Wednesday, 2 April 2014
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product? - Matthew Stone
One of the technologies that we have learnt to use to develop our media project was the Apple Macintosh computer. We did not have much experience using these computers which caused it to be frustrating to use at times. The shortcuts differed slightly from the shortcuts on a traditional computer which made it more difficult to use. For example, the keyboard shortcuts for copy and paste were set to different keys (cmd c/v instead of ctrl c/v), which had to be learned.
The different operating system required time to learn because of several features, including the task bar being on the side of the screen instead of at the bottom. Another thing that had to be learned about the operating system was how to navigate the files to retrieve documents. This differs from a conventional pc because it requires you to search through the computer using the task bar at the top
I was not experienced with some of the actual software on the computer such as Photoshop and had to learn how to use the different tools available, such as the magic wand tool to select parts of a picture to exclude from the rest of the picture.
Another technology that I had to use was Blogger. This was used for uploading progress of the main and preliminary task. This website allowed us to post links about our work and for us to edit the posts that were uploaded incase of mistakes
Another technology that I had to use was Blogger. This was used for uploading progress of the main and preliminary task. This website allowed us to post links about our work and for us to edit the posts that were uploaded incase of mistakes
what have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
to edit our two minute thriller opening we used final cut express, while is was easy to learn how to use it had sophisticated editing techniques and accessories which we could use effectively our advantage on our piece.
In our preliminary task we hadn't many of the tools and techniques available to us on final cut express because we had never used the technology before. we have gained a lot more experience since editing our preliminary, therefore our final task had a more authentic look to it, because we had more knowledge of the editing tools. for instance, we had a grey filter put on all the footage in the video timeline.
we found that tools such as the fade effect were very useful in our film. the fade effect which we had placed at the end of one of the clips between another, we did this in order to signify that a period of time had past since the last bit of footage which created a more credible smooth appearance to our piece
We felt that music would play a very important role in creating the correct narrative and mood which fitted with the conventions of thriller. we imported two tracks onto the sound timeline, which would be used at two separate points.i learned how to change the volume of the tracks in order to drown out background noise (diagetic) or to fade the music so we could hear dialogue between characters. it was also important that the diagetic sound of cars was lowered as we didn't want to distract the audience from the story.
other technology we used included social sites such as: Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and tumblr in order to advertise and promote, to make people aware of our product. to advertise the film we needed promotional posters. pictures needed to be edited and made in to posters used the program Photoshop to edit the photos we had taken. i learned how to merge two photos together and add layers, cut a part of an image and paste it on top of another. these tools were useful when creating the black and white poster but izzys character remained in colour other sites that we used to vary our media formats that our work was in was the program Prezi which we used for elements of the evaluation
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?
Throughout our project I have learnt how to use different programmes on the Mac's. One example of a programme I can now competently use is FCE (Final Cut Express). Below is the layout of the programme once our piece was finished. It allowed us to monitor sound, picture, text and music and edit it all until it was in a position that matched our ideas. We were also able to change the background noise of each shot on each layer to suit our intentions and further increase the quality of our piece.
Below is the audio bar. This is what we used in order to add music, and edit the sound so it was in time with the piece and also ensure it was accurately fitted together so it sounded as good as it possibly could. Using music really helped us not only make it easier for the audience to distinguish our piece as a thriller, but also help to build suspense and create tension. Following on from our feedback in our preliminary we used no music and the mood of the film was therefore harder to interpret. We used that constructive criticism as a positive and used it to improve our final piece.
I previously had no experience handling a camera. Since completing our final piece I have gained the knowledge of how to record and set up a tripod in order to hold the camera steady. I will take the knowledge I have gained from using Blogger and the other programmes into A2 and the knowledge I have gained this year will enable me to achieve my full potential next year.
6. What Have You Learnt About Technologies From The Process Of Constructing This Product? (Josh Jeffs)
The main programe we used was Final Cut Express, We used it for video editing and it allowed to do may things to our footage to create a better piece and a thriller atmosphere.
The picture above shows the layout of Final Cut Express, it has a viewer to allow you to view your footage after the effects have been added, a timeline for both footage and audio which allows you to move around clips and audio to put things in the correct order and fit music to correct scene. This allowed for us to take many shots from different positions and angles and edit in what perspective we liked best and when to put it in.
The Timeline above shows the audio and video clips for our final task, as you can see it is all in separate layers (top to bottom) which are separate audio pieces on the bottom playing at once and the above timeline shows the main footage with where the text shall be shown and at what time, the text is above the footage (the black squares) to make sure it is infront of the footage and not behind it so that it shows up when the footage is played. These Features allowed us to place credits over the footage and place music over the diegetic audio.
The grey area on the clips above represent the transition effect used to make the video fade from one scene to another. This was a useful feature since it allowed us to show passing of time with out having to create a huge time-lapse scene which would have delayed our filming by a long time.
The image above shows the audio levels for the music in the second half of our thriller.
the dots and lines represent key frames which allowed us to edit the audio so that the volume lowers and raises at separate points. This was extremely useful since it allowed us to have the correct volume of non-diegetic sound (for example: music) when needed but still allow for diegetic sound to still be heard when needed e.g. dialoge.
We used video filters to make brighter colours less saturated and stand out less by using the de saturate highlights filter and this created a better darker atmosphere for the footage.
The Video Transactions allowed us to make smooth transactions between clips, the main transaction we used was the dissolve effect, this helped us transition audio and video smoothly and make it look more professional. We also used it to show that time had passed.
Another program we used was Adobe Photoshop. This allowed us to edit stil images and do things such as create our promotional poster.The picture above shows our promotional poster, we used a black and white effect to create a mysterious atmosphere.
We also used a darkening tool to hide the antagonists face, this helped continue the thriller theme and help create mystery and wonder of who the person is.
We also used layers to allow the protagonist to stay in colour to create the effect of justice and show that she is the 'good' character.
How did you attract/address your audience?
The main target audience for our film is 18-21 year olds (who are interested in the thriller genre), this is due to the fact that we mostly advertised our product on social media websites i.e tumblr Facebook, twitter youtube etc. Due to the content ( strong language, violence and scenes of a sexual nature) we felt that 18+ would be our main audiences as it was unsuitable for anyone under this age.The company ident in the opening of our thriller is intriguing to audiences because even though its quite simple, the idea of the camera and it flashing links to other themes which are delved into during the film; the investigation that follows the kidnapping of Izzy's character, the theme of stalking and voyeurism, both these ideas fit in with the conventions of a thriller and therefore will appeal to our target audience.
The establishing shot draws attention to the three key characters first and foremost. The first shot is behind the characters which allows the audience to interpret that we are going to be following them and they will be the main focus in most of the shots in the opening. The first establishing shot also shows grass and trees signifying that our piece is set in rural setting thus acting as an opposite to what the audience may think as we usually associate the city with crime. The fact that the shot offers a wide scale view for the audience also allowed us to show the main antagonist the 'persuant' within the shot however in an unnoticeable state.
This shot is crucial in our piece in representation of character. It allows the audience to infer that the characters are students (school sign) yet also signifying that they are of post-16 education as they appear to not be wearing the same generic school uniform. That appeals to our audience therefore as our film certificate is 18 therefore people of the sixth form age will be a target audience for us and be able to relate to the story and therefore be more intrigued to watch the film.
In this scene we get a clear view of the mysterious figure for the first time in the shot. The music used during this sequence helps the audience to identify that Jamies character is the main Antagonist. this idea is implied through the change in music; this is particularly evoked when Jamie is in the background of the shot and walks into a side road, the music heightens in intensity and there is a sharp plucking of strings as 'The Persuant' walks away into the side road (forboding that he is a danger to the students ). We felt that this would be effective in engaging and intriguing our audience as it is the first true indication of Jamies character being the antagonist and the music creates a rather unsettling mood and atmosphere which fits perfectly with the conventions of a thriller film, as this scene successfully creates tension and intrigues audience because they want to discover more about the Antagonist character as at this point they know very little. The costume helps to create mystery around Jamies character as most of his facial features are concealed by the tattered hat, glasses and large coat so as an audience we want to know more about the character.
The Church shot is very symbolic as the mood completely changes at this point; the two long paths emphasise the separation between Izzy and Matts character, but Izzy is more to the centre of the shot than Matt (who is to the right of the shot) so it is indicated that the camera will continue to follow izzy's character. The separation of the characters fits in with thriller conventions as it successfully creates suspense as izzys character (especially as she is female) appears very vulnerable. We change the music at this point to 'darkness is coming, the music is very biblical and could be interpreted as an omen of death or loss and it links with the location of the church and graveyard effectively whilst still fitting with conventions. The fact that both Matt and Izzy are wearing dark clothing symbolises melancholy and could also be linked to death ( the attire of a funeral). audiences who notice the path Izzy is taking in the background will be stimulated and intrigued by the path as it is dark and obscured, the sense of mystery and the unknown forebodes at the uncertainty of Izzy's fate.
We felt that the over the shoulder shot of the Persuant watching over Izzy's character woud appeal to our audiences; the over the shoulder shot has the effect of making the female student looking much smaller and her back is turned so she is unaware of the Antagonist who is following her. Audiences will sympathise with Izzy's character, because the target audience is of a similar age to her character therefore will be able to identify with what she is experiencing and going through. The grave yard reinforces the idea of death and danger. Jamies character appears to be omniscient or supernatural because we cant see how he is elevated and also presented as more superior in the shot as he looks a lot larger.
The establishing shot draws attention to the three key characters first and foremost. The first shot is behind the characters which allows the audience to interpret that we are going to be following them and they will be the main focus in most of the shots in the opening. The first establishing shot also shows grass and trees signifying that our piece is set in rural setting thus acting as an opposite to what the audience may think as we usually associate the city with crime. The fact that the shot offers a wide scale view for the audience also allowed us to show the main antagonist the 'persuant' within the shot however in an unnoticeable state.
This shot is crucial in our piece in representation of character. It allows the audience to infer that the characters are students (school sign) yet also signifying that they are of post-16 education as they appear to not be wearing the same generic school uniform. That appeals to our audience therefore as our film certificate is 18 therefore people of the sixth form age will be a target audience for us and be able to relate to the story and therefore be more intrigued to watch the film.
This next shot is also important in the representation of character for our audience to relate to. The school sign in the background reinforces the idea that these characters are still at school but more importantly this sign is usually used for children to connote safety. given that this is a thriller this is clearly not the case .The fact that these characters come across as older in appearance does not matter as the idea of being a child may not be solely to do with age, but also with the element of innocence thus establishes their vulnerability to the main antagonist.
In this scene we get a clear view of the mysterious figure for the first time in the shot. The music used during this sequence helps the audience to identify that Jamies character is the main Antagonist. this idea is implied through the change in music; this is particularly evoked when Jamie is in the background of the shot and walks into a side road, the music heightens in intensity and there is a sharp plucking of strings as 'The Persuant' walks away into the side road (forboding that he is a danger to the students ). We felt that this would be effective in engaging and intriguing our audience as it is the first true indication of Jamies character being the antagonist and the music creates a rather unsettling mood and atmosphere which fits perfectly with the conventions of a thriller film, as this scene successfully creates tension and intrigues audience because they want to discover more about the Antagonist character as at this point they know very little. The costume helps to create mystery around Jamies character as most of his facial features are concealed by the tattered hat, glasses and large coat so as an audience we want to know more about the character.
We felt that the over the shoulder shot of the Persuant watching over Izzy's character woud appeal to our audiences; the over the shoulder shot has the effect of making the female student looking much smaller and her back is turned so she is unaware of the Antagonist who is following her. Audiences will sympathise with Izzy's character, because the target audience is of a similar age to her character therefore will be able to identify with what she is experiencing and going through. The grave yard reinforces the idea of death and danger. Jamies character appears to be omniscient or supernatural because we cant see how he is elevated and also presented as more superior in the shot as he looks a lot larger.
4. Who would be the audience for your media product? - Matthew Stone
Ideal Audience Profile
Age: 18-24
This is so that the audience can relate to the younger characters, increasing the emersion of the film.
Class: Lower Class
This is because the indie nature of the films production may attract people with more spare time
Gender: Male
This is because the films violent nature is more likely to stereotypically attract male customers
Location: In small villages
This is again to increase the emersion due to it being relatable to people living in an isolated place.
Hobbies: Browsing the internet/ into computers
This is because of the advertising intending to be mainly on the internet and on websites that relate to the rest of the criteria of the audience profile e.g youtube.com
Beliefs: Religious
This is because the religious imagery and christian themes in the film may be missed if the audience doesn't understand them
Tuesday, 1 April 2014
4.Who Would Be The Audience For Your Media Product? ( Josh Jeffs)
An Example of An Ideal Audience Member
Name : George Smith
Age : 19
Gender : Male
Home Town : Cambridge
Hobbies: George likes to watch both classic films and new films and like a variety of genres but mostly thrillers, His favourite film is Pulp Fiction, a highly rated thriller film by Quentin Tarantino. He is also interested in sports.
Name : George Smith
Age : 19
Gender : Male
Home Town : Cambridge
Hobbies: George likes to watch both classic films and new films and like a variety of genres but mostly thrillers, His favourite film is Pulp Fiction, a highly rated thriller film by Quentin Tarantino. He is also interested in sports.
Monday, 31 March 2014
in what way does your media product use, develop, or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
in what way does your media product use, develop, or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
. discuss the ways in which your thriller incorporates generic conventions ( identify specific scenes)
There are several elements within our thriller which conform with generic conventions which you would usually expect in a thriller film. For instance the convention of the 'chase scene' and voyeurism is explored within the opening two minutes of the thriller; we start to get a sense that the students are being followed by the 'persuant'. As the opening progresses, in certain long shots Jamies character is present in the background t the start he is not noticeable or obscured) but his presence becomes more noticeable than the shot before each time.
There is a sense of mystery and an eerie mood is created particularly during the grave yard scene when izzy's character walkthrough the church graveyard by herself she is singled out and vulnerable as she is no longer within the company of her two friends (sam and matt) and this innocence clearly shows that she is a protagonist because audiences will sympathise with her.
Mis En Scene
Jamies 'Persuant' costume fits with generic conventions of a thriller as it clearly portrays him as the antagonist. He wears a large biege overcoat to imply he has something to hide and effectively creates mystery around the character. a similar effect is created with the hat and glasses he wears as they obscure Jamies face and makes it difficult to see what he looks like or what his true emotions are. which makes the audience curious to discover 'the persuants' identity and works as an incentive as it is intriguing to continue watching because as an audience we want to know who this person is, what he looks like.
Music editing, camera shots
We were able to develop these conventions through many contributing factors; the music and the angle of the shots help us to achieve this because the music we used 'Darkness is Coming' tied in extremely well with the setting. The track we used had a biblical sound to it and linked in very well with the church setting and established a sense of danger as Izzy went further through the church yard the music intensified creating more tension. the sense of danger was also established through certain shots used during the church scene; we had an over the shot shoulder shot of Jamie whist he was standing at the top of a flight of stairs ( near by the church). The shot was angled so emphasis was put on the fact that Jamie was looking down (watching over her) at Izzy's character the female student. The positioning of characters in the shot was effective because as well as it being the first audience see Jamie's figure (close up shot from behind) it also implies that as Jamie appears higher and larger in the shot, that he is the dominant character and izzy's character is the weaker and more vulnerable as she appears smaller.
We used two different music tracks during the first two minutes of our thriller film, both of which we found on incompetech. We chose 'Night of Chaos' and 'Darkness is Coming' because we felt they were very similar to our original music inspiration Brian Eno's 'Complex Heaven'. Brian Eno is known for doing the Lovely Bones soundtrack, a film which i felt explored very similar themes to our piece; it involved voyeurism and a man who has an obsession with making elaborate plans to take young girls. Brian Eno's theme for the antagonist Mr Harvey was extremely effective and rather chilling, it evoked real fear. Mr Harvey's theme (which is based around complex heaven)appeared many times during the film, every time 'Mr Harvey's' character was present, so the audience would immediately associate the music with unpleasant or bad things.
we were inspired by this idea so we used 'darkness is coming' and 'Night of Chaos' and used it as a device like 'complex heaven'. although it was simple it evoked fear. it had similar musical elements, but we ensured that the tracks we used weren't overly intense to that extent that it turned into a horror film as this is not what we wanted to achieve. the tracks we used created just the right amount of suspense and fear without being to dark and intense (we wanted to build the tension slowly). we used two tracks as opposed to one simply because we wanted two separate
moods (or sections) within the opening. the first track 'night of chaos' is much less intense and more ambient (but still builds tension) which is exactly what we wanted as it sets the scene and , whilst is sounds quite mysterious it wasn't too intense and it couldn't be, because we needed to establish narrative and setting to ease the audience into the film before the music becomes more intense and changes to ' Darkness is coming' when it becomes apparent that Izzy is being closely followed.
does your use of conventions indicate what other thrillers have influenced your work?
One Hour Photo, the collector, the people under the stairs, the lovely bones.
All these films explore and incorporate similar themes: kidnapping, stalking, elements are portrayed by using tension and suspense to create a thriller style and fit with the conventions of thriller.
One hour photo and The lovely bones both delve into the phycology behind the Antagonists i.e how the obsession grows and why they have become this way.
. discuss the ways in which your thriller incorporates generic conventions ( identify specific scenes)
There is a sense of mystery and an eerie mood is created particularly during the grave yard scene when izzy's character walkthrough the church graveyard by herself she is singled out and vulnerable as she is no longer within the company of her two friends (sam and matt) and this innocence clearly shows that she is a protagonist because audiences will sympathise with her.
Mis En Scene
Jamies 'Persuant' costume fits with generic conventions of a thriller as it clearly portrays him as the antagonist. He wears a large biege overcoat to imply he has something to hide and effectively creates mystery around the character. a similar effect is created with the hat and glasses he wears as they obscure Jamies face and makes it difficult to see what he looks like or what his true emotions are. which makes the audience curious to discover 'the persuants' identity and works as an incentive as it is intriguing to continue watching because as an audience we want to know who this person is, what he looks like.
Music editing, camera shots
We were able to develop these conventions through many contributing factors; the music and the angle of the shots help us to achieve this because the music we used 'Darkness is Coming' tied in extremely well with the setting. The track we used had a biblical sound to it and linked in very well with the church setting and established a sense of danger as Izzy went further through the church yard the music intensified creating more tension. the sense of danger was also established through certain shots used during the church scene; we had an over the shot shoulder shot of Jamie whist he was standing at the top of a flight of stairs ( near by the church). The shot was angled so emphasis was put on the fact that Jamie was looking down (watching over her) at Izzy's character the female student. The positioning of characters in the shot was effective because as well as it being the first audience see Jamie's figure (close up shot from behind) it also implies that as Jamie appears higher and larger in the shot, that he is the dominant character and izzy's character is the weaker and more vulnerable as she appears smaller.
We used two different music tracks during the first two minutes of our thriller film, both of which we found on incompetech. We chose 'Night of Chaos' and 'Darkness is Coming' because we felt they were very similar to our original music inspiration Brian Eno's 'Complex Heaven'. Brian Eno is known for doing the Lovely Bones soundtrack, a film which i felt explored very similar themes to our piece; it involved voyeurism and a man who has an obsession with making elaborate plans to take young girls. Brian Eno's theme for the antagonist Mr Harvey was extremely effective and rather chilling, it evoked real fear. Mr Harvey's theme (which is based around complex heaven)appeared many times during the film, every time 'Mr Harvey's' character was present, so the audience would immediately associate the music with unpleasant or bad things.
we were inspired by this idea so we used 'darkness is coming' and 'Night of Chaos' and used it as a device like 'complex heaven'. although it was simple it evoked fear. it had similar musical elements, but we ensured that the tracks we used weren't overly intense to that extent that it turned into a horror film as this is not what we wanted to achieve. the tracks we used created just the right amount of suspense and fear without being to dark and intense (we wanted to build the tension slowly). we used two tracks as opposed to one simply because we wanted two separate
moods (or sections) within the opening. the first track 'night of chaos' is much less intense and more ambient (but still builds tension) which is exactly what we wanted as it sets the scene and , whilst is sounds quite mysterious it wasn't too intense and it couldn't be, because we needed to establish narrative and setting to ease the audience into the film before the music becomes more intense and changes to ' Darkness is coming' when it becomes apparent that Izzy is being closely followed.
does your use of conventions indicate what other thrillers have influenced your work?One Hour Photo, the collector, the people under the stairs, the lovely bones.
All these films explore and incorporate similar themes: kidnapping, stalking, elements are portrayed by using tension and suspense to create a thriller style and fit with the conventions of thriller.One hour photo and The lovely bones both delve into the phycology behind the Antagonists i.e how the obsession grows and why they have become this way.
Evaluation question 7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
When planning our preliminary task we used a simple story board and simple ideas were put across in basic group discussion. We didn't take any inspiration from certain thriller films or take any practise shots to see how they would look on the camera and we did no audience research to see what people who enjoyed watching thriller film look for in the genre.
We took the lack of planning in our preliminary as a positive when moving onto our final task as we knew that the more detail the plan is, the higher the quality of the finished piece. For our main film we started with a questionairre on 'SurveyMonkey' to get feedback from audience members of what they expected from thriller films. we then progressed to interview potential audience members of our piece who also told us what they enjoyed about thriller films and why it was their favourite film genre. This therefore gave us ideas to appeal to our audience in the things that they enjoy which came off as a positive as the people we interviewed enjoyed our final film. We made a story board in more detail and also took location shots and revised certain shots such as the 'Dutch tilt' to imply tension and unreality in our piece.
Our progression in practical work is evident and as our knowledge grew around the genre, so did the quality of our work. For example in our preliminary there was no establishing shot. It started with a two shot which may have created confusion of what was happening to the audience rather than mystery which is what we intended. With the main task we started with a clear establishing shot which was then followed by numerous establishing shots in long and short form that helped to show the surroundings and ease the audience into the film. In our prelim we did not include any music. This therefore made it not only difficult for the audience to distinguish the mood of our piece. The use of music would have also eliminated unwanted diagetic sound in the background. This is something we identified after finishing our prelim and would ensure that suitable music would be in our main task to stop this happening again.
Our confidence using the equipment and software was low as we had had no prior experience and therefore our knowledge was limited. when we began filming our main task we felt more confident using the equipment and were able to do so at a higher standard. it became alot easier as we progressed throughout the course to project our ideas from our head to the film and therefore increased the end happiness we had. We used various editing techniques such as key framing and video transactions and filters. Our editing skill in the prelim was weak as we were not familiar how to use it. we took the knowledge gained from our prelim and orchestrated it within our main task therefore improving the quality and our knowledge.
we have been successful in the sense that our final task has turned out to a high standard. We were able to work as a team and help use individuals ideas into the final piece to ensure group respect. we developed our knowledge of the genre, software and equipment and overall have put ourselves in a good position for A2.
Our confidence using the equipment and software was low as we had had no prior experience and therefore our knowledge was limited. when we began filming our main task we felt more confident using the equipment and were able to do so at a higher standard. it became alot easier as we progressed throughout the course to project our ideas from our head to the film and therefore increased the end happiness we had. We used various editing techniques such as key framing and video transactions and filters. Our editing skill in the prelim was weak as we were not familiar how to use it. we took the knowledge gained from our prelim and orchestrated it within our main task therefore improving the quality and our knowledge.
we have been successful in the sense that our final task has turned out to a high standard. We were able to work as a team and help use individuals ideas into the final piece to ensure group respect. we developed our knowledge of the genre, software and equipment and overall have put ourselves in a good position for A2.
Thursday, 27 March 2014
Wednesday, 26 March 2014
What kind of media institution might distrubute your media product and why?
We needed to consider on what scale our film was going to be produced and what companies would be doing so. we needed to also consider wether our piece would be suited to the Hollywood mainstream or appeal to more of a niche audience and be shown at certain small, independent cinemas rather than those including Empire and Cineworld etc. We came to the conclusion that our film was more suited to an indie film distributor and production company such as Drafthouse Films or Film4. We had a low budget and only used a single budget and did not have access to professional editing resources. we linked our film to 'A Field In England' and the themes of that film to come to the agreement that our film was for a niche audience on a small scale due to it's themes that may not appeal to mass target audiences. we also felt that we would premiere our film at a festival such as Sundance to see the reaction prior to cinema release.
The fact that we decided to premiere our film at a festival led us to the decision that our film was an arthouse film and would be scheduled for an internet release. We came to this decision because or product has been solely advertised via social media http://thirdpersonpictures.tumblr.com/ (our tumblr) and therefore if we had released the persuant in the cinema nobody would have anticipated the release and it would have not been sucessful. By advertising on social media it allowed us to advertise to a mass audience for free. This is very useful for a company like us as we were limited to a very small budget.
We felt that the story of the obscure character of Jamie Ward who plays the Pursuant could be told. This could be done in a prequel to show any reasons for the actions that he takes in the film and also any motives that may have encouraged him to be the way he is. E.G. Alfred Hitchcock and his troubled childhood. Merchandise could also be released such as the trench coat and the bowler hat as they are very distinguishing of the character and also t-shirts with a silhouette of the character could be sold. We took the 'Heisenburg' t-shirts from breaking bad as an inspiration for this idea. The film may also be subject to a remake due to the enthralling storyline.
Costume is important in depicting the indie theme of the play for example the cheap style costume (rugged hat, plain coat and normal school attire). this also helped to convey the audience that the pursuant was not wealthy and could indeed be after ransom.
The fact that we decided to premiere our film at a festival led us to the decision that our film was an arthouse film and would be scheduled for an internet release. We came to this decision because or product has been solely advertised via social media http://thirdpersonpictures.tumblr.com/ (our tumblr) and therefore if we had released the persuant in the cinema nobody would have anticipated the release and it would have not been sucessful. By advertising on social media it allowed us to advertise to a mass audience for free. This is very useful for a company like us as we were limited to a very small budget.
We felt that the story of the obscure character of Jamie Ward who plays the Pursuant could be told. This could be done in a prequel to show any reasons for the actions that he takes in the film and also any motives that may have encouraged him to be the way he is. E.G. Alfred Hitchcock and his troubled childhood. Merchandise could also be released such as the trench coat and the bowler hat as they are very distinguishing of the character and also t-shirts with a silhouette of the character could be sold. We took the 'Heisenburg' t-shirts from breaking bad as an inspiration for this idea. The film may also be subject to a remake due to the enthralling storyline.
Costume is important in depicting the indie theme of the play for example the cheap style costume (rugged hat, plain coat and normal school attire). this also helped to convey the audience that the pursuant was not wealthy and could indeed be after ransom.
Sunday, 23 March 2014
credits ordering, timings and style individual detailed anlysis of 3 opening credits sequences (2 must be Thriller)
Shutter Island opening credits (analysis)
the credits are a dark red, which often connotes and is associated with danger or bloodshed. the credits flicker flash when they appear, they also go in-between focus and blur as if someone is struggling to see or suffering from a physiological trauma which links in with the films plot as the main character (Leonardo Dicaprio) investigates the disappearance of a murderer who has escaped from psychiatric hospital located on an island. the dim lighting of the prison cells in the first shot make the credits difficult to read, and in the second shot in which the shot spins around a spiral staircase your attention is immersed in the film as you have to use a lot of concentration to read the credits as well as taking in the shots. Interestingly we get the creator of the film, the producers and screenplay in the credits first before any of the main actors are mentioned. the style of the credits being obscure and flashing away quiet quickly is very similar to Se7en's opening credits which indicates themes of the film i.e. mental illness (psychologically not stable) and this use of credits has a very mysterious eerie impact on the audience, they become more immersed and engaged with the film as a result of the way the credits appear. The white font implies a more neutral mood, the font doesn’t imply any danger, and it’s much safer and stable.
the credits are a dark red, which often connotes and is associated with danger or bloodshed. the credits flicker flash when they appear, they also go in-between focus and blur as if someone is struggling to see or suffering from a physiological trauma which links in with the films plot as the main character (Leonardo Dicaprio) investigates the disappearance of a murderer who has escaped from psychiatric hospital located on an island. the dim lighting of the prison cells in the first shot make the credits difficult to read, and in the second shot in which the shot spins around a spiral staircase your attention is immersed in the film as you have to use a lot of concentration to read the credits as well as taking in the shots. Interestingly we get the creator of the film, the producers and screenplay in the credits first before any of the main actors are mentioned. the style of the credits being obscure and flashing away quiet quickly is very similar to Se7en's opening credits which indicates themes of the film i.e. mental illness (psychologically not stable) and this use of credits has a very mysterious eerie impact on the audience, they become more immersed and engaged with the film as a result of the way the credits appear. The white font implies a more neutral mood, the font doesn’t imply any danger, and it’s much safer and stable.
at 0.13 seconds the credits change; whilst they are still
the same font they are white instead of red, and the shots that are playing out
with them are less distracting and make these credits much easier to read, the
events happening in the foreground in comparison to the spiral staircase shot
are much more simple, the shot isn’t a busy. As an audience we start asking
questions; who does that hand belong to and why are they lifting a tile enigma
codes (questions) like this help to achieve a sense of mystery and effectively
keep the audience intrigued
at 0.29 the credits of the actors start to appear, each
actors credit has a separate shot i.e. Ben Kinsley’s shot appears to be a close
up of a chair near a fire place, whereas after a black out Leonardo Dicaprios
credits appear next to a new shot; a foot pressing down on a gun then pushing
it away. Mark buffalos credit is alongside a dark night outside with snow.
Arguably it could be said that each shot indicates something about the actors
character and what they are associated with and significance they have later on
in the film ( the gun plays an important role in Dicaprios character).
During the music credit (Robbie Robertson) the shot is
black, however we start getting clearer glimpses (becomes more noticeable) of
possibly a film reel or flickers of words (which has been done almost
throughout the opening sequence) being played and the reel becomes less faded
and becomes more concentrated.
At 0.53 there is an establishing shot of an island shortly
followed by the films name in the Credits 'shutter island'. The font is the
same as the previous credits but much larger (to signify importance) and has
gone back to the dark red colour, which evokes a sense of danger. The shot
quickly zeroes in on the words until it passes through the circle of the R
which is followed by a blackout. The way it quickly zooms in on the words
suggests that’s where the film is taking us and presumably the establishing
shot of the island implies that this is the location which the film is based
around and where key events will take place.
Saturday, 22 March 2014
Thursday, 20 March 2014
Who would be the audience for your media product?
this is a profile of an ideal audience member for 'The Persuant' and a person who's interests and what they look for in films will be suited to our piece.Name: Michael Pierce
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Location: Sulford, Manchester
Michael's is a young man who lives with his girlfriend. one of his favourite pastimes is to go to the cinema to watch thriller films. Michael loves thriller films, in an interview when asked why he enjoys thriller films so much he replied 'I dont see why you would want to watch any other type of film. I love the tension and thrive on adrenaline and being filled with suspense'.
Micheal's favourite hobbies are skydiving and mountaineering. he enjoys watching TV and having access to the latest gadgets. he works as an editor at Stuff Magazine and earns a salary of 48,000. Michael is an avid Manchester United fan and has a season ticket in the Stretford End where he sits with his dad and brother.
his favourite films are voyeuristic films in particular 'one hour photo' and 'paranormal activity'.
As well as spending money on his beloved Manchester United, 'Piercey' as he is known to his friends, likes nothing more than to shut the curtains and switch of a horror or thriller film. his favourite sub-genre in film is crime thriller thus he would be suited to our piece which may involve, rape, kidnapp and even murder.
Michael is an atheist thus will not be offended by some of the themes within the persuant. he does believe in equality however so will have no objection to both males and females receiving the same treatment in the film.
Relating back to Michael's favourite film 'One Hour Photo' he enjoys the idea of people being followed and being under surveillance. He also enjoyed TV Drama 'Bon Voyage' which told the story of a French couple following a family on their holiday and subsequently kidnapping their kids as they are unable to have children of their own.
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Saturday, 8 March 2014
Friday, 7 March 2014
Music inspirations for the Pursuant
http://youtu.be/lwLy8OoaBicwe looked at a few film soundtracks including Sinister, but in the end we decided that Sinisters soundtrack was too dark and wouldnt portray the right kind of mood which w wanted to establish in the opening 2 minutes of Our thriller.
we found a Composer we realy liked named Brian Eno.
whilst his music from his album Calcium Needles was quite eerie and strange, it had the right kind of sound that we think would effectively portray our film in the correct light. unfortunately we couldn't use the track we want 'complex heaven' due to copyright infringement which prohibited us from placing the music on the video, as it was likely that when we uploaded it to youtube, it would be taken down because of copyright.
Despite this setback, we used 'complex heaven' as our main influence and we started seraching for songs on sound cloud and incompetech were we could access and use songs because they weren't owned by a record label or copyright. we finally decided to go with a track we found on incompetech called Night of Chaos. we chose this as it had similar elements to Brian Enos 'complex heaven' which worked very well with our opening.
