Evaluation: Question 6

6) How have your skills developed from the preliminary task?
Since the preliminary task, we have learnt new skills such as how to hold a camera, and frame it correctly.

Framing from our preliminary was not so good, the frame did not look straight and therefore the picture looked as though it was taken from a diagonal angle.

As you can see the framing of the shot, is not straight in contrast to our actual media product, we specifically worked on our framing and made it more straight, this made a massive difference to our media product as the shot just looks a lot better.

 Also we added captions such as names of the people who were included within the media product, we also added music in which enhanced the performance side of the film. Also we changed the picture to a grey scale, this effects were all used to enhance the film. All of these were not included within the preliminary task. 

Lighting does not seem to be good here, however this shot gave us the opportunity
to work on lighting and watch out for it whilst filming for our Media product

From the differences within the products we can see that the preliminary task just looks as though were were experimenting with the camera; taking advantage of what we could do with it. The shots were just basic and there was no effects added, although the product is not 'crisped' it gave us the chance to familiar ourselves with the camera.
In contrast to our own media product, we took advantage of effects, music and framing making the piece look a lot more professional. Lighting was used effectively and continuity is constant within the product.

Evaluation: Question 5

5) What technology did you use in making your film?
Throughout the 3 stages of development (Research, Planning, Production) of our media product we used different types of technologies. This helped us to use special effects create diegetic sound and created continuity within our media product.
Technologies we used in our....
Research:
In order to familiar ourselves with our sub-genre we researched on the internet. This type of technology was very useful as all the information we needed was just a click away! It gave us access to Slasher films online, in which we watched and analyzed in order to develop conventions that we needed to use within our own media product.

Also through the internet, i created a blog through the website blogger in order to post the planning and production of our two minute beginning of our film.

Using blogger.com has really benefitted us as a group, as through this site we are able to keep track of our progress and actually see how much work we have done. Through this site i have learnt how to  embed youtube videos and upload images. This has a huge impact as this gives visual elements to what we are doing and enhances our research. It also makes it easier to evaluate our work.

Through this site also i have learnt how to scan information onto Apple Macs. This was extremely effective and was not time consuming; as the research we had done for our Slasher film was just scanned onto my blog and then the scanned images were uploaded to my blog as a jpeg file.

Above the scanned in files, uploaded to my blog as a Jpeg file.

This was a clear layout and was easy to understand.

Planning:

Through the stages of planning for our two minute opening we used a variety of technology.

Technologies such as Celtx, Digital cameras, Scanning images, Converting audio files.

Celtx: is media pre-production software designed for creating and organizing media products like screenplays films and video's.

  

Using this type of technology helped us immensely as we specifically used it as a pre-visualization tool. We created a storyboard of our two minute opening, this was well presented and easy to understand and in contrast to a sketched storyboard this would have consumed lots of time, and for people who cannot draw, it would not of been as neatly presented. Planning our media product was made easier through this and it impacted the whole of our planning of our movie as it involved taking photos uploading them onto celtx and then describing the screen shots such as (mid shot long shot etc) giving an idea to what we wanted to create.

Digital camera: we used this technology to help create our storyboard through celtx. The camera took still photographs in which presented our shots such as (Mid shot, Long shot etc). Digital camera can do things that normal cameras cannot, displaying images on the screen immediately after they are recorded, storing thousands of images and being able to delete them manually. This type of technology was extremely useful as it captured shots in which we wanted to use in our media product. Additionally it gave us a base to our storyboard and what we wanted to film.

Scanning images:

Again throughout the planning progress of our film, i used a scanner in order to upload our edited scripts and story board which are labelled 'Final Verson: Script' and 'Final Version: Storyboard' . A scanner is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object, and converts it to a digital image. The digital device, has been extreamly helpful and has saved lots of time, as it has converted information into digital image. So it can be seen visually.

Converting audio files:

This is a type of electronic hardware technology which converts an analog audio signal to a digital audio format. We used this specifically used this for the song choice that we used for the opening we converted the audio file in order for it to be played  through our movie. This was benificial as this enhanced the action that was going on within the movie.

Production:

Again through the production of the film, their was a technologies such as Digital camera, imovie, zamzar, youtube, internet. 

The Digital camera enabled us to capture our moving images for what we wanted within the movie. As exlained above, it was an extreamly helpful device in which produced the moving image for our film.

Through imovie, we were able to experiment with our media product. As a group we slowed moving images down, made moving images faster- this was to add tension and create an egnima. Added non- diegetic sound and then made it diegetic this brought us into the film, and gives more of a relationship with the characters from the audience. Additionally from the murderes perspective we distinctly changed the colour to being gray scale.

Through imovie again, we were able to do the following things
Change the colour quality to the moving image and speed up the process of the moving image.

 ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE MOVING IMAGE

Through zamzar we were able to convert files, as a group we converted the universal logo at the beginning of out two minute film. This enabled us to have a professional aspect within our product. It impacted our film as a whole, because it made the beginning flow from the start to finish. Our audience would be able to grasp immediately that our media product was the beginning of a film. 

Evaluation: Question 4

4) Who would be the audience for your media product?
Through our audience questionaires we could summarise specifically who our target audience will be.

Specifically the majority of our target audience is male.

Around the ages of 16-29, however there is a small minority at the ages of 21-25.

As a group we collected evidence from our questionnaires and we came up with an ideal audience member. This was beneficial, as we knew what our audience wanted from our film. It was a useful tool for us as a group as their is specific aspects in which our audience members want to see within our film and this directly told us what they want to see. Our communication then to our audience member would then be through the film, presenting them aspects in which they would like to visually see.

Through this detailed research we were able to present ideal aspects through our two minute opening. As a group we did this through character in particular.

We specifically used a male character and a female character, which are conveyed to be in a relationship; this gives near enough each member of the audience to relate to a certain character whether it’s the male or female. 

Our movie also hints that the killer is a male from the beginning this is shown through special effects (heavy breathing sounds) and specific aspects of Mise en scene such as gloves. The setting/location of our film, is set in a low populated area where a secluded house is shown.

This was the most popular option in which target audience members made known what they expect to see in our specific Slasher film.

Furthermore, at the beginning of our movie, we have cuts which introduce the female and a shrine, in which foreshadows a bad event and something psychopathic-ally weird about the situation. Non- diegetic sound was used directly as it was suggested by our audience members to build suspense and initially tell the story.

Through our audience questionnaire, we directly used information from our audience in order for our movie to appeal to them. 

Additionally we also used our audience feedback in order to improve our two minute opening of our film.

Within our movie, the music changing from diegetic to non- diegetic was untidy, the transition was not clear, and overall it didn't keep the continuity and verisimilitude throughout our media product, so we changed it and tidied it up in order to make the transition tidier and clearer to understand.

Evaluation: Question 3

3) What kind of Media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Our specific media product is open to all kinds of institutions who are looking to distribute this type of genre. 

Universal Pictures is a subsidiary of Comcast and a division of NBC Universal, is one of the six major movie studios. Founded by Carl Laemmle in 1912, Universal is the second oldest movie studio in the world that is still in continuous production; the first being Gaumont Pictures, the next oldest is Paramount Pictures. Making the institution well known.
Why would this company not be suitable?
Universal is one of the largest institutions within the film industry, and therefore has a lot of money behind the institution. Specifically when looking for films they are looking for well filmed sequences and shots of a movie in which are not amateur. Our film is of course of a low budget so Universal as an institution would not be interested in our type of movie, as equipment that was used to film our opening was not of high technology but was of basic.
We did however use the universal logo, in our media product, in order to create a professional aspect to our two minute opening of our slasher film.

Unites international pictures is a joint venture of Paramount Pictures owned by Viacom, which is owned by National Amusements, Inc. and Universal Studios, owned by NBC Universal , which is co-owned by Comcast & General Electric, to distribute some of the two studios' films theatrically outside the United States (including territories), Canada, and the Anglophone Caribbean.

Types of films these institutions have distributed :
Universal Studios

Although both these institutions distribute the same type of genre, such as, chick flicks, slashers, psychological thrillers. Universal is one of the 6 major distributors on earth whereas United International Pictures is of independent film studios, which initially means people like ourselves.

Here are some more examples of independent film studios, they are characterized by limited release but can also have major marketing campaigns and a wide release. Independent films are often screened at local, national, and international film festivals. An independent film production can rival a mainstream production if it has the vital funding and distribution. 

Concluding from this, it would be one of the above, the independent film studios in which would distribute our film.

Evaluation: Question 2

2) How does your media product represent particular social groups?
The representation of youth and gender are significantly conveyed within our film.  This is shown through specific aspects such as the Mise En Scene, the characters clothing.  The clothing is from a young generation, fashionable and represents the characters. Specific props were used such as an ipod and a cigarette. These typically are associated with youth. Killers within Slasher films often kill there victims for an act of revenge, Youth typically have a bad reputation within the media. So young people are often killed within slasher film as an act of punishment. This is what is presented through our specific film.
Our two main characters within the two minute opening are a female and a male. As a group we thought this would be significant within the opening as it is evident that they are in some kind of a relationship. The inappropriate gestures give the killer a motive.

Within this particular sub-genre, young victims are often presented due to their representation within the media. This automatically gives motive and reason to why they will be killed, such as being sexually active, smoking or taking part in drug activity. Young victims are often within this type of genre, because there violent death is seen as an act of punishment from the killers point of view.
In reference to the representation of gender, there is the stereotype of the 'passive female' in which conveys the stereotypical views of society as the Killer is male and this is directly conveyed through in our film through heavy breathing. The automatically enhances that the victim is a lot weaker than the killer and this is due to her gender.

We can see this through the point of view shot in which we use within our film.

In most of the films that we have researched, a male character is often presented with a female character who we assume to be the victims.

Characters within 'The Chain Saw Massacre' we can see both
Male and Female character who seem to be of youth
automatically we assume that these group of people are the victims

Characters within 'The Strangers' the shot shows the setting to be dark
the female seems to be in distress, everything in the shots conveys them
to being the victims within the film.

Within our specific product we present the female character wearing black leggings, with a rolling stones t-shirt. This is simple clothing and we purposefully conveyed this as a group. We did not want to convey a specific stereotype as it involves the killer within Slasher films to pick their victims.
The male character was presented with jeans and a T-shirt again the character is not defined by the characters clothes. However the use of the prop (cigarette) has negative connotations amongst the media as it suggests the ‘bad boy’ image. Youth are associated with this type of image, and this was specifically found within the film ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’

This type of presentation of youth is typically conveyed through Slasher films, as it gives the killer the initiative to kill his victims, as the killer seems to seek revenger as an act if punishment for his victims.

Screen shots from our media product representing gender and youth:

Here we can see the characters distinctly public affection is being
presented, typically associated with youth, connotations of kissing also.

One of the characters typically using hair straighteners, typical everyday
prop in which females commonly use in everyday life, could be also representing youth and gender 

The typical clothing of the female character representing the youth and gender.

Evaluation: Question 1

1) In what ways does your media product, use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? Our media product specifically uses and develops the conventions of real Slasher movies. We based our media product on the research that we made, in order to familiar ourselves with the conventions of Slasher movies. Stock characters were specifically an important aspect within our media product as there are two in which you are introduced to (a male character and a female character) and there is a third in which is introduced but the identity is unknown. Through our research we found that there is often a male and a female character.

Specifically in the film 'The Strangers'

There are two characters in which are presented to the audience. In contrast to our piece of media, the audience physically is presented with the two characters at the beginning of the film. Whereas within this in particular film, we are presented with the two characters through visual information about an event in which had occurred within their lives. Within our own media piece we have decided not to present our main characters through visual writing on screen, as from our questionnaires we found out that our typical audience member does not like the plot to be revealed at the very beginning, and we took careful notice of this.The victims specifically tend to be young and attractive, Additionally to this, the violence and killings of victims are often taken place during or after sexual activity. This view is shown within the movies ‘The strangers’ ‘Black Christmas’ and ‘Texas chainsaw massacre’. Here the victims are young, and are shown to be partying, indulging in sexual acts and taking drugs before they are killed. Through our specific movie product, we show the male and female to be showing inappropriate gestures and affection to one another in the middle of the street. Also we show the male character to indulge in a cigarette, this has negative connotations of bad behaviour and suggests the character profile to be ‘bad boy’ a typical stereotype in which is often presented within Slasher movies.

The Characters within the film 'The Strangers'
who are male and female.

Characters within the film 'Black Christmas' here their is blatant
evidence of alcohol consumption and smoking.

Characters within 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' here their is
evidence of sexual activity or a hint to it.



Screen shots from our own film 'Obsession' in comparison to our research they are quite similar in the different aspects in which we wanted to convey. Aspects such as, smoking, different genders being introduced and the unsuitable gestures that are made. All of which gives initiative and motive for the killer.

Introduction to one of the main characters within a film- A young female.

A second introduction to one of the main characters who is a male
he is smoking.

Inappropriate gestures, being presented in the streets
similar to the screen shot from Texas Chain Saw Massacre. 

The titles and credits of a horror film are often related to the horror film, typical colours in which we associated with Slasher movies was the specific colours of red black and white. These in which have negative connotations of death and violence. We specifically used the colours of red and black, in which follow the typical conventions of a Slasher movie. The specific colours connotes immediately death violence and horror, and this is the effect we wanted to convey within the first two minutes of our media product.
Within most Slasher movies the killers identity is often unknown, we specifically found this in the films’ Halloween’ and ‘Black Christmas’. These films presented us with the killer in the first two minutes of the movie however; we do not visually see their face. This is what we did in our own Media product.

The identity is often hidden with a mask, or a point of view shot from the killer is often conveyed. In which suggests the presence of the killer without revealing the identity.
Through specific aspects of Mise en scene, we suggest that the killer is male, through black gloves. This suggests something violent is about to occur. Additionally with the prop of scissors, this symbolises an act of violence, death and pain. The scissors create an iconography of the horror to the audience so the audience will know what the film will consist of.

We used both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds within our media product. We didn’t use many diegetic sounds however, as this was difficult within filming. Different sounds were recorded at different stages of filming the sequences and in order to create the two minute opening our film continuity and verisimilitude is an extremely important aspect, in order for the product to flow together.

Audience Feedback