Anguish

Here is my final product of my opening sequence. By making this has allowed me to learn a vartiy of new skills and techniques and learnt a vast amount about the media industry. I have made my media blog simple and easy to use by using labels to navigate your way around my blog. I hope you enjoy my final production and my overal blog.

Thankyou for watching!

Evaluation Question 1

Evaluation Question 2

Evaluation Question 2 by milliecox

Evaluation Question 3

There are many different ways in which media institutions could distribute my media production, but due to my production only being a niche product within an interdependent producer it restricts how we can disturbed
 our final production as big music institutions such as Universal Pictures do not produce independent films. I created a poster which analyses ways in which we are able to distrube our final production and the best possible ways:

Evaluation Question 4

Question 4: Who would the audience be for your media product?

I approached this question by asking a range of individuals within my school from the age of 16-18 to ask their views about my final production and find out what they believe the target audience that would be interested in my production. By carrying out this research, it has allowed me to answer the question and discover that the audience for my media production would aimed for teenagers around 16-20 that would fully understand and be able to relate to how the character is feeling.

Evaluation Question 5

There are many different ways in which we can attract and address your audience, but is vital that we select specific ways in which we attract the correct audience within the same target audience. Below shows the most significant ways in which we attract the audience for our final production.

Evaluation Q5 by milliecox

Evaluation Question 6

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

By answering this question it has allowed me to recognize and identify all the different ways in which technologies i have used and the advantage of each technology. I decided to make a power-point on the main technologies i used to help me research and create my final production.

Evaluation Question 6 by milliecox

Evaluation Question 7

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

As a group, we thought the best way in which to answer this question was through a group discussion. To begin we started by talking about things that each of us have learnt overall with the use of pre-production and creating our final production and after we spoke about as individuals the different things that we have gained and learnt with the use of creating my opening sequence.

Below is a link to my groups discussion answering Question 7:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiRIlzTscUU

Introduction to Evaluation

I have completed all my evaluation questions in a variety of ways to create interest and become more adventurous when answering my questions. It was important that I carried out research and created the best possible way to answer each questions which will contain the appropriate answer.

I hope you enjoy reading through my evaluation expressing all of the advantages i have gained throughout the process of my final production.

Costume Choice

Costume has a huge part in creating the character that you want the audience to understand and identify their role within the scene. Our target audience has helped us to create a character appropriate for the opening sequence, as it stands the target audience is aimed for adolescence around 14-18. Due to teenage culture today, there are many different subcultures which is influenced by friends and clothing choice.

As a group we created an idea of a young innocent girl but as the audience gets to know her they will realise that the is created in that way to hide her real personality. An example of different subcultures within the teenage years is 'Goths' and 'Emos' which are stereotyped to wear dark colours dressing in black with deep and dark make-up and listening to rock/ heavy metal music. If we wanted a character to be stereotyped in this form we would ensure that she was dressed in black with heavy dark make-up allowing the audience to gain a sense of the scene and create a dark atmosphere. However, as Goths don't make up a wide range of society today, if we was to focus our attention on them it would provide the genre or sense we would like to achieve and would also limit the target audience.

By choosing specifically to create a character with a vulnerable, innocent sense allows the audience to feel nervous and by ensuring that we gain as much audience as possible we have dressed the girl in casualty clothing, still fashionable but not branded clothing therefore appealing to the majority of teenagers and will create an atmosphere of them being in characters position. The make-up on our character will be minimal with a natural look and hair will be tied back. By not giving our character a make-up and glammed up will make the audience feel more comfortable and be able to relate to our main character which is important throughout the opening sequence.

Below shows an image of our main characters costume and overall look:


Instead of using a stereotype of an Emo or Goth which would be presented like:

Choice of sound track

After creating our final opening sequence, it was important that we research and apply the best sound track which is relevant and fits with our opening sequence. The soundtrack takes up half of your overall production and can influence the whole scene, without the correct soundtrack, it can change the view point from the audience perspective and change the whole atmosphere of the scene. Because of this, it is vital that we create enough research by looking at other opening sequences of the same genre and pay specific attention to the soundtrack and ways in which it connects and fits with the scene.

By already produced our opening sequence of a mystery drama, following a young girls journey and dealing with the guilt and loss of her best friend. This has allowed it much easier to find a sound track that fits with this as a happy, loud and cheerful song would easily confuse the audiences and create a happy environment. This tells us that we need to select a piece of music that is sad and depressing giving a clear insight towards the characters life and emotions. Due to not being able to choice a piece of music that has been copyrighted we have to ensure we found a soundtrack that isn't branded or a mainstream piece of work. This involved looking on YouTube at simple soundtracks that do not involve it being copywriter. There are many we were able to select from but as a good we have decided on an instrumental which follows a rather sad tone in order to suit out production.

The track we have selected is liked below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qlHMQGcFtk

Barriers towards our Opening Sequence

Throughout the process of creating our opening sequence, as a group we faced several barriers restricting us from what we would like to achieve.
 

we faced several different difficulties that we had to consider and at some points, change. The weather had a huge impact on our filming due to the wind which caused an impact on the characters expression and the back ground noise which became easily distracting. We faced a problem with props as when we came to filming we were advised to use a photo of the young girl instead of getting the image up on the characters phones as it allows the scene to feel more emotional and stimulating. We forgot to bring the photo when we came to filming so had to go back and make sure that all props that we need including the photo was there for us to use. As a group we filmed out final production over a period of 2 days and were filmed out of sequence. We filmed the outdoors section first when it was day light and nice weather, but we noticed something when looking back after recording that we need to make a slight adjustment and change a certain scene the following day. This meant that we had to take into consideration the weather and wait until the weather was nice and not raining or to dark.

Class work on Exam Based

As a class we have been learning about the different types of sound, camera shots, camera movements, camera angles, transitions, composition and the use of mise-en-scene that we need to be able to identify in the short clip provided for us in the exam.

It is vital that we are producing a lot of practice by looking over different genres of clips and films and identify the different stages.

Here is an example of a clip that has come up previously in a Media AS exam:

 



There are several different camera shots and movements that we would be asked to identify within the exam. There is a close-up on when the boy opposing merlin picks up the object and gives it to merlin, this is to draw the audience attention and build up the tension between both the characters. There is a slow motion in the flight scene when the man fighting with merlin swings the chain, this is used to make the scene more dramatic and express his emotions. A shot reverse shot is used when merlin and the boy are having a conversation at the start of the scene to allow the audience to notice who the tension Is being caused between and expressing their emotions which will set the scene.

Sound

Within media, there is diegetic and non-diegetic sound that we need to make sure we are able to notice the differences within each other.

Diegetic sound is the sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be presented by the action of the film. This can be presented by:

-voices of the character
-sound made by the object of the study
-instruments in the story (source music)

Diegetic sound is any sound presented as originated from source within the films world which can either be on screen or off screen depending on whatever its source is within the frame or outside the frame.

Non-diegetic sound is whose source is neither visible on the screen or has been implied to be presented in action:

-narrators commentary
-sound effects which is added or dramatic effect

This is represented as coming from the source outside story place, the sound used to create a dramatic effects - the sound that is added in the editing process.

There are many other sounds including :

Ambeint sound - Sounds including traffic, birds etc.

Soundtrack - Music made specifically to fit that film

Soundmotif  - Specific sound for the character

Asynchronous - When the sound has been deliberately made to not match the visual.

Mise-en-scene

It is important that before it comes to filming my final brief I am aware and able to identify media film language by using a range of different techniques. This will include mise-en-scene which has a huge impact on being able to notice the key effects and the arrangement of scenery and properties to represents the place or movie is enacted. Mise-en-scene is a French work which basically means the composing of the scene

As a class, we have been looking at short clips and been asked to notice a range of different things that we will need to include in our opening sequence. This is called 'CLAMPS'

CLAMPS means:

C- costume
L- lighting
A- actors
M-  movement
P- props
S- setting 

It is vital that we are able to notice these in clips presented to us as it can change the view point from the characters perspective and give more detail about the scene/clip when looking into more detail through mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is crucial that we use this to identify the media language of a clip in our exam and we will be asked to use  representation through the use of mise-en-scene. The representation can vary from:

-Gender
-sexuality
-class/status
-ethnicity
-disability
-Religious identity

Practice Filming

Our group decided to create a practice production so that we were clearly able to identify the shots and angles that worked and the shots that we could improve. By doing this we could notice that generally our camera movement was smooth but there was at times it started to shake which made the production look unrealistic. This is what we need to be aware of when filming the real production and ensure that the camera movement at all times runs smoothly. Below is a clip of our practice film:

Overall, me and my group are very happy with what we achieved and by slightly improving this beggining sequence it could be produced the way we were expecting. I believe that our opening sequence is running as a high and professional standered that is infulenced by the media helping us to improve this in any way possible.

Envaluation Plan

There are 7 different questions that we need to evaluate and answer individually in different ways. These questions need to be presented in either a PowerPoint, blog or video which is to express to the audience in a more detailed way and easier to get across to the audience what you are explaining and representing. These questions are.

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

In this question I will include:

Directors commentary

-          Talking over your final product

-          Focus on how you produce a film (research)

-          How have I applied this to my film?

-          Include camera shots/movement/mise-en-scene/location

-          Focus in on genre and talk about conversations

2) How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In this question i will include:

-          Talking about the represented of character and how mainstream media has done it.

3) What kind of media institutions might distribute your media product and why?

In this question I will need to include:

              -          Talk about where we will present our production to gain attention and to be noticed.

4) Who would be the audience for your media production?

In this question we will present it as a video by recording the feedback from the target audience after they have watched our final production .

-          Opinions will be included

5) How did you attract/address your audience?

-       Important that posters or adverts are made to present our production and consider the ideal place to place these so they are noticed.

6) What have you learnt from your technologies from the process of constructing this production?
In this question I will need to include:

-          The use of pre-production and list the technologies that I used to create my opening sequence and the advantages and disadvantages of these.

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

-          As a group, we are going to record a video expressing each individuals view points of the process of our production, evaluating what we have learnt from this  

Group discussion towards camera

-          Each individual given an equal amount speaking towards the camera

-          Speak as a group as a whole of the overall production

 

Pre-Production Research

Before creating our own opening sequence it was imporant to research the differences of good and bad. This will give our group a clear idea of things that we need to invlove and thigns that we must ensure we do not produce. By looking at bad examples of opening sequences we will have a clear identification of the things that make the scene bad or not fit. An example of this could be when the set is too dark or if the opening sequence did not fit with the actual film.

By looking at other opening sequence we have made sure that our own production had full continutiy and fits with the story behind it allowing us to grab the audience attention and make them want to watch this film.

We decidied to create a practice run in a different loction to were we have planned to produce our opening sequence, this has allowed us to notice things that we have not included and identify different things we could change to produce the best possible opening sequence.

BFI: Youth, Media and Collective Idenitity day

On Wednesday 5th of February 2014 our class went to the BFI (British Film Industry) in Southbank London for a trip to experience and learn new things about the constructing the teenagers and how the media had effected or changed the way the audience view teenagers. This was a great opportunity to find out more about youth, culture and Theory presented by Matthew Hall. We began the day by discussing how the child begins to developed their identity and looking at Jacques Lacan which is a psychoanalyst looking at the mirror image and the psychoanalytic film theory and about how we use the cinema/TV screen as a 'mirror' to reinforce our identity. Matthew discussed that we need to interact in order to form our identity and when we do interact our own identity of influenced by other people that have different thoughts or view to how maybe we look at things. Media representations may influence the way we react. We watched a few different clips that we had to identify the textual detail, dominant messages sent about youth, the negotiated interpretation and what kind of audience would interpret in this way. These short clips were from:

• The Wild One
• Rebel Without A Cause
• Quadropenia
• Kidult hood
• Human Traffic
• My Brother, The Devil

Each of these clips that we watched allowed the audience to recognise how the teenagers were interpreted and their dominate message sent about the youths.

 One of the clips that I analysed was 'The Wild One' presenting a different culture with a black and white viewing, an old town in a motorbike sense. The dominate message sent about the youth allowed the audience to notice the difference from some youths trying not to 'fit into' the adult mainstream and their generation gap. The characters were trying to challenging traditional values and lifestyle by changing the way they act and presenting a different form or life behaviour. This clip fits into the adult hegemony as the film presents a lead ship and dominance of the adults sticking together in the same way and interests. The textual detail that we established after watching this clip, we could identify the jazz music in the background with helps to support their generation and culture that they were currently in. The motorbikes presented the group of boys to come across as rebellious comparison to the other characters in the scene.  The audience were able to clearly identify the fact that the group of men was challenging traditional values making the film become more interesting.

From this experience at the BFI, as a class we have learnt a new range of different perspectives of Media culture and Identity which will be very useful to use in our exam. It has provided a wider view to what positions and different job roles the media industry provides whilst allowing me to learn what is expected of me in my A Level media class to successfully achieve a good A level in Media Studies. As a result I enjoyed the Media Trip and have come away with ways in which to improve my own opening sequence and involve more textual details throughout.

Script for Main Production

This is my groups script for our main task which will provide clear detail on each shots and angles for each scene. By having a good and detailed script it gives us as a group a better oppurtunity of producing a well presented scene including a mixture of shots and range of angles and make sure that we are filming in the correct scene.

Below is our script:

Changes to Pre-Production

After creating our pitch, we found that we wanted to make a few changes to our pre-production plan. As a good we decided that we wanted to create a drama mystery genre but we would like to add some supernatural touches due to altering the ending of the opening sequence. As a group we came up with the idea of at the end of the scene the young teenage girl walks away in a hurry but we felt that this wasnt the best way to leave the scene due to leaving it feeling dull and not attracting the audience attention to wanting to watch the whole film. Instead, we have now decided to have the girl being touch on the shoulder by the person who has been following her throughout the scene. This leaves the scene questioning to who it could be, and i find it a better way of leaving the opening sequence due to the audience intreged to find out who the msytery hand was and what then happens to the young girl.

I believe that change our pitch and ideas have enabled us to create a more mysterious and well explained openening sequence that will draw in the audience attention and create a dramatic atmosphere.

Story Board for our Final Production

Our group have planned out a story board for our main task to ensure that we include all the shots needed for our final production. This will help us when it comes to filming that we are able to identify the order of the shots and make sure that we are clear on the timing and direction of each shot.

Below is our story board:

Story Board New

Production Pitch

Me and my group created a production pitch which includes all important information for the main pre-production of our main task, such as the brief, our initial ideas and a planning of how we would like to shape our ideas into a practical film. We were asked to present our ideas to the rest of class so they were able to identify our thoughts and ideas of what our brief of our opening scene was being based on.

We put all of our ideas on a PowerPoint below;

Pitch2 - Media

The Brief for our Main Task

As a class we were asked to create an opening sequence within our production groups. There are very specific idea's that we need to ensure that is included throughout our opening sequence which contain titles, a soundtrack which must not be copyrighted, and the main focus on a faction film. This opening sequence must be approximate 2 minuets long.

 within our group, it was very important that we all had a clear idea of what we would like to present to our class taking into consideration and thoughts about the gender, soundtrack, introduction to main characters, title of the film and the credits.

There are many different Genders that out group could decide on to use for our production including, romance, adventure, comedy, horror, thriller or action. It is vital that our group are clear on each gender and feel comfortable using a certain gender for our production so research must be used for the conventions.

Due to the use of soundtrack must not be copyrighted, it may cause limitations to our production. However, to over come this problem the use of garage band used on the laptop/computer will help our group to come up with a soundtrack that is relevant to our scene. To be able to produce an efficient soundtrack for our production, our group will research some existing music that we think will suit our production and then use garage band and foiley sound to create something similar that will suit our opening scene. 

It is important that our group have planned out a time schedule for planning, recording and editing allowing us to have enough time to complete our production to the best standard we are able to provide. Although our opening scene is only 2 minuets long, it will take a long time for us to produce and edit before we will be happy to present it.