Evaluation- Question 7, Looking back on your Prelim Task, what have you learnt from that to the final product?
This is my first prelim task. Due to this being one of the first tasks that was set for me to do in media I didn't find it easy at all. The hardest thing that I struggled with was the editing software. You can clearly see that the editing skills within this clip were very minimal. Looking back on it now I am not overly happy with how I went about the task. For instance the use of the music when faded into the speech was very sudden which made it come across as very amateur like. Most of the shots had either been taken very poorly or not edited to the correct ability. For example the first shot of the character walking down the corridor is very unsteady. In my opening scene for Contrast I would have redone this shot as I knew I could have done better.
On the other hand some of the shots that were taken such as the match on action shot when the character walks through the door were very good.
This being my final product of my opening sequence for my film. I believe that I have majorly improved not only in editing skills but also the selection of shots that I chose, choice of music, and the representations of the main characters within the scene. I also had a higher understand of what makes a film opening attractive to watch from the target audience point of view due to all of the research I have completed to get towards this final product. From 0:24 seconds to 0:28 seconds the editing transition of one shot running into another with a title also moving across with the transition shows how much I have progressed with the ability of my editing skills compared to the Prelim Task.
Overall I believe that I have learnt a lot from the coursework that I have completed. I have a better understanding about editorial skills within the software Adobe Premier which you can clearly see from the progression from my Prelim task to my final draft of Contrast. Some of the theory that we learnt whilst doing our coursework such as the 'Barthes Codes' also helped contribute towards the making and development of the finished product.
Main Things That I Have Improved
Editing- Overall skills have been improved due to me being more comfortable with the software that I was using and being confident enough to experiment with different techniques.
Camera Shots- The choice and selection of shots that I used have majorly improved from my Prelim Task to my opening scene. I believe that the reason behind this is because during some of the meetings with the other members we created a shooting schedule and shot list. We did not necessarily follow this completely but it gave us a basis to work around.
Evaluation- Question 3, What kind of institution might distribute your product and why?
We created the company 'Sharp pictures'. We are a small British production independent film company that specialises in making films a low budget.
We got our ideas from the company 'Big Talk Productions'. The reason behind basing our film production company around them is because like us they are a British institution company that have been very successful in making small budget films like Cuban Fury which was made for just £1M but was very successful.
Film4 productions was another production team we got our ideas from as like Big Talk Productions they are a British institution company that also made Cuban Fury with Big Talk.
Exhibition:
As our film is a small British independent film, we will be showing it in small cinemas such as Picture House.
Reasons:
We got our ideas from the company 'Big Talk Productions'. The reason behind basing our film production company around them is because like us they are a British institution company that have been very successful in making small budget films like Cuban Fury which was made for just £1M but was very successful.Film4 productions was another production team we got our ideas from as like Big Talk Productions they are a British institution company that also made Cuban Fury with Big Talk.
Exhibition:
As our film is a small British independent film, we will be showing it in small cinemas such as Picture House.
Reasons:
- No main cinema such as an Odeon will accept our film as it isn't big enough to be shown there.
- We will be able to show the film more to our primary target audience (25+ working adults) as picture house cinemas are located in cities such as London and Manchester, our film will be more accessible to working adults
Poster Inspirations
For our posters we wanted to show the difference between two men and the different lives they lead. Because of this we looked at posters from other films that would be similar to ours. We got ideas from 'I love you, MAN' and 'Catch me if you can'. The reason we chose these was due to the fact that they are very basic but effective, They focus around two different men and have little writing but easily show what the film could be about.
Production Diary
17th NovemberToday we spent time deciding what roles we were going to
undertake. We made sure that we each had different tasks to do so that the
procedure of planning would be a lot faster and a lot smoother.
18th November
Today we started to perform our tasks. I started to post the blog meetings and write about what we were doing in pictures that were taken of us discussing the tasks ahead. Will started to do the synopsis planning and writing about the actors that we were going to use. Ben started to create a visual mood board that used inspirations from other clips that we liked and thought could be inspirational towards our clip.
Today we started to perform our tasks. I started to post the blog meetings and write about what we were doing in pictures that were taken of us discussing the tasks ahead. Will started to do the synopsis planning and writing about the actors that we were going to use. Ben started to create a visual mood board that used inspirations from other clips that we liked and thought could be inspirational towards our clip.
24th November
In this lesson me and Ben finalised the storyboard. We made sure that we had included all of the details that needed to be within the shot. We also made sure that all of the types of shots were given below the picture of the shot that was going to be taken. The next step was to video the storyboard and give background audio on it.
In this lesson me and Ben finalised the storyboard. We made sure that we had included all of the details that needed to be within the shot. We also made sure that all of the types of shots were given below the picture of the shot that was going to be taken. The next step was to video the storyboard and give background audio on it.
28th November
Today I started to edit all of the footage that we had collected. The first
thing that I had to do was find and select all of the shots that I actually
wanted to keep. Once I had decided on the shots that I was going to use within
our opening scene. I then had to put all of the shots in the correct
chronological order that the story line was going to flow in.
2nd December
I have applied all of my editing skills towards my opening scene which has
caused me to compile all of the footage together. All of the clips have now
been put in chronological order I am just in the process of finishing the
listing of all the titles that will appear throughout the opening scene. After
this I will have to find an appropriate song that will match in with the theme
and genre of my film opening.
8th December
Uploaded my first draft of my film opening. It got played to my class and they gave me feedback to work on. I already had quite a lot of adaptation to do with my film opening anyway to make the genre more obvious. The feedback that I received also told me that I needed to make the titles and credits better.
9th December I straight away started to carry on with editing on my film
opening to help improve the recognition of the genre. I changed and imporoved the titles by putting them in the correct order and also adding effects so that they synced in well with the transitions from shot to shot.
Blog Reflection
TechnologyAs I have become more comfortable with using the technology I think that I have improved in all of my techniques.
What out of 20 is your blog?
I think that my blog would be about a 14/15 out of 20 so far. I think that by the time that I have uploaded everything for my Film Opening that I will be able to increase the marks for my blog.
Where could you be less complacent?If I was to make my blog more in depth and detailed I would try and make sure that every post that I did would be done in more detail.
Is it fun to look through?
What out of 20 is your blog?
I think that my blog would be about a 14/15 out of 20 so far. I think that by the time that I have uploaded everything for my Film Opening that I will be able to increase the marks for my blog.
Where could you be less complacent?If I was to make my blog more in depth and detailed I would try and make sure that every post that I did would be done in more detail.
Is it fun to look through?
First Draft of Film Opening- Feedback
Most of the feedback that I got was rather good. Overall I believe that people enjoyed to watch my film opening but on the other hand there was some constructive criticism that I can use to help improve my film opening for me to be able to adapt it for the final draft.
The main things that people suggested to improve and adapt would be the titles. I would have to change them to all the same colour and also maybe change the font to make it look overall more professional.
Challenges Faced whilst Filming
When we were filming our film opening we faced many challenges. The main challenges we faced was getting permission to film in public places like the underground and Canary Wharf. The way we over came the this was by phoning up the company of the building and asking them for permission for us to film in one of their offices. After asking them they kindly accepted our request and allowed us to film.
The way we overcame the challenge to film on the underground was by getting a permission slip written from our media teacher Mrs Brookes. This way if anyone was a bit off with us filming then we could show them the slip.
Another problem we faced wen filming from inside the building was when we wanted to get a high shot of the people walking on the ground. The problem about this shot was the reflection of the window as it showed us filming in it. As we couldn't shoot out of an open window we decided to get a different high shot of Stratford station.
The final problem we had whilst filming was filming on the trains as the tripod we used took up quite a lot of room which made it an obstacle for people on the train. The way we overcame this was by filming whilst the train was moving. This way it wasn't in the way of anyone as no one was walking up and down the train.
The way we overcame the challenge to film on the underground was by getting a permission slip written from our media teacher Mrs Brookes. This way if anyone was a bit off with us filming then we could show them the slip.
Another problem we faced wen filming from inside the building was when we wanted to get a high shot of the people walking on the ground. The problem about this shot was the reflection of the window as it showed us filming in it. As we couldn't shoot out of an open window we decided to get a different high shot of Stratford station.
The final problem we had whilst filming was filming on the trains as the tripod we used took up quite a lot of room which made it an obstacle for people on the train. The way we overcame this was by filming whilst the train was moving. This way it wasn't in the way of anyone as no one was walking up and down the train.
Filming in progress
We were on our way to London to film the shots that were going to be used in our opening scene of our film. The shots that we filmed on this trip were for the character Tony who works up in the city of London.
MoodBoard Inspirations
These are a selection of images from a mixture indipendant films like 'The double' and 'Splitscreen - A love story' to fellow peers final opening scenes from a year ago like 'Fighting To Survive'. The reason we chose to put images from their film openings as they gave us ideas of splitcreen films and how they were produced. Fighting To Survive gave us the inspration of doing a film opening in the eyes of two different types of people.
Recci Shots
These are the shots I got from London when I went up with my family. They are of Canary Wharf in the Isle Of Dogs. I took these photo's with my dads Nickon D750 Digital Camera. I got these pictures as this is where our film opening is going to be based. I took the photo of the train as it shows where will be filming in order for the successful man to get to work. 
These are the other recci shots that i took. They are in a pub in Hatfield Peveral who i know the owners of and havbe kindly let us use their facilities.
Meeting deciding the actors and locations to be used
This is an image of Will and Ben decided on the actors that will be used for our film opening. They also had to take into consideration the locations the shots were going to be taken at.
Interview of Richard Morrison
Richard Morrison gives lots of good advice during the interview. He has made over 150 titles over 3 decades worth of work.
-He suggests that once you have created the storyboard you should make an actual model of your idea to make it more visual for you to be able to adapt and improve.
-He also gives advice that once you have finally created the title that you should wait a day before you look at it again for a final time. This gives you a chance to be able to decide whether or not you actually like it or not and whether it needs improving or not.
-You do not have to start with a complex idea from the start. It is easier to start with a simple yet effective idea at first and then you can add even more ideas until you get to where you feel is a suitable position to complete the titles.
-He suggests that once you have created the storyboard you should make an actual model of your idea to make it more visual for you to be able to adapt and improve.-He also gives advice that once you have finally created the title that you should wait a day before you look at it again for a final time. This gives you a chance to be able to decide whether or not you actually like it or not and whether it needs improving or not.
-You do not have to start with a complex idea from the start. It is easier to start with a simple yet effective idea at first and then you can add even more ideas until you get to where you feel is a suitable position to complete the titles.
Individual Film Pitch
This is my indivdual film pitch that I have created. I will present this to the group that I am with and we will collectively decide whether or not out of all of our film pitches it is suitable or not. If it is a suitable idea then we will all as a team work together to help improve aspects of the pitch.
Planning meeting
In our first planning meeting we discussed and finalised our choice of film genre that we were going to do. We then started to adapt and improve our film pitch which we as a group decided it on being a hybrid genre of drama/disaster.
British Film Institute Trip
On the 7th November our media class went to the BFI (British Film Industry) in South Bank, London. Here we were taught all about the differerent variations needed to get the the finished product of a film, ranging from the producing of films to the distributing of them.
On our arrival at the BFI we entered a room to listen to a lecture by Rob Miller. The first thing he taught us was what the difference was between a mainstream and an independent films. A mainstream film is a film that is distributed to mass, national and international audiences e.g. Avatar and Gravity. These films tend to have a high budget produced by big institutions like 20th Century Fox. An independent film is one that has more localised appeal with 'niche' audiences. They are usually targetted to a very specific target audience. Independent films do not have access to extensive distribution networks.
Later on Rob interviewed Matthew Justice who is a managing director of Big Talk. He shared his experience in making films such as 'Hot Fuzz' and TV programmes such as 'Our Zoo'.
After this we met a man called Lee Bye. He is currently head of theatrical distribution and technical at Pathe, a leading independent production, distribution and international sales company. He shared his experiences of distributing films and what makes an independent film distribution different to the distribution of a mainstream film.
The last person we were given a talk by was a woman named Clare Binns. She is a programming & acquisitions director at Picturehouse Cinema Ltd. She shared with us how films get from the end product of the film to the showing of them in the cinemas.
The whole thing was a great experience and helped me understand the true making of films and how much of a long process it can be
On our arrival at the BFI we entered a room to listen to a lecture by Rob Miller. The first thing he taught us was what the difference was between a mainstream and an independent films. A mainstream film is a film that is distributed to mass, national and international audiences e.g. Avatar and Gravity. These films tend to have a high budget produced by big institutions like 20th Century Fox. An independent film is one that has more localised appeal with 'niche' audiences. They are usually targetted to a very specific target audience. Independent films do not have access to extensive distribution networks.
Later on Rob interviewed Matthew Justice who is a managing director of Big Talk. He shared his experience in making films such as 'Hot Fuzz' and TV programmes such as 'Our Zoo'.
After this we met a man called Lee Bye. He is currently head of theatrical distribution and technical at Pathe, a leading independent production, distribution and international sales company. He shared his experiences of distributing films and what makes an independent film distribution different to the distribution of a mainstream film.
The last person we were given a talk by was a woman named Clare Binns. She is a programming & acquisitions director at Picturehouse Cinema Ltd. She shared with us how films get from the end product of the film to the showing of them in the cinemas.
The whole thing was a great experience and helped me understand the true making of films and how much of a long process it can be
Quantum- Film opening review
What I liked:-I liked the fact that the genre was very clear and obvious that it was a supernatural thriller. This is portrayed by the type of clohing that they are wearing.
-All of the shots linked in well with the genre and helped to increase more tension.
-The action music that is in the background helps add to the intensity of the opening scene.
-The last shot that was taken where the girl jumps and disappears is very good and also increases suspension of what is going to happen next.
Christopher- Film opening review
What I liked:-All of the shots that were taken were very well.
-The commentary that was laid over the shots linked in very well with the shots.
What I disliked about it:
-The genre of the film opening was not very evident.
Juno Finished Task
This is my finished product of my Juno Task. I believe that it went very well as it was also one of the first times that I used a camera to film myself and also considered myself a novice on the editing software. If I were to improve this I would redo some of the shots as they do not match the real video identically. I would also try to improve some of the transitions between shots to make the video seem clearer and also become a good comaprison compared to the real video.
Logo and Creation
This is the logo that I created for my production company. I got the idea of using the reel of film as it obviously links in with the production side of films and I believed that it looked appropriate.
Self Evaluation on Prelim Task
1) I worked with Harrison and Lee, we went about the task very well and found it very easy to co-operate with eachtoher. Lee and Harrison volunteered to perform in our task and I was to take all of the shots with the camera.
2) First of all our teacher gave us a genre without us knowing what it was. We were designated a Detective Drama and we straight away had a very good idea of what we were going to do. We started to research interegation scenes so we could have an idea of how to go about the task. Once we had the basic idea we started to plan in our heads the shots we should do and the script. Once we had a good idea of the shots and script we planned a storyboard of all the shots we were going to do. After we had planned the shots we created a script.
3) I used Adobe Premier Pro to edit all of the shots that I has taken. I also used prezi.com to create a plan of what and how I was going to do. In tis prezi I included the plot, the script, the people who were going to star in the clip and other general information about the Prelim Task.
4)We had to take into account when shooting our clip that we had to have an appropriate room, an appropriate script and appropriate misc en scene. When shooting I had to make sure that I had all the shots that I was asked to use. When editing I had to make sure that all of the shots that we took were in chronological order. I also had to cut out any unnessecary parts of each of the shots that were not needed.
5)Overall our feedback was very good as we generally scored over half marks on our peer evaluation even when some of the groups didnt see our prezi presentation which obviously stopped us from reaching our full potential for our marks. We could have improved our task by making the genre more clear as this was the most picked on aspect within our peer evaluation. I personally believe that the genre was clear but there were ways hat we could have adapted it to make it even more clear for the audience to view. The best bit of feedback that we recieved was that we included all of the shots required and the prezi presentation was also very in depth and showed a good overview of the plot, cast and also the whole base idea behind the prelim task.
6)I discovered that my editing skills have improved since I last used Adobe Premier Pro. On this occasion I think that the only thing that could have been improved would be the actor involved in the task. This would then help to improve the recognition of the genre in more depth and would hopefully entice more people into liking my task.
2) First of all our teacher gave us a genre without us knowing what it was. We were designated a Detective Drama and we straight away had a very good idea of what we were going to do. We started to research interegation scenes so we could have an idea of how to go about the task. Once we had the basic idea we started to plan in our heads the shots we should do and the script. Once we had a good idea of the shots and script we planned a storyboard of all the shots we were going to do. After we had planned the shots we created a script.
3) I used Adobe Premier Pro to edit all of the shots that I has taken. I also used prezi.com to create a plan of what and how I was going to do. In tis prezi I included the plot, the script, the people who were going to star in the clip and other general information about the Prelim Task.
4)We had to take into account when shooting our clip that we had to have an appropriate room, an appropriate script and appropriate misc en scene. When shooting I had to make sure that I had all the shots that I was asked to use. When editing I had to make sure that all of the shots that we took were in chronological order. I also had to cut out any unnessecary parts of each of the shots that were not needed.
5)Overall our feedback was very good as we generally scored over half marks on our peer evaluation even when some of the groups didnt see our prezi presentation which obviously stopped us from reaching our full potential for our marks. We could have improved our task by making the genre more clear as this was the most picked on aspect within our peer evaluation. I personally believe that the genre was clear but there were ways hat we could have adapted it to make it even more clear for the audience to view. The best bit of feedback that we recieved was that we included all of the shots required and the prezi presentation was also very in depth and showed a good overview of the plot, cast and also the whole base idea behind the prelim task.
6)I discovered that my editing skills have improved since I last used Adobe Premier Pro. On this occasion I think that the only thing that could have been improved would be the actor involved in the task. This would then help to improve the recognition of the genre in more depth and would hopefully entice more people into liking my task.
Prelim Task- The PayDay Mission
Overall our feedback was very good as we generally scored over half marks on our peer evaluation even when some of the groups didnt see our prezi presentation which obviously stopped us from reaching our full potential for our marks.
We could have improved our task by making the genre more clear as this was the most picked on aspect within our peer evaluation. I personally believe that the genre was clear but there were ways hat we could have adapted it to make it even more clear for the audience to view.
The best bit of feedback that we recieved was that we included all of the shots required and the prezi presentation was also very in depth and showed a good overview of the plot, cast and also the whole base idea behind the prelim task.
We could have improved our task by making the genre more clear as this was the most picked on aspect within our peer evaluation. I personally believe that the genre was clear but there were ways hat we could have adapted it to make it even more clear for the audience to view.
The best bit of feedback that we recieved was that we included all of the shots required and the prezi presentation was also very in depth and showed a good overview of the plot, cast and also the whole base idea behind the prelim task.
High Budget and Low Budget Films
In this task we had to research a high and low budget film and look at how and who they were produced and directed by, the budgets they were given to make the film and the earnings that they made off box office hits and general sales.
Narrative Theory
The main narrative theory we learned in our lesson was about Barthes Codes.
He has 5 main codes:
Enigma code- This is where there are subtle hints dropped that help add mystery to the of the plot line. These hints then all come together at the end of the film to help solve the viewers confusion. They also help to keep the viewer hooked through the film.
Action Code- This helps to gain attention from the viewer and also helps to keep them hooked.
Semantic Code- This code refers to the connotations that are being given throughout the storyline.
Symbolic Code- This is also similar to the semantic code but is on a lot wider basis.
Referential Code- This usually involves some relevance directed from some sort of religion and is used by linking with cliches, sayings and proverbs.
He has 5 main codes:
Enigma code- This is where there are subtle hints dropped that help add mystery to the of the plot line. These hints then all come together at the end of the film to help solve the viewers confusion. They also help to keep the viewer hooked through the film.
Action Code- This helps to gain attention from the viewer and also helps to keep them hooked.
Semantic Code- This code refers to the connotations that are being given throughout the storyline.
Symbolic Code- This is also similar to the semantic code but is on a lot wider basis.
Referential Code- This usually involves some relevance directed from some sort of religion and is used by linking with cliches, sayings and proverbs.
Indiana Jones Opening Scene
Misc En SceneThere is a clear sign that this film is meant be shot in the 1950's. This is shown by the way the characters have dressed. The vehicles that they are using are also old fashioned which gives more evidence that the film is shot in an earlier period of time.
Camera
The main use of camera shot in this scene is a tracking shot. This is used because it helps to audeince watching the scene to keep up with the pace of the scene. This is because there is a lot of fast paced action going on within the scene.
Sound
The music that is being used in the opening scene is a song written by Elvis Presley, You Aint Nothing But A Hound Dog. I believe that this song fits very well into the opening scene of this film as it matches the time phrase and era that its meant to be in.
Editing
There are a lot of simple transitions that occur within this opening scene. These are simple but however are still very effective. Due to them being simple they appear to be faster which adds to the fast pace of the scene.
Terminator 2 Opening Scene.
Misc en SceneThe setting of this scene is based around a very desolate wasteland which there is clearly a lot of visible damage. For the first 40 seconds of the opening scene theres very low lighting. This emits a very dark and gloomy image and also portrays an eerie effect.
CameraCamera shots show a very strong view of the robots as they are shot from below the robots to give a more menacing prescence.
Sound
There are lots sounds that add to the effect of the explosions and lasers. Horrific cries that are coming from humans emit the fear and dominance of the robots over the humans.
EditingThe lighting after 40 seconds suddenly starts to change. Special effects that represent laser gunshots coming from CGI robots light up the skyline in the foreground and background. Bright flashing explosions also appear in the background.
Juno Storyboard
In this task we were asked to make a storyboard for the opening scene of the film 'Juno'. On the storyboard we had to make a slide of every shot that was to be taken to the precise making of the real opening scene. To this we drew a rough sketch of what was going to be going on in the shot and then a short description of what was being shot and what type of camera take/shot was going to be taken.
Practise using Adobe Premier
In this task I was given a a select amount of already chosen video footage and music to put together to make a music video and then a James Bond movie scene. We had to edit using Adobe Premier for the first time so my editing skills within this clip are very basic. I slowly started to feel more confident with using the software and am happy with being able to produce some good work in the future on the software. I then uploaded my video to YouTube.
Genre Film Pitch- Payday
When we presented the pitch of our film to the class we received very average feedback. I believe that we could have increased our interest in the audience by presenting it to our class in a more in depth manor. This would then have gripped the attention of the audience more so that they would have been more indulged within the presentation. The average throughout our presentation was 30/60 which is exactly 50%. From most of the feedback to improve the main area that next time we need to concentrate more on is the cast members. I personally believe that the characters that we chose were suitable.
Thriller Movie
The location of this shot is yet again on the school field. We chose this location to take the image as the rays of light that are coming through the trees branching which then contrasts with the shaddows. This makes the image have a mysterious feel about it which makes the audience suspicious about previous goings on within the image.
Comedy Movie
The location of this photo shoot was on the school playground but we also used the backdrop as a mound that is found near the sixth form common room. We chose this location to take the picture as the shot can be taken from below which changes the perspective and make the three characters in the background appear as if they are standing on the character in the foreground's hand. The three characters that are in the background of the picture are quite visible which helps the shot give added effect. The dominant figure that is standing in the foreground emits a funny emotion as he has girl hair but then a very manly beard which is a major contrast. Overall there is a very funny feeling about the image.
Superhero Movie
Semiotics of Step Brothers movie
Denotation- what we see when we look at an image.
Connotation- what we understand from looking at the image and interpreting different ideas from things such as themes, colours and personalities shown.
From this image of the film cover there are many different denotations and therefore connotations that can be made. In the image there are two grown men that are posing for a family photo. Due to their smiling faces you can interpret their relationship between eachother as happy and being comfortable in eachothers company. The two men are also wearing similar clothing. This could suggest that they are related or are interested in the same type of hobbies. The background behind the males is a blue. This could represent the peaceful nature between the two individuals and have a good solid frindship.
I Am Legend opening scene
In the opening scene of I Am Legend there are many spanning views of an abandoned city. This can infer that the city has been plagued and has therefore been left by humans and been left to its own devices. There is then a character shown driving down an abandoned road in the city. When the camera goes to the person he has a gun next to him. This could show that he has a lot of fear within him which is demonstrated through the use of having a gun near by for protection. After his dog sensing the close presence of animals that are available to be hunted the drivers skills become a lot more avid as he increases his speed in order to keep up with the wild deer. This can portray that food in the abandoned city is very rare so any chance to catch and hunt food must be taken.
Straight from the beginning of the film the equilibrium of the film is disturbed in the peaceful nature of the abandoned city. The disruption occurs when the two already distinguished main characters of the film come across the herd of deer. The tempo of the music and speed of the camera shots taken dramatically increases from this point before suddenly coming to a stop due to the herd of deer escaping into a maze of abandoned, damaged cars.
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