This is our two minute horror film opening...
Aftermath
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Evaluation questions:
Q7) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
There were some big differences between our preliminary task and our main project. These were mainly through the differences in dialogue, the actual plots, the lighting and colour, the genre etc. Although these are some of the key elements in filming, there were a couple of similarities between our two tasks. I learned alot from the continuity exercise in the fact that we actually used many of the strategies and techniques in order to make a continuity exercise work properly in our main film opening. This was not just through the use in camera but in fact, is all to do when you finish the task, it is the editing stage that is the main similarity between these two projects.
In order for a continuity to work in any film, the cuts between scenes, dialogue, scenery etc. has to be smooth and accurate so that the audience know what is going on. I learnt that if there are too many jump cuts in any particular scene, it doesn't matter what genre the film is but too many of them looks cheap, rubbish and can upset and confuse the audience and storyline/plot. If this happens then another problem maybe that the dialogue between the characters can overlap. Although in some cases jump cuts are acceptable because they explain the story better than if it were just an ordinary straight cut. I learnt this through the continuity first when we came to the editing and then we used the advise in the actual, final film opening.
Finally, the last thing I learnt from editing the continuity/preliminary exercise to applying it into the final piece was the idea of the 180 degree rule. The 180° rule is a basic guideline in film making that states that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle. The 180 degree rule enables the audience to visually connect with unseen movement happening around and behind the immediate subject and is important in the narration of battle scenes.
The 180 degree rule
There were some big differences between our preliminary task and our main project. These were mainly through the differences in dialogue, the actual plots, the lighting and colour, the genre etc. Although these are some of the key elements in filming, there were a couple of similarities between our two tasks. I learned alot from the continuity exercise in the fact that we actually used many of the strategies and techniques in order to make a continuity exercise work properly in our main film opening. This was not just through the use in camera but in fact, is all to do when you finish the task, it is the editing stage that is the main similarity between these two projects.
In order for a continuity to work in any film, the cuts between scenes, dialogue, scenery etc. has to be smooth and accurate so that the audience know what is going on. I learnt that if there are too many jump cuts in any particular scene, it doesn't matter what genre the film is but too many of them looks cheap, rubbish and can upset and confuse the audience and storyline/plot. If this happens then another problem maybe that the dialogue between the characters can overlap. Although in some cases jump cuts are acceptable because they explain the story better than if it were just an ordinary straight cut. I learnt this through the continuity first when we came to the editing and then we used the advise in the actual, final film opening.
Finally, the last thing I learnt from editing the continuity/preliminary exercise to applying it into the final piece was the idea of the 180 degree rule. The 180° rule is a basic guideline in film making that states that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle. The 180 degree rule enables the audience to visually connect with unseen movement happening around and behind the immediate subject and is important in the narration of battle scenes.
Evaluation questions:
Q6) What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
From completing the final project, I have learnt many things about the type of technology that we used that I didn't know before. Firstly, in terms of the camera that we used to actually film our opening to our horror, it was not a fancy, expensive one but it was sufficient. We did not use any tripods as we wanted to keep our ideas simple but effective so for the subjective shot, it is better to not have a tripod than to have one. Through this new form of camera I learnt how to zoom in and out with a steady hand whilst recording. Although the most important thing I have learnt from the camera side of things is that you should always plan your surroundings. If the area you are working in is too bright/dark then it could change the overall mood of your piece and ruin your final idea but if you plan, your end product will really work.
Another key element to all media is the editing stage. In the editing process of our project, I learned a huge range of new skills and ways in which to improve a piece of film simply through the click of a button. It was the first time I had ever used a Mac so I knew it was going to take some getting used to. On the Macs was a programme called iMovie where you load up your filming and edit the stuff out that you don't need or things that didn't work. I had never done editing before but it was surprisingly easy and I picked it up very quickly. Within the editing process was where you could choose the piece of music to play over your film through a programme called Garageband. You could either pick a selected song or write your own.
This is the camera that we used on the tripod with the handle that allows you to tilt up/down and/or pan a particular scene.
From completing the final project, I have learnt many things about the type of technology that we used that I didn't know before. Firstly, in terms of the camera that we used to actually film our opening to our horror, it was not a fancy, expensive one but it was sufficient. We did not use any tripods as we wanted to keep our ideas simple but effective so for the subjective shot, it is better to not have a tripod than to have one. Through this new form of camera I learnt how to zoom in and out with a steady hand whilst recording. Although the most important thing I have learnt from the camera side of things is that you should always plan your surroundings. If the area you are working in is too bright/dark then it could change the overall mood of your piece and ruin your final idea but if you plan, your end product will really work.
Another key element to all media is the editing stage. In the editing process of our project, I learned a huge range of new skills and ways in which to improve a piece of film simply through the click of a button. It was the first time I had ever used a Mac so I knew it was going to take some getting used to. On the Macs was a programme called iMovie where you load up your filming and edit the stuff out that you don't need or things that didn't work. I had never done editing before but it was surprisingly easy and I picked it up very quickly. Within the editing process was where you could choose the piece of music to play over your film through a programme called Garageband. You could either pick a selected song or write your own.
A screen grab of us editing the differences in sound for the music box scene and our chosen song to use in our film from Garageband.
I already knew alot of different shots, movements and angles before the whole process begun but I had never looked into the idea of panning through movement in the camera with detail. The idea of the pan shot became more effective as we progressed in our final min task/project and we used it alot more frequently. We cut down the number of scenes with Pan's in them through the Macs but one scene still has this and this is the scene filmed in Abby's bedroom where Chloe's character is opening the music box and she has a violent breakdown from remembering sharing it with her sister. In this scene where she is hitting the walls and knocking books off shelves, the camera is following her through a pan shot to keep the audience in the action.
In terms of angles, where we did use a tripod, you can change the camera using tilts by using a handle attached to the back of the camera. This was the first time I had used it in this way and you can also use it for panning but mainly tilts (moving up and down). We used alot of angles and framing in our opening to our horror film as horrors use what is sometimes called off screen sound. This is where you here something that you know is there on screen but you cannot see it. For an example, if someone was screaming in fear up a tree but you cannot see the person, the camera can tilt/pan upwards towards the person. Voiceover's were useful too through the planing stage and eventually in the editing. In the film were Chloe whispers Aimee's name and her face appears is an example from our film of this type of sound.
This is the camera that we used on the tripod with the handle that allows you to tilt up/down and/or pan a particular scene.Evaluation questions:
Q5) How did you attract/address your audience?
In order to attract and/or address our target audience, we set about doing some questionnaires in order to receive feed back on our film to get a general idea of what our target audience were expecting. We did two separate questionnaires, one at the beginning of the planning stage where we were getting a general feel for the horror genre and what our target audience required from us and the other one at the end. The questionnaires we did at the end were focused on how our audience felt about the finished product and whether it had met our aims/goals that we set ourselves at the beginning. Here are some of the results that we got from our first questionnaire before the filming stage regarding the horror genre:
In order to attract and/or address our target audience, we set about doing some questionnaires in order to receive feed back on our film to get a general idea of what our target audience were expecting. We did two separate questionnaires, one at the beginning of the planning stage where we were getting a general feel for the horror genre and what our target audience required from us and the other one at the end. The questionnaires we did at the end were focused on how our audience felt about the finished product and whether it had met our aims/goals that we set ourselves at the beginning. Here are some of the results that we got from our first questionnaire before the filming stage regarding the horror genre:
In terms of our second and final questionnaire, the answers we got were very reliable. This was because of the fact that our film's target audience was youths and the respondents we actually asked were youths meant we could get a clearer picture and understand what they were talking about. The answers complimented our aims as our film opening (Aftermath) was a horror that represented youth culture so to get people of that audience to answer the questions gave us ideas for the future. What also helped was the fact that a lot of the questions from the survey specifically looked at how we could improve our film in any way, shape or form.
Depending on each question, there were a set of answers that had different options in which we could improve our film for things like the dialogue, acting, scenery, use of camera use of editing etc. Having people of the target audience answering the questions and advising us on giving room for improvement taught us what to include to next time round. Overall, the general feed back we got back from our second questionnaire was positive and fortunate. There were not a lot of suggestions for improvement but the advise we did get was very helpful.
One respondent said that the music we chose from garage band to play over our opening to our film (Conspiracy) over-shadowed the sound of the music box. This was understandable and plausible as this was the scene where Chloe's character opened her music box after having a breakdown but you could not hear it very clearly. Another respondent said that the 'Conspiracy' music was a bit weird and did not really go with the plot but also the fact that it did not sound very much like horror music but more like sci-fi.
Evaluation questions:
Q4) Who would be the audience for your media product?
Our film is a horror which specifically looks at youth culture and how horror represents youth as a whole. Our aim was to only use actors who were youths themselves so that people who watch this opening can attach to the characters and understand what is going on in their minds. So our target audience was youths but it is not that simple. Although we wanted to appeal to youths, not all of our characters are youths, Chloe's character and her sister Aimee are both meant to represent and portray youths but there is a third and final character. You never see him/her because they remain anonymous throughout the film. This third character is meant to be left to the audience's imagination as to who they are exactly. All we know is that this character is the reason why Aimee is missing, maybe they are a murderer or have kidnapped her.
We did not want to convey the idea of youths as the anonymous character because we realised that to have an adult villain was much more effective and scary. The fact that you do not see them makes the audience feel both uneasy and sorry for Chloe and Aimee. Another element is that if there is a significant age gap between the characters but it is clear that the older character is distinctively the evil one, it helps the story. Many modern day horrors use older villains than the people involved who are meant to be trusted by the audience. It also makes the story more sinister. Although we did have an older more sinister character in mind, we did not use any actors to represent this character as we had to stick to our aims in simplicity but also to keep on track with the forms and conventions of traditional horrors.
This is the image of the sisters sitting together to show and portray both youth and vulnerability
We really liked the idea of vulnerability in horrors through the characters. The fact that we had sisters to use in our story always helps because if they are by themselves with nobody to care for them they can be seen as vulnerable to the outside world and what makes our story sad is that Chloe's character loses her sister. Many horrors dig deep into the ideas of being vulnerable and this is usually represented through sisters or twins. For an example, in The Shining, the two little twin sisters are holding hands to portray their vulnerability but because it is a horror, they are seen with a bloody axe and they are dead.
Finally, in terms of gender, we did not have a specific gender audience because the majority of horrors are aimed at both males and females unlike action movies (boys) and princesses (girls). Gender plays a big role in horrors because girls can quickly change from being all cute and vulnerable to being scary and evil, depending on the film and plot. We wanted to represent youths so horrors that use girls in their youth, tend to focus on the girls being all shy, cute and vulnerable to everyone but hiding a darker inside, this could be good or bad. We portrayed this idea in our film because physically Chloe's character was meant to look shy and vulnerable but she was brave and adventurous in trying to find her sister. Girls in their youth who are goths, emos (generally like horror) etc. are stereotypically shy, cute, vulnerable etc. We represented the vulnerable side by using the sisters holding a flower.
Aimee holding the flower to represent her vulnerability
Our film is a horror which specifically looks at youth culture and how horror represents youth as a whole. Our aim was to only use actors who were youths themselves so that people who watch this opening can attach to the characters and understand what is going on in their minds. So our target audience was youths but it is not that simple. Although we wanted to appeal to youths, not all of our characters are youths, Chloe's character and her sister Aimee are both meant to represent and portray youths but there is a third and final character. You never see him/her because they remain anonymous throughout the film. This third character is meant to be left to the audience's imagination as to who they are exactly. All we know is that this character is the reason why Aimee is missing, maybe they are a murderer or have kidnapped her.
We did not want to convey the idea of youths as the anonymous character because we realised that to have an adult villain was much more effective and scary. The fact that you do not see them makes the audience feel both uneasy and sorry for Chloe and Aimee. Another element is that if there is a significant age gap between the characters but it is clear that the older character is distinctively the evil one, it helps the story. Many modern day horrors use older villains than the people involved who are meant to be trusted by the audience. It also makes the story more sinister. Although we did have an older more sinister character in mind, we did not use any actors to represent this character as we had to stick to our aims in simplicity but also to keep on track with the forms and conventions of traditional horrors.
This is the image of the sisters sitting together to show and portray both youth and vulnerability
We really liked the idea of vulnerability in horrors through the characters. The fact that we had sisters to use in our story always helps because if they are by themselves with nobody to care for them they can be seen as vulnerable to the outside world and what makes our story sad is that Chloe's character loses her sister. Many horrors dig deep into the ideas of being vulnerable and this is usually represented through sisters or twins. For an example, in The Shining, the two little twin sisters are holding hands to portray their vulnerability but because it is a horror, they are seen with a bloody axe and they are dead.
Finally, in terms of gender, we did not have a specific gender audience because the majority of horrors are aimed at both males and females unlike action movies (boys) and princesses (girls). Gender plays a big role in horrors because girls can quickly change from being all cute and vulnerable to being scary and evil, depending on the film and plot. We wanted to represent youths so horrors that use girls in their youth, tend to focus on the girls being all shy, cute and vulnerable to everyone but hiding a darker inside, this could be good or bad. We portrayed this idea in our film because physically Chloe's character was meant to look shy and vulnerable but she was brave and adventurous in trying to find her sister. Girls in their youth who are goths, emos (generally like horror) etc. are stereotypically shy, cute, vulnerable etc. We represented the vulnerable side by using the sisters holding a flower.
Evaluation questions:
Q3) What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
In 2009 Dogwoof distributed the documentary Age of Stupid The End of the Line, Burma VJ, We Live in Public and Afghan Star. As well as doing foreign films, british films they also include documentaries that link into specific socal problems and issues. These social-issues documentaries such as Dirty Oil, Food, Inc. and Burma VJ are the most famous that they have distributed for.
Our
"We are uncovering better ways of working with movies, doing it and helping others do it. Through ourwork we have come to value: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools ethical filmmakers over get rich schemes, audience collaboration over old school marketing, innovation and failing over tradition and playing safe, responding to change over following a plan, that is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more."
Films and documentaries that you may have heard distributed by 'dogwoof':
Our media film was never going to be a big budget Hollywood style film as our budget was very small because we only bought two items as props. Our film is more of an independent, typically british low budget film. In terms of the type of media institution that might distribute our film, there is one existing company which is called, 'Dogwoof' pictures. Dogwoof was created in 2004 by Andy Whittaker and Anna Godas, which originally focused on foreign films. They recently began to distribute documentaries such as Black Gold, Crude Awakening, and The Devil Came On Horseback. In 2005 Dogwoof launched the UK Digital Screen Network DSN at the Curzon Soho cinema, where political thriller King's Game was shown.
In 2009 Dogwoof distributed the documentary Age of Stupid The End of the Line, Burma VJ, We Live in Public and Afghan Star. As well as doing foreign films, british films they also include documentaries that link into specific socal problems and issues. These social-issues documentaries such as Dirty Oil, Food, Inc. and Burma VJ are the most famous that they have distributed for.
Colin is an example of a low budet, British horror movie and apperently the budget was £45
Our project would be a good film to be distributed into Dogwoof. This is because our film was a horror but it was an independent horror that did not just focus on the gore but also on how people's lives can change. Our film ticks most of the boxes that Dogwoof looks for in a film as their main aim is to distribute films and documentaries that portray social issues. Our film does this through how Chloe's character faces alot of issues regarding herself and her sister.
This is taken from the dogwoof website;
Our Ethical Policy...
"We are uncovering better ways of working with movies, doing it and helping others do it. Through ourwork we have come to value: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools ethical filmmakers over get rich schemes, audience collaboration over old school marketing, innovation and failing over tradition and playing safe, responding to change over following a plan, that is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more."Films and documentaries that you may have heard distributed by 'dogwoof':
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Evaluation questions:
Q2) How does your media product represent particular social groups:
In Aftermath, we wanted our film to focus specifically on youth culture and how horror as a film genre represents youths. Before the filming stage, we all agreed as a group that we would only choose actors that would appeal to a youth audience but not only for the audience but also to represent youth culture. Youth is a hard section of life to use in terms of representing certain charactersistcs through actors on a screen but it is not impossible. We chose to represent youths partly because we are youths ourselves but also the fact that everyone can relate to them and understand what is going on as adults were youths once as well. We decided to use Chloe as our main character of the two/three.
Chloe's character has alot of issues to deal with which are shown through her thoughts in our opening to the film. She has to deal with the loss of her sister, the possibility of her sister being dead and also to find herself as a person. Maybe not the first two but certainly the third point about youths trying to find themselves and trying to figure out who they are in society is all to do with this period of time. Youth is a time for learning about yourself, who you are and/or who you want to be but it is considering learning about life itself. This idea of trying to find yourself as a person can lead to the issues that everyone faces in life.
This is the theory that we wanted to represent youth culture in our particular film with. Youth is not only the time for learning who you are going to become and life but it is also about learning about other people friends/family. In Chloe's character's case, it is hard for her because she doesn't know (just like the audience) whether her sister (Aimee) has run away or has died both tragic things to think about your relationships but it is also issues in life that we must learn from. The message of the opening credits is unclear but the audience may think have to use their imagination for the story but for the representation of youth cultre, is very clear.
In Aftermath, we wanted our film to focus specifically on youth culture and how horror as a film genre represents youths. Before the filming stage, we all agreed as a group that we would only choose actors that would appeal to a youth audience but not only for the audience but also to represent youth culture. Youth is a hard section of life to use in terms of representing certain charactersistcs through actors on a screen but it is not impossible. We chose to represent youths partly because we are youths ourselves but also the fact that everyone can relate to them and understand what is going on as adults were youths once as well. We decided to use Chloe as our main character of the two/three.
Chloe's character has alot of issues to deal with which are shown through her thoughts in our opening to the film. She has to deal with the loss of her sister, the possibility of her sister being dead and also to find herself as a person. Maybe not the first two but certainly the third point about youths trying to find themselves and trying to figure out who they are in society is all to do with this period of time. Youth is a time for learning about yourself, who you are and/or who you want to be but it is considering learning about life itself. This idea of trying to find yourself as a person can lead to the issues that everyone faces in life.
This is the theory that we wanted to represent youth culture in our particular film with. Youth is not only the time for learning who you are going to become and life but it is also about learning about other people friends/family. In Chloe's character's case, it is hard for her because she doesn't know (just like the audience) whether her sister (Aimee) has run away or has died both tragic things to think about your relationships but it is also issues in life that we must learn from. The message of the opening credits is unclear but the audience may think have to use their imagination for the story but for the representation of youth cultre, is very clear.
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