Thursday, 18 December 2008
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Sunday, 14 December 2008
Evaluation of whole project.
Evaluation
For our AS Level Media project we had to plan and make a two minute opening sequence for a film of the thriller genre. We began by watching a variety of classic and recent thriller openings to give us an idea of some of the typical conventions used in a thriller film. The films included; ‘Ripley’s Game’, ‘Vertigo’, and ‘North by Northwest’
We liked the idea of not revealing the identity of a certain character; seen in ‘Vertigo’, which begins with an extreme close up of a women’s face, and so decided to incorporate this into our final piece. Not revealing a person sets up the enigma of a film; a typical convention of a thriller. We chose not to reveal the identity of the ‘killer’. This instantly creates suspense as one of the first few shots shown in our film is one of the killers face; a close up which doesn’t reveal the eyes. The shot didn’t turn out as well as it could have though, because when we imported the footage onto the computer we realized that the eyes hadn’t quite been cut off. To make up for this, we edited the lightness and colour of the shot, making it dark. This meant it was harder to see the person as well as creating an eerie, dark sense; connoting the fact that this character is bad.
The black background used in ‘Blade Runner’ was very effective, and worked extremely well in setting up a strong sense of mystery. We decided to use this idea in our film, and so began our film with black backgrounds behind the titles, interspersed with clips of film footage.
The non diegetic soundtracks used in each of the classic thriller openings were quite similar; usually consisting of slow, tense music building up as the action within in the film increased. We thought that having a very creepy, eerie opening music would work well, so we decided to do this, and after researching different music tracks we found effective music that reflected the mystery of the narrative.
Our thriller opening represents the vulnerability of teenage girls, when alone in a house. It reflects how any person would act given the circumstances that the characters have been put in.
It reflects the capability of any serial killer, by revealing how he has murdered a number of people, and presumably hasn’t been affected by his victims, or the killings.
We think our thriller film would be an independent film, presumably produced and distributed by a small independent company. There are no special effects used in our film and we didn’t use any famous highly paid actors to act in it. There are also no expensive locations, or stunt doubles used making it therefore a low budget film. We used little props and had easy access to the filming location. The narrative would appeal to many and is similar or typical for a thriller genre, perhaps appealing to those who enjoy thrillers. It could therefore be quite a popular film, and should be distributed alongside similar films of this genre.
The target audience for our film would be teenagers to young adults. We decided that if the entire film had been made, then it would have included violence and bad language, making it unsuitable for young audiences. After researching the age certificates for films and understanding what aspects of films determine the age ratings, we came to a conclusion that ours would have the certificate 15. Reflecting the violence and language that would take place later on in the film. The opening sequence alone, however, has no violence, nudity or unsuitable language, and so is suitable for all ages, but the narrative wouldn’t be enjoyable for younger children. When referring to the narrative, we found that it would be better suited for older audiences (teens to young adults), because it is quite complex, resulting in younger audiences not following the plot and becoming less interested.
In order to attract our target audience, we made our film instantly set up the enigma. We did this by using voice overs of news reporters talking about a serial killer, with eerie, creepy non diegetic music, before a dark close up of a characters mouth is shown, not revealing his identity. This creates mystery and also gives the idea that this character is the killer that is being referred to. This encourages the audience to continue watching the film, appealing to them so that the they won’t lose interest. This character is then informed via phone that a house is empty, and that he should kill some kids if he needs to.
The music stops as we cut to a house, letting the audience know that this is the house that is being spoken about, and consequently that the killer will be there, or is going to be there. Two teenage girls then pull up in a car outside the house, and we used a point of view shot to show that the killer is already there, and is watching them. This shot lingers on them as they get out of the car and go into the house. We handheld the camera to emphasize the fact that it was a point of view shot and so is therefore shaky. This again creates suspense, and because the audience know that this is the killer, it keeps them watching; making them want to know why he is there and if he will kill them.
We later use another point of view shot looking in through the window of the house as the girls, presumable the ‘kids’ that he is going to kill, are looking for their mum. This keeps the audience involved as they know that the killer is watching these characters, and that they are unaware of this, making it more tense. The two girls inside the house then see the killer through the window, we decided to start the music back up at this point, creating suspense, and an eerie atmosphere. By using the same music again, it becomes more significant, and is a music that the audience can relate to, reminding them that how they felt at the beginning of the film, is what the characters are feeling at this point. The characters then start to panic, before the phone rings. We used a range of shots here, making the cuts fast paced making the audience feel quite disoriented, as well as emphasizing how the characters would feel.
We also included a shot of the keys at the beginning of the sequence, as the girls come into the house. The audience would initially feel as though this shot is irrelevant, however when the same shot is revealed later on but without the keys, the audience are made aware that the keys are gone, and so creating more suspense.
We feel that the filming equipment, such as the camera, tripod, microphone and tape all worked extremely well, and overall were very reliable. We had no problem in assembling the equipment, and when using it found it very easy.
On the other hand, the computers and software used to import and edit the footage were a major problem.
After several attempts of importing the footage on to the computer, due to computer freezing, and general slowness, we eventually imported it. We were initially using an updated version of the software iMovie, which was extremely slow, making editing a very long process. The film was nearly completed, and had been saved, when it unintentionally got deleted, and we were unable to get it back. We then had to begin editing again, but the software was now even worse, and was close to freezing, making it impossible to edit anything.
We gave up using the computer and resulted in using one of the older Apple Mac. laptops, which meant we had to start editing again! Fortunately, the importing was very speedy in comparison to the first computer, and we were able to use the old and much simpler version of iMovie, making it a great deal easier. The laptop was extremely reliable and let us edit our sequence very quickly.
Before beginning our final opening sequence, we were asked to create a short preliminary exercise in keeping with the thriller genre. This allowed us to experiment different camera angles, shots and techniques as well as practicing editing the footage to form a short film or scene.
We had to begin by making a detailed storyboard, similar to what we would have to do for the final piece. The storyboard didn’t help us as much as it should have because it was very basic, lacking the vital details. By failing to make a precise and detailed storyboard, it effected our preliminary film as we had nothing to refer to when filming. We learnt that for the final film, we would need to make a reliable storyboard, which we did; meaning that we knew which shots to use where and when.
After filming we were able to edit the footage and add effects allowing us to see what worked and what didn’t. We found that most of the effects, transitions and default audio from iMovie were extremely tacky, and didn’t look very effective, making the footage look very cheesy and unprofessional. We only realized this after we had applied all the effects, and after feedback from our teacher we agreed that we had gone over the top with adding too many default sound effects and messy transitions. We therefore knew that for our final piece we would need to go for a more simplistic approach, and use our own sound effects where needed. The result, we think, was a more professional looking film sequence.
Our narrative, or initial synopsis for the entire film.
There is a family living in an isolated house, in the middle of nowhere. Some older relatives of the owners have recently died and left them a large fortune.
There is a serial killer, and his colleague who work together in order to obtain family fortunes, by brutally murdering them. He has succeeded so far, in killing many and receiving their fortunes, which is revealed on the news reports at the beginning of the film. He shares the money with his partner, who is heard at the beginning of the film informing the killer that owners of the house are out, but that the kids will be there, and that he should kill them if he needs to. The money however, isn't mentioned; creating an instant mystery as to why this house is so important.
The killers face isn't revealed throughout the entire opening sequence, creating suspense and another mystery. The only thing that is certain from the beginning is that he has killed people previously.
The kids then arrive at the house and realize that their parents are not there, before getting locked in the house by the murderer. The opening sequence ends at this point.
We went for the name ‘V1TAL M1NUTES’. This reflects how the kids have little time, but time that it is very important because their lives are at stake. We decided that the number one should replace the ‘I’s in the title, reflecting the minutes.
For our AS Level Media project we had to plan and make a two minute opening sequence for a film of the thriller genre. We began by watching a variety of classic and recent thriller openings to give us an idea of some of the typical conventions used in a thriller film. The films included; ‘Ripley’s Game’, ‘Vertigo’, and ‘North by Northwest’
We liked the idea of not revealing the identity of a certain character; seen in ‘Vertigo’, which begins with an extreme close up of a women’s face, and so decided to incorporate this into our final piece. Not revealing a person sets up the enigma of a film; a typical convention of a thriller. We chose not to reveal the identity of the ‘killer’. This instantly creates suspense as one of the first few shots shown in our film is one of the killers face; a close up which doesn’t reveal the eyes. The shot didn’t turn out as well as it could have though, because when we imported the footage onto the computer we realized that the eyes hadn’t quite been cut off. To make up for this, we edited the lightness and colour of the shot, making it dark. This meant it was harder to see the person as well as creating an eerie, dark sense; connoting the fact that this character is bad.
The black background used in ‘Blade Runner’ was very effective, and worked extremely well in setting up a strong sense of mystery. We decided to use this idea in our film, and so began our film with black backgrounds behind the titles, interspersed with clips of film footage.
The non diegetic soundtracks used in each of the classic thriller openings were quite similar; usually consisting of slow, tense music building up as the action within in the film increased. We thought that having a very creepy, eerie opening music would work well, so we decided to do this, and after researching different music tracks we found effective music that reflected the mystery of the narrative.
Our thriller opening represents the vulnerability of teenage girls, when alone in a house. It reflects how any person would act given the circumstances that the characters have been put in.
It reflects the capability of any serial killer, by revealing how he has murdered a number of people, and presumably hasn’t been affected by his victims, or the killings.
We think our thriller film would be an independent film, presumably produced and distributed by a small independent company. There are no special effects used in our film and we didn’t use any famous highly paid actors to act in it. There are also no expensive locations, or stunt doubles used making it therefore a low budget film. We used little props and had easy access to the filming location. The narrative would appeal to many and is similar or typical for a thriller genre, perhaps appealing to those who enjoy thrillers. It could therefore be quite a popular film, and should be distributed alongside similar films of this genre.
The target audience for our film would be teenagers to young adults. We decided that if the entire film had been made, then it would have included violence and bad language, making it unsuitable for young audiences. After researching the age certificates for films and understanding what aspects of films determine the age ratings, we came to a conclusion that ours would have the certificate 15. Reflecting the violence and language that would take place later on in the film. The opening sequence alone, however, has no violence, nudity or unsuitable language, and so is suitable for all ages, but the narrative wouldn’t be enjoyable for younger children. When referring to the narrative, we found that it would be better suited for older audiences (teens to young adults), because it is quite complex, resulting in younger audiences not following the plot and becoming less interested.
In order to attract our target audience, we made our film instantly set up the enigma. We did this by using voice overs of news reporters talking about a serial killer, with eerie, creepy non diegetic music, before a dark close up of a characters mouth is shown, not revealing his identity. This creates mystery and also gives the idea that this character is the killer that is being referred to. This encourages the audience to continue watching the film, appealing to them so that the they won’t lose interest. This character is then informed via phone that a house is empty, and that he should kill some kids if he needs to.
The music stops as we cut to a house, letting the audience know that this is the house that is being spoken about, and consequently that the killer will be there, or is going to be there. Two teenage girls then pull up in a car outside the house, and we used a point of view shot to show that the killer is already there, and is watching them. This shot lingers on them as they get out of the car and go into the house. We handheld the camera to emphasize the fact that it was a point of view shot and so is therefore shaky. This again creates suspense, and because the audience know that this is the killer, it keeps them watching; making them want to know why he is there and if he will kill them.
We later use another point of view shot looking in through the window of the house as the girls, presumable the ‘kids’ that he is going to kill, are looking for their mum. This keeps the audience involved as they know that the killer is watching these characters, and that they are unaware of this, making it more tense. The two girls inside the house then see the killer through the window, we decided to start the music back up at this point, creating suspense, and an eerie atmosphere. By using the same music again, it becomes more significant, and is a music that the audience can relate to, reminding them that how they felt at the beginning of the film, is what the characters are feeling at this point. The characters then start to panic, before the phone rings. We used a range of shots here, making the cuts fast paced making the audience feel quite disoriented, as well as emphasizing how the characters would feel.
We also included a shot of the keys at the beginning of the sequence, as the girls come into the house. The audience would initially feel as though this shot is irrelevant, however when the same shot is revealed later on but without the keys, the audience are made aware that the keys are gone, and so creating more suspense.
We feel that the filming equipment, such as the camera, tripod, microphone and tape all worked extremely well, and overall were very reliable. We had no problem in assembling the equipment, and when using it found it very easy.
On the other hand, the computers and software used to import and edit the footage were a major problem.
After several attempts of importing the footage on to the computer, due to computer freezing, and general slowness, we eventually imported it. We were initially using an updated version of the software iMovie, which was extremely slow, making editing a very long process. The film was nearly completed, and had been saved, when it unintentionally got deleted, and we were unable to get it back. We then had to begin editing again, but the software was now even worse, and was close to freezing, making it impossible to edit anything.
We gave up using the computer and resulted in using one of the older Apple Mac. laptops, which meant we had to start editing again! Fortunately, the importing was very speedy in comparison to the first computer, and we were able to use the old and much simpler version of iMovie, making it a great deal easier. The laptop was extremely reliable and let us edit our sequence very quickly.
Before beginning our final opening sequence, we were asked to create a short preliminary exercise in keeping with the thriller genre. This allowed us to experiment different camera angles, shots and techniques as well as practicing editing the footage to form a short film or scene.
We had to begin by making a detailed storyboard, similar to what we would have to do for the final piece. The storyboard didn’t help us as much as it should have because it was very basic, lacking the vital details. By failing to make a precise and detailed storyboard, it effected our preliminary film as we had nothing to refer to when filming. We learnt that for the final film, we would need to make a reliable storyboard, which we did; meaning that we knew which shots to use where and when.
After filming we were able to edit the footage and add effects allowing us to see what worked and what didn’t. We found that most of the effects, transitions and default audio from iMovie were extremely tacky, and didn’t look very effective, making the footage look very cheesy and unprofessional. We only realized this after we had applied all the effects, and after feedback from our teacher we agreed that we had gone over the top with adding too many default sound effects and messy transitions. We therefore knew that for our final piece we would need to go for a more simplistic approach, and use our own sound effects where needed. The result, we think, was a more professional looking film sequence.
Our narrative, or initial synopsis for the entire film.
There is a family living in an isolated house, in the middle of nowhere. Some older relatives of the owners have recently died and left them a large fortune.
There is a serial killer, and his colleague who work together in order to obtain family fortunes, by brutally murdering them. He has succeeded so far, in killing many and receiving their fortunes, which is revealed on the news reports at the beginning of the film. He shares the money with his partner, who is heard at the beginning of the film informing the killer that owners of the house are out, but that the kids will be there, and that he should kill them if he needs to. The money however, isn't mentioned; creating an instant mystery as to why this house is so important.
The killers face isn't revealed throughout the entire opening sequence, creating suspense and another mystery. The only thing that is certain from the beginning is that he has killed people previously.
The kids then arrive at the house and realize that their parents are not there, before getting locked in the house by the murderer. The opening sequence ends at this point.
We went for the name ‘V1TAL M1NUTES’. This reflects how the kids have little time, but time that it is very important because their lives are at stake. We decided that the number one should replace the ‘I’s in the title, reflecting the minutes.
Friday, 12 December 2008
Update.
Update.
We have just finished our opening sequence and have completed a written evaluation as apposed to a spoken one. We attempted a spoken evaluation but it didn't work as well as it should have because we did not speak fluently. This made it hard for our points to get across so we decided to do a written evaluation.I feel that the filming and editing of the film went very well, and we worked well as a group. We had some problems with the technology, in particular the computers which caused us a lot of problems. We changed computers to a smaller laptop though which helped us.
Because of time, we were unable to complete the amount of filming that was needed to follow the entire storyboard. We later realized, however, that we had enough footage to produce over 2.00 minutes of film. We edited the story slightly through editing, which meant we didn't need the rest of the footage.
update
We have now wrote our evaluation and answered all the questions
We have done all the editing and we are hoping to get the video onto the blog today
Monday, 1 December 2008
Editing
We've now made quite a lot of progress of the editing of our titles using a laptop. I-Movie is working well, and we've been able to use a combination of transitions, sound effects etc. We are currently debating if we need to re-film parts of it as we're not 100% happy with them, but are not sure if it's absolutely necessary.
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