Directors commentary

I recorded a directors commentary focusing on special effects and colouring as I did not cover it in my evaluation and felt that it was an important aspect in creating meaning and atmosphere in my film opening.

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

Evaluation powerpoint alicia from KExcell

what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from the preliminary task to now?

I have learnt a lot from the continuity task/preliminary task compared to now.
The continuity exercise and the Life on Mars exercise posed as tasks to carry out to gain technical accuracy through specific shots and order of shots. However, during this project, I have now also learnt that meaning must be created through the micro elements of camera angle and movement, sound, editing and mise en scene. for example meaning and representation in created through pace of editing or the type of shot whether its low angle or high. 

From the Life on Mars exercise, I learnt about timing shots so they fit perfectly with the original version and match the sound. Also I developed my knowledge of editing the shots at the correct timing so that they flow on well from one another, but also so they match the music and sound effects.

The continuity exercise allowed me to learn about the 180° rule when I am filming anything so that the shots look right and make sense. Also editing was a key concept in this exercise as well, because I had to ensure that each shot was in the correct order and that the length of each shot was right to create one single, flowing piece of action. Here, tools such as the cutting tool were important to cut out parts of shots that were too long or that didn't fit with the short conversation.

Finally, in the film opening, I learnt the importance of the micro elements to engage the audience and to introduce the characters and the genre, all in a small space of time. I had to think about lighting and setting to convey meaning, camera angles and shots to represent the characters in a specific way and the clothing to make the opening seem as realistic and believable as possible. Also, I had to choose audio that not only suited the forms and conventions of other thriller films, but that also matched my shots to create atmosphere. Finally, I had to alter the pace of editing in several areas in my opening to create different feelings at different points, for example, fast paced editing during the dark flash forward shots to only give a hint at what will happen, and slow paced editing whilst showing the homeless girl, to evoke sympathy for her.

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

Throughout this project, I have learnt and developed my knowledge on how to use Final 

Cut Express, blogger, audio network and filming equipment.

Throughout this project I have improved and developed my knowledge of Final 

Cut Express, for example I have learnt the uploading/importing process to copy my 

footage onto final cut. Also I learnt how to create and use titles to show the name of my

film, as well as the actors and people behind the scenes, and how to alter the titles 

       movement, position-by adding the wire frame and title safe, and the opacity of the titles.

       In addition, I learnt to control the sound in my opening by changing the levels of sound at particular moments, creating layers of sound to make the opening more atmospheric and also I learnt to fade sound clips in and out when they were needed. Finally, whilst 

constructing this product in Final Cut Express, I learnt to use different visual effect and

alter colouring of shots, for example, I learnt to delay the timing of some shots to give

the effect that they are merging together, but also I gained knowledge on how to change

the colouring of my opening to more closely match the visuals of films I had researched

by altering the RGB balance.

       In addition, from the process of constructing my film opening, I have learnt to use blogger,

       to log my planning and research throughout this project. I have learnt to upload and copy 

       images onto my posts by copying them or selecting them from the desktop. Also I 

       have learnt how to post text and change the font, sizing and position of the text. In terms 

       of the blog itself, I learnt how to customise my blog to make it unique and look the way I want it to.

Another technology I have learnt to use is the audio network lgfl website to retrieve

suitable audio clips for my film opening. I learnt to download the audio files and then

copy them from iTunes into Final Cut Express.

       Finally, I developed my knowledge of filming equipment.            I used a Panasonic HD camera to 

       film the shots and to record my Foley sound. Also I learnt               to use a tripod to carry out

       filming techniques such as moving the camera up or down      whilst it is stationary on the

       tripod to create steady moving shots. In addition, I learnt to use the SD card and how to 

get my footage off of the card and onto the computer.

How did you attract/address your audience?

In order to target my audience of young women i included several thing in my opening that I believed would appeal to them.

Firstly, I created and cast characters that were of a similar age to my target audience as it would make it easier for them to relate and connect with someone of a similar age.

In addition, the attire of both girls would be quite recognisable to my target audience, for example the wealthy girl was wearing converse, a popular shoe brand, and several items of clothing from places like Topshop and Primark.

<--- Charlotte is 17 years old so has a relatable age to my target audience. 

In interviewed 20 girls aged 16-20 and 15 of them shop at Topshop so it is a suitable shop to associate with          ---->
my audience 



Additionally, although psychological thrillers are not typically targeted towards young women, I have done this as my film has links to other things they enjoy like Skins which brings together a group of very different young people, and my film brings together two people from very different worlds in terms of social status. Also, later on in the film I intended to use product placement to attract and address my target audience by including items such as laptops and showing shops that i believe my target audience would shop in.

By interviewing focus group of my target audience i found that:

“the characters appeal to me because they are the same age as me so I can relate to them more than if it was teenage boys or adults”

“the music appeals to me because it is quite soft but with the film it makes it tense and fits with the two girls”

“I recognise the setting because I live around there, so it is more appealing because I recognise the place and so I can picture things happening there”

“the characters didn't really appeal to me because I feel like I didn't get to know them well enough”

Who would be the audience for your media product?

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

For my film opening, I have chosen  20th Century Fox as the distributor. The company 
was founded in 1935 and is a one of the six major American film studios, created in the 
merging of Fox Film Corporation and 20th Century Pictures. 

20th Century Fox have distributed a series of commercially successful films/franchises
like X-Men and Alien, and typically, the films they chose to distribute are those which 
are fantasy based, but with an element of real life to them.

Through the films that I have researched I have found that the two films that have been 
the most influential to mine: Fight Club and Trance, were distributed by 20th Century

Fox and so I felt that this distributor was the most appropriate. Also, films that are 
distributed by this institution tend to be released into multiplex cinemas which would 
enable my film to gain a higher profile and perhaps gain popularity.

In addition, I feel that by choosing this distributor, it will make it more likely for my film 

to have a standard release and be released on DVD and Blu-ray after its release in the 

cinema as it is a highly influential company. 

         

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In my film opening, I use camera angles, editing, sound and mise en scene to create several different representations of the two teenage girls in my opening.  A number of close up shots of the homeless teenager creates an intimate feeling between the audience and the character, which creates sympathy for her and therefore creates a vulnerable representation. This follows the stereotypical view of teenage homeless people as the public tend to hold much more sympathy for the young homeless rather than the older.

Also, a range of mid shots of the wealthy girl going about her daily routine sets her slightly further back from the audience so they feel more strongly towards the homeless girl. I did this, as throughout the film, I would have put the focus on only one of the two girls at each time so the audience can get an understanding of their individual lives first, then see how they impact each other. Even still, the shots allow the viewer to see she is quite content and happy, which also conforms to the stereotype of wealthy young women.

The compilation of close up shots with very dark lighting of both girls, along with the whispering sounds creates a negative representation of mental illness and in particular, schizophrenia as it is shown to have a huge impact on each girl, but also creates a horror style atmosphere, which also contributes to the negative representation.

Through a focus group I found that:

“im not really sure what the genre is, but it does build up a tense atmosphere”

“the music and the whispers make it seem like a thriller because it make me feel uneasy and want to find out what happens”

“the voice over definitely makes it seem psychological or horror or something to do with the mind. Its really good because it only hints at what will happen which makes me want to see more”

Film Opening

Shot sheet

Location	Shots
Street-High Barnet	Close up shot of face close up mid shot POV shot Mid shot Close up of sign People walking by-close up of shoes Coins falling into a tin (close up) close up of feet mid shot of legs long shot close up of side profile
Hadley Common	Long shot walking past houses tracking shot
In a house/dark room	Over the shoulder looking into mirror Canted angle shots-screaming close up canted angle shot-crying close up canted angle shot side ways close up Close up of feet covered by white sheet close up shot of hand on top of sheet
Field	Laughing on a bench (close up) Looking into the pond (panning shot) Sitting on a bench (long shot)
Graveyard	Close up of headstones

Making my film opening

Whilst filming I did encounter some problems with particular shots that, in the end, I could not film. This was due to not being able to find a specific location-a spiral staircase down which I would have filmed a 360 ° shot. Also, I was unable to create some smooth tracking shots as I did not have the equipment that would enable me to film smooth, continuous shots, and so these are also not featured in my final collection of shots.

Some other difficulties I encountered were problems with casting. I had originally cast two people, Charlotte and Kathy and had filmed several shots with them both, however when I had to re-film some shots due to lighting problems and continuity, Kathy was not able to film, and so I had to re-cast and then film all of the shots that I had done with Kathy again.

Generally, whilst filming, I had no trouble with difficult locations and lots of people as my locations were all close to each other so I could film several different shots in different places in one day, but also these places were quite empty and therefore I did not have to stop filming due to people walking past.

Booking equipment

Before I started filming, I had to book equipment out. I already had a camcorder so I used it as I would be able to re-film quickly should I experience any problems with any shots that I had filmed.
However, I booked out a tripod as this would enable me to get steady shots and allow me to carry out movements of the camera and maintain the smooth and steady look at the same time. 
I booked the tripod out by creating a post on Ms Excell's blog, asking for the tripod and picking it up the next day.

Risk Assessment

There are several risks that are possible whilst filming.
The traffic in the areas in which I am filming tends to be quite busy around 2:00-5:00pm and so there is an danger of being injured by a car or equipment being broken by the cars. To avoid this, I could film at earlier times when there is less traffic, or to ensure that the cars are not a danger to us, I can film on the pavement or the other side of the road.

Another risk it the damage of equipment, for example the camera. This could be a risk because whilst filming, I will film some shots free-hand, without the tripod so I could drop it. To avoid this being a risk, I can attach a hand strap to ensure the camera stays in my hand or to alter the shots so that I always use a tripod.

The possible risks involved in filming are easily avoidable and so the action i will need to take will be to be aware of my surroundings when filming outside and also to use the equipment sensibly and safely.

Digital Storyboard

For the titles, I have used a simple, bold font that looks quite modern. I have done this as it is very easy to read so the viewer will not struggle, it also fits well into the shots-it doesn't attract too much attention away from the shots and fits with the straight lines of things in the shots like pavements and hard surfaces. Also as the font is quite modern, I could use it to attract my target audience of young people as simple fonts would be very familiar to them as they are used on all electronic devices that i expect my audience would use in their everyday life.

Digital Storyboard

I have created a digital storyboard on Final Cut Express that includes all of my titles as well as images of the shots I intend to use from my original storyboard in my final film opening. 
This storyboard also includes the sound that i would like to use in my opening and necessary transitions between particular shots. 
I have done this so I am better prepared for editing my final product, but also so I have a better idea of how the narrative will move along and if it meets the conventions of a thriller opening.