New technologies have recently had a huge impact on our everyday lives, for example in today's society we are moving away from man made products, and towards a shift of more electrical items which are much easier to use
This term covers a wide range of different definitions and opinions, however, in the context of my A2 media coursework, we need to refer to "new technologies" as new equipment such as, Laptops, computers, cameras, television, high definition and there can be many more which will be explored further.
1) Flip video camera- This piece of new technology has been used regularly throughout Media Studies. This small pocket sized camcorder, makes it quick and easy to record small clips with a USB port to put it straight onto the computer, and upload you can upload your clips easily. An example of using the flip video camera is our audience feedback, we could use this piece of technology to record our audience feedback, then we would put it onto YouTube, and upload it onto our blog. This comes in handy when relating it to audience feedback, as questionnaires we did for audience feedback in our AS coursework, took up alot more time, and were less accurate, whereas on the flip video's we can hear directly what the audience think and understand their views in a better manor.
2) Adobe Premier (Computer edit suite)- The edit suited we used were located at school in a small room. This practical piece of equipment helped us to construct out film and edit what we wanted to make it into our final film, which would then be placed on YouTube. The edit suite consisted of small speakers, 1 or 2 computer screens, keyboard, a monitor, and a mouse. The software we needed was already installed onto the computer, which helped us edit our film, we were able to edit the sound, images, create effects, credits e.t.c, without this piece of new technology, it would have not been possible to edit our film to the way we wanted it to be.
3) Sony PD150- This piece of new technology was the camera we used to film Synchronicity. This was something new to us as we had not used this before, not even in AS. This meant that we needed to learn the basics of using the camera before we would go on set, and shoot. The benefits of this camera, compared to our AS coursework was that we would film a better quality film, and the general benefits of using a piece of expensive technical equipment. Tim, the camera operator needed to prepare himself before we started filming, as he was responsible to the whole of the camera duties. If we did not have this piece of equipment available to us it would mean we would have to film with another camera, which may have lessened the quality of our film.
4) You Tube- You Tube was the most helpful device we could have used throughout our A2 coursework. It streams videos online, allowing us to gain access to previous short films, we could have a look at when thinking about ideas for our script. We also used it during the research phase of our course, for example, when i was writing my script, i searched for clips of "Bend it like Beckham" to fit my genre. Furthermore, it allowed us to upload our own chips which we had created, so we could put them on our blog, for example: Lighting experiments, quality experiments and feedback. Our final film was also uploaded on this piece of new technology, so others can view it, and we can gain appropriate feedback. If we didn't use this piece of software, it would be difficult to find appropriate video clips that we need for research and other things, we would have to go via another device, like the television or the cinema, which would be much more time consuming.
5) Mobile phone- Our mobile phones were used during the pre production phase and the production phase. It was a good idea that we had each others phone number, as well as Mrs Shipp's so we could keep in contact with her, and arrange any filming/ meeting we needed for help. This became very useful, as we could get in contact with Mrs Shipp, or the director Anton, if we had any problems, or difficulties. It also became useful when arranging days to film, and edit. If we did not use our phones throughout this phase of the course, it would have been very difficult and more chaotic to try and arrange meetings/ film dates and editing times.
6) Camera- I took my personal camera to the set when we filmed. I decided i would do this, so i could have my own source of production photo's without having to worry about asking Mrs Shipp for photo's and if i couldn't get hold of them in time. My camera was very useful during the production. Being production designer, i was there to dress set, and make sure everything had no continuity errors, i also put the characters in their costumes. When i had spare time and the camera was rolling i took photos of Tim, the camera operator in action, Ryan Placing Blue gel's on the lights, and all of my characters in and out of costume. If i had not brought my camera to the production day, i would have stressed about gaining access to the photo's and may not have had as many photo's as hoped, Overall this piece of new technology was extremely beneficial
7) Scanner-pre production documents, meaning we would have lost necessary planning marks.
8) Blogger- Blogger was the software in which we would need to upload all of our work. This was the only source of work the examiner would see, as well as our overall film. This software enables me to edit any work i wish to make better, and if anything would be unfinished, i could go back to blogger, and edit it. Blogger also enables that no work will get lost during the process of the course. It would simply be written on the blog and saved as and when i wished to edit. If blogger was unavailable then we would have to resort to other sources such as Microsoft word, or Live Journal, which is another blogging website.
9) Adobe Photo Shop- Adobe Photo Shop, is a photo editing programme. This software was especially useful during the postcard phase, which we needed to create, the front of a postcard, and the back of a postcard on this software. It enables us to re-arrange images, add in texts, create effects and frames. I am not very familiar with this programme, so it did take time for me to finish the postcard designs. This software enables my images to look realistic, and i was able to play about with numerous effects and writing. I feel this was the most effective software to create my postcard on. If we did not have Adobe Photo Shop, we would have to use other programmes to create my postcard with such as PowerPoint, or photo plus.
10) Microsoft word- Microsoft word is a document used to usually type out any piece of work, for example essays and writing work. I used Microsoft word in my project to produce drafts for my work. I used it to draft my film review, and produce a shooting schedule, and most of the pre production documents were used in this document. If Microsoft word was unavailable in our project we would need to produce paper work, or use other software such as notepad.
11) USB- This method became useful when we needed to share work between each other. One person in the group would scan one piece of work and add it to their USB/ memory stick, which they could share it with other members of the group, save everyone scanning every piece of document. My USB was also useful as i would have every document on their saved as a hard copy in case any work was lost, i could have a backup, and find the piece of work. If USB was unavailable then it would be very hard to share and send work to and from our group members, instead we would have to share work via email, which would be much more time consuming.
12) SLR Camera- This camera was the camera we used throughout AS and through A2. We used this during pre production, and production, where we could take location reccee photos and take photos on the day of production. I also used this camera to take the pictures i wanted for my post card designs. This included a close up of the Actress Isabel Earey. The reason we used this camera was because it was a high quality camera, which could enable us to take photos effectively, rather then a normal digital camera. Without the use of this camera, we would have had to use other sources of cameras which would not have been as high quality, and it would be very hard to gain an effective Image for our postcards.
Without any of this software and new technologies, we can see that our coursework would not be the same. It would just be basic, and not worth high marks to get a good grade. We would be unable to create high quality photographs for our postcards and location reccee's, and the production would not be at such a high standard as it would need to be. The filming again would not be as high quality, and without the edit suite's it could not be complete. Overall all of these new technologies have helped and effected our production to become as successful as it can be and to create a short film, to the best of our abilities.
Tuesday, 26 April 2011
Question 3- What have you learned from your audience feedback?
Audience feedback is a huge concept throughout the whole of A2 and AS. It allows us to have other peoples views about our products, and enables us to find out where we went wrong, and what we can improve, as well as the positive aspects we followed.
Synchronicity (short film) feedback
Below, you will find short clips of feedback from our peers in class. We had a viewing session in class, where we would take notes and note down what we thought about each others films, classifying what we thought was good and bad. After we had watched all of them, we needed to go away and get feedback (positive and negative) from the students in our class. We recorded this feedback on a piece of new technology called the mini flip video camera.
The feedback given by my peers was extremely helpful. We needed to keep in mind that is was a helpful took if they were critical, and they could pick up on things we could have done better, as a whole group. We asked a series of questions to our classmates, which we then could evaluate and put into context what we could have done better. A clear weakness was the actors, one peer stated that the actors went off script, and kept on looking at the camera. Thinking about if we had another chance to produce the film, we could have improved on this by running trials for cast, meaning that many people could come and try out for the positions of the different characters, where we could film them, and later decide which group of people would be best suited to the characters roles, and fit the storyline.
Another factor i learned from this peer feedback was the length of time Isabel was playing for her train set. One student said they thought the shot was far too long, and now looking back i realised it could be partly boring for the audience to watch, when they could be following the storyline better with an extra shot. This response lead us to think that we could have applied a variation of shots to show how lonely Isabel is, rather then producing one shot that went on for over 10 seconds.
However, despite many of these downfalls to the film, there were many positives that our peers could pick out. From the feedback given, many of the students related back to the camera work. The camera operator (Tim White) was a noticeable strong point to our film. His shots and framing were a huge positive according to many of the students we interviewed. Another positive factor that came out of this feedback was the music. One student stated that the music added to the overall theme of the film, and they enjoyed the way the titles came up with the beat of the music.
Overall, if i had the chance to do this project again, i would defiantly choose more experienced actors to play the roles of the mother and the father. Or failing that, have a series on run trough's so they are better scripted with their lines. Also i would change the shot where Isabel is playing with her train set, and make it much shorter, or add another shot in place which would make up for the length of the shot, and give the audience more of an interesting outlook of the film.
Teacher feedback on Synchronicity.
It was important that we got feedback from another source, a teacher. Mrs Wright agreed to watch our film, and give feedback. We asked a series of different questions about the film to get in depth knowledge of what she thought, and how we could have improved. She stated many positives about the film which is good.
One of the things i now realise we could have developed on was the ending. She thought that if the audience needed to know more about the character and the parents, we needed to get a sense of panic at the end, as we lacked in this, the audience may not have understood the storyline as much as we hoped.
A number of things i would have changed if we were to do this film again are listed above. However, something new came out of this teacher feedback. None of the students had commented on the ending, which is a positive outcome as we can notice what we could have done to improve. I would change the ending to a more dramatic piece, however, as Mrs Wright Pointed out it is hard to develop many aspects in a short film.
Postcard Feedback
It was also important that we got evidence for our postcards. I asked a series of questions to a class mate that was in our class, he also had the experience of making short films and postcards, which is useful as his knowledge can inform me of my strengths and weaknesses. He claimed that i could have made more of a conventional back to the postcard. He stated that i could have used s clearer background, which gave me the idea that he thought my background was too child like, and did not fit the storyline.
Despite this negative aspect to my postcard, Liam had noticed a fair amount of positives to my postcard. I learned that i followed many conventions which is a good sign, and a reality check that i was strong to understand my conventions of a short film postcard. Other positives that came out of this feedback was the Image i had on the front of the postcard. It showed the main character and her facial expressions gave a hint to the storyline.
Film review feedback
It was also important that i got feedback on my film review as well as my post card. Liam agreed to give me feedback on both my film review and postcard. This feedback was important as i only had a limited amount of time to change anything before the deadline. From this feedback i learned that i needed to think and plan more about the film review, as it was so close to the deadline, i could have planned more out before instead of rushing into things. One criticism Liam gave me was the caption which i had placed on the Picture. He said he did not really understand why it was there, and it didn't give anything away about the film either, this lead me to think that It wouldn't grip readers into wanting to watch the film, as well as catching their eye. Another negative Liam pulled out was my Image. He thought that i should have used a better image which was direct from the film, not behind the scenes, as this does not make readers interested.
Despite these negatives, i had some positives to my film review. Liam said that i followed many conventions and he particularly liked the layout. I included other articles from film reviews, and my image was an appropriate size for a film review. I also used appropriate writing, making it bold and i added a Shadow effect to the writing, and being white it stood out, making it the first thing he looked at when he saw my film review.
Having taking all of this feedback into account, if i had the chance to do this project again, i would change the picture from an image which is from the film. I would also take some more time to think about my caption i put on the picture. Maybe doing some more research into the caption, rather then creating one straight from my head.
I have taken into account that all of the individuals i have used are from the school environment. They are not necessarily the direct target audience and they may have an interest in short films, if they came from a film background.
Synchronicity (short film) feedback
Below, you will find short clips of feedback from our peers in class. We had a viewing session in class, where we would take notes and note down what we thought about each others films, classifying what we thought was good and bad. After we had watched all of them, we needed to go away and get feedback (positive and negative) from the students in our class. We recorded this feedback on a piece of new technology called the mini flip video camera.
The feedback given by my peers was extremely helpful. We needed to keep in mind that is was a helpful took if they were critical, and they could pick up on things we could have done better, as a whole group. We asked a series of questions to our classmates, which we then could evaluate and put into context what we could have done better. A clear weakness was the actors, one peer stated that the actors went off script, and kept on looking at the camera. Thinking about if we had another chance to produce the film, we could have improved on this by running trials for cast, meaning that many people could come and try out for the positions of the different characters, where we could film them, and later decide which group of people would be best suited to the characters roles, and fit the storyline.
Another factor i learned from this peer feedback was the length of time Isabel was playing for her train set. One student said they thought the shot was far too long, and now looking back i realised it could be partly boring for the audience to watch, when they could be following the storyline better with an extra shot. This response lead us to think that we could have applied a variation of shots to show how lonely Isabel is, rather then producing one shot that went on for over 10 seconds.
However, despite many of these downfalls to the film, there were many positives that our peers could pick out. From the feedback given, many of the students related back to the camera work. The camera operator (Tim White) was a noticeable strong point to our film. His shots and framing were a huge positive according to many of the students we interviewed. Another positive factor that came out of this feedback was the music. One student stated that the music added to the overall theme of the film, and they enjoyed the way the titles came up with the beat of the music.
Overall, if i had the chance to do this project again, i would defiantly choose more experienced actors to play the roles of the mother and the father. Or failing that, have a series on run trough's so they are better scripted with their lines. Also i would change the shot where Isabel is playing with her train set, and make it much shorter, or add another shot in place which would make up for the length of the shot, and give the audience more of an interesting outlook of the film.
Teacher feedback on Synchronicity.
It was important that we got feedback from another source, a teacher. Mrs Wright agreed to watch our film, and give feedback. We asked a series of different questions about the film to get in depth knowledge of what she thought, and how we could have improved. She stated many positives about the film which is good.
One of the things i now realise we could have developed on was the ending. She thought that if the audience needed to know more about the character and the parents, we needed to get a sense of panic at the end, as we lacked in this, the audience may not have understood the storyline as much as we hoped.
A number of things i would have changed if we were to do this film again are listed above. However, something new came out of this teacher feedback. None of the students had commented on the ending, which is a positive outcome as we can notice what we could have done to improve. I would change the ending to a more dramatic piece, however, as Mrs Wright Pointed out it is hard to develop many aspects in a short film.
Postcard Feedback
It was also important that we got evidence for our postcards. I asked a series of questions to a class mate that was in our class, he also had the experience of making short films and postcards, which is useful as his knowledge can inform me of my strengths and weaknesses. He claimed that i could have made more of a conventional back to the postcard. He stated that i could have used s clearer background, which gave me the idea that he thought my background was too child like, and did not fit the storyline.
Despite this negative aspect to my postcard, Liam had noticed a fair amount of positives to my postcard. I learned that i followed many conventions which is a good sign, and a reality check that i was strong to understand my conventions of a short film postcard. Other positives that came out of this feedback was the Image i had on the front of the postcard. It showed the main character and her facial expressions gave a hint to the storyline.
Film review feedback
It was also important that i got feedback on my film review as well as my post card. Liam agreed to give me feedback on both my film review and postcard. This feedback was important as i only had a limited amount of time to change anything before the deadline. From this feedback i learned that i needed to think and plan more about the film review, as it was so close to the deadline, i could have planned more out before instead of rushing into things. One criticism Liam gave me was the caption which i had placed on the Picture. He said he did not really understand why it was there, and it didn't give anything away about the film either, this lead me to think that It wouldn't grip readers into wanting to watch the film, as well as catching their eye. Another negative Liam pulled out was my Image. He thought that i should have used a better image which was direct from the film, not behind the scenes, as this does not make readers interested.
Despite these negatives, i had some positives to my film review. Liam said that i followed many conventions and he particularly liked the layout. I included other articles from film reviews, and my image was an appropriate size for a film review. I also used appropriate writing, making it bold and i added a Shadow effect to the writing, and being white it stood out, making it the first thing he looked at when he saw my film review.
Having taking all of this feedback into account, if i had the chance to do this project again, i would change the picture from an image which is from the film. I would also take some more time to think about my caption i put on the picture. Maybe doing some more research into the caption, rather then creating one straight from my head.
I have taken into account that all of the individuals i have used are from the school environment. They are not necessarily the direct target audience and they may have an interest in short films, if they came from a film background.
Question 2- How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?
This evaluation question involved me looking at my two other products that i needed to produce for the coursework. These consisted of a small postcard and a short film review, which were also known as the ancillary tasks. It was essential that all of our products had a link between them in order for them to combine, and make the products effective and work well together.
I have decided to illustrate how my ancillary tasks and main film work together by providing some screen grabs on the factors they have in common.
As you can see, the first factor i decided to write about was the writing on all of the products, the title is the main piece of writing you would expect to see on any film, not just a short film. The title signifies a short clue about what is going to happen in the film, which is why every product needed to have this on the front page. The writing differs between products. For example, the postcard was a way to express the film, and promote it to our target audiences, inviting them to screenings, and for them to have a chance to find out more about the film, in this case i decided to have the font in a way which would look like a child's writing, however, not too noticeable so it would give too much about the film away to audiences.
The font, as you can see are the same, on the front and the back of the postcard, with the smaller writing in the same font also.
For the film review it was advised that i used a similar font to the one which was on the postcard, this was so that all of our products could link, and combine in such a way which the audiences could relate to. The font which i chose was much more formal and sophisticated due top the presentation of the film review page i decided to follow, which was empire. Film reviews are not necessarily the same as post cards, as they can also be used for a tool to "grip" audiences in, which can be done by a more formal way, whereas a postcard is trying to attract audiences to view their film.
I have decided to illustrate how my ancillary tasks and main film work together by providing some screen grabs on the factors they have in common.
As you can see, the first factor i decided to write about was the writing on all of the products, the title is the main piece of writing you would expect to see on any film, not just a short film. The title signifies a short clue about what is going to happen in the film, which is why every product needed to have this on the front page. The writing differs between products. For example, the postcard was a way to express the film, and promote it to our target audiences, inviting them to screenings, and for them to have a chance to find out more about the film, in this case i decided to have the font in a way which would look like a child's writing, however, not too noticeable so it would give too much about the film away to audiences.
The font, as you can see are the same, on the front and the back of the postcard, with the smaller writing in the same font also.
For the film review it was advised that i used a similar font to the one which was on the postcard, this was so that all of our products could link, and combine in such a way which the audiences could relate to. The font which i chose was much more formal and sophisticated due top the presentation of the film review page i decided to follow, which was empire. Film reviews are not necessarily the same as post cards, as they can also be used for a tool to "grip" audiences in, which can be done by a more formal way, whereas a postcard is trying to attract audiences to view their film.
The above image illustrates how the ancillary tasks combine, in a way that tells the audience who was behind the scenes in the making of the film, as well as all of the crew's details. One of the conventions which we needed to include in all of our products was the details of the cast and crew. As you can see above, the left hand bottom Image illustrates the crew's names and their roles during the production. The middle image has the same, which was essential that we include on the Postcard, I inserted all of the crew details on the back of the postcard, on the bottom left hand side. However, he only detail that was needed on the film review page was the director's name. I could have included all of the details of the crew, but did not think it was necessary, and most of the short film articles in Empire magazine did not have full details of cast and crew. It was also important that the director's name got mentioned as it is their chance to prove themselves ad a director, who can then eventually move on to the making of feature films, if good enough.
Now that i have analysed the effectiveness of my postcard and film review according to my own views, it was now time for me to gain feedback from others, so i could hear what they have to say about my products and what they had to say about how effective my main product and ancillary tasks were.
I asked two different students about what they thought about my products, and if they thought they were effective enough to influence my final product. One was a media student themselves, who commented on my postcard and the other was not a media student, who commented on my film review. The first student which was the media student immediately stated the significance of the large image on the front of my postcard. They thought i had followed many conventions, and this is clear and easy to see which character we are promoting to the audience. They also noticed the colour of the Image was slightly blue, due to the contrast and brightness being altered. This was a good thing, which gave them the Idea that the character is lonely, yet they have a warm heart, and the brightness may represent Isabel's positiveness. Another comment made, made me think that I am made every detail on the back of my postcard as clear as i can, as they stated they font was a clear and effective gadget to catch the attention of the audience.
The second person i asked about the effectiveness of my film review said that when they immediately looked at it, they wondered how I could make something like this. They stated it had a realistic touch to it, which made them want to read on. One positive aspect they liked was the image. The word used was "unusual", as in most of the film reviews they have seen/ read, did not have an Image of behind the scenes, instead an image from the actual film. It was a good thing though, which drew them in leading audiences to feel like this was something unique, and wanting to know more. Before hand i needed to explain to the student what usual conventions were needed to have an effective film review, in order for them to carry on commenting on my film review. Another positive was the writing on my film review, the title had a Shadow effect on it which made it clear and easy to read, enabling to catch audiences.
Overall, from the feedback i was given, it was clear to see that my products i had produced were effective, making it easy to link with the overall film. It was clear to see that throughout most of my feedback given, i had followed conventions of real media texts to the best of my ability, to create an effect on the ancillary task making correlations between all of my products. I was happy and satisfied with the feedback given, as well as my ancillary tasks and main product- Synchronicity.
Question 1- In what ways does your media product use, develop, or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
After i had finished producing all of my products and ancillary tasks, it was now time to reflect upon these during my evaluation. I needed to consider if my products used, developed or challenged forms and conventions of real media products. Below, i have taken 16 screen grabs from my final film, which illustrates what conventions i feel i have followed throughout the duration of our film, synchronicity.
Short film- Synchronicity
Short film- Synchronicity
1) The first screen grab, i feel follows many conventions of short films. The shot establishes the location to the audience, which is one of the main factors you would notice in the opening sequence of a short film. It immediately tells the audience the main character will be a small girl, by her body actions and movements, she is skipping in the garden. This convention will usually be followed in all types of films.
2) The second screen grab allows audiences to establish the title of our film. In this way real media conventions are followed as this is one of the main factors any audience would expect to see at the beginning of a film. It is a necessity that films have the title in a meaningful font, so audiences can relate to the film, and know what they are about to watch. The main feature of any type of film should be the title, without this media conventions will not be followed, and weaknesses can easily be picked out from audiences.
3) This shot allows audiences to see the face of the main character, at this point in the film our message has not been conducted. I feel we have followed conventions here due to the establishing of the main character. All films should have a short shot for audiences to recognise their main character, and immediately they can create representations of this small girl.
4) In this next screen grab, real media conventions have been followed as a production company name is essential to a film makers production. In order for audiences to relate to the film, and distinguish between different directors and film makers, there needs to be a production company name. All films will have this convention as in the industry it is a necessity. The white writing in block capital letters allows the audiences to engage with all of the details which are placed at the front of the film. We have put these titles at the beginning with music, so audiences can prepare themselves to watch the film.
5) The next screen grabs follows conventions of real media texts as it enables the audience to engage with the other characters which are in the film. Immediately we notice a change in facial expressions on Isabel's face when she comes into contact with her parents. The parents are also not paying enough attention to her, which gives a slight clue to the audiences she may be a victim of neglect.
6) In this shot, the message is starting to develop, meaning audiences are now able to have some idea about this girls family life, with her parents.I feel we are following real media conventions in this because in every film whether it be a short film or not a message needs to be developed and clear for audiences to interpret and maybe relate to the film. Her facial expressions also help with this as we can see the sadness in her face.
7) The importance of this clock follows media conventions as in some cases, a prop is a significant object in films. In our case, thew clock signifies the time, and how it is passing by with Isabel waiting for her parents to play with her. We also used other conventions as we needed to use other object behind the scenes, to enable we did not have any continuity issues. We did this by placing blue tack in the correct position the clock was at, this way the clock would not move, or be misplaced and we would not have to deal with continuity errors.
8) I have chosen this shot as i feel the hand expressions of Simon, is essential and follows media codes and conventions. This allows the audiences to engage and interpret and develop a sense of sympathy for the young character Isabel. Hi hand movement signifies how work orientated the parents are, leaving no time for the child and her needs. You will usually notice short gestures like this in small drama's, which help develop the storyline and deliver the message.
9) Shot 9 is similar to shot 8, with the short hand gestures. Again this signifies the child being told off and told to go away. In this case audiences should have developed some kind of message relating to the storyline. I feel we have used codes and conventions in this shot as we had to prepare to do a shot reverse shot, which is usually a common thing in film making. We have also dressed the setting as you can see in the background there are some certificates which helps audiences Identify with the parents and know they are lawyers.
10) I have decided to chose this shot to show how we followed codes and conventions during the production phase of our work. The framing of this shot is effective, and again a prop is being used which is a main significant feature in the film, the train set. Her head is not in the scene and all we can see is this small child trying to put her train set she has had for years together. This also signifies the lack of attention she has had due to her parents not telling her how she can put the train set together.
11) a number of times in our production to signify the characters facial expressions to enable the audiences to relate to the character and know how they are feeling.
12) This shot is following real media codes and conventions as the small girl is placed in a dark area. In the office we have darkened this shot, to show her sadness and how her parents are not attending to her needs. We also placed a yellow filter over the camera which is a common lighting technique, to warm things up, and get the right balance of darkness of the characters face.
13) Here we have used a number of things to follow real media codes and conventions. We used 1/4 blue gel's over the lights in the living room, then we went to 1/2 blue gels to create a blue and lighter effect. We did not want this shot to look yellow due to natural lighting to we added in additional sources of lighting. Other conventions we used during this shot was produced when editing. We added in cross dissolves, when she threw her teddy at the train set, which made it more effective towards the audiences reactions, and created a sense of shock for audiences.
14) We have used codes and conventions in this shot as we needed to film additional footage of a news reporter after the production day. This was the news reporter with breaking news about the train crash which we had to film, then add in when editing over a blank television screen we had filmed during production. The use of this additional footage has followed codes and conventions, as well as remaining tact with continuity.
15) This shot was filmed in a different location setting for the audiences to have a sense of panic at the end of the film. We wanted them to know where Isabel was, and end the film with a clear message to take away. We decided to film in a dark area, again to show her sadness and how upset she is about the parents form of neglect. The framing of this also developed codes and conventions as we can see her knees and how she is holding them allowing the audience to know she is scared, and her dialogue which is " They wont find me in here" signifies she wants to go somewhere far away from her parents, and the only way to do this is to run away.
16) This follows real media codes and conventions as in all films you need to have the cast and crew details. If there was no credits at the end of the film to let audiences know the names of the cast and crew, then conventions will not be followed, meaning no viewers could establish who is playing the different characters.
Postcard
For my postcard shown above i feel i have followed media codes and conventions as best i can. Before we went into designing the postcard we needed to establish what the codes and conventions were, and do a small amount of research of other postcards which have been used in the short film Industry. I found out allot during my research and decided i could produce my postcard with useful links to real media texts and conventions.
I have included a large title, which is in the colour white with a black shadow as i thought it would make the image stand out, which is the main focus for audiences. For excellent quality, i used an industry standard camera which was a digital SLR camera. During my feedback i learned it was the first thing audiences look at when looking at a short film postcard, and the quality of my Image could take my postcard to a professional standard. I have also included a short tag line, which is what short film producer Becky Knapp said was an important aspect of a postcard. A short synopsis was essential to draw readers in and make them want to come and watch the film. A short space was needed and was one of the main conventions i found out during my research as it meant that you could personally invite your target audience to a viewing of your short film. To edit my postcard so i could play around with different effects, writing styles, Image size's and effectiveness i used the software Adobe Photo Shop, which is a professional Image editing software. I decided i would use this as i wanted my postcard to be at professional standard.
On the back of my postcard in also needed to do research to ensue that i followed real media codes and conventions. Again it i wanted to have a professional look about my postcard i would need to match it to ones within the industry, and follow as many different conventions as i could. After researching this, i decided i would include a bold title, cast and crew details, a small synopsis, and a detailed logo of the production company in the space where a stamp would usually be placed. Overall, i feel i have followed as many different codes and conventions i could have within reason.
Film Review
Before i began to design and write up my film review, i needed to research into the different codes and conventions film reviews had. I decided to research into different film reviews and analyse them to see what conventions i could find and follow in my own film review. I looked at many different sources of film reviews, they came from a range of places, such as newspapers, magazines, sight and sound and empire. These were either from public newspapers, or real industry magazines. I decided i would follow the design and language of Empire magazine, which is formal, to a professional standard, however, can have a sense of humour within the text.
After looking at the layout and text in Empire, i decided i would go with what most film reviews have as their main attraction which was the Image. I placed my Image at the top of the article with the title embedded in it, which will immediately grip audiences into reading about it. I had also used the conventions which were shown on all types of reviews, which was the directors name, the running time of the film, the cast, and the certificate. At the bottom of the page i had added in my own convention, which may not be seen in all review magazines which is a verdict, taken from a poll which states whether the director and the actors have a future according to audiences and ratings. I also added in a different tag line at the top of the picture which may not have been the best idea, as from my feedback it was not as effective as i hoped. Looking back i would have used my original one which is on my postcard. Other than the tag line, i feel i have followed as many conventions as possible creating my film review to the best of my ability.
Friday, 8 April 2011
Post 20; Final film, post card, and film review
Final design of postcard
I decided to continue with postcard design number 3. Due to audience feedback, most students i asked said they liked the third design and it was more appropriate for the synopsis of the film.
I decided to continue with postcard design number 3. Due to audience feedback, most students i asked said they liked the third design and it was more appropriate for the synopsis of the film.
I thought the close up of the characters face would outline to the audience the importance of one of the features of the film, for example: loneliness and unhappiness. I decided to lighten the colour on the front of the postcard, which i changed to make it look more blue, as the original photo was a warm yellow colour.
The back of the postcard has our groups logo on it, we all needed to have the same copy as it would break continuity, and conventions of the postcards.
On the back of the postcard i included some lines, which will enable me to send the postcard off and invite people to the opening of the film. I have also included a website link on the back which will direct audiences to the homepage where they can find out more about the film.
A short synopsis of the film is included on the back of the postcard which states a small detailed description of the film making the readers of the postcard want to know more about the film.
Front Postcard Design |
Film Review
When deciding which source i would choose to follow when creating my film review, i decided i would attempt to choose a similar review style to an industry magazine. Such as Empire, or sight and sound. When researching which one i would follow, i thought that Empire would be most appropriate due to the format and layout, the writing style, and where the images would go, However, i have tried to match up my language with the Empire magazine, although it may not be an exact match.
When starting my film review, i had a long think about what i wanted to achieve, and what i wanted to show in my film review. I decided i would brainstorm ideas as to what i wanted to include in my review, which i then lead to draw out an effective layout for my article before starting to produce my film review. I also wrote my review for Empire as if they were doing a "Short Film Special" issue of their magazine, this would ensure i would match the correct marking criteria for my Brief.
I decided i would include how the storyline in our short film, reflects how young children are often a victim of neglect by their parents, and how sometimes parents are too work orientated rather then caring for their child. I also included how the storyline drifts from one tragedy to another, with their being aspects of synchronicity in the short.
Included in the layout i included the directors name, when the film was released, the certificate, the running time, the cast, and the overall plot. This is a similar layout to which was used in Empire magazine.
I also added in a small caption over the Image, which is a small picture which was taken during the filming process, this reads "Some Shots don't take easy" which i decided i would try to add some comical aspects to this review.
Film Review |
Our final film- Synchronicity
Post 19; Post production report.
Post production report.
After filming, the group were keen to get on with editing. We were all happy with the production phase and thought our film couldn’t turn out any better. The first phase of editing was to log all of the shots on a Microsoft word format. Logging meant that we would need to separate each scene, and shot out and write down the times where they started and finished, write a description of the scene, and state whether we wanted to keep the shot. This was all done on a word document in Microsoft word, which was presented in a table to keep it neat and tidy, and especially readable.
It took the group about 2 weeks to log, all of our footage. With us using free periods and after school time, however we did face some difficulties during the logging phase, which was surprising especially as we had only just began editing. One difficulty was in the middle of our footage was some unknown footage of a coffee cup; we didn’t know what to do with this footage and especially how to record this on our logging sheet. After thinking about how to resolve this problem, we decided to log the footage and name it as unwanted footage which we would not need during capturing. This was a relief and we were happy we could get on with editing our film now.
After 2 weeks of logging, it was now time to capture our shots that we wanted, so our film could piece together, one shot after another. Capturing did not take long as all we needed to do was to put in the time of the shots we wanted, and the edit computer would piece them all together so it came together like a short film. It only took about 2 hours for us to capture, and after we had done this it was now time to edit the whole short film, adding in credits, universal indicators and editing the sound, and footage we had.
We all took turns in editing, and as I was not the first person to start editing, the group wanted to show me what they had done so far. They had started putting the shots together in order, and overall the film was coming together well. They had also added in some cross dissolves where the shots did not fit together, or was too long or too short. The music was difficult to decide as all of the tracks the director had found were too scary and wanted something a little more light. We finally found a song which we thought worked well with the credits we were going to create after. It was a smooth tone but had a mysterious sound to it. We decided to add in all the names of the cast and crew when there was a beat to the song, it was smooth sounds at the start, then after the sound of the first beat, the start of our credits would come on screen, this meant that the audience could be drawn in with tension.
The following week, we all went to edit together on a Tuesday morning because Anton the director wanted all of us to be together to see what we all thought of the film, and what we could change and do better, he wanted our opinions and views on things to make the film better. We then added in credits of the cast and crew which looked very effective over the music.
The following week, we all went to edit together on a Tuesday morning because Anton the director wanted all of us to be together to see what we all thought of the film, and what we could change and do better, he wanted our opinions and views on things to make the film better. We then added in credits of the cast and crew which looked very effective over the music.
We then added in the universal counter leader, and universal indicator at the beginning of the film to give it a realistic effect, and it was a necessity as everyone would need to have one at the beginning of the film. After we did this it was the end of the lesson so myself and Mrs Shipp had arranged to edit together the following morning in my two free periods.
The following morning I went into the edit suite to do some editing, I got a huge amount done that morning and at the end of the two hours we were excited to show the group what we had done. During the two hours we decided to write down a list of things we needed to do and think about after half term, when the group was all together we could make these decisions together. The things we noted down were concerns in which we needed to go back to and either change or have a look at. Scene 6 had many continuity errors especially of character movement. We decided we would edit this after the news reported scene had been shot (After half term). From scene 3 onwards, we need to check the brightness and darkness in the office. Scene 11 shot 1 take 2 needs to be cut accordingly, and scene 11 shot 2 take 2 may need some editing of the news reporter. And lastly scene 6 shot 1 take 9 needs a clear sound mix.
I also needed to remember that we needed to be careful when making changes, as we needed to add in additional footage of the news reporter reporting the train crash, and we would be doing this over half term.
I also needed to remember that we needed to be careful when making changes, as we needed to add in additional footage of the news reporter reporting the train crash, and we would be doing this over half term.
reverbs over the track. Once we had done this we watched the film through one final time after all the editing we had done, we were extremely happy with our efforts and couldn’t wait to show it to the rest of the group.
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