We designed a questionnaire to understand how the audience would respond to our thriller. Questionnaires are a positive way for gaining feedback on how our audience perceives our film as we aim to meet their needs when it comes the two-minute sequence.
We gave our questionnaire to thirty people, we choose to give it to an equal amount of males and females.(fifteen males and fifteen females) like the first questionnaire to keep continuity. We asked them to carry out the questionnaire after watching our two minute sequence.
The first question we asked was which age group our participants fit into, like in the first questionnaire. It would be productive to compare the age groups as this would make it easier for us to draw a conclusion on who our main target audience was for this film. We found that majority of our group who were targeted were 18 year olds followed by 15-17 year olds (12%).
The second question we asked was which ethnicity our audience were, we found that majority of our audience was between white and asian at 9%, but this was closely followed by an black audience at 8%. This question helps us specify what type of audience we had observing our film, it may effect they way they could relate to the mise-en-scene and understand the sequence.
The third question whether the thriller meets the needs of a good thriller movie; this is a direct yes or no answer that would help us correlate how many people found the opening realistic. We found that 24% of our audience found the thriller met the needs of a good thriller.
The next question was whether the thriller supported or challenged the forms and conventions of thrillers. Our findings show that 28% said that we used the same forms and conventions like other thrillers which means we kept the stereotype by using a female as the victim and a male as the murderer.
The following question asked whether the film showed a clear antagonist and protagonist, in the previous questionnaire we asked the same question with reference to the script and synopsis, all participants found it was shown clearly. The results found the same results.
We asked which conventions were mostly apparent, the results found that the audience found the location realistic most apparent (14%). This was followed by 12% of them who thought the normal everyday life was apparent the last two options were less apparent.
The last question was which audience would the film appeal to, we found that it appealed mostly to 25+ (13%) and less likely to appeal to 12-14 year olds according to the audience.
We created pie charts to make the results readable. It demonstrates how our film was perceived to the audience, and from these findings we can generalise it to a wider audience.
Sunday 5 April 2009
Responsibilities
Responsibilities
1) Preliminary task shot list – Risha Jethwa
2) Preliminary task Evaluation – Risha Jethwa
3) Preliminary task – Rizwana Jawid, Jasmin Manjdadria & Risha Jethwa
4) Mind map – Rizwana Jawid
5) Outline idea for the two minute opening sequence – Rizwana Jawid
6) A Justified Revenge Script – Rizwana Jawid
7) A Justified Revenge Script – Directors cut – Rizwana Jawid
8) A Justified Revenge Synopsis – Jasmin Manjdadria
9) Questionnaire – first questionnaire – Rizwana Jawid
10) Questionnaire results – graphs – Rizwana Jawid
11) Audience review – Individually written - Jasmin Manjdadia, Rizwana Jawid & Risha Jethwa
12) Codes and conventions – Risha Jethwa
13) Genre research – Risha Jethwa
14) Pictures for the storyboard – Jasmin Manjdadria & Rizwana Jawid
15) Prop notes – Risha Jethwa
16) Cast notes – Risha Jethwa
17) Location notes – Jasmin Manjdadria
18) Storyboard – Rizwana Jawid
19) Disturbia – Thriller notes – Jasmin Manjdadria
20) The Eye – Thriller notes – Rizwana Jawid
21) The Shining – Thriller notes – Risha Jethwa
22) Gothika – Thriller notes – Risha Jethwa
23) Score notes – Jasmin Manjdadria
24) Shot List for the two minute Sequence - Jasmin Manjdadria
25) Two minutes opening sequence – Jasmin Manjdadria, Rizwana Jawid & Risha Jethwa
26) Questionnaire – second questionnaire – Rizwana Jawid
27) Questionnaire results – graphs – Rizwana Jawid
28) Audience Review for the second questionnaire – Jasmin Manjdadria
29) Evaluation – Individually written – Risha Jethwa, Rizwana Jawid & Jasmin Manjdadria
Blog responsibilities: Rizwana Jawid, Jasmin Manjdadria & Risha Jethwa
1) Preliminary task shot list – Risha Jethwa
2) Preliminary task Evaluation – Risha Jethwa
3) Preliminary task – Rizwana Jawid, Jasmin Manjdadria & Risha Jethwa
4) Mind map – Rizwana Jawid
5) Outline idea for the two minute opening sequence – Rizwana Jawid
6) A Justified Revenge Script – Rizwana Jawid
7) A Justified Revenge Script – Directors cut – Rizwana Jawid
8) A Justified Revenge Synopsis – Jasmin Manjdadria
9) Questionnaire – first questionnaire – Rizwana Jawid
10) Questionnaire results – graphs – Rizwana Jawid
11) Audience review – Individually written - Jasmin Manjdadia, Rizwana Jawid & Risha Jethwa
12) Codes and conventions – Risha Jethwa
13) Genre research – Risha Jethwa
14) Pictures for the storyboard – Jasmin Manjdadria & Rizwana Jawid
15) Prop notes – Risha Jethwa
16) Cast notes – Risha Jethwa
17) Location notes – Jasmin Manjdadria
18) Storyboard – Rizwana Jawid
19) Disturbia – Thriller notes – Jasmin Manjdadria
20) The Eye – Thriller notes – Rizwana Jawid
21) The Shining – Thriller notes – Risha Jethwa
22) Gothika – Thriller notes – Risha Jethwa
23) Score notes – Jasmin Manjdadria
24) Shot List for the two minute Sequence - Jasmin Manjdadria
25) Two minutes opening sequence – Jasmin Manjdadria, Rizwana Jawid & Risha Jethwa
26) Questionnaire – second questionnaire – Rizwana Jawid
27) Questionnaire results – graphs – Rizwana Jawid
28) Audience Review for the second questionnaire – Jasmin Manjdadria
29) Evaluation – Individually written – Risha Jethwa, Rizwana Jawid & Jasmin Manjdadria
Blog responsibilities: Rizwana Jawid, Jasmin Manjdadria & Risha Jethwa
Saturday 4 April 2009
Evaluation - (completed by Rizwana Jawid)
Question 1 – In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
The media product that we created, Justified Revenge, consists of forms and conventions that real media products would have. As we focused on thriller movies to base our sequence on, we learnt about the different conventions thriller movies consisted off
After looking at a number of films such as ‘Disturbia’, and ‘See no evil’, we were able to come up with an idea for our two minute sequence. The film ‘Disturbia’ is based on an individual having a mixed identity, similarly the main character in our two minute sequence is also seen to have a mixed identity as he is seen as a religious figure with strong beliefs, but his community is seen to be fooled by his outer innocence as he is actually a kidnapper seen to kidnap young girls, who have sinned in his eyes. In addition to this, the film ‘See no evil’ is based on kidnapping by a serial killer that collects the eyes of his victims.
Our two minute sequence is also based on kidnappings; however the main character who is the kidnapper is someone with a hidden identity. These two films mainly influenced the idea of our two minutes sequence as we tried to keep our audience interested by having the main character who had a mixed identity.
Our final media product does support a typical thriller film as there is a build up of tension before the audience actually see what is going on. It also supports the forms and conventions as there would be a sense of cruelty in thriller films. This helps the audience to stay interested as they would want to know what is going to happen next. The storyline for our film would most probably fall under the psychological/crime themes of thriller. We thought that it would fit under the psychological theme as the sequence has emphasis over the character more than the plot itself. We also thought that it may fit into the crime theme as the sequence focuses more on the criminal rather than the mystery solvers.
Question 2 – How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Justified Revenge is based on the male being shown as the dominant and superior figure whereas the female is shown as weak and passive. This goes with the stereotype of males and females in society as males are aggressive, strong and are always shown as the leaders, and females are weak, emotional and are likely to be the followers who have no say in what is going on.
The characters in the two minute opening sequence are shown as middle classed individuals through the way they are dressed. As the main character is shown as a religious figure, he is dressed in a suit. This represents the main character as someone who has pride and may possibly be egotistic.
The victim in the film is casually dressed, as a teenager would be; this also has emphasis on the fact that she is weak. The way in which the characters are represented in the film is an important aspect in order for the audience to be able to relate and have an understanding of how the characters respond to situations and their behaviour towards one another. The victim, a teenager is represented as a defenceless individual who has done something wrong to get herself into the situation that she is in.
This is a typical stereotype of a teenager who has yet to learn through the mistakes that they make.
In the opening sequence of the thriller film, Justified Revenge, the teenager is shown being tied up in the boot, leaving the enigma to be solved by the audience as to what she may have done to get herself into that position. The audience would be able to relate to this as the film is aimed at those around the same age as the characters. Teenagers would be able to relate to this as they would thing that there’s a consequence linked to mistakes that they make.
Question 3 – What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Justified Revenge could be an art house film as it has a main target group that it may appeal to. It is aimed at a particular age group of those who are roughly aged between 15 and 40. This is because they would most likely be able to understand the characters points of view. The film we created would be seen as something different than the usual thriller films, therefore the audience would expect to see a different storyline from the common ones. As a result, this would be an advantage as the audience would be more interested in seeing and finding out what the film is about. Justified Revenge could be an internet release as it has a storyline that is set out to keep the audience engaged and also is similar to other films in a sense that it consists of enigma, each scene leading to another as it builds up tension.
Within our two minute sequence we used a variety of shots to emphasise suspense. The result of this was that it would keep the audience interested in finding out what was going to happen next. In the first 10 seconds of our two minute sequence we see the main character walk out of his house holding his mobile phone, keys and a bible. This immediately tells the audience that he is a man of strong belief. As he walks out of his house, he walks to the end of the drive and looks up and down his road before getting into the car. This makes the audience think about why he is looking up and down the driveway. Is he looking for someone? Is he looking to see whether someone is looking at him? Could he have something to hide? Why he looks up and down the driveway?
We also used a number of extreme close ups, close ups and mid close up shots to show the characters expressions. In the boot scenes of our two minute sequence we used a number of close ups and extreme close ups to show the victims expressions as terrified and shocked we also showed the main characters eyes whilst talking on the phone. This created enigma and made the audience think about what might happen.
Question 4 – What would be the audience for your media product?
As mentioned briefly previously, the target audience for our film is 15+. We chose this age because the target group that our first questionnaire was handed out to said that the sequence most likely fitted into the 15+ audience. The film, Justified Revenge consists of stereotypes for both genders, male and female therefore it is not set out to target one specific gender more than the other. Similarly it is set out to target teenagers as well as adults as they will be able to engage in the storyline.
Question 5 – How did you attract/address your audience?
A Justified Revenge being a cross genre, psychological/crime thriller will itself attract the target audience. Our thriller uses a sense of corrupt authority and violence, this is shown in the scenes where the victim is shown tied up in the boot. The music we used in the two minute sequence helps the audience see how the main character is represented. The use of the different shots also helps to create tension and build up suspense which keeps the audience guessing. This is something the audience would expect to see in a good thriller movie.
Question 6 – What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?
Throughout the process of directing I learnt a number of things. One of the things I learnt was that planning before hand was necessary in order to work efficiently and successfully. Another thing that I learnt was that it was important to get all the scenes in all the possible shot types so that when editing, the editor would be able to look though all the different shot types and use which ever shot fitted correctly to create tension and enigma. As a director I also felt that it was important to make sure that the camera person knew which shots were required for the sequence and how the shots were planned to be taken. For this to be done almost perfectly, the storyboard was a source of help as it assisted me on knowing which shots would fit in.
The way in which the final product consisted of a variety of shots having an emphasis on the action showed to have worked accordingly. However we came across a number of difficulties during the whole process of filming. Due to this we filmed twice to make sure we had all the required shots. When we filmed for the first time, the shot types that we filmed were long shots, mid close ups and close ups. As well as this, continuity had been broken. This refers to the in car scenes due to this we filmed for a second time, this time making sure that the shots we took consisted of close ups and extreme close ups as well as long shots and mid shots showing the surroundings and the atmosphere. The aim of filming more extreme close up shots and close ups was that it would help create fear and tension keeping the audience interested. In addition to this it would help create enigma. One of the most difficult part s of the process was making sure that each of the scenes had a match on action and making sure that the continuity was accurate. After having problems with this a few times, we gradually over came this.
Question 7 – Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Before the actual filming of our two minute sequence took place, we went through a vast number of stages in the planning process. One of the planning processes that helped us with understanding the sequence and putting together the shots that we planned to take was done through creating a storyboard. This helped us see which shots would work with particular scenes and which shots we would have to change in the actual filming process. We also created a script which played a role in the filming of the two minute sequence. This helped us as a group to take into account everything that was actually going to happen in the opening sequence. These two elements of the production process as well as others helped us have a clear understanding of what we would end up with at the end of the task.
Looking back to the starting of the whole production coursework to when we started filming our preliminary task, I think that we improved the ways on which we filmed and making sure we got the scenes correct. Continuity was one of the factors that we had problems with. However as we progressed we learnt to be more aware of match on action. Whilst filming our preliminary task we also tended to use panning shots which did not turn out how we thought it would. To overcome this problem we decided to break down the panning shot into a variety of shots. For example, having one of the characters walking from point A to point B was shown using long shots, mid close ups and close ups. We then also used this technique in our main two minutes sequence when showing the main character walking from point A to point B.
Overall I think that we as a group learnt from the mistakes that we made and improved from the beginning to the end. Our thriller film would be successful as it consists of the codes and conventions that are similar to other films that have been successful in the past. There are some things that we could of improved if we spent a little more time on filming and making sure everything was how it was planned to be.
The media product that we created, Justified Revenge, consists of forms and conventions that real media products would have. As we focused on thriller movies to base our sequence on, we learnt about the different conventions thriller movies consisted off
After looking at a number of films such as ‘Disturbia’, and ‘See no evil’, we were able to come up with an idea for our two minute sequence. The film ‘Disturbia’ is based on an individual having a mixed identity, similarly the main character in our two minute sequence is also seen to have a mixed identity as he is seen as a religious figure with strong beliefs, but his community is seen to be fooled by his outer innocence as he is actually a kidnapper seen to kidnap young girls, who have sinned in his eyes. In addition to this, the film ‘See no evil’ is based on kidnapping by a serial killer that collects the eyes of his victims.
Our two minute sequence is also based on kidnappings; however the main character who is the kidnapper is someone with a hidden identity. These two films mainly influenced the idea of our two minutes sequence as we tried to keep our audience interested by having the main character who had a mixed identity.
Our final media product does support a typical thriller film as there is a build up of tension before the audience actually see what is going on. It also supports the forms and conventions as there would be a sense of cruelty in thriller films. This helps the audience to stay interested as they would want to know what is going to happen next. The storyline for our film would most probably fall under the psychological/crime themes of thriller. We thought that it would fit under the psychological theme as the sequence has emphasis over the character more than the plot itself. We also thought that it may fit into the crime theme as the sequence focuses more on the criminal rather than the mystery solvers.
Question 2 – How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Justified Revenge is based on the male being shown as the dominant and superior figure whereas the female is shown as weak and passive. This goes with the stereotype of males and females in society as males are aggressive, strong and are always shown as the leaders, and females are weak, emotional and are likely to be the followers who have no say in what is going on.
The characters in the two minute opening sequence are shown as middle classed individuals through the way they are dressed. As the main character is shown as a religious figure, he is dressed in a suit. This represents the main character as someone who has pride and may possibly be egotistic.
The victim in the film is casually dressed, as a teenager would be; this also has emphasis on the fact that she is weak. The way in which the characters are represented in the film is an important aspect in order for the audience to be able to relate and have an understanding of how the characters respond to situations and their behaviour towards one another. The victim, a teenager is represented as a defenceless individual who has done something wrong to get herself into the situation that she is in.
This is a typical stereotype of a teenager who has yet to learn through the mistakes that they make.
In the opening sequence of the thriller film, Justified Revenge, the teenager is shown being tied up in the boot, leaving the enigma to be solved by the audience as to what she may have done to get herself into that position. The audience would be able to relate to this as the film is aimed at those around the same age as the characters. Teenagers would be able to relate to this as they would thing that there’s a consequence linked to mistakes that they make.
Question 3 – What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Justified Revenge could be an art house film as it has a main target group that it may appeal to. It is aimed at a particular age group of those who are roughly aged between 15 and 40. This is because they would most likely be able to understand the characters points of view. The film we created would be seen as something different than the usual thriller films, therefore the audience would expect to see a different storyline from the common ones. As a result, this would be an advantage as the audience would be more interested in seeing and finding out what the film is about. Justified Revenge could be an internet release as it has a storyline that is set out to keep the audience engaged and also is similar to other films in a sense that it consists of enigma, each scene leading to another as it builds up tension.
Within our two minute sequence we used a variety of shots to emphasise suspense. The result of this was that it would keep the audience interested in finding out what was going to happen next. In the first 10 seconds of our two minute sequence we see the main character walk out of his house holding his mobile phone, keys and a bible. This immediately tells the audience that he is a man of strong belief. As he walks out of his house, he walks to the end of the drive and looks up and down his road before getting into the car. This makes the audience think about why he is looking up and down the driveway. Is he looking for someone? Is he looking to see whether someone is looking at him? Could he have something to hide? Why he looks up and down the driveway?
We also used a number of extreme close ups, close ups and mid close up shots to show the characters expressions. In the boot scenes of our two minute sequence we used a number of close ups and extreme close ups to show the victims expressions as terrified and shocked we also showed the main characters eyes whilst talking on the phone. This created enigma and made the audience think about what might happen.
Question 4 – What would be the audience for your media product?
As mentioned briefly previously, the target audience for our film is 15+. We chose this age because the target group that our first questionnaire was handed out to said that the sequence most likely fitted into the 15+ audience. The film, Justified Revenge consists of stereotypes for both genders, male and female therefore it is not set out to target one specific gender more than the other. Similarly it is set out to target teenagers as well as adults as they will be able to engage in the storyline.
Question 5 – How did you attract/address your audience?
A Justified Revenge being a cross genre, psychological/crime thriller will itself attract the target audience. Our thriller uses a sense of corrupt authority and violence, this is shown in the scenes where the victim is shown tied up in the boot. The music we used in the two minute sequence helps the audience see how the main character is represented. The use of the different shots also helps to create tension and build up suspense which keeps the audience guessing. This is something the audience would expect to see in a good thriller movie.
Question 6 – What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?
Throughout the process of directing I learnt a number of things. One of the things I learnt was that planning before hand was necessary in order to work efficiently and successfully. Another thing that I learnt was that it was important to get all the scenes in all the possible shot types so that when editing, the editor would be able to look though all the different shot types and use which ever shot fitted correctly to create tension and enigma. As a director I also felt that it was important to make sure that the camera person knew which shots were required for the sequence and how the shots were planned to be taken. For this to be done almost perfectly, the storyboard was a source of help as it assisted me on knowing which shots would fit in.
The way in which the final product consisted of a variety of shots having an emphasis on the action showed to have worked accordingly. However we came across a number of difficulties during the whole process of filming. Due to this we filmed twice to make sure we had all the required shots. When we filmed for the first time, the shot types that we filmed were long shots, mid close ups and close ups. As well as this, continuity had been broken. This refers to the in car scenes due to this we filmed for a second time, this time making sure that the shots we took consisted of close ups and extreme close ups as well as long shots and mid shots showing the surroundings and the atmosphere. The aim of filming more extreme close up shots and close ups was that it would help create fear and tension keeping the audience interested. In addition to this it would help create enigma. One of the most difficult part s of the process was making sure that each of the scenes had a match on action and making sure that the continuity was accurate. After having problems with this a few times, we gradually over came this.
Question 7 – Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Before the actual filming of our two minute sequence took place, we went through a vast number of stages in the planning process. One of the planning processes that helped us with understanding the sequence and putting together the shots that we planned to take was done through creating a storyboard. This helped us see which shots would work with particular scenes and which shots we would have to change in the actual filming process. We also created a script which played a role in the filming of the two minute sequence. This helped us as a group to take into account everything that was actually going to happen in the opening sequence. These two elements of the production process as well as others helped us have a clear understanding of what we would end up with at the end of the task.
Looking back to the starting of the whole production coursework to when we started filming our preliminary task, I think that we improved the ways on which we filmed and making sure we got the scenes correct. Continuity was one of the factors that we had problems with. However as we progressed we learnt to be more aware of match on action. Whilst filming our preliminary task we also tended to use panning shots which did not turn out how we thought it would. To overcome this problem we decided to break down the panning shot into a variety of shots. For example, having one of the characters walking from point A to point B was shown using long shots, mid close ups and close ups. We then also used this technique in our main two minutes sequence when showing the main character walking from point A to point B.
Overall I think that we as a group learnt from the mistakes that we made and improved from the beginning to the end. Our thriller film would be successful as it consists of the codes and conventions that are similar to other films that have been successful in the past. There are some things that we could of improved if we spent a little more time on filming and making sure everything was how it was planned to be.
Evaluation -(Completed By Jasmin Manjdadria)
Question 1 – In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Films such as ‘See no Evil’ ‘Along Came A Spider’ and ‘Disturbia’ influenced the ideas for our sequence as well as the synopsis, it also demonstrated our use of conventions throughout our film. For example; the use of mirrors, angles, pace of shots and music/sounds. Our film (Justified Revenge) is a psychological/crime thriller that uses many conventions which support those of a typical thriller. Certain shots such as extreme close ups are used to illustrate this, showing reactions and body language helps the viewer aware of every detail as if they were there in this fictional world. The sound is deliberately slow paced which builds up to a fast paced beat to create a sense of enigma and in general more impact when the victim is found in the murderers boot of his car.
Originally, the lighting was not intended to be in the day, however we found that it added to the misinterpreted identity the main character carries with him throughout the film. It is initially used to 'fool' viewers into believing that the main character is a normal person in touch with everyday life; this in turn will help the viewers understand how the rest of the characters in the film are so easily unaware of the killers double life by the facade he manages to keeps up.
The use of conventions was vital in this production as it gave the sequence more body, by emphasising the impact of facial expressions and body language to make it more realistic to the audience.
A number of mistakes were made throughout the production, for instance, contiguity was broken on a number of occasions, which led to a second filming. The sound was at times too loud or too quiet, or their were a lot of interferences from people passing by or driving past.
Although there were many mistakes made, our group improved from these; especially after filming the preliminary task. our group was able to get an idea of the types of shots we wanted, and how we could get them by readjusting the tripod and camera.
Question 2 – How does your media product represent particular social groups?
In the film the main character is stereotyped as being a religious man of value, with a friendly, charismatic personality; which is what the audience would expect. The male plays a dominant superior role which is shown in everyday life, as men are perceived as being the strong, aggressive type. In contrast, the female who plays the victim is represented as passive, timid and vulnerable, which the audience are more likely to agree with as it fits the typical stereotypes of men and women.
Both the characters are from the middle class as they are both dressed well. The murderer wears a suit which demonstrates this as well as pointing out that he has a certain amount of pride as he makes himself more presentable in the car by looking into the mirror of the car; this would challenge the stereotype of a religious man, as we would assume as the audience that a religious man would not be this concerned about his appearance.
The victim is dressed in young clothes, she also has a young face suggesting she is a teenager. The sequence shows her tied up in bin liner with her mouth tied up, as she is completely defenseless, this supports the stereotype of women being the 'damsel in distress'.
The audience would be able to relate to his as the victims are all teenagers, therefore this similarity is more likely to have an impact on the viewer.
Other thrillers show these stereotypes such as, 'Disturbia' which ties in very closely with the whole idea of the main character being a male is misinterpreted by his neigh-bours, as he also has a double life and fools everyone. 'See No Evil' has an opening, that shows religious symbols everywhere in a house where victims are tortured, this suggests that the murderer is a fundamentalist who kills only because he thinks it is the righteous thing to do. In 'Along Came a Spider' the victim is a girl who is kidnapped.
Question 3 – What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
'Justified Revenge' has a good story line as it reflects similar aspects from other films such as 'Along Came a Spider' where the detective plays a major role in the film. Likewise our film has an detective who is yet to be introduced. These similar aspects means that the idea is not original therefore this media product is unlikely to be produced in a hollywood studio, but more likely to be an art house production, which means that the film will be produced independently however these films are more likely to be aimed at a niche audience rather then a mass audience. Therefore, it may be more suitable for the film to be internet released which is aimed to a wider audience.
Question 4 – What would be the audience for your media product?
The film is aimed to an audience who is 15+, for that reason, it includes specific footage and a story line that the age group can relate to, making it more interesting to the target audience.
Franchising this media product would include advertising the film to franchisers so they can franchise the film with modifications; if this was the case, 'Justified Revenge' may possibly be a better film if it was produced professionally.
The target audience is of 15 - 45 years old. In order to maintain a meaning that would appeal to the audience whilst filming and editing, certain pre-production plans had to be made, a results of this meant contiguity was crucial.
Question 5 – How did you attract/address your audience?
During the rehearsal, we decided to take a number of pictures to get a rough idea of what type of shots we wanted for our story board. This helped a great deal as we were able to get creative with different types of shots of different angles from 400 pictures. By using these pictures it was easier for us to convey the meaning of our film through effective shots.
When the film was shown to a number of people, their response was what we wanted it to be, as they did not expect an girl to be tied up in the killers boot. The mise-en-scene of the characters was accurate; the acting of the characters gave the production a realistic feel and the lighting was used effectively to accompany the acting.
Different interpretations can be made of the opening sequence that can depend on the cultural situation of the viewer, as different cultures can convey meanings differently, however, certain body language can convey similar meanings.
Initially my first response to the brief in regards to the audience was to shock them with the discovery of a young girl being kidnapped by the least suspicious character. The build up had to be precise as it may not have had the impact on the audience we wanted. The sound made a major impact on the audience as the banging of the girl in the boot, made some people jump as they didn't expect it.
Question 6 – What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?
Being the editor of the production, meant I was faced with many issues. As well as learning how to use 'Final Cut Pro'. I was able to participate in the camera work and directing.
At first final cut pro was difficult to get use to as I hadn't used it before. I was fortunate to take part in majority of the production as it allowed me to get most of the shots I wanted.
The digital technology enabled me to develop creativity as it allowed me to collate a variety of shots with the help of the pictures previously taken. In terms of directing, I found it is vital to pre-plan as it helps when editing later on, to create the desired atmosphere in the sequence. Using the camera for particular shots was interesting as I was able to get particular shots that I felt would be good to use in the opening. Fortunately I had access to all the necessary equipment, so there was no obstruction of creative flow.
Question 7 – Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Whilst editing a number of issues were raised, on a number of occasions contiguity was broken, a results of this was re-filming for a second time to make the shots fit together, however the contiguity still occurred, in order to resolves these problems I used a variety of establishing shots and text screens to cut up the shots and make the opening sequence flow smoothly. I was able to choose from a wide selection of music to fit with the thriller. I went through a number of backing tracks to get to the right one, similarly I tried a number of impact beats to get the right ones that would fit. All together the editing of sound, and shots composed together managed to create enigma all the way through the two minutes.
In contrast with the film, as a group we have come quite far from the preliminary task. If I could change anything about the production it would be the amount of time we spent on filming, with more time it would have been possible to get some more accurate shots that would have made it easier than re-editing the shots to maintain continuity.
Films such as ‘See no Evil’ ‘Along Came A Spider’ and ‘Disturbia’ influenced the ideas for our sequence as well as the synopsis, it also demonstrated our use of conventions throughout our film. For example; the use of mirrors, angles, pace of shots and music/sounds. Our film (Justified Revenge) is a psychological/crime thriller that uses many conventions which support those of a typical thriller. Certain shots such as extreme close ups are used to illustrate this, showing reactions and body language helps the viewer aware of every detail as if they were there in this fictional world. The sound is deliberately slow paced which builds up to a fast paced beat to create a sense of enigma and in general more impact when the victim is found in the murderers boot of his car.
Originally, the lighting was not intended to be in the day, however we found that it added to the misinterpreted identity the main character carries with him throughout the film. It is initially used to 'fool' viewers into believing that the main character is a normal person in touch with everyday life; this in turn will help the viewers understand how the rest of the characters in the film are so easily unaware of the killers double life by the facade he manages to keeps up.
The use of conventions was vital in this production as it gave the sequence more body, by emphasising the impact of facial expressions and body language to make it more realistic to the audience.
A number of mistakes were made throughout the production, for instance, contiguity was broken on a number of occasions, which led to a second filming. The sound was at times too loud or too quiet, or their were a lot of interferences from people passing by or driving past.
Although there were many mistakes made, our group improved from these; especially after filming the preliminary task. our group was able to get an idea of the types of shots we wanted, and how we could get them by readjusting the tripod and camera.
Question 2 – How does your media product represent particular social groups?
In the film the main character is stereotyped as being a religious man of value, with a friendly, charismatic personality; which is what the audience would expect. The male plays a dominant superior role which is shown in everyday life, as men are perceived as being the strong, aggressive type. In contrast, the female who plays the victim is represented as passive, timid and vulnerable, which the audience are more likely to agree with as it fits the typical stereotypes of men and women.
Both the characters are from the middle class as they are both dressed well. The murderer wears a suit which demonstrates this as well as pointing out that he has a certain amount of pride as he makes himself more presentable in the car by looking into the mirror of the car; this would challenge the stereotype of a religious man, as we would assume as the audience that a religious man would not be this concerned about his appearance.
The victim is dressed in young clothes, she also has a young face suggesting she is a teenager. The sequence shows her tied up in bin liner with her mouth tied up, as she is completely defenseless, this supports the stereotype of women being the 'damsel in distress'.
The audience would be able to relate to his as the victims are all teenagers, therefore this similarity is more likely to have an impact on the viewer.
Other thrillers show these stereotypes such as, 'Disturbia' which ties in very closely with the whole idea of the main character being a male is misinterpreted by his neigh-bours, as he also has a double life and fools everyone. 'See No Evil' has an opening, that shows religious symbols everywhere in a house where victims are tortured, this suggests that the murderer is a fundamentalist who kills only because he thinks it is the righteous thing to do. In 'Along Came a Spider' the victim is a girl who is kidnapped.
Question 3 – What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
'Justified Revenge' has a good story line as it reflects similar aspects from other films such as 'Along Came a Spider' where the detective plays a major role in the film. Likewise our film has an detective who is yet to be introduced. These similar aspects means that the idea is not original therefore this media product is unlikely to be produced in a hollywood studio, but more likely to be an art house production, which means that the film will be produced independently however these films are more likely to be aimed at a niche audience rather then a mass audience. Therefore, it may be more suitable for the film to be internet released which is aimed to a wider audience.
Question 4 – What would be the audience for your media product?
The film is aimed to an audience who is 15+, for that reason, it includes specific footage and a story line that the age group can relate to, making it more interesting to the target audience.
Franchising this media product would include advertising the film to franchisers so they can franchise the film with modifications; if this was the case, 'Justified Revenge' may possibly be a better film if it was produced professionally.
The target audience is of 15 - 45 years old. In order to maintain a meaning that would appeal to the audience whilst filming and editing, certain pre-production plans had to be made, a results of this meant contiguity was crucial.
Question 5 – How did you attract/address your audience?
During the rehearsal, we decided to take a number of pictures to get a rough idea of what type of shots we wanted for our story board. This helped a great deal as we were able to get creative with different types of shots of different angles from 400 pictures. By using these pictures it was easier for us to convey the meaning of our film through effective shots.
When the film was shown to a number of people, their response was what we wanted it to be, as they did not expect an girl to be tied up in the killers boot. The mise-en-scene of the characters was accurate; the acting of the characters gave the production a realistic feel and the lighting was used effectively to accompany the acting.
Different interpretations can be made of the opening sequence that can depend on the cultural situation of the viewer, as different cultures can convey meanings differently, however, certain body language can convey similar meanings.
Initially my first response to the brief in regards to the audience was to shock them with the discovery of a young girl being kidnapped by the least suspicious character. The build up had to be precise as it may not have had the impact on the audience we wanted. The sound made a major impact on the audience as the banging of the girl in the boot, made some people jump as they didn't expect it.
Question 6 – What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?
Being the editor of the production, meant I was faced with many issues. As well as learning how to use 'Final Cut Pro'. I was able to participate in the camera work and directing.
At first final cut pro was difficult to get use to as I hadn't used it before. I was fortunate to take part in majority of the production as it allowed me to get most of the shots I wanted.
The digital technology enabled me to develop creativity as it allowed me to collate a variety of shots with the help of the pictures previously taken. In terms of directing, I found it is vital to pre-plan as it helps when editing later on, to create the desired atmosphere in the sequence. Using the camera for particular shots was interesting as I was able to get particular shots that I felt would be good to use in the opening. Fortunately I had access to all the necessary equipment, so there was no obstruction of creative flow.
Question 7 – Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Whilst editing a number of issues were raised, on a number of occasions contiguity was broken, a results of this was re-filming for a second time to make the shots fit together, however the contiguity still occurred, in order to resolves these problems I used a variety of establishing shots and text screens to cut up the shots and make the opening sequence flow smoothly. I was able to choose from a wide selection of music to fit with the thriller. I went through a number of backing tracks to get to the right one, similarly I tried a number of impact beats to get the right ones that would fit. All together the editing of sound, and shots composed together managed to create enigma all the way through the two minutes.
In contrast with the film, as a group we have come quite far from the preliminary task. If I could change anything about the production it would be the amount of time we spent on filming, with more time it would have been possible to get some more accurate shots that would have made it easier than re-editing the shots to maintain continuity.
Evaluation - (completed by Risha Jethwa)
Question 1 – In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
The film ‘Justified Revenge’ is a two minute thriller sequence about a religious man being a victim of kidnapping and innocent girl. Throughout the sequence there are a variety of shots being used to identify the characters facial expression and body language. The opening sequence for our film followed conventions, for instance the narrative, the type of shots such as extreme close up and close up’s to show the emotions and fear on the victims face, fast pace editing to build tension, non-diegetic sound such as voice over when Tony daughter Angie calls and finally sound effects and music played through the sequence. Relating back to the shots, this shows throughout the sequence we used specific shots to indicate to audience what is happening, for example the girl in the boot, we used a close up shot to show her fear and emotions because this allows the audience to see how she reacts and also how it feels to be in her position. Another example shown is non-diegetic soundtrack. The soundtrack indicates to the audience that the character Tony is symbolised as a religious man through the prop such as the bible and also the religious music playing in his car. The fast pace editing used in the sequence creates suspense and tension right the way through the sequence because it will keep the audience at the edge of their seats. The genre of our sequence is a hybrid of crime thriller, however the use’s of conventions shows the audience what type of genre it is through the iconography and narrative. ‘Justified Revenge’ is and unconventional sequence as it portrays a religious man being a kidnapper. This shows by breaking stereotypes it will become more successful with the narrative as the target audience would like to see something distinctive. Interesting our media product is more efficient to other thriller films, the reason for this is because it shows a clear understanding of the narrative, characters, location and message.
Question 2 – How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our media product represents a particular social group as it is targeted at both genders male and females age 15 and above, middle class and all ethnicity. Above all else males are seen as dominant and strong, where as women are more passive and fragile. By suggesting this the influence shown on boys will be silent but will keep them going, however for the girls the thriller will keep them screaming and at the edge of their seats. The gender representation shown throughout the sequence is male are dominant, such as Tony and females are weak such as the victim, an example shown for this when the victim is trapped in the boot and in danger. It shows a close up shot show, this is because the audience wants to see the facial expression and also makes the audience feel emotionally close to the action as it creates empathy. Another representation shown is men are evil.
This is shown towards the end of the sequence, where the character Tony is sneaky, sly and shocking. The final representation shown is girls are small and innocent and this indicates the victim. A representation that breaks the stereotype is a religious man being a kidnapper. The reason for this is because, many religious people are shown as respectful, well mannered, superior, well behaved, confident etc. However, the character Tony breaks this stereotype as he is the opposite and becomes violent, aggressive and unmannered. By suggesting to break stereotypes this may shock the audience as it will play with there mind as they think Tony is a good guy, but secretly he’s not.
Question 3 - What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Our film ‘Justified Revenge’ not be produced by a major Hollywood company because it would not fit into industry, where as it can be distributed in other industry. In my opinion our media product will be sold as and internet film this is because young teenagers and adults would enjoy a night in watching a film such as ‘Justified Revenge’ rather than E.T or Mission Impossible. The media product will have and effect on the merchandising as little things will be sold to help promote the movie such as pens, key rings, books, poster and many more.
Question 4 – What would be the audience for your media product?
For our media product, the audience for the film is aimed towards age 15 and above. The reason for this is because it will be suitable for this particular age group as the sequence may contain violence which is inappropriate towards younger children. Whilst producing the film we had analysed and researched about the thriller genre to help us target the right audience.
By doing this we had, given questionnaires, created our own synopsis, researched into the thriller genre, decided our cast, location and score notes and planned our storyboards to decide what precise shots are being used. As a result of this we had gained further information which will help identify features within a thriller and how it would appeal to the audience through the mise-en-scene and cinematography. By doing all this as a group, we had all come up with the sequence ‘Justified Revenge’ the two minute sequence will be appealing to the audience because it is a unique, interesting, exciting film to be seen.
Question 5 – How did you attract/address your audience?
Attracting you audience is a major issue, the reason for this is because you want to gain more viewers and success for your film. The most appealing part which will gain most of the audience is from the mise-en-scene and cinematography. The reason for this is because the two elements convey a meaning towards the audience for instance the use of close up shots is to identify the characters emotions, where as the in the mise-en-scene the props used to shows the characters background, lifestyle and culture, such as the bible portrays Tony is a religious strong believer. The location signifies the family is middle class. Most importantly there are a variety of sound being used during the two minute sequence such as non-diegetic, ambient sound, soundtrack, incidental music and a sound bridge.
Firstly ambient sound is herd when Tony is walking to the car with a close up shot with his feet. This is shown as ambient sound because you can hear the natural sound occur within the scene. There are a number of non-diegetic sounds being used, such as the voice over of Tony younger daughter Angie whilst speaking on the phone, secondly the phone ringing, thirdly the banging of the boot and finally the music being played. Within many scenes non-diegetic and incidental sound has become effective because it sets the scene and creates a mood within the sequence.
Question 6 - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?
In my opinion as my duty of being a camera girl, I have learnt many different techniques and shots which can be used for filming. I have experienced many things whilst producing this sequence. Firstly I have learnt different angles and heights to place shot. By keeping the camera in one place, it makes the shots less interesting and fun to watch. I have also tried experimenting with different types of camera movement such as panning, tracking and doll. Unfortunately this was not a success as it became a disaster. The most difficult issue i found hard, was breaking continuity because this was a major which within the film. From this experience as a camera person, if improving the film I will be more confident with the camera movement and experiment with more shots.
Question 7 - Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
During the time of filming our preliminary task I had made several mistakes within continuity and shot angles. After experiences this as a group I became more confident and aware for filming and the equipment. Since filming the two minute sequence the shots have improved as they
have become sharper and vivid. My judgment of the preliminary task was successful because the story line showed humour, continuity did not break and the shots where simple such as shot reverse shot, close ups, establishing shots etc. If producing the preliminary task again, i would use a variety shots and experiment with the camera movement.
The film ‘Justified Revenge’ is a two minute thriller sequence about a religious man being a victim of kidnapping and innocent girl. Throughout the sequence there are a variety of shots being used to identify the characters facial expression and body language. The opening sequence for our film followed conventions, for instance the narrative, the type of shots such as extreme close up and close up’s to show the emotions and fear on the victims face, fast pace editing to build tension, non-diegetic sound such as voice over when Tony daughter Angie calls and finally sound effects and music played through the sequence. Relating back to the shots, this shows throughout the sequence we used specific shots to indicate to audience what is happening, for example the girl in the boot, we used a close up shot to show her fear and emotions because this allows the audience to see how she reacts and also how it feels to be in her position. Another example shown is non-diegetic soundtrack. The soundtrack indicates to the audience that the character Tony is symbolised as a religious man through the prop such as the bible and also the religious music playing in his car. The fast pace editing used in the sequence creates suspense and tension right the way through the sequence because it will keep the audience at the edge of their seats. The genre of our sequence is a hybrid of crime thriller, however the use’s of conventions shows the audience what type of genre it is through the iconography and narrative. ‘Justified Revenge’ is and unconventional sequence as it portrays a religious man being a kidnapper. This shows by breaking stereotypes it will become more successful with the narrative as the target audience would like to see something distinctive. Interesting our media product is more efficient to other thriller films, the reason for this is because it shows a clear understanding of the narrative, characters, location and message.
Question 2 – How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our media product represents a particular social group as it is targeted at both genders male and females age 15 and above, middle class and all ethnicity. Above all else males are seen as dominant and strong, where as women are more passive and fragile. By suggesting this the influence shown on boys will be silent but will keep them going, however for the girls the thriller will keep them screaming and at the edge of their seats. The gender representation shown throughout the sequence is male are dominant, such as Tony and females are weak such as the victim, an example shown for this when the victim is trapped in the boot and in danger. It shows a close up shot show, this is because the audience wants to see the facial expression and also makes the audience feel emotionally close to the action as it creates empathy. Another representation shown is men are evil.
This is shown towards the end of the sequence, where the character Tony is sneaky, sly and shocking. The final representation shown is girls are small and innocent and this indicates the victim. A representation that breaks the stereotype is a religious man being a kidnapper. The reason for this is because, many religious people are shown as respectful, well mannered, superior, well behaved, confident etc. However, the character Tony breaks this stereotype as he is the opposite and becomes violent, aggressive and unmannered. By suggesting to break stereotypes this may shock the audience as it will play with there mind as they think Tony is a good guy, but secretly he’s not.
Question 3 - What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Our film ‘Justified Revenge’ not be produced by a major Hollywood company because it would not fit into industry, where as it can be distributed in other industry. In my opinion our media product will be sold as and internet film this is because young teenagers and adults would enjoy a night in watching a film such as ‘Justified Revenge’ rather than E.T or Mission Impossible. The media product will have and effect on the merchandising as little things will be sold to help promote the movie such as pens, key rings, books, poster and many more.
Question 4 – What would be the audience for your media product?
For our media product, the audience for the film is aimed towards age 15 and above. The reason for this is because it will be suitable for this particular age group as the sequence may contain violence which is inappropriate towards younger children. Whilst producing the film we had analysed and researched about the thriller genre to help us target the right audience.
By doing this we had, given questionnaires, created our own synopsis, researched into the thriller genre, decided our cast, location and score notes and planned our storyboards to decide what precise shots are being used. As a result of this we had gained further information which will help identify features within a thriller and how it would appeal to the audience through the mise-en-scene and cinematography. By doing all this as a group, we had all come up with the sequence ‘Justified Revenge’ the two minute sequence will be appealing to the audience because it is a unique, interesting, exciting film to be seen.
Question 5 – How did you attract/address your audience?
Attracting you audience is a major issue, the reason for this is because you want to gain more viewers and success for your film. The most appealing part which will gain most of the audience is from the mise-en-scene and cinematography. The reason for this is because the two elements convey a meaning towards the audience for instance the use of close up shots is to identify the characters emotions, where as the in the mise-en-scene the props used to shows the characters background, lifestyle and culture, such as the bible portrays Tony is a religious strong believer. The location signifies the family is middle class. Most importantly there are a variety of sound being used during the two minute sequence such as non-diegetic, ambient sound, soundtrack, incidental music and a sound bridge.
Firstly ambient sound is herd when Tony is walking to the car with a close up shot with his feet. This is shown as ambient sound because you can hear the natural sound occur within the scene. There are a number of non-diegetic sounds being used, such as the voice over of Tony younger daughter Angie whilst speaking on the phone, secondly the phone ringing, thirdly the banging of the boot and finally the music being played. Within many scenes non-diegetic and incidental sound has become effective because it sets the scene and creates a mood within the sequence.
Question 6 - What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?
In my opinion as my duty of being a camera girl, I have learnt many different techniques and shots which can be used for filming. I have experienced many things whilst producing this sequence. Firstly I have learnt different angles and heights to place shot. By keeping the camera in one place, it makes the shots less interesting and fun to watch. I have also tried experimenting with different types of camera movement such as panning, tracking and doll. Unfortunately this was not a success as it became a disaster. The most difficult issue i found hard, was breaking continuity because this was a major which within the film. From this experience as a camera person, if improving the film I will be more confident with the camera movement and experiment with more shots.
Question 7 - Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
During the time of filming our preliminary task I had made several mistakes within continuity and shot angles. After experiences this as a group I became more confident and aware for filming and the equipment. Since filming the two minute sequence the shots have improved as they
have become sharper and vivid. My judgment of the preliminary task was successful because the story line showed humour, continuity did not break and the shots where simple such as shot reverse shot, close ups, establishing shots etc. If producing the preliminary task again, i would use a variety shots and experiment with the camera movement.
Friday 3 April 2009
Shot list for the Two Minute Sequence
This is a list of shots to show the different ways we used the camera to film our two minute sequence.
1) Establishing shot
2) Extreme close up
3) Mid shot
4) Establishing shot
5) Mid shot
6) Establishing
7) Mid shot
8) Medium close up
9) Mid shot
10) Medium close up
11) Close up
12) Medium close up
13) Establishing shot
14) Close up
15) Medium close up
16) Close up
17) Mid shot
18) Medium close up
19) Mid shot
20) Establishing shot
21) Mid shot
22) Medium close up
23) Close up
24) Medium close up
25) Long shot
26) Close up
27) Medium close up
1) Establishing shot
2) Extreme close up
3) Mid shot
4) Establishing shot
5) Mid shot
6) Establishing
7) Mid shot
8) Medium close up
9) Mid shot
10) Medium close up
11) Close up
12) Medium close up
13) Establishing shot
14) Close up
15) Medium close up
16) Close up
17) Mid shot
18) Medium close up
19) Mid shot
20) Establishing shot
21) Mid shot
22) Medium close up
23) Close up
24) Medium close up
25) Long shot
26) Close up
27) Medium close up
Saturday 28 March 2009
Evaluation Plan
As we have now finished filming and editing our two minute sequence as well as having done the plannging for the production, the final step is to evaluate the entire process. The evaluation each of us will be writing will answer the 7 questions shown below. Once we have finished writing out our evaluation individually we will post it on the blog...
•In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real
media products?
• How does your media product represent particular social groups?
• What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
• Who would be the audience for your media product?
• How did you attract/address your audience?
• What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
• Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from
it to the full product?
•In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real
media products?
• How does your media product represent particular social groups?
• What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
• Who would be the audience for your media product?
• How did you attract/address your audience?
• What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
• Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from
it to the full product?
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