In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
The media product that I have developed conforms to some thrillers like ‘The Shinning’ because they both build certain amounts of suspense they do this through the tone of music and the types of shots used which does not reveal to much of what’s happening. In my thriller, we tried to build suspense in conventional ways such as not revealing the face of a particular character. For us to build suspense we tried to avoid using close up shots on the face the reason being is that it might reveal a particular character which we want to remain discrete, if that is not successful we can lose the tension build up. We alternatively used close up shots on the boots and hands to try and hide the identity of this character. We also attained shots from behind the character, and tracked the characters from behind. We then see another character running away from someone or something, it is not completely obvious of what has happened which creates tension to the audience, this keeps them thinking.
To enhance the tension we also included music, this plays a crucial role because music changes the mood of the thriller and the audiences’ perspective. The music is almost a symbol to the audience, informing them indirectly that something crucial might be happening, which again raises queries which keeps the audience interested.
In parallel to my thriller, ‘The Shining’ is a good example of creating suspense, this particular film inspired us predominantly because it created tension really well for example, as we enter the scene we are immediately tracking the boy at a low angle from behind his tricycle, this startles the audience and raises some questions. As the boy pedals his tricycle further down the hotel corridor, the music becomes louder; furthermore the tempo becomes quicker which signifies danger. We used some of these elements and incorporated it in to my thriller.
How does your Media product represent social groups?
This thriller was constructed by us teenagers so it is mainly targeted at youths that are 15 and over. The main characters involved are males so it is assumed it is targeted at particular genders which are males. Gender is represented in a very stereotypical way especially in thrillers, men tend to be dominant and women tend to be passive this could be because in thrillers they don’t have a very strong role in thrillers.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Doing some research I found out that this particular company, ‘Pathe’ specializes in all aspects of film making such as production and development through to sales and distribution. I believe my media product would not be distributed globally. The reason for this is that to distribute globally you will need to have well recognized actors and directors to convince costumers to watch the thriller; also we do not have the funding to mass produce the media globally. However to make up for this, we will be distributing the media within the UK which would be released to small independent companies, it will also be revealed in a number of art house cinemas. Due to the fact our thriller is an independent British film with very little funding it is almost certain to be exhibited in art house cinema.
www.pathe.co.uk (global film distribution company)
Who would be the audience for your media product?
This thriller has a suspense build up and the audience needs to understand how it is being developed through out, because in thrillers not much is revealed and it is not completely obvious of what is happening, we need mature audiences which can relate to this media. Our main target age is 15 and over. Also the thriller mainly appeals to males who are 15 and over, due to the main protagonist in the film being a male. This is stereotypical in thrillers because characters who star in successful thrillers such as 007, Arlington Road and Collateral are males; therefore the male audience aspire to be like Tom Cruise and James Bond who are most often ‘heroes’ in films. There are a few females that are dominant in thrillers but they are still believed to be weak characters so therefore are represented weaker than men, this may result in women not watching many thrillers, women tend to be more dominant in romantic films.
I did a class survey and found out that:
• 63% of boys enjoy watching thrillers
• Only 37% of girls liked watching thrillers.
In this thriller we can have a combination of classes, whether it is lower, middle or upper class, but I personally think it is most suited to the upper class audience as they are university educated and may understand the suspenseful build-up better than the other social classes. And also the upper classes earn a lot so they can afford to go to the cinema as often as they want. But generally it all depends on what type of thrillers each of these classes may enjoy. It does not matter which class you are in as long as you enjoy the build up of suspense and like to think what will happen next? This genre is then well suited to those. A typical person who fits in to my target audience will be a 20 year old who works for an editing company, who is keen on going to the cinema at least once a week watching a thriller and also enjoys watching investigation programmes such as ‘NCIS’ and ‘CSI’ which requires you to think a lot and to predict the upcoming scene.
How will you attract/address your audience?
To attract and address the audience I can use advertisement such as using billboards, internet pop ups, sneak previews, newspaper adds, two for one promotion on cinema tickets. There are even fast food stores like McDonalds who are interested in advertising thrillers, they would not be advertised on happy meals because of the age rating of the film, but potentially be advertised on adult meals. Also to make our thriller popular we can advertise famous characters that inspired us to create our thriller. This will potentially persuade the audience to watch our opening sequence.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Before the construction of my media product I had to learn how to use the canon semi-pro cameras I have not used this type of camera before, so to improve my knowledge and skills, I did a special 1hour tutorial on using the camera. During the tutorial I learnt how to do the following things below:
• Inserting the battery
• Removing and re-inserting the DV tape
• Turning the camera on and off
• Recording/playback
• Attaching the camera to the tripod correctly and securely
• How to pan
• How to track
• Take static shots
• And how to use the focus
The bullet points mentioned above came in very handy when constructing my thriller, because all the points mentioned was used for example, when we had to take a high angle shot the tripod came in very handy as we could extend the legs to our desired length and take the shots needed, with ease we also used the tripod for static shots.
One advantage of the camera was you could alter the depth of focus. I felt this was a clever feature because we can make a particular shot blurry. This blurry shot was very effective as we used it to try and not reveal the face of a particular character (part of suspense build up). In the process of filming we encountered a problem with the camera as it was very power consuming, meaning the battery had a maximum life of one hour, so it meant the camera was not in use as we had to switch it off which got annoying over time, this was soon sorted out with an extra battery pack which allowed us more recording time.
Once the filming was all done we had to use software called, ‘final cut pro’ which allowed us to upload our footage. This particular editing software allowed us to convert tape footage in to digital format which allowed us to render the footage on the Mac.
At first this software was very hard to use because it had so many different features which I thought only professionals can use. But after a short preliminary exercise I soon felt more comfortable using the software. I learnt how cut and join two clips together, shorten the length of a clip, change the positions of clips, join match cuts and finally using different types of effects. All these features were incorporated in to my thriller.
During the construction of my thriller I have been using the internet to keep an electronic diary. I used a site called blogger which allowed me to blog the different types of tasks I did during the thriller construction. The blogger was basically to keep a track record of my progress. Once the thriller was completed we uploaded it on to ‘Vimeo’ and from that our audience can post comments and suggestion about the clip.
http://thriller08group27.blogspot.com/search/label/ADDIL%20BAKKALI (my blog)
Looking at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Looking back at the match cut exercise I felt this played a crucial role in the development of the thriller. In order for the thriller to be a success there had to be good match cuts and it had to have a continuous feel of smoothness. When doing our thriller we did find that some of our match cuts were slightly odd and did not feel natural enough, this could have been caused by a variety of factors for example incorrect planning or the camera was not angled correctly. This problem was soon put right on the second attempt as we carefully reviewed and altered our plans. This shows that some match cuts can be very effective if positioned in the correct order or can be the complete opposite, it is a matter of trial and error. Even professional film crews come across problems like the ones I have encountered.
I have learnt that planning plays a major role of film making and you cannot just take a big leap and just start filming without any detailed plans. We have learnt that films that are not planned tend to look rushed. To make sure our thriller does not encounter these problems, we were given a story board. We had to draw our images describe the mise-en-scene, dialogue, effects, and music these are important stages because the plans we put on paper will come to real life. To enhance our understanding of match cuts we did a synopsis, this is basically like a story board but in much more detail. We also had to fill in the type of camera shots used, the duration and fill in whether the camera shot was either external or internal.
To make our thriller completely original we decided not to use digitally designed credits because we felt that it did not go well with our thriller, so we decided to take a risk and design our own credits on plain paper this way it will go very well with our true story feel of the thriller. This idea was thought of by Wing who is very artistic; he managed to draw and design the credits.
Once the thriller opening was completely finished, we then had the opportunity to view it to the class. From that we received the audience’s feedback; we felt that this was important for the success of our thriller. Happily the audiences enjoyed and understood the narrative of our opening film. These are some of the comments we received from our audiences:
“Really good music the solarize effect worked really well in creating suspense”
“I love the credits, the sound worked really well in the film I also like the close up shots on the boots”
“Amazing match cuts and credits, and the thriller looks very professional”
Overall my group are very pleased about the audience’s feedback, as we really worked hard in developing this media product.
In this overall evaluation of my work I can clearly say that this thriller has followed the conventions of real life thrillers and it has created suspense in a very effective way, I am very pleased of what we have achieved, and for a first attempt I think we have produced a smashing suspenseful thriller.
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Thriller evaluation
Thriller Evaluation
In our thriller we had many story lines, some we thought were way to complex and some way to simple. As a group our main aim was to create a balance of excitement and simplicity. In the end we agreed on how exactly we wanted our thriller to look. Our final pitch was very basic. A young male running thorough a forest and followed/ found by a suspicious male. Even though the location of dystopia is just a forest, by using creative angles and match cuts it gives the viewer different prospective. It also has created a professional atmosphere within the production of the film. As most of our thriller is a running sequence I decided to research the film collateral which we watched in lesson. This film had a key running scene which we study the different camera angles which made the scene very suspensful.
There are many types of thriller sub genres. The legal thriller, romantic thriller, spy thriller, action-adventure and the list goes on. During lessons, we watched many clips of thriller scene. The most effective thriller clip that really helped influence my thriller opening was Arlington road , especially the running section in the hospital. I found this part of the clip exciting and extremely fasted pace, it had great effects on the camera shots. For example, it followed the man running with the boy in his arms very well. The lighting with all white background made them stand out even more, which I think highlighted that this part of the movie was very important. I feel that it made the hospital seemed rather airy and the halls hollow.
Looking at different thriller clips helped us identify the conventions that thriller openings should contain. The location of a thriller is a very vital narrative clue. For example in the shinning the hotel location alone is frightening and makes the audience feel instantly uneasy.
I challenged normal forms and conventions of thriller openings in a few ways. One way we did this was by having no verbal narrative, which I think worked effectively because it created more tension. In addition, lack of dialogue encourages the audience to focus more on the visuals concept of my thriller opening. Another way we challenged conventions was we had only one location, which worked well, as I thought that it would make the forest seem as a crucial part of the rest of movie if it was to be made.
Dystopia is a very versatile thriller opening which I think I would market in a very different way. Instead of doing what most movie advertisements do and concentrate on the main actor. I would instead concentrate on all the actors in the trailer, for example on every billboard there would be a different character and a quote that they say in the movie . As I also think that my film is independent I still think it could be a major success. I would advertise it in urban bars and clubs.
I would only use limited TV adds to attract my audience as I want this film to feel more as an underground exclusive. Also the internet campaign would be helpful as I could advertise the film on face book and my space with offerings of special screenings.
I feel that my media product has the potential to be a Hollywood blockbuster. But I personally think that it looks more of an big independent movie disrupted in the uk release. However as the film has a main Chinese actor I think it would also be disrupted in Asia but only DVD. As I would advertise it on the internet largely I would also dedicate a site for members to watch the movie.
For dystopia to be a Hollywood block buster it would need a well know director and producer who has done a similar kind of product. For example Michael Mann who directed collateral and also Miami vice which are two major thriller movies which were big box office success.
However I don’t think it would need to have a big budget production but an low to middle budget as I think it should be a British film. I think our countryside’s and forests will provide an ideal location. These locations will also help the British audience to be able to relate and identify with. Even though it could be a huge success in America I still think in Britain it would only be view in small independent cinemas and art houses.
I think my film is for an aspires who when watches dystopia they get a sense of adventure and excitement. I don’t think people who watch this movie will 9-5 office workers but instead artistic and creative sort of people who don’t want to settle for just a normal life. My audience will also be regular cinema attendees and love this type of movie. They also can be somewhat eccentric and don’t really fit in a particular social group. My typical person who fits into my target audience is , Andrew ,21, works as a free lance artist also apart of a friends music band. He loves going cinemas and picture houses. He is a regular backpacker and loves enjoying culture with friends. Who shops in vintage store and charity stores and very much involved in volunteer work. My audience will be very into the London/ city urban culture. I think in cinema today not many thriller films have lost their unique appeal to young people
As dystopia trailer only contains two male actors. Both males are young , fit and rather attractive. So I think gives a strong representation of how males are seen more as the heroic and superior gender. However I think it also represents young people of a working class background.
During the filming of my thriller I found that using a camera is not as easy as it looks. At times I found it enjoyable but other times difficult to get the right shot we needed. We shot in on location at queens wood forest on a very cold evening ,which made some shots very difficult . The 1st filming session we managed to get a lot of useful shots and camera footage. By our group our original pitch has changed a number of times but once we got to our location everything came into place and my group ideas began to develop . For example the clip of wing dropping, this was an very good impersonation which we later perfected.
Using final cut pro I found was rather difficult but I enjoyed the challenged. I participated in the capturing and logging and moving clips around to where we thought suited best in our thriller. When it came to editing our thriller I felt in someway are group was very much dived. Adial and wing self assigned themselves to most of the editing and effects. Rihana and myself were in charge of music. I enjoyed using soundtrack pro as I got use to the programme very quickly. We spent a lot of time finding a lot of samples of music that had a fast tempo but distorted sound. We also decide to use some of the original sound from the camera footage as well.
In this project, I found the internet very useful. My main use for the internet was film research, this helped me when it came to filming certain shots and adapting how our thriller opening should look. The internet gave me the opportunity to watch a vast amount of thriller trailers credits, as we wanted ours to b different then just writing them on the screen. Unfortunately my internet access at my home was very un reliable so I could hardly access the blogging site. But what I did instead is write down notes of every process of this project and entered them into the site either at college or when I could get to a computer.
Looking back at my preliminary task, at the time I didn’t really truly understand why we was doing it, but as I started my thriller filming and editing I found that I was always referring back to what I previously did. The match cut task really helped us and we found ourselves actually wanting to create excellent match cut which would capture the audience attention almost instantly .
I also found that I knew what camera angles suited the shot we was trying to create.
However, in the process of making my thriller I learned things that I never did. Like adding mixing and adding music or adding special effects and credits. Learning new things and combined them with the old skills I learnt before, I feel much more confident with editing and production.
(An example of one our credits)
Overall I enjoyed shooting and constructing dystopia. I found it a new experience and a newfound independence as it was total group work and not dependent on teachers input. If I was to do this project differently I would like to get more involved with the editing side of things. And I would also ensure my ideas were more verbal and not to so worried that they won't work out. I would also plan in more detail and not waste as much time on useless shots. When we watched our thriller openings in vue cinema, I found it strange and exciting at the same time . As what was actually on the screen was my work, also it was received well which maybe me want to do it all over again.
In our thriller we had many story lines, some we thought were way to complex and some way to simple. As a group our main aim was to create a balance of excitement and simplicity. In the end we agreed on how exactly we wanted our thriller to look. Our final pitch was very basic. A young male running thorough a forest and followed/ found by a suspicious male. Even though the location of dystopia is just a forest, by using creative angles and match cuts it gives the viewer different prospective. It also has created a professional atmosphere within the production of the film. As most of our thriller is a running sequence I decided to research the film collateral which we watched in lesson. This film had a key running scene which we study the different camera angles which made the scene very suspensful.
There are many types of thriller sub genres. The legal thriller, romantic thriller, spy thriller, action-adventure and the list goes on. During lessons, we watched many clips of thriller scene. The most effective thriller clip that really helped influence my thriller opening was Arlington road , especially the running section in the hospital. I found this part of the clip exciting and extremely fasted pace, it had great effects on the camera shots. For example, it followed the man running with the boy in his arms very well. The lighting with all white background made them stand out even more, which I think highlighted that this part of the movie was very important. I feel that it made the hospital seemed rather airy and the halls hollow.
Looking at different thriller clips helped us identify the conventions that thriller openings should contain. The location of a thriller is a very vital narrative clue. For example in the shinning the hotel location alone is frightening and makes the audience feel instantly uneasy.
I challenged normal forms and conventions of thriller openings in a few ways. One way we did this was by having no verbal narrative, which I think worked effectively because it created more tension. In addition, lack of dialogue encourages the audience to focus more on the visuals concept of my thriller opening. Another way we challenged conventions was we had only one location, which worked well, as I thought that it would make the forest seem as a crucial part of the rest of movie if it was to be made.
Dystopia is a very versatile thriller opening which I think I would market in a very different way. Instead of doing what most movie advertisements do and concentrate on the main actor. I would instead concentrate on all the actors in the trailer, for example on every billboard there would be a different character and a quote that they say in the movie . As I also think that my film is independent I still think it could be a major success. I would advertise it in urban bars and clubs.
I would only use limited TV adds to attract my audience as I want this film to feel more as an underground exclusive. Also the internet campaign would be helpful as I could advertise the film on face book and my space with offerings of special screenings.
I feel that my media product has the potential to be a Hollywood blockbuster. But I personally think that it looks more of an big independent movie disrupted in the uk release. However as the film has a main Chinese actor I think it would also be disrupted in Asia but only DVD. As I would advertise it on the internet largely I would also dedicate a site for members to watch the movie.
For dystopia to be a Hollywood block buster it would need a well know director and producer who has done a similar kind of product. For example Michael Mann who directed collateral and also Miami vice which are two major thriller movies which were big box office success.
However I don’t think it would need to have a big budget production but an low to middle budget as I think it should be a British film. I think our countryside’s and forests will provide an ideal location. These locations will also help the British audience to be able to relate and identify with. Even though it could be a huge success in America I still think in Britain it would only be view in small independent cinemas and art houses.
I think my film is for an aspires who when watches dystopia they get a sense of adventure and excitement. I don’t think people who watch this movie will 9-5 office workers but instead artistic and creative sort of people who don’t want to settle for just a normal life. My audience will also be regular cinema attendees and love this type of movie. They also can be somewhat eccentric and don’t really fit in a particular social group. My typical person who fits into my target audience is , Andrew ,21, works as a free lance artist also apart of a friends music band. He loves going cinemas and picture houses. He is a regular backpacker and loves enjoying culture with friends. Who shops in vintage store and charity stores and very much involved in volunteer work. My audience will be very into the London/ city urban culture. I think in cinema today not many thriller films have lost their unique appeal to young people
As dystopia trailer only contains two male actors. Both males are young , fit and rather attractive. So I think gives a strong representation of how males are seen more as the heroic and superior gender. However I think it also represents young people of a working class background.
During the filming of my thriller I found that using a camera is not as easy as it looks. At times I found it enjoyable but other times difficult to get the right shot we needed. We shot in on location at queens wood forest on a very cold evening ,which made some shots very difficult . The 1st filming session we managed to get a lot of useful shots and camera footage. By our group our original pitch has changed a number of times but once we got to our location everything came into place and my group ideas began to develop . For example the clip of wing dropping, this was an very good impersonation which we later perfected.
Using final cut pro I found was rather difficult but I enjoyed the challenged. I participated in the capturing and logging and moving clips around to where we thought suited best in our thriller. When it came to editing our thriller I felt in someway are group was very much dived. Adial and wing self assigned themselves to most of the editing and effects. Rihana and myself were in charge of music. I enjoyed using soundtrack pro as I got use to the programme very quickly. We spent a lot of time finding a lot of samples of music that had a fast tempo but distorted sound. We also decide to use some of the original sound from the camera footage as well.
In this project, I found the internet very useful. My main use for the internet was film research, this helped me when it came to filming certain shots and adapting how our thriller opening should look. The internet gave me the opportunity to watch a vast amount of thriller trailers credits, as we wanted ours to b different then just writing them on the screen. Unfortunately my internet access at my home was very un reliable so I could hardly access the blogging site. But what I did instead is write down notes of every process of this project and entered them into the site either at college or when I could get to a computer.
Looking back at my preliminary task, at the time I didn’t really truly understand why we was doing it, but as I started my thriller filming and editing I found that I was always referring back to what I previously did. The match cut task really helped us and we found ourselves actually wanting to create excellent match cut which would capture the audience attention almost instantly .
I also found that I knew what camera angles suited the shot we was trying to create.
However, in the process of making my thriller I learned things that I never did. Like adding mixing and adding music or adding special effects and credits. Learning new things and combined them with the old skills I learnt before, I feel much more confident with editing and production.
(An example of one our credits)
Overall I enjoyed shooting and constructing dystopia. I found it a new experience and a newfound independence as it was total group work and not dependent on teachers input. If I was to do this project differently I would like to get more involved with the editing side of things. And I would also ensure my ideas were more verbal and not to so worried that they won't work out. I would also plan in more detail and not waste as much time on useless shots. When we watched our thriller openings in vue cinema, I found it strange and exciting at the same time . As what was actually on the screen was my work, also it was received well which maybe me want to do it all over again.
Thriller Evaluation
In our thriller we had many story lines, some we thought were way to complex and some way to simple. As a group our main aim was to create a balance of excitement and simplicity. In the ended we agreed on how exactly we wanted our thriller to look. Our final pitch was very basic. A teenager running thorough a forest and followed/ found by a suspicious male. Even though the location of dystopia is just a forest, by using creative angles and match cuts it gives the viewer different prospective. It also has created a professional atmosphere within the production of the film. As most of our thriller is a running sequence I decided to research the film collateral which we watched in lesson. This film had a key running scene which we study the different camera angles which made the scene very suspenseful
There are many types of thriller sub genres. The legal thriller, romantic thriller, spy thriller, action-adventure and the list goes on. During lessons, we watched many clips of thriller scenes .The most effective thriller clip that really helped influence my thriller opening was Arlington road , especially the running section in the hospital. I found this part of the clip exciting and extremely fasted pace, it had great effects on the camera shots. For example, it followed the man running with the boy in his arms very well. The lighting with all white background made them stand out even more, which I think highlighted that this part of the movie was very important. I feel that the hospital seemed rather airy and the halls hollow. Looking at different thriller clips helped us identify the conventions that thriller openings should contain. The location of a thriller is a very vital narrative clue. For example in the shinning the hotel location alone is frightening and makes the audience feel instantly uneasy. I challenged normal forms and conventions of thriller openings in a few ways. One way we did this was by having no verbal narrative, which I think worked effectively because it created more tension. In addition, lack of dialogue encourages the audience to focus more on the visuals concept of my thriller opening. Another way we challenged conventions was we had only one location, which worked well, as I thought that it would make the forest seem as a crucial part of the rest of movie if it was to be made.
Dystopia is a very versatile thriller opening which I think I would market in a very different way. Instead of doing what most movie advertisements do and concentrate on the main actor. I would instead concentrate on all the actors in the trailer, for example on every billboard there would be a different character and a quote that they say in the movie . As I also think that my film is independent I still think it could be a major success. I would advertise it in urban bars and clubs. I would only use limited TV adds to attract my audience as I want this film to feel more as an underground exclusive. Also the internet campaign would be helpful as I could advertise the film on face book and my space with offerings of special screenings.
I feel that my media product has the potential to be a Hollywood blockbuster. But I personally think that it looks more of an big independent movie disrupted in the uk release. However as the film has a main Chinese actor I think it would also be disrupted in Asia but only DVD. As I would advertise it on the internet largely I would also dedicate a site for members to watch the movie. For dystopia to be a Hollywood block buster it would need a well know director and producer who has done a similar kind of product. For example Michael Mann who directed collateral and also Miami vice which are two major thriller movies which were big box office success. However I don’t think it would need to have a big budget production but an low to middle budget as I think it should be a British film. I think our countryside’s and forests will provide an ideal location. These locations will also help the British audience to be able to relate and identify with. Even though it could be a huge success in America I still think in Britain it would only be view in small independent cinemas and art houses.
I think my film is for an aspires who when watches dystopia they get a sense of adventure and excitement. I don’t think people who watch this movie will 9-5 office workers but instead artistic and creative sort of people who don’t want to settle for just a normal life. My audience will also be regular cinema attendees and love this type of movie. They also can be somewhat eccentric and don’t really fit in a particular social group. My typical person who fits into my target audience is , Andrew ,21, works as a free lance artist also apart of a friends music band. He loves going cinemas and picture houses. He is a regular backpacker and loves enjoying culture with friends. Who shops in vintage store and charity stores and very much involved in volunteer work. My audience will be very into the London/ city urban culture. I think in cinema today not many thriller films have lost their unique appeal to young people
As dystopia trailer only contains two male actors. Both males are young , fit and rather attractive. So I think gives a strong representation of how males are seen more as the heroic and superior gender. However I think it also represents young people of a working class background.
During the filming of my thriller I found that using an camera is not as easy as it looks. At times I found it enjoyable but other times difficult to get the right shot we needed. We shot in on location at queens wood forest on a very cold evening which made some shots very difficult . The 1st filming session we managed to get a lot of useful shots and camera footage. By our group our original pitch has changed a number of times but once we got to the our location everything came into place and my group ideas began to develop . For example (insert clip of wing dropping) this was an very good impersonation which we later perfected. Using final cut pro I found was rather difficult but I enjoyed the challenged. I participated in the capturing and logging and moving clips around to where we thought suited best in our thriller. When it came to editing our thriller I felt in someway are group was very much dived. Adial and wing self assigned themselves to most of the editing and effects. Rihana and myself were in charge of music. I enjoyed using soundtrack pro as I got use to the programme very quickly. We spent a lot of time finding a lot of samples of music that had a fast tempo but distorted sound. We also decide to use some of the original sound from the camera footage as well( insert sound clip, maybe the distorted one). In this project I found the internet very useful. My main use for the internet was film research, this helped me when it came to filming certain shots and also adapting how our thriller opening should look. The internet gave me the opportunity to watch a vast amount of thriller trailers credits as we wanted ours to b different then just writing them on the screen. Unfortunately my internet access at my home was very un reliable so I could hardly access the blogging site. But what I did instead is write down notes of every process of this project and entered them into the site either at college or when I could get to a computer.
Looking back at my preliminary task, at the time I didn’t really truly understand why we was doing it, but as I started my thriller filming and editing I found that I was always referring back to what I previously did. The match cut task really helped us and we found ourselves actually wanting to create excellent match cut (insert match cut clip) which would capture the audience attention almost instantly . I also found that I knew what camera angles suited the shot we was trying to create. However in the process of making my thriller I learned things that I never did. Like adding mixing and adding music or adding special effects and credits. Learning new things and combined them with the old skills I learnt before, I feel much more confident with editing and production.
Overall I enjoyed shooting and constructing dystopia. I found it a new experience and a new found independence as it was total group work and not dependent on teachers input. If I was to do this project differently I would like to get more involved with the editing side of things. And I would also ensure my ideas were more verbal and not to so worried that they wont work out. I would also plan in more detail and not waste as much time on useless shots. When we watched our thriller openings in vue cinema, I found it strange and exciting at the same time . As what was actually on the screen was my work, also it was received well which maybe me want to do it all over again.
In our thriller we had many story lines, some we thought were way to complex and some way to simple. As a group our main aim was to create a balance of excitement and simplicity. In the ended we agreed on how exactly we wanted our thriller to look. Our final pitch was very basic. A teenager running thorough a forest and followed/ found by a suspicious male. Even though the location of dystopia is just a forest, by using creative angles and match cuts it gives the viewer different prospective. It also has created a professional atmosphere within the production of the film. As most of our thriller is a running sequence I decided to research the film collateral which we watched in lesson. This film had a key running scene which we study the different camera angles which made the scene very suspenseful
There are many types of thriller sub genres. The legal thriller, romantic thriller, spy thriller, action-adventure and the list goes on. During lessons, we watched many clips of thriller scenes .The most effective thriller clip that really helped influence my thriller opening was Arlington road , especially the running section in the hospital. I found this part of the clip exciting and extremely fasted pace, it had great effects on the camera shots. For example, it followed the man running with the boy in his arms very well. The lighting with all white background made them stand out even more, which I think highlighted that this part of the movie was very important. I feel that the hospital seemed rather airy and the halls hollow. Looking at different thriller clips helped us identify the conventions that thriller openings should contain. The location of a thriller is a very vital narrative clue. For example in the shinning the hotel location alone is frightening and makes the audience feel instantly uneasy. I challenged normal forms and conventions of thriller openings in a few ways. One way we did this was by having no verbal narrative, which I think worked effectively because it created more tension. In addition, lack of dialogue encourages the audience to focus more on the visuals concept of my thriller opening. Another way we challenged conventions was we had only one location, which worked well, as I thought that it would make the forest seem as a crucial part of the rest of movie if it was to be made.
Dystopia is a very versatile thriller opening which I think I would market in a very different way. Instead of doing what most movie advertisements do and concentrate on the main actor. I would instead concentrate on all the actors in the trailer, for example on every billboard there would be a different character and a quote that they say in the movie . As I also think that my film is independent I still think it could be a major success. I would advertise it in urban bars and clubs. I would only use limited TV adds to attract my audience as I want this film to feel more as an underground exclusive. Also the internet campaign would be helpful as I could advertise the film on face book and my space with offerings of special screenings.
I feel that my media product has the potential to be a Hollywood blockbuster. But I personally think that it looks more of an big independent movie disrupted in the uk release. However as the film has a main Chinese actor I think it would also be disrupted in Asia but only DVD. As I would advertise it on the internet largely I would also dedicate a site for members to watch the movie. For dystopia to be a Hollywood block buster it would need a well know director and producer who has done a similar kind of product. For example Michael Mann who directed collateral and also Miami vice which are two major thriller movies which were big box office success. However I don’t think it would need to have a big budget production but an low to middle budget as I think it should be a British film. I think our countryside’s and forests will provide an ideal location. These locations will also help the British audience to be able to relate and identify with. Even though it could be a huge success in America I still think in Britain it would only be view in small independent cinemas and art houses.
I think my film is for an aspires who when watches dystopia they get a sense of adventure and excitement. I don’t think people who watch this movie will 9-5 office workers but instead artistic and creative sort of people who don’t want to settle for just a normal life. My audience will also be regular cinema attendees and love this type of movie. They also can be somewhat eccentric and don’t really fit in a particular social group. My typical person who fits into my target audience is , Andrew ,21, works as a free lance artist also apart of a friends music band. He loves going cinemas and picture houses. He is a regular backpacker and loves enjoying culture with friends. Who shops in vintage store and charity stores and very much involved in volunteer work. My audience will be very into the London/ city urban culture. I think in cinema today not many thriller films have lost their unique appeal to young people
As dystopia trailer only contains two male actors. Both males are young , fit and rather attractive. So I think gives a strong representation of how males are seen more as the heroic and superior gender. However I think it also represents young people of a working class background.
During the filming of my thriller I found that using an camera is not as easy as it looks. At times I found it enjoyable but other times difficult to get the right shot we needed. We shot in on location at queens wood forest on a very cold evening which made some shots very difficult . The 1st filming session we managed to get a lot of useful shots and camera footage. By our group our original pitch has changed a number of times but once we got to the our location everything came into place and my group ideas began to develop . For example (insert clip of wing dropping) this was an very good impersonation which we later perfected. Using final cut pro I found was rather difficult but I enjoyed the challenged. I participated in the capturing and logging and moving clips around to where we thought suited best in our thriller. When it came to editing our thriller I felt in someway are group was very much dived. Adial and wing self assigned themselves to most of the editing and effects. Rihana and myself were in charge of music. I enjoyed using soundtrack pro as I got use to the programme very quickly. We spent a lot of time finding a lot of samples of music that had a fast tempo but distorted sound. We also decide to use some of the original sound from the camera footage as well( insert sound clip, maybe the distorted one). In this project I found the internet very useful. My main use for the internet was film research, this helped me when it came to filming certain shots and also adapting how our thriller opening should look. The internet gave me the opportunity to watch a vast amount of thriller trailers credits as we wanted ours to b different then just writing them on the screen. Unfortunately my internet access at my home was very un reliable so I could hardly access the blogging site. But what I did instead is write down notes of every process of this project and entered them into the site either at college or when I could get to a computer.
Looking back at my preliminary task, at the time I didn’t really truly understand why we was doing it, but as I started my thriller filming and editing I found that I was always referring back to what I previously did. The match cut task really helped us and we found ourselves actually wanting to create excellent match cut (insert match cut clip) which would capture the audience attention almost instantly . I also found that I knew what camera angles suited the shot we was trying to create. However in the process of making my thriller I learned things that I never did. Like adding mixing and adding music or adding special effects and credits. Learning new things and combined them with the old skills I learnt before, I feel much more confident with editing and production.
Overall I enjoyed shooting and constructing dystopia. I found it a new experience and a new found independence as it was total group work and not dependent on teachers input. If I was to do this project differently I would like to get more involved with the editing side of things. And I would also ensure my ideas were more verbal and not to so worried that they wont work out. I would also plan in more detail and not waste as much time on useless shots. When we watched our thriller openings in vue cinema, I found it strange and exciting at the same time . As what was actually on the screen was my work, also it was received well which maybe me want to do it all over again.
Sunday, 22 March 2009
2nd March
In our lesson we were given the chance to observe each other thriller within our class-room. By doing so we are given the benefit of constructing productive criticism for our evaluation. After observing our thriller my class more or less all believed that our thriller was a huge success; one point in particular that was shared amongst them was how our credits were presented.
Our credits were written in a very rough manner on bits of paper which I stuck on a tree; then by creating a match cut of a person walking by, i made it seem that as he passed a tree the credit paper appeared magically on the tree behind- a common feature amongst many thrillers.
Secondly, they also enjoyed how our mise-en-scene was simple, yet very effective and due to the editing and camera work it was overall very exciting.
All the feedback we gained from this session contributed to my evaluation.
Our credits were written in a very rough manner on bits of paper which I stuck on a tree; then by creating a match cut of a person walking by, i made it seem that as he passed a tree the credit paper appeared magically on the tree behind- a common feature amongst many thrillers.
Secondly, they also enjoyed how our mise-en-scene was simple, yet very effective and due to the editing and camera work it was overall very exciting.
All the feedback we gained from this session contributed to my evaluation.
27th february
today we finished our thriller; after hours of filming and editing. In order to mkae sure that all was perfect we spent hours adjusting the match cuts making each one frame-perfect. During this same time we also completed the sound effects and sound track.
The sound track was created through the manipulation of normal everyday sounds, most of which were taken directly from the video itself- simply adjusted.
To our dreadful fright, we almost even lost the sound track but thankfully recovered it after scouring the earth for it!
After the final fine adjustments we were finally satisfied with the final product.
The sound track was created through the manipulation of normal everyday sounds, most of which were taken directly from the video itself- simply adjusted.
To our dreadful fright, we almost even lost the sound track but thankfully recovered it after scouring the earth for it!
After the final fine adjustments we were finally satisfied with the final product.
Thursday, 19 March 2009
finished thriller
After a few weeks of filming we finally completed our thriller. To make sure our thriller was effective and up to the standard, we wanted to view it to our audience this was an important stage because the audience are the critics. After viewing the thriller we received the following feedback:
“Great credits, thriller looks very professional”
“I really do like the solarize effect it creates tension really well”
“I enjoy the credits it looks very original, the music creates suspense very effectively”
Looking at the audience’s feedback it seems they really enjoyed the thriller, this meant a lot to us because we worked really hard on developing this idea. Ideas on paper are easy to do but to actually film was quiet a challenging task. But overall my group and I are very ecstatic on what we have achieved and for a first attempt on this thriller I think we did a smashing job.
“Great credits, thriller looks very professional”
“I really do like the solarize effect it creates tension really well”
“I enjoy the credits it looks very original, the music creates suspense very effectively”
Looking at the audience’s feedback it seems they really enjoyed the thriller, this meant a lot to us because we worked really hard on developing this idea. Ideas on paper are easy to do but to actually film was quiet a challenging task. But overall my group and I are very ecstatic on what we have achieved and for a first attempt on this thriller I think we did a smashing job.
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
final filming for match cuts (16/2/09)
On 16th February our group went back to queen’s wood to film a couple more match cuts and we also wanted to make the credits while we were there. We first started making the credits out of plain paper wing then wrote down directed by, camera by, produced by and music by on each different paper we then put the credits on trees so that any time I pass through that tree the credit appears. If this part is successful the credits will look very effective and original. Once the credits have been done we than had to start filming the match cuts of me. Basically I will be walking through the forest and different match cuts will be taken of me for example filming my boots this will play a significant role in the beginning of the thriller and towards the end of the thriller.
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