Question 7

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

Preliminary task: Feed the Fish

In reviewing the first preliminary and comparing it with our full product, I have referred back to Feed the Fish and looked at the problems we faced with it and if since then; we have improved these problem areas in our recent task using audio and annotations:

Planning...

  * The planning process was very vital in the progression of the final product. Story boarding are initial thoughts as a group let us share are own ideas and start putting everyone's creativity together to make a good idea.

  * The importance of planning was vital, having to discuss and confirm location and time to ensure it was convenient for everyone. Making sure we had the correct equipment and that we had left it enough time before to ensure we would be able to keep the equipment for the whole weekend.

  * Making a Focus Group was definitely good for initial research, as I interviewed people of similar age and got there feedback on out Initial idea at the time. 

  * I have learnt that creating a happy environment whilst filming is essential in ensuring people feel enthusiastic and open to spend as much time that is needed on the task. We did this in out opening sequence of 'The Resistance' by feeding out actors and having regular breaks to relax.

  * I have also learnt for next time we film, that a shooting script can be used as a guideline rather then a reliant concept that an actors feels they have to stick to. When filming our sequence we let the characters do there own thing, but on similar guidelines. This meant they could relax when acting as they feel like they are in a more natural environment.

  * In the planning process we had just organised to shoot the certain scenes that fit the narrative, however when re-shooting we realised that the film may not be long enough, or it might be too reliant on dialogue rather then conveying genre.   So we filmed props such as the fire and snow, inside and outside the cabin, so we could remind the audience of the location in which it is set and replace empty spaces with extra scenes when it came to editing.

  * I also learnt that you should re-film the same scene a few times in different angles and proximity to give you an ensured variety when it came to editing. 

  * When it came to audience feedback, it was a lot more positive compared to our first Preliminary task, and the few things that needed to be proved we had already identified and planned to improve; showing a vast progression and natural feel of media technology and planning.

  * This opening sequence has been worked on for a long time compared to Feed The Fish, so keeping your group happy is of vital importance as the team can work together and produce the best group work as they can due to individuals stretching there own ability. 

Question 6

Annotated version of Opening Sequence

Summary

Question 6:

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

In this task I have learnt that having experience with the technology really does put you at an advantage, as learning new software means a lot of trial and error and can be very time consuming when trying to understand it. If I was to do the task again I would probably ask more for help and as advice to others taking on a similar task I would say to go and try software in your free time so when it comes to making your film you can get on with it and not be behind. Whilst shooting with the camera, I was quite hard to find a convenient spot to do the filming, especially as it was mostly inside the cabin, the space was very limited and the tripod could only be adjusted to a certain extent. For example, when filming the scene next to the fire it was very difficult to get a good frame. We had attempted to follow ‘Izzy’ inside the cabin as she got up to ‘get her phone from the car’, however the space was tight, so we resorted in filming from outside, looking directly through the window. This worked out for the better as it created a more dimensional edit. As we had to re-shoot due to timing issues, we noticed that the change of lighting from being light to dark was quite noticeable we attempted to use a light outside the cabin filming Izzy's exit, however it looked over staged so we scrapped the idea. Instead of altering the equipment whilst re-filming, we used our editing time to re-adjust the lighting by using the editing software, although finding a balance was difficult- it improved the shots vastly. The only health and safety issues we had was the fire. It took a long time to set up as it relied on flamed wood and newspaper, when working it would sometimes spit which was off putting and dangerous for the actors. I learnt when helping to edit the film, how to add and adjust sound on Adobe Premiere, use techniques such as fade to make it smoother. Using Livetype, although firstly complex, with help from a teacher Titles became easier to create and apply.

Question 5

Question 4

Summary:

The audience of our film would definitely be 15-18 year old's. By using characters of similar age, we felt it would be a good chance for the audience relate with the victims, and could empathise with the victims’ situation and imagine there own way of escape. The audience will be for youth of both genders and nationalities, as horror is a shared interest. The audience most suited would be people who can handle horror films without being too afraid or believe the feeling of fear is not desirable therefore they have no interest in watching a horror. The film will be national, as British and American films are among the most popular in the world and the worlds most known language, it can be watched by a mass audience. There is definitely space in the media market for our film as there are fewer films released in comparison to other genres such as thriller. There has only been few truly scary, popular and successful horrors, although more recently, due to a development in technology horrors have been made a lot more effectively to the aim of a horror: to scare.

                              ALL NATIONALITIES

                    A WORLDWIDE AUDIENCE

BOTH GENDERS

Question 3

Question 2

Question 1: Evaluation

Applying sound to our movie

We downloaded sound effects and background sounds to our movie using Garage band, first by downloading the relevant tracks to itunes and imported them to to Adobe Premiere Pro. We first discussed which sound would fit in with which clip without it seeming unconventional, cliche or awkward to cut. The fade tool was very useful in creating are soundtrack as we wanted it to seem as smoothe as possible. None of us had used the sound software so it did take a while to get the hang of it, we debated which sound loops where most suited as there where multiple for each mood. Although it was tricky we managed to complete it in a decent time, although we did take longer in a certain scene where the victim (Izzy) gets taken. We where unsure if we should use a scream as a recognition to her friends that she has been murdered, or the attackers voice or even the dropping of weapons. We branched out on other free sites for a better variety of choice but and when applying each to the clip, we realised that the only realistic scream was too long, the dropping of a weapon sounded like it was inside the cabin rather then out but the sound loop of the killer laughing at his sick antics, really fit the scene well. We used an acoustic sound to be used at the start of the sequence inside the cabin when everything seems fine, making it light hearted, sweet and innocent, but the classical scent made it have a creepy twist.

blogger font

I have had problems with making all my fonts the same on blogger, they are all supposed to be Courier, font size Normal but unfortunately they are not matching.  

Making Titles

As we found Livetype to be very slow to use we attempted to use 'Adobe After Effects'. First we found a website that would help us with a distinctive template called 'ae templates', we downloaded a suitable file that related to the genre of are film, with horror related text and quirky format. When importing the file on after effects it was very unclear on what we needed to do next. We tried to watch a tutorial on Youtube but we found it incredibly complex, so we decided to stick to Livetype and agreed to stay at lunch time/free periods and after school to ensure the titles where up to the standards we expected at this time.

Horror research: Conventions

Horror Films are unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience. Horror films effectively center on the dark side of life, the forbidden, and strange and alarming events. They deal with our most primal nature and its fears: our nightmares, our vulnerability, our alienation, our revulsion's  our terror of the unknown, our fear of death and dismemberment, loss of identity, or fear of sexuality.

Whatever dark, primitive, and revolting traits that simultaneously attract and repel us are featured in the horror genre. Horror films are often combined with science fiction when the menace or monster is related to a corruption of technology, or when Earth is threatened by aliens. The fantasy and supernatural film genres are not synonymous with the horror genre, although thriller films may have some relation when they focus on the revolting and horrible acts of the killer/madman. Horror films are also known as chillers, scary movies, spookfests, and the macabre. See also Scariest Film Moments and Scenes (illustrated) - from many of the Greatest Horror Films ever made, Best Film Death Scenes (illustrated), and Three Great Horror Film Franchises.

source:
 http://www.filmsite.org/horrorfilms.html

opening sequence analysis

Juno

I love this opening sequence as i think it is so different to others, its not conventional or mainstream but the use of animation makes it so individual. The music is like modern american swing music, it is friendly and inviting. The actual film is very simple in terms of what it shows; a small area of  teenage girl walking around with a bottle of orange juice. The simplicity is sweet and it makes it look like an independent movie unlike most high budget movies that use multiple locations and extreme situations. In this clip we are not expecting dramatic moving images as the sound confirms the  sweet simplicity and locality of the film.

Sound research

Legally Blonde

The sound is immediately compatible with the genre. The tone is very upbeat and the singer; being a young woman represents the character with the mood of the song and the lyrics such as "They tell me to act my age", this is well related to the obsession with pink that is represented dominantly throughout. The music also relates to the genre of the film, mostly being a 'chickflick'. A very positive approach to a feel good movie is represented through the music. It is not just the music that makes this opening sequence so original; the use of glowing pink font shaped in a curvy feminine fashion makes the movie less formal. Although there is a lot of different moving image in the opening sequence you would expect it take the attention off the design of the film, however realistically all together they are matching and made very smooth throughout. 

Making sound

When searching for suitable sound for our movie we used the site 'freeSFX' as it had a lot of sound effects. However we had to narrow it down as the selection was quite large. We typed in 'horror' in the key word box and this made the process a lot quicker then what we had previously experienced. Some sounds relating to horror where more gory such as breaking bone effects, and others where more terrestrial obviously relating to monstrous/extra terrestrial figures.  However, we found some broader tunes that could be used as a dominant background noise for the beginning and end of the film. We downloaded some shorter sound effects for mid-scene clips such as a girl screaming, we would use this as Izzy (The first victim) gets attacked.   However we don't want to make it cliche so next lesson we plan to see how they flow in out movie.

scribd further research

Powerpoint on low budget horror

Powerpoint on hollywood big budget films

Initial idea planning

Our First idea was a love story. A boy and a girl who cant be together run away from home, but it is a challenge. The Cliffhanger ends when they both get caught by their 'enemy'. The audience does not know if they will escape but the film leads to lots of anticipation and tense feelings from the audience.

Film analysis

Panic Room

The genre of this film is thriller, however the use of titles and imagery can be used in our horror sequence aswell, as the opening sequence is very grimy and simple. The music is not upbeat, it is hollow and full of tension. The use of font looks like it is made out of metal or mirror, creating a three dimensional world. This is also confirmed with the background image of large buildings in a central location. All together it is very simple, but it is a very broad sequence with lots of meaning behind it, making it mysterious and intreaging. Midway through the sequence the music becomes a lot more multi-toned using 'tick tock' noises to represent time, without excluding the busy streets and sounds of cars moving past. The camera uses tilt in some areas to show the high buildings, making the film seem Hi-tech and high budget.

Editing in films

Psycho

I used this clip in particular to show how professionals use editing in film to give the audience a certain message. In this clip, the editing is very quick with a variety of different angles being used. This creates tension and fits with the horror 'code' where showing less gives a much more feared response from the audience. The use of shadow in the black and white filter is still very effective and behind the shower curtain the figure looks blurred therefore his identity is kept unknown. The camera angles such as the shower head makes the character feel as though they are the woman, use of pov angles in horror makes everything personified and this is very effective. The editing clips are very short in between each event, for example when he is 'stabbing' her with the knife the editing switches to different camera angles almost every time, keeping the murder graphic but not too much.

Using Title Software

LIVETYPE

Whilst the Macs where stolen. we where unable to edit, therefore I decided to get on with other things so we where not too far behind when the deadline came. Using the Livetype software I looked at a variety of different styles, colours and edits. I decided that using red would be the best associated colour to the genre of our film; Horror. Red represents danger, blood and gore, it is also deep and representative to the sequence that is about to occur. The style that appealed most to me, was 'Frigid' this made our opening sequence name 'The resistance' move slight;y left to right in a fast awkward movement. I thought this mocked the struggle to survive from the kidnapper as Emily; the victim of his evil antics latches on to the door trying to escape but struggles. The editing movement replicates that struggle as it represents panic and distress.

Ashes to Ashes analysis exam prep

Discuss the ways in which the extract constructs the representation of Gender

In filming, the camera spends more time on the male characters apart from Alex Drake. in the boat for example, there us a lit of close ups of the males as they try and flirt with Alex, some of these being point of view shots, making the audience see what the woman sees. This might be because they want to represent men as greedy, dirty and arrogant, the close ups make them much more un-appealing, this is a bad representation of the make sex. The camera also uses tilt of Alex starting from her feet up till her face, this lets the audience explore her demographic,; as she is dressed as a prostitute. The use of red colouring and heavy makeup shows women in a exploited light which is a negative representation. 

however, in the scene where the man is holding her neck the cops sarcastically call her 'smart' this might have been used to show the inner depth of a woman who works as a prostitute. The emphasis and dialogue regarding her clothes highlight her as an 'object' rather than a human, the officers sarcastic remarks make her intelligiance undermines. the zoom inn of the clown looking character and the echoed voice makes him seen a villain, as we are dominantly shown the character of Alex, we assume this male is evil; negatively representing males.

The sound used is very repetitive, at the beginning during the fast cut editing the sound is deep and repetitive without taking away from the visual storyline. muic is significant in the scene where Alex has time to establish herself in the tilt camera movement. They use choir music of a powerful woman, to show her realisation of the apparant transformation of characters, this is a powerful representation of the inner beauty of the woman. Another important piece is when the officers role up in their car, the music is rock it is low key but 80s style music. This created an informality of the officers presence, their sunglasses are also very informal, making the audience struggle to see then authoritatively. The language used by the males towards Alex such as 'slut, prostitute' etc shows a complete disregard and respect towards Alex, representing men as the dominant sex over the confused damzell in distress.

Horror research

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCbDUREBwUg

(Taken)

We used this to investigate aspects of horror which we can incorparate in are own movie. the main feature of taken which we plan to use in similar context. the scene where the girl gets pulled from under her bed by her ankles is one of the best most memorable scenes in Taken. when we are in the cabin location, we plan for someone to get taken by criminals in balaclavas. We think that the way this is done in Taken is extremely exciting and makes the scene fill with tension. the camera angle is also something we will take from this film, we feel like using low shots or POV angles will ake you emphathise with the character much more and get the full effects of the genre.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrEvK-tv5OI

(Jaws)

This opening sequence is very useful in our short film because the basis of the story starts with friends in a happy talkative environment. However the happy turns immediately unhappy once the shark captures the poor woman. The transference goes from jolly american music to silence with just dialogue, this is a very good way in changing the mood at the start of the film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9XMd2eAy_4

(Independent music)

This music is very simple, but as our film will have a lot of dialogue, it can be used as background music is well as with opening and closing titles. if we wanted to add any other music that might be more dominant, we could mix them both up so that it can sound strained and create tension.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye1mE2bq7H8

(Independent music)

This clip has a lot more examples of a variety of music types. They are very different and they sound very suited to the genre, also making parts of it sound terrestrial, which could fit with our story of deserted woods and the 'unknown'.

Distribution

                        Distribution

1) Pre Production

2) Production

3) Post Production

4) Distribution

The distributors have to work out who the audience is, why they should watch it and how to persuade them to watch it. Distributors either have the task to distribute well known popular films and small ranged films.

Notes:

- An independent distributor for things such as Momentum Picture have to seek out films and enquire the right. 

- Find the films Unique Selling Point (USP) 

- Casting and Genre 

- Target audience for marketing campaign 

- 15-24 year old's are the CORE audience and families

- When to release a film

Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_Century_Fox

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation is one of the six major American film studios as of 2011. Located in the Century City area of Los Angeles, just west of Beverly Hills, the studio is a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. The company was founded on May 31, 1935, as the result of the merger of Fox Film Corporation, founded by William Fox in 1915, and Twentieth Century Pictures, founded in 1933 by Darry; F. Zanuck, Joseph Schenck, Raymond Griffith and William Goetz.

Twentieth Century Fox's most popular film franchises include Star Wars, X-Men, Ice Age, Die Hard, Predator, Alien, Planet of The Apes, Home Alone, plus TV shows such as Batman, M*A*S*H, The X-Files, Cops, The Simpsons, Family Guy and 24. Among the most famous actresses to come out of this studio were Shirley Temple, who was 20th Century Fox's first film star, Betty Grable, Gene Tierney, Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield. The studio also contracted the first African-American cinema star, Dorothy Dandridge. 20th Century Fox is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America.

source: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momentum_Pictures

Momentum Pictures (also known as Alliance Films UK and formerly Alliance Communications UK and Alliance Atlantis UK) is one of the leading independent motion picture distributors in the UK and Ireland and releases approximately 20 theatrical films a year, with several dtv releases.

Momentum's most successful theatrical releases include the Oscar, BAFTA and BIFA-winning The King's Speech, Amélie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lost in Translation,Control, Downfall, The Young Victoria, Defiance, Milk, Let the Right One In, The Illusionist, Just Friends, District B13 Ultimatum, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Law Abiding Citizen, Glorious 39 and P.S. I Love You.

The studio has also released several family films, such as Hoodwinked, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Arthur and the Invisibles, Just Visting and Igor, as well as the home video rights for popular TV series Creature Comforts.

 
source: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramount_Pictures

Paramount Pictures Corporation is a film and television production/distribution company, consistently ranked as one of the largest (top-grossing) movie studios. It is a division of American media conglomerate CBS Television.

Paramount is the fifth oldest existing film studio in the world behind Universal Studios, Nordisk Film, Pathé, and Gaumont Film Company. Also, it is the last major film studio still headquartered in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles.

Paramount Pictures is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America


group distribution:
Lions gate

Lions Gate Entertainent Corporation is the most commercially successful independent film and television distribution company in North America. It's first major box office success was 'American Psycho' in 2000, which began a trend of films that were too controversial and different for the other major American distributors. Some of the other notable films include: 'Affliction', 'Gods and Monsters', 'Saw' and the 'Hunger Games' in 2012.

We thought this distribution company was the best for our group film, as it is independent and popular with lots of past success, especially in the horror genre.
 

Titles Analysis BBC

Art Of The Title

An Education (2009) The opening sequences using animation as well as real life images, types of animation used are related to 'Education' such as maths angles, shapes, science equipment, skipping ropes, textiles, paper shapes, music notes, bar charts etc. These are used by themselves at the start of the sequence, using white outlines on a black background. However they start to use fade and overlapping techniques with real life images. The fact that the animation looks drawn makes it seem a lot more creative and suitable for a younger audience. The real life images used are girls of around the age 15, doing formal ballroom dancing with partners, placing books on there head as an elocution lesson, playing lacrosse, cooking and many more. The pupils are showing typical pupil characteristics, having fun in the playground and looking bored and hopeless in lessons. The music is very upbeat high pitched and used drums and trumpets in a very repetitive, positive and almost comedic light. The titles are placed in different areas of the screen making it less predictable and more dynamic. The sequence looks like it is set in a Grammar School in the 60's due to the uniform and activities shown on screen, the music and the realistic attitudes make the genre comical.

Signs 2002: Sound

The music is very important in this sequence, at the start it is silent, introducing the main actors of the film. However it quickly starts being powerful, with sound of the violin, this transition is made through a fade to black. It is very fast paced, as though they are on a mission or there is a mystery. Especially in the middle of the sequence, the more deviant notes are represented with a change of title, keeping up the tension and making it flow. The font is black, in a simple but bold and sharp format. The simplicity of it matches the genre of horror or an old fashioned action film. 

storyboard of initial idea

This is my initial storyboard for our opening sequence, we roughly discussed a possible storyline but I created my own set of camera angles, dialogue and sound. Our initial idea was a teenage romance, a choice to run away ending with heartbreak.

Continuity editing

The continuity system uses a smooth and seamless style of narration through a variety of techniques, In the film Viva vendetta there are several scenes that show these techniques very thoroughly. The most important concept is the 180 degree rule. This rule states that the camera must stay on one side of the action and objects in a scene, this is an invisible line that runs through a scene and the camera never crosses this line. This is used so the audience don't get confused about where the characters are. A good example of this is in the film V for vendetta; an indoor scene with two characters.


with the 180 degree rule the viewer never really experiences any sense of spatial disorientation or inconsistent.

Oceans twelve storyboard analysis

We watched a short clip of Oceans twelve and had to storyboard the different angles the camera had shown through the editing. This was good practice for when it came to editing are own short film and also in exam prep when analysing what we see.

Title Analysis

A title sequence is the method by which cinematic films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound. It usually follows but should not be confused with the opening credits, which are generally nothing more than a series of superimposed text.

I looked into horror opening sequences for our group film:

James Bond -Skyfall

This is a modern example of amazing opening credits. Firstly credits are located at the most convenient location of the screen, they are not still, but are slightly moving with the current of the ocean as James Bond is sinking further into the deep sea, this is a good way of integrating the titles and the moving image, as it seems less of a disturbance and more part of the film. The font is simple, so it does not take away from the rich ingredients of moving image. The font is also white, which is a neutral colours to the variety of images used in the opening sequence, the size is acceptable, noticeable but not overwhelming.


Se7en - Starring Brad Pitt.

This is an excellent example of horror which can relate to our own opening titles. Unlike many others, it is a lot less simple. The fonts are all dynamic, not all in straight lines, some neater then others, Some spaced out further then others etc. Comparing other sequences this one is the most eye-catching and exciting, sometimes less is better, but horror in particular can be a lot more creative; it prepares the audience for tension and addiction of horror characteristics, as you get drawn into what is about to happen. The black/brown/red backgrounds and white font is a successful comparison as it really brings out the variety of titles due to its dark to light effect. It also uses a lightening effect when the music changes key, keeping it intact and attractive.

Representation

Representation in Horror:

Horror unlike other types of media represents gender in a much more respected way, women are more active then passive in horror movies; Sometimes being the hero or the saviour. eden Lake is a good example of this. 'Halloween' (1978) has the "final girl" called laurie which is a unisex name. She is portayed as innocent but dresses in a way that makes her masculine side more visual. Steotypically, the man is the aggressor, the woman is smart and always sees the realistic side to a situation that doesnt involve danger. side is not usually a common trait in media, however horror is much more diverse. sometimes the man is the patagonist and the woman is sometimes an accomplice the dominant role. Representation in horror being stereotypical is less common then in other types of media, gender roles may have been more stereotyped in the past, such as 'psycho'1960 where the girl is portrayed weak and defeated, she is pretty and hopeless. more modern horror can play with stereotypes without it seeming fake or unrealisic.

Teen movies: Mean girls

This film is a 'teen movie' Its' interior relies on stereotypes to make it humorous and popular for a teen audience. There are many  examples of stereotypes in representation of the film, for example, as 'Cady' enters her first class in American school, the teacher knowing her new student is from Africa says 'Welcome' to a black girl sitting in the classroom, assuming that it is her because of the colour of her skin. Also, her first new friends 'Damian' and 'Janice' talk her around the school, generalising and branding different types of groups of students, for example 'Jocks' and Band Geeks'. These are types of representation based on a state american school. The 'Plastics' are three girls who dress girly,and don't shy away from short skirts and low tops, it assumes that pretty, rich girls are bitches or are dumb. 'Karen' is one of the plastics, who is blonde and dumb; a common occurance of these types of teen movies.