Main Task Final video

Feedback on the Main Task video

Liam McDonald- I asked Liam McDonald to watch our film and give me some advice to improve it. Liam said that the film was gripping and the music worked well with it but he felt that at times i seemed a bit like a music video. This meant a change in the music or timing of the music will have to be made

Josh MacKenzie- Josh really liked the film and said he felt it was good but it was let down by a scene where Hannah in the film jumped a bit. Following the advice my group and I edited the part and the jumping no longer happens

Kieran Cresswell- Kieran said the film was OK. Kieran felt that it attracted attention but didn't hold the attention of the audience. This meant that we would have to find a way to keep the audience interested throughout the film. Perhaps by cutting the scenes a bit faster.

Evaluation

Media Evaluation

In this evaluation I am going to look at my finished media product and discuss different areas of it such as how it conforms to other thrillers. I think as a group we over came many challenges and set backs in order to get this final piece completed. The set location and the time we allowed ourselves for filming both presented us with problems. The filming location was not always available to use and we had to film most of our film again in a different location, we also didn’t start filming early enough to make sure we had a good amount of time to edit. Overall though I think we did well to get our film finished and edited to the standard it is at.

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

By looking at conventions of a thriller and making notes on my blog as to what they include my group and I were able to look at our film and use these ideas to create our extract from a thriller. The theme of identity is often used in a modern thriller and we have used this theme in our extract. This theme has been carried on using pictures of different people to create a shrine it shows the identity of the different characters in the extract. The film title usually represents an aspect of the characters mental state in a thriller and we have followed this by calling our extract ‘Addiction’, this is because the character is addicted to the people featured in the shrine, this character wants to be like them. In a lot of thrillers there are many sub plots and we have tried to use this theme in our extract as well with the sub plot of the main character following one particular girl. Our media extract does not challenge forms and conventions of a thriller, it’s based on these conventions.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Our Media extract represents different social groups. The theme of loneliness is shown through the use of dark lighting and the shrine. The main character is represented as the villain through the mise en scene. The clothes the main character uses are dark and prevent most of the person being seen, this creates the dark and mysterious side to the character which leads the audience to believe this character has something to hide and is the villain. When the main character is in most shots the lighting is dark and this represents the mysterious villainous side to the character. There is very little sound made around the main character which can build up suspense and tension implying to the audience this character is a villain. This is different when Hannah is in the shots as the lighting is bright and far away, this shows the audience somebody is watching her. The audience will therefore fear for her safety making her a victim in the thriller.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for our media product would be anybody from the age 15 onwards that enjoy the twists and sub plots of the thriller genre. This is because our product was made to be a thriller and contains all the forms and conventions of a thriller and as with most thrillers will contain something sinister that would prevent young children ( under 15) being able to watch it. I came to the conclusion on the age based on the questionnaire, my group and I asked people aged 16 and 17 these results show thrillers are hard to understand and could not be understood by people below the age of 15. The audience we wanted were attracted through the use of mise en scene; we set the scene for a good thriller by making sure the lightening and clothing conformed to most good standard thrillers. Through using these conventions we were able to aim our media product directly at an audience that enjoy thrillers. They would be able to relate to what they see and become interested in the film straight away.

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

Warp X is a distribution company my group and I would aim to go through. This distribution company works on low budgets and our film would need to be distributed as cheaply as possible. This company has distributed many films over the U.K and is the ideal company to distribute ours.

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

Through doing this media work I have learnt that technologies can be complicated to use and can sometimes go wrong. I have learnt that it is good to always make sure that you can use a certain technology to a good standard before involving it with your film. It is also a good idea to check your equipment is working correctly, at one time the camera my group was using wasn’t recording and we lost 25 minutes of time due to the camera not being checked properly. I found adobe fairly hard to use and I had to practice a lot with a copy of our film, playing around to get the hang of using basic parts of the program. I did a fair amount of editing although I feel it was slightly less than the other two group members. I gained a basic knowledge of how to use the program and contributed and where and I could when editing the film.

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

The preliminary task that was completed before the main task helped me in many ways. Firstly it just generally got me thinking about different angles of filming and what lighting looks better and how sets can be improved. I learnt the importance of knowing your role in the film if you’re acting and knowing where the camera is. I also learnt how to evaluate the work that had been done and write about it on the blog, this helped me when it came to the final piece. Having the practice of already uploading a video and evaluating it helped me when it came to the main task because I was able to look back and see what I did well and where I went wrong. I learnt that I was not writing enough little details for example simply explaining different pictures, In the main task I made sure that everything I posted had been explained.

In conclusion I think that our media product went well but at times due to different reasons ranging from location setting and work ethic the work was not completed. Through the use of thriller conventions our media product conforms to what a normal thriller would be seen as and also helps us aim our product at a certain audience.

Lessons four and five

Over the last couple of lessons the group have completed all the work to go onto the blog such as risk assessment, props, storyboard animatic, filming schedule and our set location. This work was done fast and to a very high standard, the group has put 100% effort in and we are well now as a group. Also the start of filming has been made, the set desgin was set up in the filming location and the end few slides of the storyboard were filmed. The filming has been done from the end of the film to the start because we cannot get access to the barn whenever we want so we have to film as and when we can.

Storyboard Animatic

Filming schedule

Possible actors we may use when we film

Jordan Richards, Jordan stands out really well with the long ginger hair and he looks older than other people in our year, this makes him a prime candidate for a sinister role in our film.













Scott Green, Scott is a very confident and loud person these are good qualities in an actor, again with his hair being curly and quite long he will stand out well.








Oliver youle, we thought that Oliver was a sensible and intelligent person and would perform well in our film, also he has ginger hair and that makes him stand out which will be useful for the main character.

Film set location pictures

This is a picture with the barn lights off and somebody in the doorway, this creates mystery surrounding the figure in the doorway and me and my group thought this looked really good.



This picture shows the door of the barn closed with the lgihts off again, this effect looks really good and the light coming through the door helps create the sense of darkness inside the barn.



This picture shows the barn door again but with the lights on, we thought this shot was good because the wall at the side is a contrast to the woodern door so it creates a msytery sense as to where this place is, it also looks a very lonley place.



The picture again from a slightly different angle.



This is a shot of the whole barn with the light off, this picture helped with the risk assessment and it shows us how much light we have to work with when the lights in the barn are switched off.



This picture shows the part of the barn we plan to film in the most, my group and I felt that the little side part of the barn was a good and that we would be able to use it affectively.



Another shot of the corner of the barn with the lights on, we took this shot to show how bright the set it with the lgihts on.



The barn with the lights on, this picture was taken to show the whole set we are going to be filming on.

The main task lesson 3

Today me and my group set off about completing the risk assessment, location pictures, props and getting everything on the blog. I think that we worked well as a group today we got all the work done we aimed to get done, although not everything has been put onto the blog it will uploaded within the next two days. This should put my group in a filming position for next lesson.

Props and costumes

Balaclava: The balaclava represents the mystery of the killer, it hides the face of the killer from the eye of the audience, it also fits in with the stereotypical props of a thriller as it creates a sense of crime and deviance.

Candle Tea Lights: The tea light will be on the shrine which will create a silhouette of the killer. They will emphasise the feel of a shrine and a thriller.

Photos: The photos represent the targets of the killer, they are to hang on the wall as part of the shrine. They will show the audience what the killer is like and the obsession that he carries for killing, it is clear to the audience that the killer does not randomly kill victims, but instead plans out his attacks by following them and taking pictures of them.

The Shrine: The shrine is used to show the obsession and devotion the killer has to its targets. The shrine creates an enigma to the audience which allows them to think, who? why? where? how? and what it is?

Risk assessment for the film set.

Our group has decided to film using the Barn and the car park at college. The risks of filming here can be divided into two categories, people hazards and physical hazards.

People Hazards of filming the Barn:

With the equipment available in barn for P.E use the actors or camera crew may use the basket ball hoops when a film set is being set up, this is a hazard as somebody can be hit by the equipment used in the games they play. This is not of a high risk but still carries some concern for the actors safety, this hazard can be avoided by making sure each and every member of the acting or filming crew is alert and focused on filming at all times.

General care needs to be taking while moving around the film set, if people are messing about slipping on the floor or hitting camera equipment can cause harm. This is not a high risk but still needs to be avoided, avoided by everybody being mature.
Communication is another hazard, if an actor is not sure what they are suppose to be doing something could go wrong, for example an actor moving the wrong way and hitting somebody or something. Clear scripts and instructions can be used to make sure this does not happen.

Physical Hazards of filming in the Barn:

The camera equipment is a physical hazard, the equipment must be set up and regularly checked to make sure it is working correctly. If a light blows it could harm somebody eyes or if it smashes glass could go into somebody. This is a medium risk as it can cause some serious harm, if equipment is set up carefully and checked regularly this can be avoided.

The floor in the barn is astro turf and very rough, this is a physical hazard. If a person fell onto this surface it could do some harm, it is not a high risk hazard but still a hazard none of the less. Actors and camera crew must take care while on the astro turf and if any jumps are in the film, mats should be used at all times.
The barn can be quite cold so actors and camera crew should wear coats at all times, (actors only when not acting obviously).

People Hazards in the car park:

The hazards in the car park are similar to the Barn where as in the car park there are vehicles that people can bang into too. Care needs to be taking to avoid this.

Physical Hazards in the car park:

Very much the same as the barn, but one physical hazard in the car park is moving vehicles. As it is a public car park there will vehicles moving around so care needs to be taken while filming in the car park.

Locations for our Opening Sequence

Location 1: The Barn
We have chosen to use the barn for the main part of our opening sequence, we have chosen to do this because the barn can provide little light and good light which allows us to be flexible with the lighting we want to create the atmosphere which is necessary for our thriller film. The barn is a eerie room which provides a sense of thrill and suspense which is perfect for the filming of our opening sequence. We needed a brick wall in a dark location to film against because we thought it would be effect for our opening sequence therefore the barn is perfect for our sequence as it meets all the requirements or sequence needs.

Location 2: Car park
A car park has to be used for our opening sequence as we need to capture a man taking photos of someone getting out of a car; this is to show the obsession he has with the victim. We thought it was most necessary to use the car park for this scene which shows multiple cars which is right for our sequence as it shows that the victim is in a busy place and therefore would not see the photographer. Where as if filmed a single car the effect would not be as effective as it doesn’t look like the victim is in a busy place instead it will show him as if he is on his own.

Research into locations

I went around college and took a few photos of places and things i thought would either look good to use in a shot or use as a location to film.



This picture can be used to create tension, it can be used at the start of the film as a sign there isnt going to be a fire later on.



This picture is of a roof top, this shot can be used to show somebody looking over the edge maybe planning to jump off, creates tension, can also set the scene.



This shot could be used to show somebody running away as we can see them running a long way.



I took this shot with the same thoughts in mind as the picture before it.



This shot is used to show the side of a building, the camera could then zoom in on something in the window.



I took this shot to show the set of interview room or conference room.



I took this shot as it can be used to show where somebody has slept, creates the theme of povety



This shot represents where people would have a casual meeting.

Main Task Brainstorm and storyboard

Research Into Genres

Action films:
1. Usually high energy
2. Contain voilence, fight scenes, murder Etc
3. Usually follows the 'good guy'
4. A big crisis in the form of either buildings being destroyed or lifes being lost
5. Fast paced, ( Like the Bourne films and the latest James Bond film )

Thriller films:

I have already looked at coventions of thrillers earlier in my blog, some well known thrillers are:

The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Rear Window (1954)
Cidade de Deus (2002)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Fight Club (1999)
Psycho (1960)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Horror Genre:

Blood
Death
Killing
Darkness
Villain
Victims
Haunted houses and isolated settings
Monsters
Evil
Weapons
Storms
Chase sequences
Gore
Ghosts
Violence
Screams

Horror films:

Psycho (1960)
Alien (1979)
The Shining (1980)
Aliens (1986)
Diaboliques, Les (1955)
Låt den rätte komma in (2008)
The Thing (1982)
Faust - Eine deutsche Volkssage (1926)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Frankenstein (1931)

Adventure films:
1. They usually include a very intertesting location
2. Happiness and sadness shown
3. Unusual creatures in the film.

The top 10 adventure films according to the IMDB website are:
1. Buono, il brutto, il cattivo., Il (1966)
2. Dzhentlmeny udachi (1972)
3. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
4. Shichinin no samurai (1954)
5. Star Wars (1977)
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
7. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
8. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
9. North by Northwest (1959)
10. The Matrix (1999)

Comedy genre:
1. Funny main character
2. funny plot
3. No serious gun fights, they would all be funny.

The top 10 comedy films according to the IMDB website are:
1. Balkanski spijun (1984)
2. Dzhentlmeny udachi (1972)
3. Sluzhebnyy roman (1977)
4. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
5. Verdugo, El (1963)
6. Zügürt Aga (1985)
7. Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983)
8. WALL·E (2008)
9. Kibar Feyzo (1978)
10. Esperando la carroza




Websites I used to carry out this research:
http://www.imdb.com/chart/comedy
http://www.imdb.com/chart/adventure
http://www.filmsite.org/genres.html
http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Genres/Horror/
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/444810/index.html

Main task questionnaire

I have taken a screen shot of what the questionnaire looked like in word and then i have copied the information into the blog so it is easy to read.



Questionnaire.


1. Which Type of thriller do you prefer?
A) Action thriller
B) Crime thriller
C) Conspiracy thriller

2. What sort of set do you think is more suitable for a thriller
A) Dark small room
B) Well light big area
C) Park or shopping centre, open space

3. Do you think flash backs are good bits of editing to use in a thriller?
A) Yes
B) No
C) Sometimes

4. Do you think thrillers with a lot of sub plots are better than thrillers with just one main plot?
A) Yes
B) No
C) Sometimes


5. In a Crime thriller do you think its better to have the crime about,
A) Murder
B) Kidnapping
C) Big robberies
6. In a conspiracy thriller do you prefer one main conspiracy or for it to spiral off into many twists and turns?
A) One main
B) Spiral off



7. In the opening sequence of a thriller do you think it is better to start with a crime or something that sparks questions in the audiences mind?
A) Start with a crime
B) Spark questions

Question number Answers (15 people asked)
1 B, A,B,B,C,B,B,B,C,A,A,C,B,B,B A=3 B=9 C=3
2 C,A,A,A,A,A,B,C,A,C,A,A,A,A,A A=11 B=1 C=3
3 A,A,C,C,C,B,C,C,C,A,A,C,B,B,A A=5 B=3 C=7
4 C,A,A,A,B,A,A,A,A,A,C,A,A,A,A A=12 B=1 C=2
5 B,A,A,C,A,B,A,A,C,C,A,A,A,A,C A=9 B=2 C=4
6 B,B,B,B,B,B,A,B,A,B,B,B,B,B,B A=2 B=13
7 A,A,A,A,B,A,B,B,A,B,A,A,A,A,B A=10 B=5

Analysis of questionnaire:

The questionnaire shows that people prefer thrillers about crime set in dark mysterious places and involving murder. It also shows that the use of flash backs can have a possitive impact on a film as well as many sub plots. People love a thriller to spiral off in different directions and start with a main crime.

The main task lesson 2

My group and i went back to the same place as we were in before and got straight to work, we then went and spoke to our teacher about the ideas we had come up with and how far we had got with our storyboard. After this we went on to finish the brain storm and continue with the story baord. I then went off to make a questionnaire to found out what thrillers people like in general and what they expect from an open sequence. I got this finished and the group had a look and gave me feedback and put some ideas of their own into it.

The Main task Lesson one

Alexander Nightingale
Candidate number: 3139
George Spencer College 28278

Group for the Main task:

Alexander Nightingale: ( Candidate number above )
liam Hutchinson: Candidate number: 3099
Ryan Boyington: Candidate number: 3191





In the first lesson to start the main task, we were given the briefing in class on what we have to produce for our main task. After this I had to decide what group i would like to work in or if i would like to work on my own. I decided to work with Ryan and Liam as i get on well with them and i know we will work well together.
The three of us went off to a quiet place and had a 10 minute discussion over what we think the best thrillers have in them and what we aim to produce. After this we began to make a brain storm and a storyboard on our main task. My group did not get these finished by the end of the lesson but we had a good idea about what we wanted to do as a group.

Preliminary task brain storm

The brain storm i made with my group for the preliminary task.

preliminary task video

I had to upload our video to youtube as it would not upload onto here.

Dialogue used for the Police Interrogation

PC Walker: Interview Commencing at _ _ : _ _ at Sun Hill Police Station with PC Dan Walker and Paul Smith. Where were you between the hours of 7:30 and 9:30 yesterday
Paul: At home
PC Walker: Can anyone confirm this?
Paul: I was on my own
PC Walker: How do you explain this? (shows evidence)

Preparation for making the opening sequence

In Preparation for making the opening sequence my group did:~

- Got the equipment we needed, lights, cameras, green screen, seats, the room we would film in.
- Went through the lines that I had to speak with Dan who was also speaking in the opening sequence.
- Made sure we had enough time to film and edit so started as quick as possible
- Talked it over with the other group members so that we all knew exactly what shots were going to be taken and when they would happen.

Preliminary task storyboard part 4

Preliminary task storyboard 3

Preliminary task storyboard part 2

Preliminary task Storyboard part 1

Notes on Casino Royal and Hannibal Rising

Hannibal rising: