Evaluation:

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

 

I think that the preliminary task that we were set to complete was very important in developing some of the basic filming skills needed for when it came to creating our final piece. It allowed us to work on constructing some basic shots such as shot reverse shot, over the shoulder shots and master shots. We were also able to experiment using the lenses and working out which lens should be used in which situation. This was extremely important for creating meaning and purpose in our final piece otherwise the audience may not be able to connect with it as well.

 

I also learnt the basic skills of time keeping and how important it was when trying to complete as task in time for the deadline. Juggling the time between pre-production, production, and post production proved hard in the preliminary task, but this enabled us to learn from our mistakes and improve it for the final thing, which I think we did. As well as this I learnt that it is vital to complete the pre-production stage in as much detail as you can so that it becomes easier when you go out to shoot- otherwise none of it would make sense and a lot of time would be wasted. 

Evaluation:

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

 

Whilst constructing our film opening, there were several pieces of technology that we had to use. We had to use the DSLR's, the mic, the iPad's and the macs. In the production stage we used the DSLR cameras to film the footage that we needed. These were good representation of the kind of technology that we would use in the film industry. The allowed us to capture a clearly defined shot, whilst changing the lenses to gain better focus and zoom. An example of when we used the different lenses, was when filming the point of view shots of the girl, when the had to be out of focus to represent her not being fully conscious.

 

We used the software and camera on the iPads to capture test shots so that we were able to get a general idea of where we wanted props to go and how the lighting should be. These made this easier to complete as the iPads were more portable and quicker to set up.

 

When it came to the editing stages of creating our film opening we used the Macs and the software on them to combine our footage into one sequence. On the Macs we used Final Cut pro which allowed us to have the opportunity of cutting our footage and putting it together with music and effects in a professional way. Similar to that which would be used in the media industry. After we had finished creating our film openings we put our final product onto YouTube, which meant that it was able to be viewed globally, by anyone who wanted to.

 

I have learnt form this that each piece of technology is just as vital as another in order to create an effective film opening. 

Evaluation:

Who would be the audience for your media product?

 

There are many factors that effect the audience that would view our film opening. These are the characters we used (e.g. their age, gender, characteristics etc.), the genre and subgenre and the narrative. The way that we created our film opening was by sticking to the conventions that are typically found in a Hollywood Horror film. We chose to use a young looking girl as the victim who was wearing a dress and had long dark hair. We decided upon this so that younger generations could relate to her and so would want to view the film. As the psycho doctor we chose to use an older, tall man. This entices the older generations to watch it, due to them being able to understand the way he acts and so partially being able to relate to him. By using two different generations the target audience becomes more vast.

 

The genre that we chose to make our film in was horror, with a subgenre of psychological horror. By choosing this genre we narrowed downed our audience as not everybody likes to watch this type of film. Also due to the film opening being relatively explicit even after we had cut a lot out, we decided that the film would probably be rated an 18 in cinemas. This dramatically decreases the number of people that would go and watch the film. However do to it having a Hollywood narrative (after we took the BFI test too see if it was British), this would mean that a big conglomerate institution would distribute and market it therefore turning the target audience from niche to mass, and from local to global. Whilst completing the BFI test we found that although our film had a very much Hollywood narrative, overall it would be classed as British due to it having British cast, crew and directors and therefore a national audience may want to consume it as well. 

Evaluation:

Evaluation:

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

https://soundcloud.com/lwebb-1/social-groups-question

Evaluation:

What kind of media institution may distribute your media product and why?

 

https://soundcloud.com/lwebb-1/media-institution-question

Evaluation:

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?



Our final piece

The Dreggs- The Organ Player

We worked hard right until the hour of the deadline to produce the best quality film opening that we could, always changing bits and working to improve it to the best of our abilities.

Below is the final cut that we uploaded to youtube so that people from all over the world could have access to what we had created.

Click here to watch the final cut

Editing Process

 

To complete the editing process we had to ensure that we knew the conventions of editing that were used to create the horror genre. Some examples of this are slow, quick cuts to expand time, and during colour grading the dulled down colours.

We began by making a rough cut where we just layered in our footage and roughly cut each shot to fit together so that we had a basic sequence of what we wanted our opening to look like. after this we zoomed in a bit more and thought about how we were going to expand time and therefore made more defined cuts. This took a couple of hours to complete and after we had done this we started looking for background music to include. But there was one problem, the sequence just wasn't up to scratch. We worked for days individually and as a group working on improving it and making it look more professional. To make sure that we knew what each other had changed we separated the work load so that one person worked on layering all the sounds needed another on cutting shots, another on sequencing etc. As well as this we left post it notes saying any improvements we had and any feedback whether it be good or bad.

This took a couple of weeks and once we were happy with it we decided to relook at music that we wanted to use in the background. To do this we completed research of the stereotypical music used in horror movies so that we could follow the conventions. YouTube and Moby were the sights that we used to do this as they were free and had no issues with copyright.

To create and enhance our sounds effects we set up the recording setting on the cameras and used things such as mud and whacking meat with a hammer to create the necessary sounds which would have a massive impact on the feeling our film had.

We then colour graded our film and letterboxed it. These were the very final stages of the editing process as we had to ensure everything was right before we completed it or it would become out of sync. The letterboxing was relatively easy to do as we just had to change the ratios- we did this to give it a more cinematic feel. Colour grading took a long time to work out how to complete it but once we figured this out we found it relatively easy as well. We decided to dull down the colours and darken the lighting slightly in places so that there was smooth transitions from one shot to another.

 

This is a picture of the colour grading software that we used on final cut pro. The different panels allowed us to change specific colour by either making them more vivid or dull them down. This helps to set the atmosphere that needs to be created so that the genre is accurate. This software was relatively easy to use and after experimenting we worked out what to do.

 

Filming

We set out at 9 am to begin shooting our film opening. We began by sorting out the lighting so that it was a single drop light coming from the ceiling and rearranged the furniture in the garage to make it look more abandoned and old especially as some of the equipment kept there was brightly coloured which would not be a good representation of the ambiance we were trying to create. We then set up the props that we wanted to use e.g. a single table and a tray with hospital instruments on.
Before we got the camera rolling we did a brief run through with the actors so that it was all fresh in their minds and so they knew what they were doing.
To make it easier for the actors to work out their positions in each shot and where they had to move to we stuck masking tape numbers onto the floor as prompt when needed. This worked well as it meant that we didn't need to stop the camera when they forgot. We also masking tape the position that the camera was going to be during each shot so that we didn't miss any shots out.
We continued filming all day until about 4 o'clock when we had finished. Due to our previous preparation we were able to shoot in such a short time frame whereas without this prep it may have taken a lot longer.

Collecting recce shots

As part of our pre-production stage we chose to collect some recce shots so that we had a rough idea of which shots we wanted to capture when it came to collecting the actual footage needed.

 

This is a picture of our chosen location. By collecting these recce shots we were also able to work out what needed to be moved out of shot and how we would position the objects that we wanted to keep  in shot. This is part of framing and composition- which is vital in order to create the perfect shots to fit our narrative and chosen genre. An example of this was the way that we needed to cover up the Citroën signs not only due to them being modern and bright but also to avoid copyright issues.

 



 

We also used some pens to represent the medical instruments that we would use when filming. This allowed us to practice focusing and the smooth movement of the camera as it tracks the instrument (pen) being lifted up. This process was extremely helpful as it helped us to work out the shots we needed and to work out what we wanted in shot and what needed to be taken out.

Risk Assessment

A risk assessment is a systematic process of evaluating the potential risks that may be involved in a projected activity or undertaking. Therefore we had to complete this thoroughly to prevent injury. We decided to evaluate the potential risks at the chosen location (garage) so that we wouldn't miss anything out. We risk assessed everything from weak equipment which could hit somebody or collapse to open mains circuits which, if come in contact with water, could lead to sparking and result in a fire.

 

By addressing all potential problems, we were able to ensure that nothing would go wrong or create a problem. We then noted down the risk possibility through high, medium and low scores. 

Logistics

Logistics is sorting out and bringing together all the practical parts of the production. By this I mean; costumes, location, props, make up, equipment and anything else that may be needed. In our logistics sheet we also included the name of the person who was responsible for each section.

 

We managed to stick to the responsibilities and everybody prevailed, which enabled us to move on with the processes.

 

When sorting out the different sections we had to ensure that we stuck to the conventions of our genre as this was the way that we wanted to construct the horror genre.

 

Costumes:

We decided that the doctor should be wearing proper hospital clothing to make the opening have some social realism, which would allow the audience to connect with it more. This increases the scariness of the film, giving us the desired result.

 

For the victim (the girl) we decided to put her in a tight black dress. This breaks conventions of typical horror movies as it represent the girl as being daring, wild- rather than the stereotypical innocent, weak teen which is usually portrayed. We did this to put an edge on the film so that we didn't follow the strict rules.

 

Actors:

When it came to casting we decided to follow the stereotypical roles portrayed in Hollywood horror films. We did his mainly for the doctor but also in some ways for the victim.

 

Doctor- we wanted the actor who played the doctor to be an older, more matured man as we thought that this would make him look creepier, especially as the victim was to be a young girl. the actor we chose to use was middle aged with not much hair. He was tall which would make the character more intimidating and represent the power between the two protagonists.

 

Victim- we chose the victim to be a girl as they are stereotypically weaker and more vulnerable then boys. This follows the conventions of horror films. She was also slim which is also a common occurrence in other films that we had researched. However we chose an actress with dark hair to play the victim as we thought that this would also put a spin on the traditional ways, seeing as usually the victim is blonde as this would represent their innocence.

 

These were two of the main points that we had to consider in the logistics stage as this is what the audiences would be able to see and so our decisions would affect the impact that it had on them.



Casting

Casting was relatively easy to complete though we had to make sure that the actors we chose to cast fitted the criteria we had made up. We wanted them to be stereotypical for the parts.

Doctor:

• Stereotypical
• Matured
• Male
• Scary looking
• Psychotic
• Tall
• Relatively slim

Victim:

• A girl
• Teenage
• Innocent
• Young
• Slim
• Short dress
• Black dress
• Medium height

We chose to use people that we knew so that we could rely on them, and get hold of them when they were needed. The doctor we used was a family friend of Laurens and the victim was one of my friends. Both of them were willing to be included in the film, and were not awful at acting!

Shotlist

We formed the shotlist from the storyboard to assist us when it came to filming. It would do this as we would have listed all the shots that we wanted to capture, and we would just have to set each one up.

 

This is the shotlist that we created. Lauren was in charge of this. We had to decided which shots to use to create the correct mood and genre for the film opening, otherwise it wouldn't look effective. There were 9 different shot that we wanted to shoot. They were an extreme close up, a tracking shot, 2 POV's, an over the shoulder shot from doctor, an over the shoulder shot from victim. a tracking shot, a close up and a master shot. With this range of shots we would have enough footage to use in editing.

Screenplay

Sophie and I were put in charge of writing the screen play, following the proforma (for guidance) that we were given. We found this a relatively easy task to complete... but whether it was effective and not awful was another question. We spent a good while changing some of the lines as it started off rather cheesy! I feel as though we put a lot of effort into the screen play, even though it is not that long, and it was worth it.

Here is a copy of the first page from the screen play:

 

We wanted the screen play to look professional, neat and tidy, so we completed it in typewriter font with even spaces between lines and the sides of the page.



Storyboarding

During the pre-production process we completed a few storyboards- to ensure that they were accurate. On these we drew a rough sketch of what we wanted the shot to look like, then underneath we wrote about what type of shot it was and how we were going to use depth, focus, framing and composition effectively to make the best product we could.

In it we used several different shots including an extreme close up at the beginning, followed by a tracking shot, a p.o.v., an over the shoulder and a master shot. It was important that we got a range of shots and especially a master shot so that we had all the footage we would need later on in editing. The master shot is really useful as when it comes to editing, if you don't have the footage needed, you can keep cutting back to it!

In our storyboard we also included any sounds/ music we may need in there, so that it would be easier to complete in the editing stages.

Treatment

After having had decided on a general narrative and genre, the next stage was to complete a treatment. We were given a proforma for this which allowed us to complete it in the right way. In the film treatment we had to include the following:

• Film Title
• Production team name
• Film duration
• Roles within the team
• Actors and characters
• Costumes
• Synopsis
• Location
• Props
• Lighting
• Sound

Some of these categories we were able to complete immediately however others, such as, lighting sound and logistics couldn't be filled in until later.

Here is what the document looked like:

 

We completed this as a team and all participated to ensure that it was correct, as tthis would make it easier to use later on. 

Brain storming ideas for Genre and film ideas

Ideas, ideas, ideas...

The first thing we decided needed to be completed as a team was to decide upon a genre and film idea, that we would base our opening upon. We completed this using the chalkboard wall at the back of the classroom. We then made 4 titles- Horror, Thriller, Romance and Action. These were the genres that we agreed would be easiest to complete, as Sci-fi would be expensive and we couldn't do comedy as it is hard to come up with hilarious content, which the audience would appreciate and enjoy.

Under each of our four titles we listed anything that fitted with the genre. Some of us already had ideas for parts of the narrative and so we listed these as well. Soon we ruled out Romance and Action- as Action would require fast driving (none of us have a licence) or running and Romance is soppy and hard to pull off. So we were left with Horror and Thriller!

Organ trafficking
 This was listed under the horror category and we felt that by using this we would also be making awareness of something that could happen in reality. Also this is an idea that isn't often displayed in many films as it is quite risky.

We then decide that we would have a girl (stereotypical victim- conforming to conventions) captured by a psycho who would start cutting her up and sell her organs on the black market. This idea was then developed into a dream so that she had almost pre-empted what was going to happen. Our only worry was... pulling it off effectively!

Insidious

 



The opening titles for Insidious are presented on a black background with red writing. This almost foreshadows something bad is going to happen as the connotations of red are blood and danger. The music starts from the very beginning and is low and has a high pitch which creates a horror/ eerie feel to what is happening in shot. This music carries on throughout the 2 minutes but begins to climax at 0:41 when a little boy in bed appears on screen.

The way that the screen fades to black at 1:19 and then suddenly at 1:22 'Insidious' appears on screen in red writing on the screen, causes the audience to jump and therefore has them on the edge of the seat from the very beginning. This is my favourite part of the opening as it sets the expectations for the rest of the films and intrigues the audience to want to see if it lives up to these expectations, which pulls in the attention of the viewer.

At 1:31, a house comes into shot, which is in black and white. This creates a horror feel and helps to set the genre for the film as black and white is a convention for horror movies.

After the climaxing point the music then begins to fade out and return to normal.

Here is the opening for Insidious!

Dolls (1987)

 

In the opening of Dolls the first thing we see is a black background with white writing on, which reads, ' Empire pictures presents'. The opening two minutes for Dolls is relatively simple with nothing really happening. When the actors names appear in order of appearance, they have a doll inside one of the letters which sets the narrative and therefore gives us an insight into what the story is going to be about. The actors names and crediting continues from 0:22 until 2:00, which is a massive amount of time. If I am honest, at this point it made me disengage with what was happening as I became bored.

In the opening that I shall create in my team, I will ensure that our opening 2 minutes aren't boring and that the narrative starts as I think that include parts of the narrative captures the audiences attention and makes it more enjoyable.

Hostel III

 

In the opening of Hostel III, the opening was very quick and went straight into the action. I dislike this as it jumps straight in and doesn't really have much of an introduction to setting or anything. Scott Spiegel directs and produces mainly horror films and programmes and so this is his usual type of film.

 

I like the way that the main colours in the opening are dark, which makes the shot seem cold and depressing, instead of warm colours such as yellows and bright colours. I also like the way that the audience can see more of what's happening than the characters in it. This causes a kind of enigma as we wonder what the relevance of one of characters not being able to see the dagger is used for.



Se7en

The film Se7en was directed by David Fincher and was released in 1995. It is about two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, that hunt a serial killer who then uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi.

 

The opening for this is very fast moving and made me as the audience intrigued as to what was going on. It begins with a view of the seam of the book with the pages fanning over. This shot is all in black and white like in psycho, which creates a dulled out, cold effect. The beginning consists of diegetic sounds which match what is happening in the visuals.

 

The titles are presented on a black background, with white writing which makes up the titles. First with the production names, then the director, followed by actors.

 

My favourite part of the opening apart from it being fast paced, is the effects that have been used in the titles- i.e. them flashing and jolting about on the screen, with the action still occurring behind.

 

Se7en opening is below:



Analysis of Horror films (Our chosen Genre)

Psycho (1960)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Psycho is one of the most well-known horror films of all time.

 

 

Psycho was produced in black and white and this was introduced to us from the very beginning of the titles. The Paramount sequence was put in black and white which made us expect it to continue and set the context. The music in the beginning is the same throughout the two minutes and there isn't really a climatic point in the music.

 

In the opening I don't like the way that none of the action of story is carried out in the first two minutes and it is long winded. However this does make the audience want to see what is going to happen and creates enigma and builds suspense.

 

At 1:57, the shot changes to that of a city, which reveals where the story could be set.

 

Below is the Psycho opening sequence:

McGuffins

A McGuffin is something that is used to give more information or to move the narrative along. This is why it is important to understand these when we go into planning and making the opening of a film. To understand what a McGuffin was we watched the beginning of Forrest Gump.

 

The opening of the film features a feather floating through the streets of America and finally landing upon the shoe of a man. The words I associated with the feather were: Light, white, bird, floating, river, pillows, purity, innocence, swan, cowardness, peace and elegance. The feather could therefore represent a journey through life to reach a final point and probably a revelation or final point or peace. This links to what the film is about and therefore is a McGuffin.

 

The next thing that we did was we were given three words and we had to write down everything that came into our heads when we heard them.

 

Buzz Lightyear

The words/ ideas that I associated with this word were:

• Children
• Infinity
• Space
• Toy Story
• Lazers
• Bees
• Flying
• Dream

Cricket Ball

The words/ ideas that I associated with this word were:

• Ashes
• Australia
• India
• White
• Dust
• Bat
• Throwing
• Travelling

Chewing Gum

The words/ ideas that I associated with this word were:

• Tables
• Mouth
• School
• Mint
• Stomach

These are all connotations of a McGuffin. A connotation is the non-literal meaning we interpret of something e.g. a box can connotate feeling of excitement, suspense, anticipation and fear.

 

 

The task- opening sequence of a film

To construct our final piece, we have been put into groups. We are in the process of doing research and the pre-production process. After doing some research me and my group have decided to a horror movie with the subgenres of psychological horror and gore.

To this we had to find out the conventions of a horror film and of the subgenres. We broke the conventions into the narrative and the technical aspects. Below are the conventions that we found...

 Horror (Narrative)

• Mystery, unknown, supernatural
• Withheld information 
• Victim- girls (stereotype that they're weaker)
• Predator- usually a man who is psychologically unstable
• Dark, isolated setting, autumn/ winter
• Hallway
• Woods

Horror (Technical)

• Expanding time
• Strong sound- eery, builds tension (high pitched and more non- diagetic sounds)
• Long shots but quick cuts
• Black/ white and sepia

Subgenres

Psychological Horror (Narrative)

• Can be related to real life, so the audience can place themselves in the narrative
• Reveal even less information
• Isolated
• A predator that is covered by a disguise

Psychological Horror (Technical)

• Glimpses of gore
• Sound- diagetic and non-diagetic etc. doors creaking, heavy breathing...
• Jump cuts
• Dynamically moving

Gore (Narrative)

• Reveals a lot of gore
• Blood
• A stereotypical victim
• A frightening predator

To construct the opening to meet the conventions we will need to ensure that we include a variety of them.

Research

American Splendor (2003)

American Splendor is an American biographical comedy-drama film about Harvey Pekar who is the author of the American Splendor comic book series. Above is the timeline that I drew out for the first 1 minute and 8 seconds.

My favourite part of this opening is the way that the director inbuilt context right from the start, when the text is travelling along the paper and then the comic pages. This allows you to understand what the film is going to be based upon and get a basic understanding of it.

I don't like the way the screen lattices to black at 0:34, before the actors names appear on screen.

Here is the link to the opening for American Splendor:

Research

                 Goodfellas (1990)

As part of my research into film openings i watch the first 2 minutes and 12 seconds of 'Goodfellas'. The picture image is of the timeline i made up of the opening, labeling all the context, sound and titles that i saw, plus the times at which i saw them.

In this opening i liked the way that the title of the film doesn't appear on screen until 2 minutes and that before that was part of the action from the narrative.

Context is introduced from 28 seconds and continues throughout the opening. The first piece of context is in the titles when it says 'This film is based on a true story'.

The opening sequence didn't have any sound until 33 seconds, when a sound of a car was introduced.

Here is the opening to Goodfellas: