Last Shot

This is my last post as i have finished all of the things that i need to do in order to porduce a exellent piece of media. I have enjoyed this process and learnt a huge amount of about media producions and films. I believe that all of our hard work and effort has payed off and we have created a great title sequence that protrays what we wanted. Hopefully you like it as much as we do :D BYE x-x-x-x

Question Seven

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

Looking back on my preliminary task i think that i have learnt alot throughout the progess of developing our film. Such as working within a group and considerating other peoples ideas. There was a few arguements along the way and a conflict of which ideas to use but I think we over came our problems and work well together and achieve a good media production. I worked independently sometimes and voice my own ideas whilst combining and comprimising wih others.

During the process of developing our opening sequence I have developed and learnt new skills that i can apply in later media productions such as working a video camera, understanding of different angels that improve the shot and what works for the film in general as well as the style of thriller films. Specificly I have learnt all the conventions of a thriller film which were able to utilise in this project and can use again. I have never filmed or edited before so i have learnt at lot of skills. When it came to editing i was a bit worried that i would find it to difficult however once i was taught what to do i got better and learnt new skills on Imoives. It was hard to make descisons on what to edit and get rid of, and cutting shots that we liked but unecessary shots and picking the right mucic. This i found chanllaging as my group had different opinions but we came to a decsion after a long process. I believe that i challenged myself and pushed myself further to achieve the best of my skills and an great title sequences.

Now that I have developed theses skills in the media productions I would like to improve my skills in filming such as holding the camera steady and finding angels that work. Next time i do a media production i would like to become quick on the editing and creating shots that work. I found it hard to make my ideas of the project portray in shots and i would like to imporve on the next time. Overall i enjoyed the project as it taught me alot about films and in particular thriller films. Also different camera shots and angels that work and create a great image. Most of all i have learnt how hard it is to create an open sequence and film and how muc effort goes in to it, but i believe that i have produced an good media title sequence.

Question Six

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

During the filming of our Title sequence i learnt a huge amount about technologies as this is the first time i have used any of the equipment and thought about different ways of filming. When deciding the ways of filming within our group we thought we would keep to simple but effective techniques as it will allow the action and shots to really stand out. We used simple equipment like Video recorder, tripod and lamp, i ve never used this equipment before so took me a few shots before i got the hang of it. I learnt that the lighting of scenes are very important as you have to enable that certain things are light while still creating the scary aspect that we are trying to protray. It is also vaital that the camera is position correctly and filming what we intented. These two techniques are very diffcult to get correctly resulting in film scenes a several times. I learnt that no matter how many times use film a scene it is different everytime wheather good or bad.

When editing our opening sequence we used the software Imovies which i found hard to use as it is unfamiliar to me. Due to this we used simple cuts and shots at the beginning. But once i got use to it i tried to develop my skills further and experiment with the different techinques. I did this but changing the contrast, speed and cuts of the film and believe that what i did was effective of the vibe we were trying to protray to the audience. I think i have expanded my knowlegde of the technologies in media production and learnt a varity of different things that will help me in my later production of media products.

Question Five

How did you attract/address your audience?



In order for me to attract my target audience i had to take a varity of different things into consideration. I want my film to appeal and atrract a wide range of people that will enjoy different aspects of the film. For instance:

The women within the film will attract the misogynistic men and create an intense feeling for them by the mistreatment of women in the film. Their hatred for women is tested in the film and enables them an insite of the feeling of hurting women. Another aspect is that of violence in the film for those people who are masochists and enjoy the idea of pain. This is something that is presence throughout our fim and in our title sequences. The classic elements that we have inculded within our title sequence and plan to include in our film will realate more to the older greneration as they already have a great appreciation for this style film. Whereas the more modern elements will attract the younger greneration and appeal to them more. Most of all our film will attract those people who have a good appreciation for the style of film and thrillers.

An important element that we have inculded within our opening sequence and film is that of building suspence. This is something that really draws the audience in and make them feel part of the film. We built up the suspence in the beginning of the opening sequence with the use of the jewllery music and no dislogue. This created a eery and creepy feel to the film and we played this throughtout. Although the music is not dramatic and is soft it has a great effect of building the suspence. The fact that no digloue is used throughout our title sequence helps create the tension and susupence and keeps the audience guess. We broke the suspence by the scream which is the climax of all the tension built. The scream has a dramtic effect as it breaks the audiences contreation and brings them out of the eery sense created. The choice of music is vaital to this attracting the audeinces attention and maintaining it.

In order for us to address the audience as well as appeal to them the specific camera angles and shots we used were all used to draw the audience into the action in the sequence. A particuliar shot we used that addressed the audeince was when I looked directly at the camera and the audience this allows the audience to feel like their there within the action. We also used different shot and angles that isloted the audience such as the use of shadows and quick paced shots that only revealed partiucular things and keep the audience confused and guessing. The Mis-en-Scene establishes the scenes and creates an isolated place. The scenes take place in an old shower room which is unfamiliar place to the audience and doesn't allow them to relate to them. This adds to the scaryiness of the opening sequence as it's unfamiliar to them and builds the suspence. The background of the scenes are alway present even if not seen and within our opening sequence we create a isolated feel by only allow the audience to see what we see. This technique really draw in the audience as they will try and predict what it going to happen but neither the characters or audience actully know. The use of shadows in the background and light in the foreground in the last scene means anything that comes will cause suspence to the audience and further entrice them into the film whilist necessarly breaking the tension.

When creating our title sequence we considered the target audience and designed our film with elements that ensures that it appeals to them. All these different techniques help to attract them and maintain their attention. I believe that our title sequence will attract the audience that we aim to and engage them in the film.

Question Four

Who would be the audience for your media product?

My target audience for my opening sequence would be 16-25 this would be because my film represents a varity of different styles that will appeal to this range of audience. I have mix old style thriller such as music and building of tension with modern style like fast pace and gory. I believe that my film will appeal more to women then men as it is more a representation of women and especailly teenage girls who can relate closly to the main characters within the film and the issues with apearence. Overall the audience for my media product would be the type of people that like thriller films that build suspence and mixture of old and new techniques.

Question Three

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


The type of people who will distribute my film are people within the film making buisness particularly those who have distributed other thriller/horror films such as 'Rogue Pictures' and 'Pathe Productions' who have released films like 'The Strangers', 'Slient Hill' and ' Wrong Turn'. All of these films have a similarty to mine such as the killers who tease their victums and the idea of being in contral.

I would want to distribute my film to these company's as they will market and advertise my film to appeal to my targert audience. They would do this by using recent technolgy within the film moble phones, carmeras and gadgets. Also they would promote the film on the current palce such as internet site e.g. Facebook and Myspace this will ensure that the young people will see the film advertise and be intruged by it.

Question Two

How does your media product represent particular social groups?


When creating our opening sequence my group and I discussed what type of people we want our film to appeal to and decided that our targert audience would be young teenages such as 16 to young adults 25. This gives us a wide audience who will interpret and enjoy the film in different things. We decided on these ages as they are typically the people who enjoy the thriller films and most likely to go and watch it. There is more then this clinche of typical teen targert audience as our thriller throws back to older more traditional styles such as hitchcoak. This would appeal to an older audience as they have watched and apprecitated this style of filming aswell as the cinematic fans. The gives us a varity of people that would enjoy our film.

Within the film are four teenage girls who are very much concerned with their appearence. Many girls will be able to relate to this and appeals to the 16-25 age range. Males will also be appealled to this film as they streotyically enjoy thrillers and hot female characters. Men also know to be masocistic and will enjoy the graphical scenes within the film. Although we have protrayed the power of women and their independence within soecity we have streotypically provided the young girls as victums within the film. This will engage the male audience and creates the sense of simlarity we were trying to create for our audience. It is convention but also challeaging of the representation of women.

My group and I have considered the soical groups of young teens who will be watching the film who are modern and desensitised compared to the older audience who are used to the classic style of film. Due to this we have added blood and gore which is expected, however this does not shock the audience as we have built the suspese. This is an old style we used but different to the more gory style films such as Saw and believe it will have a stronger effect on the audience.

Another soical area we considered was that of money and status. Our target audience as well as characters are middle class, educated people who can afford to watch films. We wanted the people within the film to represent the people that would watch it as it creates a feeling of familarity and draw the audience in. It makes the film more effective on the audience as it feels realistic and as though it could happen to them.

I feel that our title sequence appeals to the certian sterotypical people and represents certain social groups within soecity that will appeal to our audiences. we have made our production to fit into their social area and enable them to relate to the film and issues tha are rised within it.

Evaluation

Question One

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


I feel that my media production used the forms and conventions of the real media product; the thriller title sequence. It followed the format of your typical thriller style film in a number of ways. In order for us to intrepret the opening sequence like a typical thriller film we studied a varity of different films and their opening sequences. This gave my group a good insite on what forms and conventions that a thriller type film used and allowed us to use this in our title squences.Some of the forms and conventions that we used were:

The use scary music which enabled us to build the tension within the scene and draw the audiences attention. This is a technique used in almost every thriller film as it tells the audience that something scary is about to happen and perpares them for it. My group and I think it has an exellcent effect on the audience and decided it would be a good convention to include within our film as it will build the tension of the murder scences.

Text within the title sequences it very typical for any film as it informs the audience of the people behind the production. When studying different style of opening sequences they all included text and so my group and I decided in order for our title sequence to seem realistic we inculded it within our production.

The use of flashing is a convention used in many film that i looked at, this helped add to the scaryiness within the opening sequences and allowed the scene to connect to another. It also give the effect that everything is moving at a fast pace and doesn't allow the audience to catch up, this is an great effect as they are constantly on the edge of their sits. It can be used to give the effect of blinking and making the audience feel as though they are part of the film.

Sound effects are consitantly used within thriller films as it adds to the effect that the producers are trying to create. We used screaming and breathing as our main sound effects which is very typical for a thriller film and although not orginal idea it is extremerly effective on the audience and it creates a sense of realiness.

I choose to follow the conventions rather then challenage them as we wanted to make the opening sequences realistic to the audience. We wanted a sense of smiliarty so the audience do not feel uncomfortable about the film. We wanted to have a impact on the veiwers and decided that conforming to pervious thriller opening sequences that have had a dramtic impact will enable our title sequence to do the same. The tile sequences is considered the most vital part of the film as it's the first thing the audience sees of the film and it has to make an impression. I feel that my group and I acheive this by including some typical conventions that are in thriller films.

Although it was similar to things that have come before it our tile sequence also includes the modern style that has come about due to the expected convetions. We have gone back to that and made sutble changes that keep the cycle of thriller films fresh such as:

The use of cutting shots which allows us to create the effect of quick paced opening sequence. It catches the audiences attention and only lets them see certain parts of the film. We Believe ths will encourage them to want to see the film and what actually happens.

Creepy music such as the jewllery box adds to the scaryiness of the tile sequence but also creates a sense of uncomfortableiness for the audience as they unsure what the music is representing and the significants of it. That is later reveled within the film and adds to the tension already created from the previous music.

The most unconvention thing that my group and have included in our production was an all female cast. The killer within the film is a women which is very atypical for thriller films as they usually protray women as the vanuable people and men in the positon of power. Although the killer is not seen we portrayed the feminity of the character through the delicate hands and attention to detail. the idea of feminist came from a book that we were studying 'A Doll's House' by Isben which also shows the empowerment of women and gave us the inspirtation for our title.

I believe that our Opening Sequence shows the vital parts of old style thrillers and interprets the mordern style in a creative way that works in connection with the previous teachniques we used.

Doll's House

This is the final draft of our Title Squences and think that it has turned out well. There have been a few problems along the way and haven't been able to included everything that we planned but I believe we have captured what we wanted. My group and I have created a Squences that draws the audience in and leaves them wanting to know more about the actual film.

Practice Shot

Before we did the actual filiming of our title squences, my group and I decided to do a practice shot within school which wil enable us to be a little perpared for filming day. Also will help us to know the positions that work and wha to film first. I believe this is a good practice shot as it looks actually how we planned and enabled us to see what should go where.

Continuity Piece

This is our continuity piece which shows two members of our group engaging in conversation, entrying and exiting doors. We used simple camera angles like 'Shot Reverse Shot' which allowed us to get use to the camera and how it works.

Storyboard

This is a storyborad of our film that shows roughly what we are going to film and in what order. When filming we came across a few problems with particular shots so had to change or delete some. This is used to give an idea of what our film is going to look like.

Problems with uploading

My group and i have done the filming for our Contuity piece, storyboard and have finished the first draft of our title squences but are unable to upload it onto t our blogs and have much differculty trying to get it to work. We hope that in time we will be able to upload it and show our final piece to the audience.

Target Audiences

When making the Title Squences my group and I decided that our target audience would be teenagers from 16 to youn adults of 25. we wanted to make the certificate between 16-18 as some scene are unpleasant for a younger audience but we consider that most teenagers that age enjoy thillers and believe that if we keep it open to 16yr old the film would do good. The film is aimed a people that enjoy thrillers and the tension that is build when watching them. We believe that our film would do well with our target audience.

The Significants Of Title Squences

Title Squences were brought in to promote a film and are very significant to the movie as it attracts the audiences attention and intruigues them into what the film is actually about. There are different styles of opening squences such as animation and naturalistic. Saul Bass is one of the artists that i looked at who used illustration within most of his title squences which made him well know within the film industry. Most Title squences last about 2-3mins and reveal certain pieces of the film ensuring not to give to much away. Alot of thought and effort is put into the Title Squences of a film as it is considered an important part in promoting the film as it the first thing the audience will see of it. This means that have to make sure that they garb the audiences attention and make them want to know what happens next. If the Title Squences it good it means that the film with do good in the box office as it has been successful in creating tension in the audience and intruging the into the film. We hope that our Title Squences will have this effect on our audience.

Pictures of My Group and Cast

These are pictures of My group which includes Emily, Leah Monica and Me. We are also the people within the film as we didn't want to get any outside help and have the stress of orginising other people.

Editing The Film

When it came time to editing our film we all had a clear image of how we wanted the opening squences to look and the editing started out well with getting all the right shots and cutting the bits that were not needed. However once we had got all of the pieces of filming we wanted we then decided to add the titles and effects to try and make the same effect that the Ring opening squences had. My group and I sruggled with this quite a bit as we are all very new at using the techniques and were not quite sure what would effects would help with the look we were going through. Once shown a through tricks we imporved our titles for the squences and used some of the effects such as Soft Focus which blurred and brighted the words to create titles that we imaged. We then deciced to add a through pictureds between shots and speed it up to give the fast paced scary effect on the audience. Finding the music that would go with the jewllery box music was very hard and we were unsure of what we were looking for and what would go with it. However in the end we pick a piece and over all are happy with the way the squences has turned out. Eventully it became what we imaged and need to make a few minor adjustments to it.

Once Finshed Filming

While we were filming our last scenes within the school we came across a few problems. As time was running out and the shot of the sink didn't work out like planned we decided between us that we would no long include that scene within our final piece. Another fact that played a part in this decision was that many other groups were doing scenes of blood in the sink and we wanted our film to be different. We also decided not to do the filming of newspapers for the titles as we thought it would be to hard to make it look realistic to the audience. Instead we are going to do them in white writing on a black background which is simliar to both The ring and Se7en opening squences.

Making The Model

These are pictures of making the model that the killer uses to lay out the scene to the audience. We decided to use simple materials like paper and cardboard box as the killer would not be really artistic and we wanted to make it look as realstic as possible. We made the model look like the place in which we film so that the killer could lay the fake models in the place in which she wanted them to die.

Jewllery Box

This is a picture of the jwellery box that we used in the scene of the killer and also for the music within our piece. Once editing our piece we decided that just having the jewllery box would not have as much as an effect as we would like and decided that we should use a second piece of music that contrasts with the music from the jewllery box in a way that inhances the creepiness of the music.

Pictures Of Filming

These are pictures from our day of shooting. The pcitures show our locationand how we created the scene that we planned on our story broad. Once at the location we decided that the corridor was to bright for the secne in which we wanted to do and decided t do it at school along with other scenes that did not work out within the loction we were in. I believe that the location was excatly what we were looking for and the scenes turned out like we planed.

Problems with location

When parparing for filming we discovered that our orginal location was unavailable due to the owner being away. Therefore we had o find another location that provided us with the essential things needed for our film which was an old shower room and corrdior. We then decided to do our filming at the Samuel Montagu centre which had all of the places needed.

Perparing For Filming

Before we can film our Title Squences we have to decide on the characters that we will play and the props we need in order to film. For the characters we decided not to have any outside people and just use the people within our group to perfrom the characters.

Monica: we be playing on the beautiful girls that gets kidnapped by the killer. Her and another girl played by Leah will be running down the corridor away from the murder but Monica will ecsape.

Leah: will be the other girl running down the corrdior but she is unable to get away and gets dragged on the floor by the kiler and taken into a room.

Emily: will be playing a died girl on the floor in the shower room and the killer even though she is not seen her hands will be.

Nichola (me): i will be playing a girl that is tied to a chair with make up running down my face and screaming for help. In the shoot emily will be on the floor.

When we are not acting will be filming the other scenes and will take it in turns. For props we will need Chair, rope, gloves, fakeblood, modal of the scene, jewerlly box and television. all of things are widenly available to us and are essential to our Tile Squence.

Logline

Within my group we decided to create a logline that would give a breief summury of our title squences and tell the story that would grab the attention of our targert audience.

"Skitsafranic detective, seeks revenge on girls who indulge in a persuit of perfection."

We believed that this will grab thwe audiences attention and make them intruged about the movie and therfore encouage people to watch it.

Se7en Opening Squence

The se7en opening squences is a partiuclar sequences that me and my group liked. I believe that this opening squences is very cleverly done. The shots and cuts are done in sophisticated way and intrigues the audience. The sound effects if each shot really enhances the impact of the title squence. The Group and i really liked the way in which this title squences is done and decided to use this squences along with others to help us produce our own title sequences. We wanted to portray thre fast paced shots and quick cutting within our piece.

CSI Epsiode- Miniture Modal Killer

This is a CSI epsiode which gave my group the inspiration for our title squence. Within this particiular epsiode the killer uses little miniture model's to show the murders to the CSI people. By doing this it allows the CSI people to know what is coming and prevent it. We decided to do this as we believe that a skilled killer would think of this and would plan the killings. In my group we thought it would be a good way to link scene to together and allow the audience to know whats coming. It helps build tension and see whats going on within the murders mind. We have created a minitre model of our scene and will film the killer making the model and then zoom into it and zoom out into the real life scene. I will post pictures of our model.

The Ring Opening Squences

This opening squences really inspired my group. We loved the effect the music had and the quick shots and cuts. We tried to base our own title squences on this piece of film. My group and i decided to use a jewllery box for the creep music and cut the film in a way so that it jumps from on shot to another quickly. We hoped this our opening squences would have the same effect as this one. When looking at this opening squences closer i discovered that it isn't actually the title squnces that the film used and is made my a student in America for work class. This really suprised me becuase of the high level work that had gone into this and hope that our opening squences is this good.