My finished project was screened to my media class so they could provide me with feed back for some final tweaks i could make if i had the time.
some dodgy camera work and the the fact that i had used some stereotypical conventions from a stalker thriller movie. this was partly intentional to add a layer of comedy to the clip but i think it may have been over done slightly and due to the location i shot this clip being unavailable to me i have been unable to re shoot some footage to replace some unnecessary scenes.
As for the dodgy camera work the trip pod i was using was old and some of the hinges have become lose and i struggled to keep the camera completly level at all times.
However i have learned from this experiance and will check over my equipemnt more thouruly before doing any filming.
with the exception of these two comments the film was well recived and there was very little confusion about the genre of the film and what they may beable to expect coming up next
Friday, 20 March 2009
Saturday, 14 March 2009
Evaluation
Evaluation of Media Coursework
The foundation project was a challenge in the respects of having to first of having to think up a suitable story line that i could film pretty much in my garden and secondly how i would be able to portray my chosen genre using the few tools at my disposal. In the end though a bit of perseverance and some good ideas really helped me create my final product. There were some ups and downs over the course of the course such as my first filmed idea which was completely rubbish or the trouble i had burning the CD off. On the other hand in putting together my final project the stroke i had when looking for some royalty free music and how easy it was to find a suitable location to film my final project.
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
First of all i keep the element of mystery usually seen in thrillers by not showing who or what could be stalking the child seen on the swing set and later in the woods. I also used the sepia effect during the "1 week ago" scenes as it has connotations of the past. The soundtrack used gives an illusion of very heavy breathing adding and creating a different feel of suspense. I did end up using several stereotypical conventions of the thriller genre which i tried to balance out with a bit of comedy for example having a cat walking across the park completely unannounced and the slightly prolonged shot of the violently bobbing car play equipment
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
The only character in the scene is alone and dressed in what could be described as "tatty" or "scruffy" clothing giving connotations of a loner or someone who comes from a poor family giving the idea that there is nothing particularly special about this character and that they have been targeted for no obvious reason meaning. This gives the stalker a much more mysterious aura as he/she/it does not target people with anything particular characteristics. I do use a typical convention of a stalker movie in having the stalker character stumble around in a forest and keeping he/she/it hidden from camera by showing everything from the point of view of the stalker. The use of the cat also gives the child character an extra layer of innocence as well as a comical element.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I believe my film would fit into the psychological thriller or comical thriller as it portrays many conventions of these types of genres and the rest of the film would also follow some of the typical conventions of the thriller genre. This film in my opinion would probably be classed as an indie movie due to its ability to keep to a low budget and simplicity of filming and i think the age demographic for this movie would be around 15-28 due to the comical elements combined with suspense building scenes with the possibility of some blood and gore and strong language. it is possible that this movie would hit the big screen but i feel it may be the kind of movie to go straight to DVD or be shown on a channel such as film four or a channel specifically dedicated to the thriller genre.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
Like i just previously mentioned i believe the age demographic would be 15-28 due to some Strong language that may come and blood and gore that would be coming up later on in the movie. the opening of the film however may be a bit miss leading in what age group this would appeal to due to its length and ambiguity of what is going to be following up. I could compare this film to something like War of the Worlds because i feel this movie shares some of the thriller elements that War of the Worlds has. I could also compare this movie to the British T.V drama Primeval, a T.V drama about portals known as anomalies that are appearing around Britain and through them creatures from the future and past are coming through and causing mayhem. The program is filled with suspense building scene and stalker like scenes in where the creature that has come through is not revealed, just seen stalking and killing people leaving the audience to guess what has come through, this is the kind of suspense i have tried to use in my final project. Therefor my audience would probably be people who would like suspenceful movies and/or T.V dramas such as Primeval or War of the Worlds
How did you attract/address your audience?
From the very start of the video i attempt to capture the audiences attention using the empty swing sets and other park play equipment moving with no one in site this will make the audience raise questions such as what has happened? and make them want to watch to find out. I also started the film with a possible death very early on and not revealing the stalkers identity or intents. Before the scene where the stalker attacks i brought the suspense down a bit by introducing a cat. suspense is brought back up again when the child is seen in the forest and the stalker is in the park. as the stalker advances towards the child the slow music fades out and gives way to a screeching sound that increases in pitch and a sudden fade to black just before the stalker reaches the child. This has in fact been on of the ways i have seen the T.V drama Primeval Start an episode.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learned that you cant just dive into a project such as making a video or film, one should take careful planning and think ahead rather than just at what is happening in the scene if this isn't done many continuity errors could occur and the movie could become a disaster. I have also learned a lot about editing techniques and effects like the sepia tone and what they are used for. I have become more confidant at using the movie editing program "iMovie" and before we started the preliminary task my media class went to a new Apple store in the new shopping center in Bristol - Cabout Circus. Here we were given a session on how to use the apple macs and the iMovie software which is very easy to use however i still prefer using "Windows Movie Maker" as i found it easier to cut edit and position clips although it is possible to do things with iMovie which cant be done on windows movie maker such as playing footage backwards to create an illusion of time going backwards and many more more complicated things that cannot be done on windows movie maker. I improved on a few errors i made in the preliminary task like using a tripod and editing sound.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Looking back at my preliminary task i have come rather close to the stereotypical conventions of a stalker thriller movie however this was party intentional and if i the location i had used has still available to me i could have re shoot some footage to rectify this problem come very close to the stereotypical stalker thriller genre how ever i do feel that it gives an almost comical element to my project. i would say i have learnt a great deal from it such as using proper techniques and styles. When i was first told about what we had to do with the preliminary task millions of weird and wacky ideas popped into my head and i ended up seriously considering a lot of them but as the dead line got closer i realised that i would seriously have to re-think how and what i was going to do as it was becoming apparent that a lot of my ideas were near impossible given the time and resources i had this taught me about planning my project and putting in more thought that just going with the first idea that sounds cool in your head because usually, they wont work. It also showed me to look at what i have made and what big producers and directors have made in a slightly different way, rather than comparing mine with theirs and thinking mine is rubbish because i don't have any cool effects or long steady panning shots i now think, "wow this is pretty good for what resources i have, sure the camera is a little wobbly but at the time this couldn't be helped." and it has helped me take pride in what i have produced.
The foundation project was a challenge in the respects of having to first of having to think up a suitable story line that i could film pretty much in my garden and secondly how i would be able to portray my chosen genre using the few tools at my disposal. In the end though a bit of perseverance and some good ideas really helped me create my final product. There were some ups and downs over the course of the course such as my first filmed idea which was completely rubbish or the trouble i had burning the CD off. On the other hand in putting together my final project the stroke i had when looking for some royalty free music and how easy it was to find a suitable location to film my final project.
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
First of all i keep the element of mystery usually seen in thrillers by not showing who or what could be stalking the child seen on the swing set and later in the woods. I also used the sepia effect during the "1 week ago" scenes as it has connotations of the past. The soundtrack used gives an illusion of very heavy breathing adding and creating a different feel of suspense. I did end up using several stereotypical conventions of the thriller genre which i tried to balance out with a bit of comedy for example having a cat walking across the park completely unannounced and the slightly prolonged shot of the violently bobbing car play equipment
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
The only character in the scene is alone and dressed in what could be described as "tatty" or "scruffy" clothing giving connotations of a loner or someone who comes from a poor family giving the idea that there is nothing particularly special about this character and that they have been targeted for no obvious reason meaning. This gives the stalker a much more mysterious aura as he/she/it does not target people with anything particular characteristics. I do use a typical convention of a stalker movie in having the stalker character stumble around in a forest and keeping he/she/it hidden from camera by showing everything from the point of view of the stalker. The use of the cat also gives the child character an extra layer of innocence as well as a comical element.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
I believe my film would fit into the psychological thriller or comical thriller as it portrays many conventions of these types of genres and the rest of the film would also follow some of the typical conventions of the thriller genre. This film in my opinion would probably be classed as an indie movie due to its ability to keep to a low budget and simplicity of filming and i think the age demographic for this movie would be around 15-28 due to the comical elements combined with suspense building scenes with the possibility of some blood and gore and strong language. it is possible that this movie would hit the big screen but i feel it may be the kind of movie to go straight to DVD or be shown on a channel such as film four or a channel specifically dedicated to the thriller genre.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
Like i just previously mentioned i believe the age demographic would be 15-28 due to some Strong language that may come and blood and gore that would be coming up later on in the movie. the opening of the film however may be a bit miss leading in what age group this would appeal to due to its length and ambiguity of what is going to be following up. I could compare this film to something like War of the Worlds because i feel this movie shares some of the thriller elements that War of the Worlds has. I could also compare this movie to the British T.V drama Primeval, a T.V drama about portals known as anomalies that are appearing around Britain and through them creatures from the future and past are coming through and causing mayhem. The program is filled with suspense building scene and stalker like scenes in where the creature that has come through is not revealed, just seen stalking and killing people leaving the audience to guess what has come through, this is the kind of suspense i have tried to use in my final project. Therefor my audience would probably be people who would like suspenceful movies and/or T.V dramas such as Primeval or War of the Worlds
How did you attract/address your audience?
From the very start of the video i attempt to capture the audiences attention using the empty swing sets and other park play equipment moving with no one in site this will make the audience raise questions such as what has happened? and make them want to watch to find out. I also started the film with a possible death very early on and not revealing the stalkers identity or intents. Before the scene where the stalker attacks i brought the suspense down a bit by introducing a cat. suspense is brought back up again when the child is seen in the forest and the stalker is in the park. as the stalker advances towards the child the slow music fades out and gives way to a screeching sound that increases in pitch and a sudden fade to black just before the stalker reaches the child. This has in fact been on of the ways i have seen the T.V drama Primeval Start an episode.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learned that you cant just dive into a project such as making a video or film, one should take careful planning and think ahead rather than just at what is happening in the scene if this isn't done many continuity errors could occur and the movie could become a disaster. I have also learned a lot about editing techniques and effects like the sepia tone and what they are used for. I have become more confidant at using the movie editing program "iMovie" and before we started the preliminary task my media class went to a new Apple store in the new shopping center in Bristol - Cabout Circus. Here we were given a session on how to use the apple macs and the iMovie software which is very easy to use however i still prefer using "Windows Movie Maker" as i found it easier to cut edit and position clips although it is possible to do things with iMovie which cant be done on windows movie maker such as playing footage backwards to create an illusion of time going backwards and many more more complicated things that cannot be done on windows movie maker. I improved on a few errors i made in the preliminary task like using a tripod and editing sound.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Looking back at my preliminary task i have come rather close to the stereotypical conventions of a stalker thriller movie however this was party intentional and if i the location i had used has still available to me i could have re shoot some footage to rectify this problem come very close to the stereotypical stalker thriller genre how ever i do feel that it gives an almost comical element to my project. i would say i have learnt a great deal from it such as using proper techniques and styles. When i was first told about what we had to do with the preliminary task millions of weird and wacky ideas popped into my head and i ended up seriously considering a lot of them but as the dead line got closer i realised that i would seriously have to re-think how and what i was going to do as it was becoming apparent that a lot of my ideas were near impossible given the time and resources i had this taught me about planning my project and putting in more thought that just going with the first idea that sounds cool in your head because usually, they wont work. It also showed me to look at what i have made and what big producers and directors have made in a slightly different way, rather than comparing mine with theirs and thinking mine is rubbish because i don't have any cool effects or long steady panning shots i now think, "wow this is pretty good for what resources i have, sure the camera is a little wobbly but at the time this couldn't be helped." and it has helped me take pride in what i have produced.
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
17th Febuary
today was film day.
i spent half the morning trying to get my sister to wake up so she could help me with my project and by the time we were ready to go out the park was full of people so i had to wait till lunch time for people to disperse so i could run out an film what i could before they came back.
at 12.45 we ran out to the park before any people came back. the story line was a bit vauge in my head but from my previous experiance with planning everything down to the letter i decided to do a little bit of improvising and chaging of the storyline which went very well. having the tripod and the new camera came in very handy and i made good use of the trees around the park for the thriller/horror genre editing it was just as easy and i was evan able to find some perfect royalty free music for the footage that went perfect.
For the site where i aquiered my music from http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/
Pictures of the woods
these were taken before the council had the trees trimed
i spent half the morning trying to get my sister to wake up so she could help me with my project and by the time we were ready to go out the park was full of people so i had to wait till lunch time for people to disperse so i could run out an film what i could before they came back.
at 12.45 we ran out to the park before any people came back. the story line was a bit vauge in my head but from my previous experiance with planning everything down to the letter i decided to do a little bit of improvising and chaging of the storyline which went very well. having the tripod and the new camera came in very handy and i made good use of the trees around the park for the thriller/horror genre editing it was just as easy and i was evan able to find some perfect royalty free music for the footage that went perfect.
For the site where i aquiered my music from http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/
Pictures of the woods
these were taken before the council had the trees trimed
Friday, 30 January 2009
29th January
i started to plan my new video and it is going well i have decided to to change the genre to horror and it is going to take place in a park. i have compiled my shot list and things are looking good at the moment. i have decided to film it during the up coming half term period as my dad is going to buy a video camera to make aquiering the footage from the camera more easy and i have aqiered a tripod which will come in great use. For a storyboard of my thoughts please see apendix 1 as i have not aquiered a scanner and the right softwear to import the storyboard into my blog.
I went around and had a look on the well known site www.youtube.co.uk to help gather some inspiration and i came across a channel known as FnD Films. they are amature movie makers and make some funny sketchs so here is a link to some of there work and another user that i thought particulary interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Fronk2107
http://www.youtube.com/user/DirectorToby
I went around and had a look on the well known site www.youtube.co.uk to help gather some inspiration and i came across a channel known as FnD Films. they are amature movie makers and make some funny sketchs so here is a link to some of there work and another user that i thought particulary interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Fronk2107
http://www.youtube.com/user/DirectorToby
Monday, 26 January 2009
26th January
I got into school and i was able to edit my video enough to present to Oscar a local film maker who would look over my project and tell me where i could improve. i was already a bit nervous in showing him as the footage was not as good as i had hoped and some bits didn't make very much sense and i hadn't been able to edit any of the sound and add music so i guess you could say it was only half done but still i was able to show him the music i was thinking of using and some of the changes before he watched it.
after he had watched it he really made some strong comments about my project. like how i hadn't portrayed the genre of the film very well and that the acting wasn't very good. he gave me a lot to think about and how i could go about improving things. he suggested that i change the genre as i was going for a comedy action type movie he also told he how to compose a "shot list" which would help me a lot in working out in what i need to film and what i have done
he also commented about how difficult it can be making these projects as you play the role of the director camera man and sometimes even actor and putting that much effort into producing all this footage it can make u blind as to what you do and don't need footage wise so i should be ruthless in my editing and cutting of clips
after he had watched it he really made some strong comments about my project. like how i hadn't portrayed the genre of the film very well and that the acting wasn't very good. he gave me a lot to think about and how i could go about improving things. he suggested that i change the genre as i was going for a comedy action type movie he also told he how to compose a "shot list" which would help me a lot in working out in what i need to film and what i have done
he also commented about how difficult it can be making these projects as you play the role of the director camera man and sometimes even actor and putting that much effort into producing all this footage it can make u blind as to what you do and don't need footage wise so i should be ruthless in my editing and cutting of clips
Sunday, 25 January 2009
25th January
i spent most of the lesson trying to get my footage on to a disk to take home and rip from the disk on to my computer to edit and take in tomorrow on my memory stick however this totally failed as when i got home my laptop rejected the burned disk.
i looked around on the Internet and asked my friend who is knowledgeable of macs and windows vista and he told me that there was nothing or very little i could do as it isn't an error my laptop was ejecting the disk saying there was no disk inserted.
i checked the under side of the disk to see if it had burned and there were signsthat would say yes it had burned so weather there was a fault in burning or my CD drive i am not sure.
on the bright side i do have several songs lined up that i can use....but i do not have very much time at all to pull everything to come to gather.
i looked around on the Internet and asked my friend who is knowledgeable of macs and windows vista and he told me that there was nothing or very little i could do as it isn't an error my laptop was ejecting the disk saying there was no disk inserted.
i checked the under side of the disk to see if it had burned and there were signsthat would say yes it had burned so weather there was a fault in burning or my CD drive i am not sure.
on the bright side i do have several songs lined up that i can use....but i do not have very much time at all to pull everything to come to gather.
Friday, 23 January 2009
23rd January
so editing day and also my birthday.On friday during lunch and my only free period i filmed with my previously mentiond actor the "summary" of the media studies students idea then i started or at least made an attempt to edit the footage however it took so long to import and letter box by the time id had finished i had about 10 mins to edit it all so i to wait until monday as i had forgoten my memory stick so i couldnt transport any of the footage home to my laptop and i do not have a usb cable compatible with the used camera so i am a bit of a difficult situation in what to do. however i remaied posative and have decided to spend the weekend looking for some music to use.
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