Evaluation Question 7 -Looking back at your preliminary task (the continuity editing task), what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

Looking back at the preliminary task it is evident that the opening sequence produced is of a much higher standard in every manner possible.The opening sequence compromises of a range of different shot types, heights, angles and movements. From the opening sequence it is clear everything has been planned during the preproduction stages and followd during production. The jump from the prelimenary task to the opening sequence has been huge.

In order to create the opening sequence the prelimnary task was near enough compulsary. This is simply becuase it would have been impossible to create the opening sequence without everything we learnt from the preliminary task. The progression from the preliminary task to the main product has been great. Individually and as a group we have mastered most of the different softwars, tools, and programmes involved in order to create a real media text. One of the biggest improvemnts in the group was the time it took us to actaully edit the video. This is beucase during the preliminary task we did not actaully know how to operate the softwares however by the time it came to the editing of the opening sequence the group had a pretty much hands on approach in regards to editing as we had learnt everything requied during the prelimenary stages. This just goes to show as a group not only have we progressed from the prliminary task but now as an individual i actaully feel i can operate real media eqpiment and softwares such as cameras to a decent standard. This just goes to show the progress made is invaulable andthe knowledge learnt fom the jump between the prelimney task and opening sequence has been massive.

Evaluation Question 6 - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

The construction of the opening sequence has just been a massive learning curve. Throughout the process I have learnt a whole new variety of skills and techniques.

The creation of the opening sequence required the use of  a range of different technoalgies simply becuase of the qulaity of work we set out to create. I have used different programmes and different softwraes in order to ceate the opening sequence which can be seen from the screen shots above. As i have completed the AS level along with the A2 this has been an extremly diffcuilt learning curve. As a whole group we did not have much experince with softwares such as Photoshop or Design therfore learning to function these softwares in order to create our media texts was an extremly difficuilt task. From the above screen shots it is clear that a large variety of our media texts have been created through the use of Photoshop and design. Personally the editing of the music video was maybe the most diffcuilt task. This is simply becuase not only was the technolagy completely new to us but the functioning of the programme was alot more complex in comparison to anything which we had ever used before. Moreover the editing stage of the video took over 5-10 hous itself.

we used other websites such as Vimeo and later Youtube to exploit our creation. The response we gained from Youtube was extremly positive, morover the response we recieved was extremly encouraging as we gained mostly positive feedback and only constructive suggestions. Facebook also helped us as it allowed us to share our ideas with friends and family during pre production. this was extremly usefull as certain changes where recommended which later proved to work really well. Overall indvidually and as a group we have used a range of diffeent technoalgies to create the opening sequence

Victimized

Evaluation Question 5 - How did you attract/address your audience?

After production was complete we posted our video onto Vimeo, however after seeing very little success we agreed we should actually post the video to a website where we could gain more attention. Having 1 billion hits a day we agreed YouTube would be the ideal website to exploit our product simply because the webpage has a humongous customer base and our target audience is the avid user of YouTube. Moreover looking at the success of other viral’s such as ‘Diary of a bad man’ is extremely convincing. This is simply because this channel has actually exploded on websites such as YouTube, Face book and twitter. The channel has received views in excess of 13 million. Moreover this production is also created for a young audience such as teenagers and young adults. Therefore this just strengthened our decision of posting the video on to YouTube as the success of Diary of a bad man just goes to show that not only our target market is more likely to see our product but the website will allow us to reach wider markets. Moreover we have decided that in the near future we shall also be posting the production on our personal face book pages. This is simply because it will allow us to receive some form of feedback weather it be some form of constructive criticism or appreciation for our efforts. Moreover this will also allow us to see out personal strengths and weaknesses so if we where to ever do this project again we will know exactly what to keep the same, what to change and finally the aspects that should improved.

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

Victimized has been produced for both a primary and secondary audience like any other production within this day and age; the secondary audience could be pretty much anyone however identifying the primary audience was a key task during research. This is simply because the movie would have to have certain elements that would attract our primary audience therefore to identify the elements required such research was obligatory. It was clear that our movie was an outtake on young love and young relationships and its consequences making it an action thriller therefore the audience would also have to be youths so they could relate to the film in the best possible manner. Below is a mood board which would best describe our target audience

From the above it is quite clearly the production would best suit a young audience. This is due to a range of different reasons. Firstly young relationships, love and pregnancy is higher then ever before. Therefore young adults could easily be experiencing similar issues themselves or they may be able to relate to someone who may be in a similar situation. Moreover the constant interjection of media in our lives constantly defines such issues therefore the majority will always know about such issues. This just goes to show that a young audience would be the best at relating to our production.

Evaluation Question 3 - What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

A production company is responsible for the actual construction and manufacturing of the different layers of the finished production. Moreover the production company will also be in charge of the physical production of the product so from getting everything organized such as scripts, music, editing, props, mise en scene and casting of actors. In simple words the production company is in charge of more or less everything. However within this day and age media and technology have become extremely advanced as most production houses and media institutions distribute as well as produce real media. For example Warner brothers which is a major and maybe the most successful media institution its produces as well as distributes all its media texts however on the other hand Film4 is a mini major operating successful within the UK. However although its scale of operation is a lot smaller in comparison to that of Warner Brothers it still distributes its own products. The initial task of the distributor is to exploit the production and try and generate various revenue streams by selling the products to media exchanges such as TV channels and multiplexes. The distributor is not only in charge of the marketing side of the production however they are the link between a successful and an unsuccessful one. Our media production could be produced and distributed by various different media institution such as Revolver entertainment.

Past example of there work are films such as Kidult hood, Heart breaker and Sket. The production house tackles real day to day issues and provides its audience with an indirect moral to every film produced. For example Kidult hood simply tackles the issue of youths making a career in crime and drugs and the movie discloses all its consequences sending out a message to all its target audience which are teenagers and young adults. However the secondary audience also appreciated the movie and it received extremely positive views from many critics. This goes to show a label like Revolver entertainment is the type of media institution which will distribute and produce a media production like mine. This is because our movie also concentrates on an important issue as young love and young relationships are becoming a major concern day by day.

The production of our movie could be financed quite easily; this is because there is more then one option. So for example the movie can be financed by pitching the production to a company such as revolver entrainment and if they see strength in the script, and believe it is a viable venture then they could just invest into it. Moreover if this option does not work out then private equity firms are always looking for a new venture which is unique and has its own unique selling point. Therefore the movie can inspire private businesses to invest. Finally a grant from the film council could also help this project take off. This just shows the different ways in which the production could receive funding in order to get the project started.

Evaluation Question 2 - How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In order to create a clear vision between good and evil it was essential to purposely create differences between the ‘killer’ and the ‘victim’ so the audience can identify both characters and easily distinguish between them. Our media text does represent various different social groups. Above is a minute mood board to represent the type of social groups represented by the character. At first glance various different words come in to mind such as:

 low income - low class - thug - 'the bad person'

The character is represented in such a manner so the audience can automatically stereotype the character and create a direct link between him and evil or in simple words label him as ‘the bad person’. This is essential within the opening sequence simply because the audience should at all times be able to distinguish between the ‘killer’ and the ‘victim’.  The character has specifically been represented in such a manner so the audience can automatically link him to social groups such as low income or low class so they can actually think up a reason as to why he wants to kill the ‘victim’. Looking at the character the audience will actually think the character is after materialistic items such as wealth from the ‘victim’ simply because of the difference created between this character and the victim as the victim is drowning in high end fashion labels wear as the killer is portrayed in a completely different manner. As a prop the character is seen with a ‘Channel’ handbag this simply so the audience can relate to the character by what they see and create an instant stereotype of the character being high class and from high earning respectable family.  This just shows how the costumes used and camera work both help contribute to the representation of particular social groups.

Evaluation Question 1 - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

It is clear that the opening sequence produced clearly follows conventions of real media yet certain elements are challenged. The opening sequence starts with titles of the film clearly showing the name, studio and appropriate credits. It is common for any opening sequence to start in the same manner whether it is a multi million dollar production by Warner brothers or a small budget film by Film 4 made for the British audience. Titles and credits help create a direct link with the audience watching as by seeing who the film is made by or the actors the audience may appreciate it more because they may be able to reference the director or a actor to a previous role allowing them to expect more or a little less then what they initially expected from the movie. The nine slide grid shows the opening sequence of Kidult hood, an incredible movie directed by Menhaj Huda and written by Noel Clarke. In contrast to the opening sequence it is clear that our production follows real media conventions as it is clear that the opening sequence starts and finishes like it would in real media text. Our production runs inline with the treatment and script set during research and the preproduction of this product. Therefore the settings and locations where taken into account therefore we used are school as the location for the shoot. The Genre selected was a crossover of action and thriller with elements of social class and social behavior. What we wanted to portray to our primary audience; we believed would come across best by using a stereotypical school and student environment. This is simply because our direct audience is teenagers and young adults and the opening sequence we created was for a film which would eventually disclose a young relationship with both high and lows but eventually it would come to such a point that death was the only option. The story was set initially with a moral and to bring this forward and to allow young adults to relate to this we had to stereotype our audience hoping they will relate to the story a lot better if it was set in a college/school like environment. In some ways the idea does abide by real media conventions as many films that will portray such realism to youngsters would be set in such as environment such as Kidult hood. Once again this just shows ho the media text produced abides by real media conventions. Although majority of the movies produced are a single specific genre our production actually challenges this media convention as what we wanted to portray to our audience could only be portrayed through a crossover of two different genres which in this case are a combination of action and thriller.

In order to portray the role of the victim and the killer in the best possible manner a great deal of research went into how the audience should perceive our created characters. It was clear  that a great deal of effort would have to be put into simple things such as costumes, props, camera work and editing as this will help create the initial difference between a good media text and a bad one. What we initially wanted was for the audience to actually be able to feel the anxiety and to be at the edge of there seat while watching the movie. We wanted the audience to be able to relate to the victim and be able to put them self in her shoes. In order to do this we created a character profile in which we purposely added certain elements of the character to give her a typical ‘girl next door’ outlook. She was purposely made innocent in her actions and looks so the audience can see the stereotypical contrast between good and evil. However on the other hand we purposely used costumes and props to our advantage when we created the ‘killer’ in the story. We dressed the character in dark clothing and a leather jacket as such a character will typically wear things such as a leather jacket, gloves and a hood. Therefore to enhance the character and make the opening sequence distinctive we also abided by such media conventions. We purposely made sure the editing and camera work contributed the level of mystery we set out to create. We purposely did not show the killer in the opening sequence, only things such as his hands and back where shown so the audience does not loose focus and they are continuously concentrating on the movie as they want to know what happens next, who is the killer, why he wants to kill the victim and finally if he is successful in his quest or not. Once again most thrillers will also use the same techniques to create anxiety and build peaks and troughs within the movie. For example Scream and I still remember what you did last summer also follow this method as the killer is not revealed up until the end of the movie. This is purposely done as the directors and producers have to provide the audience with a reason as to why they should carry on watching a movie. Therefore our research into different real media texts made us adopt these conventions in our own production.

Right from the opening scene the audience can quite easily see that the production is a action/thriller. This is a down to a range of different factors. One of the key aspects is the way in which the characters are first introduced.  Right from the beginning the audience can see the ‘victim’ therefore they can quiet easily relate to the character however the killer is never shown therefore although the audience are always aware of his presence they can never see him therefore no direct link can be created between them and the character. Moreover the fact that they can not see him but know he is actually there through the style of camera work there is always a sense of mystery and anxiety which comes across in any thriller. This just shows how our media text clearly abides by this common convention within thriller and horror movies.

As a group we researched different opening sequences in action and thriller movies. A common media convention within these real media texts was the use of non-diagetic music in order to create a mysterious experience where needed. Moreover we found that most opening sequences in such real media texts use music in order to create tension and peaks within the production. Therefore we also used a mysterious beat in the opening sequence as what the audience can see will be complemented by what they hear as the music will help add a touch of tension and make the opening sequence a lot more tense. However in most of our research we found that music is often played while the opening credits are shown. However our opening sequence develops this common convention further as the music is played throughout the entire opening sequence. This is simply done because the opening sequence helps set the scene for the remainder of the movie therefore for our production to relate to the audience in the best possible manner it was essential to portray the sense of tension and despair; which not only clarifies the genre of the movie but also gives the audiences an insight into the movie. Overall it is clear that the opening sequence uses many real media convention while challenging others. It is clearly that certain elements have been challenged and developed upon but this has simply been in order to enhance our audiences experience and to ensure that the production created is of the best possible quality and can be referred to as a real media text.

Story Board

This is the story board we have produced for our film. it gives an insight into how we plan to shoot all our scenes

Other AS Media opening sequence

The video above is also another opening sequence which was done recently as part of the AS Media coursework. It is important that we condict research and see what others have created in the past in order to make something unique aswell as different.

Equipment and props

Character profiles

Possible shoot locations

Above are some of the locations which our group has decided to use as part of our production.

Scene break-down

0.00 - 0.10  - Long shot panning to the right capturing all the photos on the wall 


0.10 - 0.15  - Over the shoulder shot capturing victims items on the coffee table


0.15 - 0.20  - Pans towards the sitting on the chair (only the bak of the chair can be seen)


0.20 - 0.26  - Medium close up shows ciggaret ash dropped in ash tray, medium shot follows which captures alcohol being poured into a glass. 


0.26 - 0.33  - Camera pans to the left showing text on the wall which states 'your next' in blood


0.33 - 0.39  - Blank screen to represent day 




Scene two 


0.39 - 0.45  - Extreme long shot panning showing the college premises 


0.45 - 0.51  - Close up showing victim stroll into premises 


0.51 - 0.56  - Side view mirror shot showing victim walk into premises (also showing that she is being spied on)


0.56 - 1.00  - Medium shot shows the back of the victim entering through the doors 


1.00 - 0.07  - Right pan show shows murder throw a ciggerate-but from there car


1.07 - 1.13 - Long shot shows Jodie walk through the premises walking towards the college 


1.13 - 1.20  - Birds eye shot shows Jodie walk the final corner before entering the school building.


1.20 - 1.30  - Close up shows murderer spying on Jodie through the blinds


1.30 - 1.37  - Medium show shows the murderer take the victims scarf.


1.37 - 1.45  - Final close up shows Jodie receive a text message saying 'your next'.

Treatment

The first two minutes of the opening sequence should clearly allow the audience to see the victim (Jodie) is being followed by someone who's identity is still not reveal. Jodie is being followed in such a manner that the audience will feel that she can be killed at any point. In order to show this clearly there will be many shots which will show Jodie being followed around the campus. The final 30 seconds of the opening sequence will allow the audience to see a glimpse of the murderer however they will still not be able to identify who he is. Therefore the remainder of the movie will disclose who the murderer is, why is he so desperate to kill Jodie and finally if he is successful in his quest to kill her.

Brief

As part of my AS Media coursework I shall be making an opening sequence to a film. This blog will record my progress as well as, work and other relevent research which i will upload. The opening sequence should be approxiamtely two minuites long.