Evaluation - Progression (7)

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

We've learned a lot in the process of creating our preliminary and final tasks. I'll be detailing what we have learned in this evaluation.

Weaknesses in and things we learned from the preliminary task

We learned a variety of things from filming our preliminary task. First of all, we learned to pay more attention to filming and detail. We learned this from a variety of issues with the task. For instance, there is a continuity error when Sara sits down across Josh's desk. At the end of the shot where she walks in, she sits down with the bag still in her hands. However, in the next shot, her bag is gone.

Left: Sara holding the bag. Right: Sara no longer holding the bag.

Another issue that taught us to pay more attention to detail was the action match of Sara opening the door. There were supposed to be more shots, but they did not fit together well. This is because the door was opened slightly differently in each shot and there was not enough room to edit them smoothly. Finally, there were some issues with the shot of Sara walking used in the split-screen. The shot was both very shaky and unstable and you could see me filming it in the background. My reflection is visible in the reflection of the glass behind Sara. It's not obvious, but noticeable. All of these issues taught us to pay more attention to detail and the way we were filming shots.

Secondly, we learned to film long shots so that there was plenty of room available for editing. This is because of the dialogue between Sara and Josh. It was very difficult to make the conversation seem smooth in editing and the result we ended up with was not very good. In the shot where Josh shouts "You're fired!" you can still hear Sara saying her previous line. This has happened because they said their lines too quickly during filming.

Third of all, we learned to be more considerate of lighting. When Sara and Josh are talking, Sara's face very dark and difficult to see. This is because we turned off the lights behind Josh with the intention of making him darker so he looked more malevolent. The problem with this is that the windows behind Sara produced too much natural light and just made her darker while Josh looked lighter.

The poor lighting on Sara's face.

Another thing we learned was to plan what we want to film. Our preliminary task was very unorganised and unfocused. The shots were not planned and filmed poorly. We made up what we wanted to film on the spot. This was a contributor to the other errors that we made in the task.

Finally, we also learned more about how to use software such as Final Cut Express. We took the preliminary task as a chance to practice using a split-screen because we wanted to use at least one in our actual opening sequence. The one we made turned out quite well and we did use one in the full task. We also learned about manipulating sound. We increased the volume when Sara was speaking because she came out quite quiet in the shots compared to Josh.

How we have ensured the full task does not have these weaknesses and used what we learned

We made sure to pay extra attention to detail when filming for the full task. We ensured that all of the details were correct, such as the angle, lighting, acting, camera movements etc. Some of the shots were filmed multiple times so we had multiple options in editing or because we made an error in the original. We checked all of our shots after filming them to make sure that they were good enough.

To prevent any problems in editing, we ensured that there we filmed plenty of each shot. We tried to make sure each shot was at least ten seconds long so that we had enough footage to work with and room to edit down. This meant that the editing process was a lot easier and that the final product was of a lot higher quality.

We also payed more attention to the lighting of our shots. A large problem with the preliminary task was that it was very difficult to see Sara's face. In the full task, we have been sure to use lighting so that the audience can see what we want them to and we've also used it to our advantage in some shots to make them look better.

Examples of good use of lighting in the full task.

Finally, we made sure to plan our shots more effectively for filming the final task. Our preliminary task suffered because we weren't entirely sure what we wanted to film. Therefore, we made a list of the shots that we definitely wanted to get on the day of filming. We also had a rough idea of what we wanted the final outcome to be. This meant that we knew what we had to do, were kore focused, and that it was easier to come up with new ideas for shots.

What we have learned overall about practical work

Overall, we've learned a lot about the processes of creating a media product and the film industry as a whole. One of the things we've learned is the time and effort that goes into making a good media product. It's a very meticulous and time-consuming process. We've also learned important skills for software and editing. We've all learned a lot about using Final Cut Express and me especially since I took a lead role in editing. Finally, we've also learned about the importance of planning and attention to detail. Planning is very important and makes filming a lot easier. It means you know what you need to film, streamlining the process and saving a lot of time and effort on the day. Attention to detail is highly important in making good practical work. By being especially attentive to areas such as mis-en-scene, camera, and audio, you end up with a much higher quality product than you would have produced otherwise.

Essentials for good practical work

• Good teamwork - your team need to co-operate well if you're going to get anything done.
• Knowing the shots and outcome you want - when you know what you actually need to film, it becomes a lot easier and less time-consuming.
• Good camerawork - having good quality shots will make editing a lot easier and the final product look a lot better.
• Attention to all aspects of the product - attention to detail makes for a higher quality product
• Experimentation - by trying lots of different ideas, you give yourself a lot more options and can come out with better work than you thought you would make.

By Michael Vodden

Evaluation - Technology (6)

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

Throughout this media project we have learned a lot about different technologies and discovered why they are useful for people, especially film makers.

Digital Cameras

Digital cameras are extremely useful. They are capable of taking high quality, high resolution footage on a comparatively low budget. We used DSLRs to film our opening sequence.  Camcorders are better for on-the-spot filming, whereas DSLRs are better for cinematics and other planned filming. There are a variety of advantages to DSLRs, such as the variety of lenses you can get and use for them, the larger sensors that mean they work better in low light, and better shallow depth of field. When you have taken your footage, you can either connect the camera to a computer via USB, or remove the SD card and transfer the footage that way. Learning about digital cameras now will make A2 Level easier and will be useful in later life, since I want to go into a relevant job to Media Studies.Digital cameras are a popular choice for filmmakers and people in general because of the value for money, versatility, and simplicity for professionalism. However, professional filmmakers or institutions with higher budgets will usually use more expensive, higher quality cameras because they will be able to afford them. Digital cameras are more used by independent filmmakers. Sometimes digital cameras and camcorders may just be used for effect, such as in the film Cloverfield (2008, Matt Reeves).

Final Cut Express

This software is a fairly comprehensive editing suite. It gives you the ability to import footage, crop it, move it, add effects, modify audio, and a lot more. We learned how to use all of these features. Since I took the lead role in editing, I learned some more than the rest of my group. I learned about adding text, editing how it appears, transitions, and using video filters. Having good knowledge of editing software will be very beneficial for me later on, since I will be continuing Media Studies at A2 Level and hopefully have a profession in a relevant job. It is a lot more comprehensive than programs such as Windows Movie Maker. It meets all of the requirements for a low budget production. Higher budget projects may want to use more expensive programs with more features such as Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, or Sony Vegas Pro. Final Cut Express is a popular choice among amateur filmmakers and people in general because it is a fairly comprehensive piece of software for a far more affordable price than full, professional software.

Blogger

Blogger is a very useful service. It allows the user to create a blog for free, to which they can post text and multimedia. People can follow the blog publicly, or you can set it to private so that only specific people can see it. You can see statistics about your audience, such as country, operating system, and browser. We've learned about how to use most aspects of this service. Using blogs as opposed to paper based coursework (used last year) is much better. It's more secure. Papers can be easily lost, whereas blogs are stored online. It also means it's a lot easier for people to access. You can just give people a link and they can view all of your posts. Blogger is a simple to use but effective blogging service. Filmmakers may want to use it to provide their audience and fans with information about the development of their projects. People in general may want to use Blogger because there is a wide variety of blogs to follow and view content from. It's also very simple to use.

YouTube

YouTube is incredibly useful. With an account, you can upload a video up to fifteen minutes in length and share it publicly, keep it restricted to those with a direct link, or have it private to your account. Larger accounts are able to upload longer videos. You can also monetize from your YouTube videos. If you are eligible, adverts will be placed before and around your video and you will earn money from the ad revenue. Many people make a living this way. Some YouTubers comfortably employ multiple people with their revenue. YouTube is also a good way of reaching a large audience. These reasons are why filmmakers like to use YouTube. It also has a massive worldwide community and thousands of active content creators. This makes it an excellent place for people in general to go to find entertainment as well. YouTube is an excellent way to host and share my own coursework and content as well as find other people's content.

Scribd

Scribd is a digital library, featuring an ebook and audiobook subscription service. Users can also upload their documents and books to the site. We learned how to upload documents and embed them in our blog posts. Filmmakers may want to use this site to upload documents to do with their film, such as their script or concept art. Users are also able to charge for their documents on Scribd or link to an external selling site. People in general may be interested in the large library of ebooks and audiobooks. They are also able to upload and embed any documents they may need to for free and with ease. Scribd has allowed me to upload documents and embed them into my blog easily, saving all of my formatting.

SlideShare

SlideShare offers users the ability to upload and share PowerPoint, Word, and PDF documents. We learned how to upload documents and embed them into our blog posts. People in general may want to use this website because it allows them to upload their documents easily. Loads of people have also uploaded presentations and other documents on a variety of topics, many of which are educational. Users may use SlideShare for finding out more information for their education. Jordan has used SlideShare to upload presentations we have done, and one Word document.

By Michael Vodden

Evaluation - Addressing Our Audience (5)

How did you attract/address your audience?

What we found out from our audience research

For our audience research, we asked five people of our approximate target audience to fill out questionnaires about particular decisions we were unsure of within our group. The first thing we asked was if we should use split-screen on any shots. All five of the people we asked said that we should use split-screens on some of the shots. The next thing we asked was if we should use happy music, sad music, or a radio breakfast show. Four out of five people said that we should use the radio show, the other saying we should use happy music. We also asked if London was a good setting for our film. Four out of five people responded that, yes, it was. Finally, we asked if the characters should meet in the opening sequence. Four out of five people said that they should not.

How we tailored our product based on what the audience wanted

First of all, we used a split-screen on one of our shots in the beginning of the sequence. It is of Sara and Josh sitting on different trains. We knew we wanted to use at least one and the audience research confirmed this was a good idea. However, we only used one because overuse of split-screens can make the audience feel disorientated and confused as to what is happening.

The split-screen of Sara and Josh on trains.

We also followed our audience research by keeping the setting in London. We liked the setting of London and our audience research confirmed that it was a good idea. The characters also do not meet at all during the opening sequence. We went with the idea of them almost meeting; they would be at the same places at different times or on a train but different ones.

We did not entirely follow our audience feedback when we chose the soundtrack of our opening sequence. As opposed to the majority vote for the radio show, we chose to use happy, upbeat music. This is because we felt that the radio show was not conventional enough and the music would show that it was a more conventional, traditional romance film. This is the effect we set out for, and we all liked the outcome.

How we have made the genre of the film clear to the audience

We have used a variety of conventions to make the romance genre of our film as clear to the audience as possible. Firstly, we used the happy, romantic music. The non-diegetic soundtrack is a clear indicator of the genre. It sets a happy, hopeful mood, with hope/determination being a theme common in romance films. Secondly, we used very elegant, feminine font for the titles. Elegant fonts are quite common in the romance genre.

An example showing the font used for the titles.

We've also shown the couple. Even if the audience aren't yet aware of who the main characters actually are, they will often be shown in the opening sequence in order to set the premise and allow the audience to identify more about the characters.

A convention of romance films is the use of lots of close-ups. This is for a variety of reasons. They allow the audience to see how the characters are feeling. This is very important for romance films because they are centered around characters, their emotions, and their relationships with each other. It also allows the audience to identify with the characters more easily. In the Uses and Gratifications theory, one of the reasons audiences consume media texts is for identification. Audiences will watch romance films so that they can identify with the characters.

A close-up of Josh on the train.

Another romance convention that allows audiences to identify with characters is setting the film in a large city or town. This means that a large amount of people will be able to identify more easily with the situation, such as people that live in the city (in our case, London) or live in another city. We made the setting of London clear by including landmarks such as Big Ben and the London Eye and various semiotics of the city such as the famous red buses.

How our opening sequence engages the audience and makes them want to keep watching

Roland Barthes' narrative theory suggests that directors include enigma codes in texts as "narrative hooks" to engage the audience. We have used a variety of enigma codes in our opening sequence to achieve just that. Examples of these include:

• Who are these people?
• What relevance do they have to each other?
• Where are they going?
• Are they going to the same place?
• Are they going to meet?

By using enigmas like this, we engage the audience and make them want to continue watching the film in order to answer these questions.

Uses and Gratifications offered and Young and Rubicam's types of people attracted

The Uses and Gratifications theory suggests that audiences enjoy products that offer them opportunities to fulfil specific needs. These are diversion (AKA escape), social interaction, education, and identification. As aforementioned, our film offers identification to the audience. The use of close-ups and the setting of London mean that the audience can identify more easily with the characters and their emotions, and the situation. It also offers diversion. Some of the audience may be going through difficulties in their life and find respite in the happiness and the development of the relationship between the characters in our film. Another use and gratification it offers the audience is social interaction. They may want to talk to their friends about the film, see it with each other, or talk about the characters and their relationship .It offers a way for the audience to connect and learn about each other.

The marketing and communications company Young and Rubicam have created a theory that suggests all audiences fall into one or more of seven categories. The categories that our film appeals to are the mainstream and the struggler. Mainstreamers will be attracted to our film because it is a highly conventional romance. It offers them security because they know the rough formula and generally what to expect. Strugglers will be attracted to our film because they seek escape. They may want to live vicariously through our characters or to get caught up in the film's story as opposed to their life.

What our target audience think of our opening sequence and how we know

Once we had finished the visual editing of the opening sequence, we asked our classmates from other groups to watch it with the two choices of music we were deciding between at the time (the happy, conventional music or the radio music). All of them liked our opening sequence, said that it was conventional and engaging, and that the happy music that is now in our final cut was the more appropriate music.

By Michael Vodden

Evaluation - Audience (4)

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Video blog courtesy of group member Josh Burch.

Evaluation - Distribution (3)

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

Video blog courtesy of group member Josh Burch.

Evaluation - Representation (2)

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Our two main characters are purposely teenagers because we wanted our cast to look realistic because it would give more understanding to our target audience and engage them more as they will most likely be interested in watching someone closer to their age rather than an older couple such as 25 and older. This is obviously because it is aimed at teenagers so it'd only be right if our protagonists were teenagers/young adults.

The stereotypical portrayal of the youth in the media is quite negative. They are shown to be crazy, irresponsible and rude when they just want to have fun. They may portray them as bullies, lazy, have a lack of motivation, anti-social behaviour. Teens are probably wearing scruffy clothing with hoodies and very intimidating. Homosexuality and homophobia are very common. You will see a large portion of gay/lesbian teens and another portion of very homophobic teenagers. Knife crime seems to be used a lot in the media by the youth now which is not necessarily right but that is their stereotype.

The female stereotype is being girly, they like the color pink, they wear dresses. They are vulnerable, weak and innocent but can also be bitchy. Stereotyping the male would be masculine, he is the one with a job providing for the family and their profession is probably a builder as they only want to be highest on the hierarchy.

Protagonists

Our opening sequence is a semi-conventional because our female protagonist is using her phone most of the time however she is not showing a bad attitude, she is dressed smartly and stereotypically it is pink. The male protagonist is dressed in almost a suit showing his efforts towards his clothing.

Screenshot of Charitable Protagonist

The girl is shown to be charitable which challenges the stereotypical portrayal of teenagers in the media. We used a few close up shots of both characters' faces showing a slight smile connoting they are happy teenagers, contrasting stereotyped teenagers being aggressive, rude or unhappy.

We decided to do this to target both the mainstreamers and individualists to gain a wider target audience and open the movie to others. We had to be able to get these messages to the audience with no dialogue so that was quite hard! We wanted to do that so the audience can identify with the characters because the stereotype in the media of teenagers is not always correct! It probably influences them to be like them it's something new.

By Sara Amer

Evaluation - Conventions (1)

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

Video blog courtesy of group member Sara Amer.