Film and preliminary task

Main Task

Preliminary task

Question 7: Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

My preliminary task I felt was a real starting point within my work I was able to progress with further technology and my skills within this are. It taught me to plan things out thoroughly in order for my sequence to work effectively. We got given a booklet with different camera shots, giving us a sequence to inspire our own. This task given me the opportunity to follow the instructions correctly and create my own sequence. I felt it help improve my understanding of camera shots. Including the use of close-ups, long-shots, extreme long shots, match on action and so on. This helped me greatly when beginning my final outcome because it given me an understanding of what types of clips would be used in my future production. The preliminary task given me a good sense of direction to what I was going to do for my actual outcome and the process that is needed to go through, one thing I found extremely helpful was creating a storyboard. Before filming the sequence a storyboard was created in this helped understand the concept of the preliminary task better and improve planning techniques. This helped for my final product because I went through the thought process and planning techniques I learnt before I create a step to step guide on what I needed to film and which shots I needed to use. I found it very useful because I understood everything more thoroughly.

The preliminary task also taught me able certain aspects of filming which I wasn't aware of before. One of these aspects are the 180 Degree Rule, this is an imaginary line the connects the characters. The camera must be kept on one side of the line otherwise the filming would look like if was coming from different directions, to film on the other side the camera must be recording tracking to the other side of the line. Below is an image which demonstrates the 180 degree rule:

This was a big help when filming my final product because it stopped me making that mistake and having to film the sequence. The preliminary task also developed a base for using the camera. The camera we used was a Sony Handycam, this was a useful camera because it was small meaning it could be carried around anywhere easily. The setting on the camera was easy to use as well so this practice given me a good set of skills before filming my final product. 

After filming my product I realised that there were many faults within it. Some of these included the surroundings I filmed in, as the location was at school there were many interruptions for example students walking in front of the camera etc. Another issue was sound, the background noise from the school created too many problems for the sequence meaning I had to mute the entire clip. Although these weren't major problems I felt that it helped towards my final product because it helped me organise and structure a location where these problems wouldn't occur, it also allowed me to make sure the people whom were involved were reliable and serious so it wouldn't be difficult for them to act properly. This task then helped me work as a group, this is because everyone involved were motivated to create the piece ensuring they did their parts effectively. 

The program used to edit the sequence was Adobe Premiere Pro, the task really helped me towards my final product because it given me skills which I wouldn't of had to learn if I had not done the task which would of wasting time towards finishing my product. Some techniques that I learnt was importing the video clips and using the razor tool to put them into a sequence. This taken some time for me to go through as I had to ensure all the clips were in a good order and flowing. After some practice I found it a lot easier and was then able to add filters onto the clips and transitions between scenes. The progression of these skills helped my full product immensely as because I knew all these general techniques I was able to just keep developing my knowledge and started to add slides into the sequence and titles which indicated what the film was called and who was involved. This become very easy and encouraged me to learn more.

Once the video was done I then learnt how to render my clips and export it as a sequence. After I did this it was uploaded to the internet software YouTube. Going through this process allowed me to understand that making my final product would follow this structure as well.

Overall the preliminary task was a big help as it taught things that I was aware of before, it also made me realise the importance of certain things and how areas which I may have not found relevant could impact the outcome of my piece e.g. the 180 degree rule.

Question 6: What have you learned about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

When starting our AS Media project we were given a preliminary task, this was to film a sequence. This task helped us understand and get used to the Sony Handycam and other camera equipment such as tripod. Below features an image of the camera which was used during this filming session.

When undertaking the preliminary task it helped develop understanding of how cameras work. This includes producing a variety shot in a simple sequence without breaking a 180 degree rule. If this rule is broken it is difficult for the sequence to appear flowing, the person for instance would appear to be walking in an opposite direction to how they were originally. This taken some time to get used to and understand so when planning for future productions we made sure that the storyboard didn't break this rule.

The camera was very useful because it still produces high quality footage and because of this it still has a reasonable amount of megabytes meaning it can export easily compared to filming it in HD where is would use high amount of megabytes and taken a much longer period of time to export.

The tripod to the right is very similar to the one we used when filming. The legs on the tripod were adjustable in height meaning we could produce high angle and low angle shots. The lever on the tripod allowed us to produce pans without having shaky outcomes. Overall it was a very useful equipment because it helped develop nice smooth shots in the clips.

To upload our media work we decided to create a blog, we decided to do this because it helped having our work to be organized in a collective format and in one place. www.blogger.com is a very effective because it is an easy type of format to use and allows work to be published easily for people to view. We used this to update our work weekly for example before producing our media project we decided to research into existing products this helped develop knowledge of the conventions our film needed to suit the genre we wanted to film. It also given us a clear view of what different types of films had and whether it the genre would suit our style of work.

Once our preliminary task had completed we decided to begin with our official film, the genre we settled for was a Film Noir, this is a classic 1940's type pf genre which focuses on characters such as detectives and femme fatales. Our storyboard was originally drawn out onto structured paper. However, we wanted a digital copy to be put onto our blog, this meant that we had to scan our work onto a printer and send it to our emails in a JPEG form. This made it easier to transfer over to blogger.com. This scanning feature was also done in other projects for example mind maps which I written out was also scanned into the printer and sent as a JPEG. For the production schedule we decided to use Microsoft Word, this was used because we felt it was an easy software to use where we could produce a table without complication of formatting things, an alternative software that we were going to use is Ed-excel.

When writing our script we decided to use Microsoft Word, this was a simple application which allowed us to structure our work easily. We looked at other online scripts, this was to view how they were structured, this influenced our work because it encouraged us to structure it the same way. We then used online technologies like the hotmail.com to email our script to ourselves, meaning we had a assessable copy on our phones. We then used my iPhone5 to view the script when filming so we didn't have to rely on paper copies which could easily get lost. Also sending the script out allowed the actors to learn their lines more easily as they could just go through it on a day to day basis.

Question 5: How did you attract/address your target audience?

Our media product has been targeted at a middle aged audience (around 40-60+) this is because I felt the genre of the film would appeal to this age range more than a younger audience. I looked at statistics towards Film Noir's and found that most of the content in a Film Noir includes some strong language, sex and nudity and scenes of violence. This content is suited to a higher age range due to what is included within in. Film Noir's also aim for an older audience due to the complexity of the narrative, there are usually twists set in the story this showing that the older generations would find it more interesting as it is something to solve and figure out. I think our trailer attracts this age range in particular because the setting are very urban and highlight the genre of our film. It also involves older characters which our audience could relate to on a better scale than someone who is very young.
On the other hand younger generations could be attracted to violence in Film Noir's which is commonly included.

The way I have attracted my audience is through representation and the 4 key areas: sound, editing, mise-en-scene and cinematography. I represented my characters in a way which resembles the stereotypes, for example the male character holds much more dominance then the females emphasising the patriarchal values which would be shown in society in that era. Representing my character this way attracts my target audience as they have understanding of the type of character he is considering many other films also represent their characters in this way. The representation of the male is also quite conceited, his speech and the way he carries himself emphasises these characteristics and show his development as a character. He speaks down to many people in the opening sequence, this also highlights this dominate male role which my audience role familiar with. The female on the other hand has been represented differently to the male, she is instead quite timid and held back, however although it is not clear yet from the opening sequence these roles would of been later challenged with the Detective falling in love with the timid woman as she becomes the more dominant one out of the two. At the start this information isn't clear and irrelevant, the vulnerability of her character suggests the theme of patriarchy again and allows viewers to identify with it.

The mise-en-scene in my opening sequence is showing themes which my viewers would be interested in. These themes include: love, violence, alcohol, crime and so on. To attract my target audience of males I made sure these key themes were highlighting by the use of props. These props include alcohol, hats (for the Detective), Newspapers etc. The use of props allowed the themes I was trying to get across become more significant. Also it set up the scene better and it given as a more realistic feel towards things. An example of this is the hat for Newspapers and papers in general on the desk, this reveals that the character is always hard at work with all his important sheets spread out. The fact that the sheets are scattered also indicate that he may not be a very organised character. The location of the scenes also help attract the audience, they reinforce them themes mentioned earlier and also gives the viewers an insight to what type of film this is. The locations shown are a narrow alley, which is used a lot in Film Noir's, a bar which highlights the genre and a office. The office shows the characters career in the film, it also indicates the typical locations for film noir's, this would attract my target audience because I have specified that their interests centre around crime and mystery dramas and from research I have found that the locations I picked fit well. The clothing in the opening sequence connect well to my middle class target audience this is because they're dressed in suits and posh clothing demonstrating that they must be from a higher class as the poor couldn't afford this type of clothing in the era is was set.

The sound appeals to an older target audience as well, the way the characters speak indicate sophistication for example the way the Detective speaks to the bar attender he is very abrupt and outspoken this is due to the characteristics of the detective and his dominance towards other characters. All the characters in the sequence have British accents, this accent in particular is usually associated with a rich place where the people are snobby etc. This attracts a British audience because they can relate to the characters on a stronger level and also a British audience may be more intrigued to see new upcoming actors etc. However, although the accents are strong British I made sure that nicknames were included from the Detective this is because I wanted to emphasise the theme of patriarchy and how he was able to speak to females in this intimate manner because he is a male, this is another way I tried to attract my audience because it is a sophisticated theme and because the older generations were brought up with these values they would understand it more.

The editing highlights the age of the film as it is very limited, it doesn't have any special effects it is just a basic consistency of shots which flow together to create a sequence. Transitions were placed at the start of every scene and at the end, this was done because when I studied other film noir's I found that the majority of older films also have these types of transitions. I felt this was because it introduces the scene better rather than cutting straight to the next sequence of clips. The editing aspects would also appeal to my target audience as it is very classic like previous film noir's which have been made creating this typical old classic atmosphere.

The cinematography throughout the sequence would also appeal to my type of audiences. A lot of the camera work allows viewers to become more involved in the scene and gather more understanding of certain characters etc. For example: A high angle shot of a person would indicate that they are vulnerable. Also the shots I've used such as a close-up highlights key areas that may be missed, alcohol is one of the main themes within the film and with the close-up used it informs viewers on the type of film.

Overall there are many ways in which I can attract the audience, firstly the story line itself is a key way of gaining that audience because many of the will know what to expect. Also the key four areas promote this genre further which allows the viewers to understand the themes and relate to them more.

Question 4: Who would be the audience for your media product?

When producing my media product I made sure that it was directed at a specific audience. My audience was set into two categories of people: firstly our primary audience which is predominately men and around 40-60 years old and a secondary audience whom would be around the age group of 18-25. The reason I decided to aim my product at these two age groups was because when researching into the type of audiences that watch film noir's I found they were aimed at a higher age group. The conclusion I gathered from this is that it might be due to the time era film noir's were brought out in, the people I have chosen as my primary audience would be brought up watching a film noir would know what to expect from a modern one. Another reason why they would be my audience is because the theme's featured within the film. There are themes of sex and violence, this indicates that it would be aimed at a higher age range because they're more mature to understand these types of themes. However, this goes onto my point why this type of film would appeal to a lower age range. Alcohol and sex is something that is usually associated with typical teenagers which is why maybe younger people would be interested with this film as they feature these elements.

The product would most likely appeal to a male rather than a female because the main characters involved are predominately male, this means that the male audience could relate more to the roles of the character. Also due to genre of the film and the themes included again a male audience might like the idea of it more than females. However, a female audience could like the media product too as it features themes of romance, this emphasizes that the product is can be controversial and appeal to bigger audiences then the one I have specifically indicated.

The interests of my audience will be centered around thriller, crime and mystery. This ties in well to my product as that is fit in well with that type of theme. The middle class would be more interested in my product because the characters involved are all from the middle/higher class as they're wearing suits and fur etc. This shows the audience can relate more to the characters involved.

My secondary audience are of a younger generation. this is because although the fan base from crime films is predominately adults it still can appeal to a younger generation, statistics have backed up this theory. I also feel that having a younger generation as my secondary audience widens the range of my film bringing in a more diverse audience. Although people from a younger generation may like this type of film, I still feel that it would be predominately males over the females, this is because crime is still a genre that men seem to like more.

Coursework feedback

Appropriate institutional title for Warner Brothers at the start and then a title using colour and appropriate font .  A production company  logo could be added. Ambient sound of birdsong is added to create an atmosphere of suburbia and a range of shots demonstrate continuity editing. As the edit builds through a range of shots of the detective walking the voice-over establishes the narrative in the convention of film noir. The voice-over sets up the enigma and a close up then reveals his state of mind.  Transitions are used well such as a fade to black to indicate the end of the introduction. 

The next scene is in a bar and shows proficiency in scripting and storyboarding and organizing actors, settings and props.  Careful attention is given to filming a range of shots. Music enhances meaning further and codes and conventions of the genre are clearly followed. The enigma is then set up with the femme fatale raising the issue which will then drive the narrative.

Evidence of proficiency in most of the skills and clearly fulfills the task.

45/60

Question 3: What kind of media institution might distribute your media and why?

Time Warner

Warner Bros. is a subsidiary of one of the biggest conglomerates in the world, Time Warner.
Time Warner and American multinational media cooperation. It owns loads of companies ranging from magazines to film production companies. It was formed in 1990 through the merging of Time Inc. and Warner Communications. Other subsidiaries it includes are: New Line Cinema, HBO, Turner Broadcasting System, Cartoon Network, Boomerang etc.

The institution to distribute our media project would be Warner Bros. I have chosen this institution because looking at previous films they have produced and distributed link to genre's they have published previously. The company was founded by Albert Warner, Harry Warner, Sam Warner and Jack Warner in the 1920's, as they were a brand new institution they didn't have enough money to produce very high budgeted films. This resorted into supplying audiences limited resources. Due to the lack of resources they decided to do things which would hide this issue. Instead they used many close-up's, added low-key lighting and used the same sets and locations. Another technique they used within film was dry ice. The dry ice was used to create smoke in the scene, this was a much cheaper alternative. As Warner Bros. have distributed a selection of Film Noir's I decided that picking this institution was a good idea as it has distributed films similar to this before and also has a high market - many people across the world has heard of this institution meaning collecting a fan base wouldn't be as difficult due to the amount of publicity the institution has alone. Also audiences will know what to expect from the film and the quality of it as it company has released similar productions in the past.

Warner Bros. is an American company, it originates from Burbank, California. This feature also particularly interested me when choosing an institution as well. This was because the location is set in American meaning many American films have been distributed from there indicating there to be an American Audience. The American Audience is one of the biggest in the world, meaning that when a film is newly released American is on of the countries many want to crack, this means that choosing Warner Bros. has made easier to collect an American Audience, and hopefully attract other audiences worldwide.

The studio system was a big part of the success of Classic Hollywood. It was system that made sure the biggest studios Hollywood were in control of the movies made and to make sure that the movies would be distributed. The biggest studios at the time were divided into two groups. 'The Big Five': MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros., RKO and Fox and 'The Little Three': Universal Colombia and United Artists. One part of the studio system which was important was known as 'block booking'. A studio would sell multiple films to theatres as a unit. A-budget movie that the theatres really wanted and the rest would be a mixture of A-budget pictures of dubious quality and lower budgeted B-movies. Block booking studios could make many movies, the majority of them with a low budget and of low quality. Most film blocks contained about 20 or more features, however some theatres complained that one block had predetermined the pay bill for the duration of the year.