrack coming in until X leaves the station was to create an enigma. The lack of emotion in the face of X whilst simultaneously the lack of substituent

sound (only the footsteps and rustling of X's clothes) represent the loneliness and lack of emotion within his heart/soul/life.

You will notice throughout our opening that there is no trains or noises of a train. This was deliberate as because we were shooting alot of different shots we would not have the time to try and sync the trains and vehicles passing (More information about that on my Day of Shooting post).

The soundtrack comes into action at 14 seconds. The soundtrack consists of a selection of string instruments, brass instruments and percussion instruments. The main phrase of the Track is an ostinato (is repeated throughout) whilst increasing in volume (crescendo).

To stop any unnatural feeling of the audience the ambient sound has been put at a level where you can just hear it above the soundtrack. That allows the footsteps to be heard. as well as the dialogue.

Dialogue was a tricky part to get right. We need the speech to be clear and crisp but also be realistic as if it was said in an open environment To enhance the audio we used a technique called A.D.R (additional dialogue replacement). we used a microphone to record outside very clear audio on location meaning that all the ambient sound is still there but the voices are clear and easy to hear.

Evaluation Targets

A good start to your evaluation, but there is a lot more to do in order for you to be achieving a high band three or even a band four. Include some feedback from your target audience - use a questionairre asking your audience about your use of sound, mise en scene and the story - how have you adhered to conventions of the genre. You need to include a directors' commentary and detailed analysis to accompany screen grabs - how did you achieve the effects you have achieved? Explain the technical process and what you actually did in the editing suite using specialist terminology.

Evaluation: who would be the audience for our media production?

who would be the audience for your media product?

Typical Target Audience The target audience of many psychological thrillers are 18+ This is because they include a lot of violence and some psychological issues which can be disturbing for many younger viewers There are usually warnings on the back of the DVD cover which states why it is rated as it is e.g. contains extreme violence or sexual scenes

 Our Target Audience The audience which we are aiming to attract with our film is 15+ males or females who enjoy psychological thrillers Our film opening will have a rating of 15+ because the movie will contain aspects of violence, death and a character with psychological problems However, it will not be an 18+ because the content is not overly explicit.
Films With a Similar Target Audience ‘skyfall,’  ‘Bourne ultimatum,’ ‘Fatal Attraction’ directed by Adrian Lyne ‘American Psycho’ directed by Mary Harron ‘Se7en’ directed by David Fincher ‘Rear Window’ directed by Alfred Hitchcock ‘Silence of the Lambs’ directed by Jonathon Demme

OUR FILM!

TWELVE OPENING 2 MINUTES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9tEcZLwPcs

opening credits evaluation

Opening Credits:

Opening credits are written information within a film which tells the audiencee who is starring in the film as well as the production roles such as director. The purpose of opening credits is to inform the audience; this helps the audience understand the film as well as outline important people within the film. Opening credits provide the audience with the information of the film such as actors who have played certain roles as well as who is in charge of different production roles such as director, editor etc.

Opening credits are essentinal in creating a reaction from the audience. For example in a thriller film the opening credits are confusing due to the video content where images don't make sense to the audience and don't relate to each other. Credits can also be enhanced due to the imput of sound; for a thriller film sound can create tension and fear as well as build the suspense of the film.

In the opening credits of 'Se7en' some information is presented to the audience. The names of actors are shown in the opening credits in order of famous actors down to amature actors. This helps the audience know who the characters are in the film as well as become familiar with the film before it starts. Keywords such as 'rape', 'transexual' and 'God' are presented in the opening of the film. This information in the opening credits is used to confuse the audience as well as relate to the narrative of the film. it also makes the audience think about the links between the words and building suspense.

For the purpose of creating my own thriller film opening credits I looked at what order the information appeared in. The film production title first appeared in the opening credits to present to the audience who made the film. The name of the film and the famous actors who played within the film then appeared next. This allows the audience to know the name of the film they are watching as well as the people who are playing the important characters. The amature actors names are then presented which are followed by job roles of the film such as casting director, music manager etc. The directors name then appears on the screen finally followed by the name of the film again. 

Generic conventions of a thriller film are also presented to the audience in the opening credits. There is a constant use of close ups throughout the opening credits which allows to see detail such as keywords (as above) as well as empahsising horrific elements which relate to the narrative. From the close ups used the audience can see the characters dirty finger nails; this disgusts the audience and already creates resentment towards the characeter. Photographs are used in the opening which makes the audience think about the theme of obsession or stalking which relates to a conventional thriller film. Medical equipment such as a needle and tweezers are used which the audience could infer as being weapons or tools to torture a victim which is conventional to a thriller film because the audience expect to see this.

The lighting and colour throughout the opening credits is dark. The low key lighting makes the opening appear mysterious and compliments with the images shown throughout the credits. The colour red is used frequently throughout the credits when some shots are changed to have a red tint as well as splatters of red that fall into a page. These elements within the credits are conventional to a thriller film because the lighting and colour create responses of suspense and making them uneasy before the starting of the film.

Finally the slow gothic/metal soundtrack added to the opening credits makes it  effective when connecting to the audience. The slow soundtrack creates suspense within the audience and makes them feel uneasy when they hear scratches of some metal or radio turning. This is conventional to thriller opening credits because this builds the audience up to the rest of the film.

I think that the opening credits from 'Se7en' create impact on the audience because the opening credits are used to confuse the audience. However they contain essential clues to the films narrative which catch the audiences attention and provoke the audience to work the clues out. 'Se7en' is a good example on creating an impact on the audience because it also makes the audience focus on the film by leaving them to guess the narrative. This opening credit scene has influenced me with my own thriller film as I have ideas on what elements to use to slightly confuse the audience.   

Evaluation: what kinds of media institution might distribute your media product?

Distribution

  In the UK our thriller could be distributed by such distribution companies such as metrodome via the microwave scheme who give small british films £100,000 and 18 days to make it. This would be good for thriller as it would make it a small british made thriller.

HOW OUR FILM COULD BE VIEWED

Our film could be viewed through the digital cinema or on the internet via a website as it is aimed at a younger generation such as 16-21 year olds.
To market our film we should use viral marketing due to the fact that not alot of people will have heard about our thriller so we will need to inform them about our film. We should do this by using social media such as facebook, twitter and tumblr to post trailers of our film to increase its popularity.

Examples

 

Shifty would be a great example toour thriller asit is also a small scale british thriller, who used viral marketing to get thier film across the media.

Reasons we chose to distribute our film like this

The reasons we have decided to distribute our films by using viral marketing and distributing companies such as Metrodome and the microwave scheme is that our film will be a small scale film that no one will have heard of. Also we will not have much money to market this film so we needed to get our film across to everyone cheap and make sure we attract them to watch our film.

Our film rating

How important is the tone of a film at 12A or 15? The overall tone of a film, and the way it makes the audience feel may affect the classification. For example, a work which has a very dark or unsettling tone which could disturb the audience would be less likely to be passed 12A even if the individual issues in the film were considered acceptable under the BBFC guidelines. Similarly, if a work is particularly positive or reassuring this may stop it being pushed up a category from 12A to 15.

What sort of violence can I expect in a 12A or 15? At 12A, moderate violence is allowed but it should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if they can be justified by their context (for example brief sight of bloody injury in a medical drama). Action sequences and weapons may be present at 12 or 12A, and there may be long fight scenes or similar. Weapons which might be easily accessible to 12 year olds should not be glamorized in 12A and 12 works.Sexual violence, such as scenes of rape or assault, may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated at 12A. Such scenes must also have a strong contextual justification.Based on this, our film initially aimed to be a 15 rating but the lack of strong bloody violence or sexual themes, our film remains at a 12A certificate, which is similar to skyfall and Bourne trilogy.

 

how does your media product represent particular social group?

AGENT X VS MR SILVA

Agent X

Agent X a manipulative, masculine, heterosexual male. He is of questionable mind but always seems one step ahead. with this factor he becomes a major opponent to 'The Institute . He represents a vengeful male who similarly to the saying "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!". The manipulation and aim to destroy first the reputation then there lives of 'The Institute' is what represents a psychopath with the knowledge and the means to perform the twisted fantasies he has dreamt up.

Mr Silva (Skyfall-2012)

Silva is a manipulative, self aware, Bi-sexual male. He creates uncomfortable situations for both James Bond and The audience. His planning and attitude to destroy those that gave up on him means he becomes more and more frantic as the film goes on. The major similarity between the two characters is the manipulation and attempts to create destruction brings desperation within themselves and there actions. Where as the sexuality of Silva creates a repulsive feel to him, Agent X's lack of emotions and sexuality creates a uneasy feeling towards him.

Evaluation: preliminary

"preliminary task analysis"

After completing both our preliminary and our openinig two minutes, there are some quite apparent mistakes in terms of how we consructed, filmed and edited both pieces.

One of the most noticeable faults in our preliminary was the lack of the use of the tripod, which is used to steady the shot which then delivers a more professional scene and gives it a more naturalistic performance. where as, in our openining 2 minutes we used a better camera which enabled it to appear more naturalistic. however, during the chase sequence we added a bit of intentional shake to the scene to convay the unsteady emotions of the protaganist as he searched for the antagonist.

  

  Another fault we found in our preliminary was the lack of preperation during the filming of it ment that we were unsure of what was heppening and in what order it was ment to happen. Where as in our final piece, with the addition of our story board and our script, we had a clear  idea of what we needed to do and how to go about doing it.

In addition to this, we had a lack of equipment and props with help to convey a more a nturalistic attraction. We had to improvise and use a camera tripod and a sniper, which just made the video appear alot more unprofesional.

   

But in our opening two films we could have used a more realistic looking props that add to the naturalistic affect of the clip. 

Overall i liked our preliminary because what we lacked in props and a story line, we made up for with the fast paced editing, music and variations of camera shots. 

Twelve... Questionare

Thriller film questionare!

sound

Sound

Sound is a very important generic convention when making a film, the use or non use of sound is able to enhance on how the audience interpret certain ideas and distribute emotions. Sound can give a different meaning to a scene or explain what action can not.

Sound Code:

Music is a sound code. The type of music in a text can convey a great deal of information, about the mood and tone of text, such as tension and emotions can be helped by the music.

à Psycho – (Shower scene): High pitch instrumental, slightly eerie, yet calm to build suspense for future scenes. Follows, immediate shower scene, where the sudden screeching noise arises, symbolising potential danger, death. Constant deep rhythmic beat with the use of particular instruments such as cello and base to create this.

Diegetic Sound:

Music or sound that belongs with the frame and what you would expect to hear following the narration or action in that scene. For example a door being opened may consist of the door creaking.

à Kidulthood- (Off licence scene): Bottles being brought to pay point, clanging together as placed down, when bottle is thrown, smashing noise against walls. When leaving store throwing down the card holders, shouting and swearing between two characters. When exiting the shop onto high road, noise from cars and traffic.

Non Diegetic Sound:
Sound or music that has been edited into the frame after the scene has been created.Usually to emphasise, exaggerate or make louder on what would have been a diegetic sound.

à X- men evolution ( Fighting scene ) : When fighting, punches and kicks have been enhanced to exaggerate the fighting. The sound track itself of the opera music is laid out throughout the whole scene as back ground music for dramatic effect.

Rhythm:
Rhythm of the music can dictate the rhythm of cuts, such as in the fight scenes to create tension.

à Charlie’s Angels (Fighting scene) – consistent rhythmic beat of both music and footsteps keep up the suspense throughout the scene. The beat picks up as the scene develops to the actual fighting, making it demanding with a quicker pace sound , this in turn is able to draw the audience to the excitement and thrill of the scene.

Silence:
When a scene is edited so that no sound is displayed. Silence is able to create tension and suspense or even dramatic effect.

à Crash ( little girl gets shot Scene) - Although when the little girl is shot music is played their cries and screams are in silence this is extremely dramatic as the audience is able to focus on the expression of their faces rather then the noise they make.

Voice Over Narration:
When dialogue is added on in the editing stage and is usually used to explain things that have already happen or will happen throughout the narrative.

à Stand By Me (Opening scene) : There is a narrative of a character who explains at the beginning of the scene his journey, description of his friends and how his life was when he was 12 years old.

Sound Bridge:

This uses sound to link two scenes, by having the picture and the diegetic sound change at different points. Usually the sound from the second scene is heard before we start to see the picture from that scene.
à

Parallel sound:

When the sound and the image complement each other so the action and sound display similar aspects.

à Scar Face Ending: Images of a shooting and the sound emerging together creating in the audience being able to relate and feel a sense of realisation because the scene is so life like and poses all the factors both in sound and image to create a good fight scene.

Contrapuntal Sound:
The sound and image do not complement each other, for example happy music playing over a sad scene.

à Clockwork Orange: Clowns joyfully singing show tunes, while attempting to rape and burgle the homeowner, the sounds from the music did not match the scene.

 

Relevance to our film 

 

Sound is important when applying it to my own thriller opening. It participates with other elements to make up a thriller. For example different music themes produce a different mood and feel for thriller films. Such as, jumpy and quite eerie music which are played in each scene can produce different moods and settings for thriller films. Another sound element which is very classic is high pitched sounds ( as those found in the famous thriller Psycho) /orchestral stabs or screeches.This adds suspense and horror/thriller to the film to give it its thrilling genre. Other sound elements which are used to give the films their thrilling genres are; diegetic, and non-diegetic sounds, synchronous/asynchronous sounds and ambient sounds. These all satisfy what we would connote with a thriller genre. This soundtrack on youtube demonstrates many of these sounds i have just mentioned. This is a good base to think about my own sounds.

 

Technology!

 

JVC EVERIO GZ-HM30SEK

 

A memory camcorder with an SDXC card slot, offering high-quality HD video ideal for Web sharing on YouTube(TM) and Facebook. Also features 40x optical zoom, Advanced Image Stabiliser, up-convert for 1920x1080p Output, and Intelligent AUTO for best picture quality, whatever the scene.

Key Features: 1/5.8in CMOS sensor with 1.5Mpixels; Advanced Image Stabilisation; SDXC memory slot; 40x optical zoom; Face detection AE / AF

JVC also uses the extra pixels to provide a more powerful Advanced Image Stabiliser (AIS) option, which smoothes jerky camerawork a little more than the standard setting. However, this again crops into the frame a little more, which doesn’t affect zoom ratios but will marginally reduce performance in poor illumination. It’s also only effective when not heavily zoomed in, so best used for shooting when walking. This helped us shoot our clip in a variety of positions and ment that walking or manuvering with the camera was done well without compromising the imagery.