Monday, 2 April 2012

Evaluation Question 7

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


Below is our preliminary task.




once we started the preliminary task we had no background knowledge on the equipment we were about to use, how to set it up and how to use it to max effect. at points early on in the preliminary we found simply things a mountainous task, like turning the record off and watching back the footage we have just recorded. Trying to check if the mic is recording as well as the camera. In trying this once we ended up turning the mic of and filming without any sound. The scene had to be filmed again.

as a whole group we improved in a lot of factors, especially editing. By the end of the project we had (even though due to a falling out ) created two completely different films with the same raw footage. This is the time frame a great achievement. This factor also helped our group as we had two films and could let people vote on which one they thought better, which is exactly what happened.

surprisingly on a social scale i also think i personally and our group as a whole gained. Not only did you have to work with a few people who you haven't known for long, but also you get to know the persons strengths and weakness' whilst working with them. This helps you adapt within the group.




above is the final cut for our opening sequence. the difference in skill and growth in understanding is clearly recognisable.

Evaluation Question 6

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



from doing the media project i have not only learnt meaningful things about my self and about planning for a project within deadlines i have also learnt about alot of new technology i never had a clue about before.

this doesnt just make it easier for me to do another media project when asked, but also adds the skills to knowledge. If ever asked if i know how to edit on final cut pro, i can say yes and help someone out.

final cut pro.



ediitng with final cut pro wasnt the only new thing i learnt. how to convert your film onto DVD whilst adding menus and different sections to the DVD was also learnt on imovie

i movie



another smaller learning curve for me was getting ued to the macs. as i had neveer used a mac before this task and just the thought of it was daunting. By the end of the project i was very familiar with them and found them quite easy to use. I still had slip ups every now and again, but most problems i was able to sort out by myself.

mac operating system


Lastly i became very familiar with the camera used. as the camera man i had nearly 100% control over the filming of the project and shot achieved within our opening sequence. we used sony hdv cameras heres a similar model



over all it was a very informative task and alot was learnt!

Evaluation Question 5

Question 5

How did you attract/address your audience?



The first way we attracted our audience was by the logo and titles/credits we used. We didn’t want the title to be too old or mature for our audience, so we went with a simple white themed credit, with recognisable font.

our logo, drawn out has a very young feel to it as its meant to look like a teenagers graffiti art. This is meant to help young people/ young adults to relate to us and get more hooked into the story, as they know its for their age group.

Another way in which we tried to attract the viewers is by having a very young cast throughout. This is a well fact that teenagers like to watch other teenagers when they are watching a film, and we used that to our advantage.

Once the viewer is attracted to the film, the next step is to keep them interested. This is done by addressing the viewers needs. The easiest way of describing "addressing the viewers needs" to take a stereotypical action film. When an action film viewer in watching a film, there is only a certain amount of time the film can go on without any action actually occurring. If it continues the customers needs are not being met and the customer themselves probably is not/didn't enjoy the film. Once someone tells everywhere they didn't enjoy the film or it was boring, then you face a long uphill battle trying convince people not to listen to people they know and trust you.

in order to avoid not meeting customer needs, we have a death in the opening sequence and shows some gore/ murder and the log is shown being hit over the innocent girls head "Mary".

Thursday, 29 March 2012

production budget 19-23/03/12

This was the first day/week of editing. This was mainly done by the director (due to class of lessons) but was quite successful. the first half of the film was editing and cut, just lacking a soundtrack. this was quite quick and straight forward for us.

production budget 26-30/03/12

this was the last few days of editing. Whilst our group were editing there were a few disagreements throughout. This led to two copies of the film being made. With both copies a subtle audience research took place amongst companions and acquaintances The research led the second choice being chosen (our opening sequence to be posted shortly)

production budget 16/03/12

Today was our second day of filming. This was the scenes from outside, leading the death of the first victim. This turned out not to be as long winded as first thought. The camera shots came easier(most of the camera shots from shot list were either different or used at different stages of the short clip. This didn't take too long and we chose a few alternative shots for each scene to choose from once editing. This took more thought as we redid a few shots from more than one angle, having to repeat the exact same scene more than once.

once this was over it was a relief to know that all the filming was finished, as during the process of filming there were many fall outs between our group in the 2 weeks it took to arrange and film the project.

Opening Sequence. "Secured".



Above is the final cut of our opening sequence.

Production Budget 14/03/12

today was the first for our group to film. This wasn't very productive as our group members had lessons throughout the time we had with the camera. This led to filming actually taking place for around 2/3 hours. This short period of time also had to compensate for our change of classroom type. First as planned filming in  traditional classroom for up to 20 students. after much deliberation we decided it would be more realistic filmed in an editing booth as less people would be situated in not only the room but the whole block as well.

This accounted for about half the time of the opening sequence but the easiest of both halves to film and later edit.

Production Budget 07/03/12

Today I joined on to a neighbouring group to watch the filming process. As our group was yet to start filming I studied another group in the class to get a feel of the filming process. This turned out pointless for the group in question, but very informative for me.

The first thing i learned was to make sure that the mic was properly turned on. A days worth of filming was thrown away as there had been no sound throughout the group's filming. The second thing to take into consideration was that, at the beginning of the shoot, it was quite sunny. At the time of finishing the film the lighting had changed dramatically, with it being nearly pitch black out. This error would have been extremely noticeable and noneffective if left unchanged.

The last factor to be thought about is permissions. Whilst the group were out filming in a residential area, a specific resident took offence to the filming and quizzed the group on their task and the reasons behind them being situated there. Once explained the resident still complained to the college a day later.

Wednesday, 7 March 2012

Logo

This is our Logo for our production.

Treatment "Secured"

The "film Secured" is a Horror/Thriller set in present day about the serial killer (Grant Clarke), who happens to be a teacher at a college. His victims, all girls, are normally students of the college and predominantly his class. As Grant, a local to the area nows the outlay of the college perfectly he uses, his local knowledge to asses the fact that the college is located next to a deserted wood, and uses this factor to his advantage.
The film aimed at 18-23 years olds, is directly aimed at young adults who are still, or just finished the education system. This concept adds the fear factor to the film as its still fresh in the memory (college/school/uni life) for the viewers. Grant the enigma in the story is always seen in his normal clothes, even when changing for DNA reasons. showing that anyone could be a danger and not to judge a book by its cover.  

Preliminary Task Evaluation.

From our preliminary task, we mainly got a feel for the cameras and recording equipment used for the opening sequence later on. This meant we could see how shots need to be used, actions with the camera, how the tripod has to be set up and the background scenery  and placement of props have to be arranged in shot.
The downside to the preliminary task was how we underestimated the length of the editing. the amount of time spent editing in ratio to the amount of actual film was extremely high. For the 30 second clip of our preliminary task around 3-4 hours were spent editing the raw footage to a decent standard.

on a whole the preliminary task was very successful, as not only can time preparations be set for the opening sequence but also, a basic knowledge of all equipment and software has been gained. therefore once we start the main project we wont go into the task unorganised and unprepared.

Sunday, 26 February 2012

Audience Research Analysis




For our audience research we set a quiz, as previously posted. We asked 15 people to fill the quiz out and here are some of the results.


What would you prefer to watch?
Horror      Thriller



 Out of the 15 people we asked, 9 said that their preferred genre of film was horror to the 6 people who chose thriller.


Do you watch horror films in high volume?
Yes No 

Do you keep the light on or off?
On Off



The answers to these two questions were less varied. With all people asked saying both yes to the first question and no to the second. This assumes most people in general watch scary films in low light with high volume. This meant not only does a horror film have to comply with low lighting, but also have good input when it comes to sound as this will play a big part in setting the right mood.

If a film had a bad review , would you watch it?(if no why)
Yes No 


Of the multiple choice questions, the last asked was whether someone would see a film if it had bad reviews. This gave a very mixed outcome with results nearly 50/50. 8 saying yes and 7 saying no. the biggest reason for not watching the movie was “me and my friends/family have the same taste in movies and therefore I probably wouldn’t like it either.” And critics get paid to review films, so if they say something isn’t good they’re normally right”


Of the non-multiple choice questions many films kept being referenced to. These included Saw, Scream, Hostel and Freddy Krueger movies.

This shows that depending on what happens in the film, this can appeal and stick to the audience as considering how many horror films are out their many of the responses revolved around the same films.



Friday, 24 February 2012

StoryBoard Update



Our story boards were posted after the problem was solved.

Prelimanary Task.

Below is the first chance we had at getting used to the equipment used in our opening sequence. we had to get to grips with; 
  1. the Hd camera (Sony HDVS)
  2. the editing software ( Final cut 7, Apple i movie)
  3. the time frames needed to film and edit.

Monday, 13 February 2012

Shot list

   Shot                               Angle Movement                          Notes
1.  Establishing shot
 Dolly
 Of the college to show the setting
2. Medium long shot
 Downwards tilt
In the classroom shows location of characters
3. POV shot
 Left to right pan
Of teacher and board, main characters POV
4. Long shot
 No movement
Students leaving the class
5. Medium shot
 Right to left pan
Teacher rushing
6. Mid shot/POV shot
Upwards tilt
Teacher watching student walking down the corridor
7.  Two shot
No movement
Character walking down corridor
8.  Long Shot
Right to left pan
Leaving college
9.  POV Close up
High angle shot
Characters POV watching surroundings
10. Medium shot
Tracking
Following character
11. Over the shoulder shot
Eye level
Character checking behind
12. Medium shot
Tracking
Watching girl
13. Close up shot
Tilt downwards
Stalker watching the girl
14. Extreme close up
Pan right to left
Enhance characters emotions, scared
15. Medium shot
Tilt
Stalkers POV
16. Extreme close up shot
High Angle
Girl on the floor

Sunday, 12 February 2012

Storyboard

Our groups storyboards have been completed but couldn't be uploaded due to college scanners not being available.

and will be uploaded at a later date

Equipment list

Equipment




Software


final cut 7
Apple I movie
Adobi Photoshop
Blog accounts
search engines (e.g to make newpapers)

Hardware


Apple mac
Still digital camera
Hdv video camera
Dv tapes
Tape deck
Headphones
Tripod
Props - weapons.

Location reece


This is where the stalker will follow the students out of college while making his selction of girls.





This is where the stalker will kill the girl




this is where the body is dumped

Script

"SECURED"


FADE IN
Starts with classroom scene, of students and the teacher/stalker.

Grant Clarke
“Ok guys, your free to leave.”
“Enjoy your weekend”

 CUTS TO 

girls leaving the classroom.(Calming music is played here.)

CUTS TO

the girl leaving the college premises.


CUTS TO

 the girl nearing the college exit.

CUT TO

The next scene is the girl being grabbed by Grant (teacher)
Grant Clarke 
"Stop moving, or i'll kill you." 

CUT TO

The girl is then dragged to the pond, where she is killed.(Here is where high tempo, thriller music shall be installed.)

FADE TO
The last scene shows a newspaper with the missing girl onit. (slow dramatic music)  

CUT TO
film title "secured"

Research of story ideas

Thursday, 9 February 2012

Audience Research

for our audience research we devised a quiz/ questionaire for potential viewers to fill out.

Name:……………………………
Audience Research
Questionnaire




What would you prefer to watch?
Horror Thriller
What’s your favorite horror movie?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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What scares you the most?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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If a new film was to be made what would u like it to be based on?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Your favorite character from your favorite film and why?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Do you watch horror films in high volume?
Yes No
Do you keep the light on or off?
On Off
If a film had a bad review , would you watch it?(if no why)
Yes No
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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Do you watch the trailer before the film and does it make you want to watch the full film?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Most memorable moment of a Horror/Thriller?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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How would you expect death to occur?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Would it put you off the film if the main character died before the plot happens?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Research, Codes and Conventions

Normally a horror film is a genre that aims to create a sense of fear and panic for the audience. These films often rely on scaring the audience through a portrayal of their worst fears and nightmares. Horror films usually take the essence of a monster or beast (also the living dead). In general a big percentage of a horror film focuses on the chase, of the victim or victims, depends on the sub genre. Teen horrors and slasher’s most frequently features a group of teenagers/adults being killed one by one, as seen in the scream films.


Like with scream, another element of horror films is the iconography. People who may not even have seen the scream movies but will be familiar with the infamous mask used in all four films. This the case for the freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees films.

Common occurrences are
• Blood
• Death
• Murders
• Brutality
• Enigma
Examples of horror movies
• Saw
• Omen
• 28 days later

Tuesday, 7 February 2012

Roles and Responsibility

After our first meeting our group had decide on which field they would like to fortake for the production of our opening sequence. the outcome is as follows

Sam Rahman - Director/Producer
Leah ....... -Chief Editor
Kyle Fontenelle - Cinematographer


for the duration of the production part of this course we will prodominantly apply these roles, maybe with a few exceptions when necassary.

Wednesday, 25 January 2012


 
  
Ghost ship analysis
The opening sequence will be analysing is from "Ghost Ship". From the initial scenes the viewer unable to determine the genre of the film as the happy peaceful scene gives off the wrong impression.
The clip starts with the film title being shown as the camera zooms into the ship in the ocean. As the camera establishes the whole ship. The next shot is of the on-ship entertainment, a female singer whose voice plays throughout most of the clip. As the song is sung members of the cast appear in the titles. These probably the big stars of the film. Whilst passengers on the cruise dance away to the music inside the scene also show the fact that the music is also being played to the top deck via speakers.
The costume of the clip emphasises the time frame of which the film is set. All crew staff were cream jackets, with higher ranked staff (e.g. the captains) in badged uniforms. As the scene continues, the little girl dancing with one of the captains is shown predominantly throughout the rest of the clip projecting her importance for later scenes/ the rest of the film.
After another establishing shot of the whole boat, the enigma of the hidden character who releases the wire then occurs. As the wire starts retracting, it is clear that something treacherous it about to ensue. Firstly all the scenery and props on the deck get cut in half before the cut shots show the people suffering the same fate.
The camera then dolly’s to people who have all been murdered, as the special effects are used to show the bodies falling in halves where the wire has cut straight through them. As a close-up zooms into the face of the surposed captain of the ship, his face slowly drops off. The only  surviving character on the top deck is the little girl left standing by herself as she looks at the dead victims. Here the non diagetic music still plays as she lets out as piercing scream. This part of the clip is in slowmotion.