In class we were taught bait editing, to edit footage using 'final cut pro'. We were given differentiation of shots to edit. These are some of the keys we used and what they did: 'I' - this was used to cut the shot down to where you want it to start '0' - this is used to cut the shot down to where you want it to finish 'Alt' - when you click on a gap between two footage cuts and hold the alt button down it gets rid of the gap To cut down rushes you press 'o' and 'I'. You then drag the cuts down in what ever order u plea, onto the timeline. Doing this it simplyfies match cuts, therefore making it easy to create aswel as efficient. If the cuts changes you can drag the original cut to create a gap in the timeline where you insert the new cuts in the existing gaps. If you have two clips and you want to put a clipin between them you use the insert edit, yellow, button by lining the yellow line on the timeline up in the place you want to insert it and then clicking the button. The razor blade tool on the right side of the screen is used to cut footage cuts down. Music can also be dragged onto the shot from the computer, if mp3's are used for sound tracks they must be changed, meaning altering their format in advance for better quality. There are many different effects you can apply to the footages for example 'dissolve' which is done by pressing 'command' and 'T' when the line is at its prefered place on the clip.
Q 1) In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Our title sequence contained many thriller conventions. The film above ‘Touch of Evil’ sets the opening scene by establishing the environment, which is urban, by doing this; the audience familiarise themselves with the scenery. In comparison, our film is set in a suburban street. A panning shot from the sky to the house as well as the long shot of the house, suggest a sense of normality to hold a stronger impact on the audience when Sarah is held captive. It is clear that in ‘Touch of the Evil’ sequence, the streets and cars are of importance as the camera reveals it through several long/mid shots. Our opening highlights the significance of the house, as the major events take place here.
A common convention is good vs. evil. There is a protagonist and antagonist in our opening, which is clearly established. Sarah is the protagonist and this is shown using several close ups of her getting ready, suggesting a significance about her character. It also makes it clear that she is a main character, her getting dressed symbolises normality and that a day to day activity is taking place. David’s predatory character is shown through the shots too, most of which are of the back of his head, his suspicious facial expression etc. Several point of view shots are used in order to symbolise his predatory character, it seems he is watching her making her seem vulnerable as well as rising levels of tension. Cross cutting between Sarah and David show a link, of prey and predator. As in Touch of Evil, the key prop is obviously the Time bomb, this is shown in close ups, and the connotations are danger and threat and clearly playing a key role in the film. Our film uses similar conventions, where the drink is spiked with Rohypnol. To make this clear, we show a close up of David pouring the drink, a close up of Sarah drinking it, the aerial shot of them toasting the glasses, the base of the glass as she drinks it, these all contribute to showing the importance of this drink. My opening challenges many other thriller title sequences in a sense that more events take place than they should. When we see the close up of the door handle being closed a feeling of loss is sensed by the audience as Sarah has become familiar to us through the frequent appearance in the extract. Therefore it challenges the typical convention that too much should not be given away within the first two minutes of the film, whereas in ours it is clear David has spiked her and is holding her captive.
Here is the opening scene to touch of evil, please feel free to watch the comparisons i've made to my film.
The feedback we got back from the audience was very positive. Everyone thought it was a very topical subject, as recently the subject has been in the news, making it believable. Therefore it was a subject that the audience watching, college students, could familiarize and identify with.
I also showed the film to older adults who felt the opening would also attract a more older, mature audience who felt the voicemail message at the end of the opening was truthful representative of the emotions and feelings of a adult in the situation. This ultimately shows that although my target audience is the younger generation it could also appeal to older people who can identify with the parents story line and widen my audience.
Q7) Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learned in the progression from it to the full product?
The Match Cut exercise that Me and Sarah participated in, went very well however could have benefited from many improvements. I have chose to compare it with the clip below, the shots used are to either establish a meaning or show conversation. The shots (shot reverse shot) in the preliminary exercise, are not level, they are at a low angle, this makes it uncomfortable for the audience to watch. The shot that includes both me and Sarah in it, is also awkward, as Sarah is slightly cut out, the camera shows more of me than of Sarah because it is too close. Perhaps this was due to the fact that it was just us filming ourselves and the camera was sitting on a table.
This diagram I created illustrates what I mean by 'uncomfortable' mid shots;
Our film shows major improvements, the extract below reveals how we used our accurate shots to covey a feeling or thought. The shot of Sarah sitting in the living room is shown in a long-mid shot, this suggest she is a prey to something. The camera cuts to David getting the glasses, it is the back of his head, we used this to show his suspicious and mysterious character. It is clear that we progressed as we were more able to use shots which created meaning than uncomfortable and awkward ones. There are clever shots in this too, when Sarah unzips her jacket the camera pans down as she does to create a intimate atmosphere for the audience. Once again we see David exit the kitchen, and his head is cut off.
The preliminary exercise includes Sarah walking up to and entering a room, therefore Match cuts were of necessity. Six various shots were used, these include (in chronological order); Long shot of Sarah walking up; close up of her feet walking toward the camera; Mid shot of her back walking towards the door; another long/mid shot revealing her from the side; close up of her turning the door handle; and finally a close up of feet as entering room. The long/mid shot of Sarah walking past is not level, in fact you can see that the camera is slightly tilted when looking at the floor. Most of these shots are considerably good, however the last two shots, when Sarah enters and her feet are on close up, you can see the cameras refelction in the glass of the door. Also, it seems she is walking too much toward the camera than toward and then past it.
The final film shows many improvements, a similiar extract is when Sarah and David go upstairs to the room, several match cuts are included here, five to be specific. Mid shot of Sarah and Davids back heading up; aerial shot of them from top of stairs; close up of feet; a low angle shot down the stairs; and finally a mid shot to conclude them going into the room. These shots are very well taken and show the improvement from the match cut. We assured the Camera was always on the tripod so that the shots were level and sophisticated. The aerial shot in paticular was good, as the narrow stair were exactly right in employing our progressed match cutting skills.
Our group showed significant improvement in terms of team work also, we were all punctual and attended all sessions. Together we worked to produce an extract which had no faulty shots as in the Match cut only me and Sarah were present.
Q5) Who would be the audience for the media product?
The target audience for our thriller was mainly young adults. The film uses similar themes that the teenage audience can relate to so will therefore appeal to them, some themes are sex and drugs, this message is conveyed significantly in the opening of our thriller. Whilst considering this, the minority of adults who might watch, being adults may find it appeal in aspects such as strong messages given to the audience, to see what the generation of today get up to, and to relate to the more matured characters such as Sarah’s parents, and their situation.
Jay, 17, a student studying Fashion Textiles, Media and English A Levels. She loves... lip-gloss, the sun, her music, family and her girls! What she would to without her 21 pairs of shoes she does not know! Shopping is her best friend, and Top Shop and New look are her favourite stores. She enjoys going to the cinema, and Adulthood is one of her favourite movies.
Q 3&4)What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why? How will you attract/address your audience?
As did this short film, which received a number of hits, (8000) I will aim to promote my film similarly. I would classify my film as an independent movie that would have a niche audience, therefore Studio Canal would be a good distribution company, as it is familiar with small niche audience films, one e.g. being Shaun of the Dead which developed a larger audience. I have an online marketing strategy; this is a step by step account of how I’m going to construct it so that my film can be further distributed. First of all it is vital to have existing support i.e. friends and family; this will come from the cinematic screening at the Screen on the Green, which many of my peers appreciated. I will import my video onto Vimeo, a video-centric social networking site, you have your own video page, holding user picture and avatars etc. and people can watch your film, comment and like it, any feedback is great feedback. Word of mouth is vital in any film release. As well as Vimeo, An independent film such as mine can have its own Facebook page, simply by creating a fan page, where people can get involved, and receive updates of the films activity, for e.g. releases, nominations and special previews. Anyone can add themselves as fans and can go as far as suggest the fan page to their own list of friends. Done properly, promoting using this tool could spread the word like wild fire to the online world, again, at no cost. To create this buzz around the film, I would create a trailer and post it on Facebook. This trailer would be imported on to YouTube, and through social networking sites and word of mouth, I believe this will increase the hits on YouTube rapidly. YouTube is a form of Internet promotion that could prove quite lucrative for my film as it is at no cost also.
I can then enter my film in a film festival after it has reached a significant amount of ratings. Some known film festivals are Sundance, London film festival and Rain dance film festival. Often VIPs are hidden among the audience, looking for new talent to sign a distribution deal, in town for someone else’s film, or just relaxing on vacation. Napoleon Dynamite is one of many films that became successful through this process.
Google is the most used search engine. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and is the tool used to improve the amount of traffic of viewers for any particular website. It is an opportunity for my film to make Google’s top ten search results. I will create a website from the step by step tutorials available, using a low costing domain. Then people will be able to find any particular film such as mine through Google searches.
Here is a diagram that I created, using illustrations to guide you through my online marketing scheme;
Q2) How does your media product represent paticular social groups?
Marathon Man shares similarities with our thriller opening in terms of representing a protagonist and antagonist, (good vs. evil). Sarah is the protagonist therefore she is made to look, vulnerable, and prey like. The long/mid shot of her in the living area, a lot of the frame is filled by the room and furniture; it makes her seem like a prey to the audience so it is clear that David is the antagonist. There is a similar shot like this when Dustin Hoffman is sitting in the chair strapped in, in this mid/long shot we see empty dull surroundings, also suggesting he is a prey. Both characters are the protagonist and hold confused or innocent facial expressions, this contributes to the effect of dramatic irony, and helps us to sympathise with the victim. It also suggests that Sarah and Babe are part of a collective social group which holds them victim to the antagonist.
The antagonist represented in this film is by David, showing minimum of his character we familiarise ourselves with Sarah so more empathy is created towards her character. Point of view shots of David reveal his sinister persona and suggest that he holds intentions with Sarah. As you can see, the obvious similarity in Marathon Man, Dr Szell and David is that both antagonist are looking at their victim, it insinuates that both men hold intent to cause harm to their victims. The facial expression is very serious and makes them seem all the more malicious. Dr Szell is part of a Nazi collective society, the negative connotations with this are obvious however, David’s is not as clear, the camera close ups help to that he has spiked the drink, rather than coming from a particular group or faction.
It is made clear that both David and Sarah come from a young, urban, wealthy and collective society. Their actions such as making a lot of effort getting ready or flirtatious behaviour imply their teenage and youthful persona. David is a ‘typical teenage boy’ whom holds sexual intent with Sarah; this contributes to portray the ‘young’ social group. However, obviously the complication arises when we realise she is captivated. Her pink bedroom and lots of makeup present her teenage character and almost make her seem very ‘naive’ when she follows David.
