Main Task- Evaluation questions

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

  After analysing various opening sequences I started to gain an understanding and gain inspiration from their use of music and other conventions. I then put the information and ideas that I had gained into my own research and planning for my opening sequence. I used different shot sizes that I had previously seen in opening sequences, because each shot size tells a story and gives setting, so various shot sizes were important.  I used three locations for my opening sequence, I chose to do this because I wanted to keep the opening scene simple, but also lead the audience into a journey, by showing them an insight into Bella's life and emotions without using any diegetic scripted dialogue, but using non-diegetic music and the breaking glass sound effect. I wanted no dialogue because to represent her loneliness and alienation, to have no diegetic sound showed this clearly. This idea is developed from many real media products that I have analysed such as,  'The Lord of War'. 


The genre of my media product is a drama, however the specific category I would put it under is social realism. I believe my product uses, develops and challenges different forms and conventions from social realist films. An example of a social realist film is 'Fish Tank'. 'Fish Tank' is a drama social realist film, it is distributed by IFC Films. The films itself is an independent low budget film therefore, to create realistic effect they used handheld cameras, which encodes realism and is also a common convention of social realism, as our eyes are not always static, the camera creates an effect where we are watching the scene with our own eyes. Looking back at my main task, as I filmed my sequence with a handheld camera, I am happy with the outcome and the effect it has made to my product, because from my point of view I can see the link to social realism and how by this effect it has developed and used conventions of real media products and that I am pleased with. Both films are a gritty raw interpretation of everyday life, using the iconography of social realism.

For the titles of my opening sequence I used two pale colours, white and pale blue. After watching real media products and analysing various titles, some titles were animated and some were kept simple, such as 'Forest Gump', therefore, I had to make a decision for my own opening titles. To make this decision I took a look at the music I was going to be using whilst editing, which was a slow instrumental track that was copyright-free my teacher had supplied me with, I had to make sure the titles would be as subtle as the non-diegetic sound and decided light, pale colours would represent this most elegantly, and also the genre, which is a drama feature film, I found this challenging because a lot of though and decision making was put into it, to make it different to what I had scene in real media products, so I chose to differ mine and make it different to many that I had seen, but not too different either. The name of the institution at the beginning of my titles, 'Landslide Films' was a made up name that I chose myself. I designed the logo individually, which I am really pleased with, as it looks appealing and the use of colour is eye-catching, de-saturated colours again help audiences understand mood and the genre of social realism.


Another form and convention that I have noticed in many opening sequences that I have looked at is the use of opening/closed narratives. Various opening sequences either leave the audience intrigued in to what happens next (narrative enigmas) in the narrative of the whole film, whereas some opening sequences resolute with tying up all the loose ends of the opening sequence, leading them into a newer and more in depth part of the narrative. I took this as a challenge, which I decidedly chose to end in my own way. I chose to leave the audience guessing and interested in knowing what happens next. Leaving them guessing whether Bella will go in to the house or actually, walk away. Therefore, I believe my opening sequence does use and challenge forms and conventions of media products. 

Snapshot of my opening titles

"How does your media product represent particular social groups?"  

I believe my media product represents various types of social groups. Young teenagers in my media product are represented as quite vulnerable, in Bella's case this applies to her character, as she is represented as a vulnerable, quiet, alienated girl who misses her close relationship with her mother ever since they had an argument. This may appeal to young teenagers, because they may be able to relate to the situation or even to a similar one, which therefore draws them in as it may represent their lives. My media product may also represent a stereotypical teenager, as most of them in this century may feel isolated, so this may encourage young teens to watch my media product, because its a 'hot topic' for teenagers, typical to teen dramas like Skins. 


Adults in my media product are represented as independent, dominant and quite strong, but disconnected at the same time. Shahan is represented as a mother who cares for her daughter deep inside, however she fails to show this on the outside. She represents a strong mother, who some of the teenagers in the audience may think is quite careless and irresponsible for Bella, but in actual fact she represents most parents, as they feel they lose connection with their children as kids get older and many people may struggle with issues similar to the one I have chosen for my narrative, therefore it represents adults in a way where adults can relate and understand and teenagers in a similar way, which may only be understandable from a teenagers point of view. The mise-en-scene illustrate this.


In terms of gender representation it is quite clear that women are the main issue of focus in my media product. All characters in my opening sequence are women. I have a female protagonist, where the whole narrative is focused on her as an individual and her journey. By using reaction shots and close-ups of Bella I am showing her emotions and feelings through her facial expressions, which I believe is clearly visible to how she is dealing with her issues and her situation. The conflicting relationship between the characters may also help to ensure binary oppositions created.

   

"What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?" 
As a drama film I believe the type of institution that would consider to distribute my media product would be one that specifically or usually distributes drama feature films. Examples of films and institutions that have distributed drama films are: 

• The Devil Wears Prada (2006): Drama film, distributed by 20th Century Fox but only if the film achieved wider distribution and had higher production values.
• My Sister's Keeper (2009): Drama film, distributed by New Line Cinema. 
• A Walk to Remember (2002): Drama film, distributed by Warner Bros (again, see above). 
• Fish Tank (2009): Social Realist Drama film, distributed by IFC Films. Typically my film would more likely be independently distributed.

These films were distributed by major institutions and independent ones. They are all drama films and comparing my media product's narrative with theirs, they are rather similar as they all carry emotional and sad scenes, this allows me to explore my views into thinking that my media product would be distributed by one of these independent institutions too, however, it would most likely to be produced as a british film by an independent institution, and also funded by them, because low budget films with first time filmmakers are usually funded and distributed by these institutions. I believe my product would be distributed by an independent institution because it carries the forms and conventions of independent produced films that are very similar to mine. My handheld camera creates the realism of my narrative and also the sound of the wind in my opening scenes also create the sense of realism, because I believe it creates a quiet, tense and lonely atmosphere for Bella.  Examples of  institutions that would fund my film are the UK Film Council (abolished since 2011), BFI and Film4.  

"Who would be the audience for your media product?"
My media product would arouse audience cultural capital, people who enjoy drama as their favourite type of films, will already have a greater understanding of what is expected and have knowledge about certain forms of my media product. I would say that my media product would have more of a niche audience, because it would be distributed by an independent institution, and be released in cinemas that are not mainstream such as, Vue or Odeon, but would be released in smaller independent cinemas around the country, or in cities with a university population e.g. London.


My media product would have two types of audiences. The first would be a primary audience, the target audience age range would vary from 25-55 year-olds, they would mainly be educated people, living in an urban city and can either be male or female. The second type of audience would be a secondary audience, they would be mainly females (as most characters are females) and the ages would range from 12-25. I chose these two types of audiences because I would argue that my primary audience would more likely travel to the cinema and watch something more niche, such as my product, because they are older. On the other hand, my secondary audience may find it may relate more to their lives and be more interested, as they are females and are generally younger than my primary audience. Also as the characters in my media product are females, more females, such as mothers, grandmothers and young adults/teens would prefer to watch this film from a stereotypical emotional appeals perspective and the use of dramatic scenes and tension could appeal to males too, which would be suitable too. 


I chose the age range to start from the age of twelve, because I would not necessarily think that children any younger from that age would be interested and attracted to a social realist drama film, as they may be more interested in disney or animated films, or comedy/romantic comedy films, and it would be too psychologically heavy for children. Therefore, my media product would be certified as a 12a even though many social realist films are 15 certificate, I have chosen the certificate to be 12a, because there is no strong language continuously throughout the film, therefore it would still be suitable for children aged 12, accompanied by an adult.


"How did you attract/address your audience?"
To address my audience successfully I had to take into consideration about what they would want to be shown in every frame, therefore I had to decide on whether I would make it tense, mysterious, dramatic, emotional or affecting. I chose to make it emotional, as I found it more effective that people could relate to Bella more, by knowing what she is going through. I used a flashback to create this effect, for the audience to have a sneak peak at her life before it all fell apart, gives them an insight into her loss of love by her family. Although the narrative in the opening sequence does not give too much away about what the argument is about, we get the sense of seriousness and ignorance exerting from both characters, which attracts the audience more as they are left in the dark, wanting to know what exactly has happened and what they will be expecting after the opening sequence. I have faith in the use of flashback that I have used because I do believe it works well with the music. The characters look happy and cheerful which attracts and addresses the audience, because they may find it easy to relate to, as they all remember happy scenes with their parents or anyone else wishing they could go back in time. I think that this convention makes the audience attract more to the narrative because they relate more and have their personal input into it, through their minds. 


Also by showing the protagonist Bella throughout the opening sequence, following her journey makes the audience think of her as a reliable character because they see everything from her point of view. Bella is the main focus in the opening sequence by showing close-ups of her facial expressions and also a close-up of the text message, makes the audience more familiar with her life and reaction to situations, which also may be viewed as emotional to audiences, because they may begin to feel sympathy for Bella because of her being young and vulnerable. 


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

My main task has helped me to develop my skills in editing and film production. This task has made me more confident and aware of what I need to do in order to create a opening sequence, or any other media product. For my filming I borrowed a DV camera from my college and shot all the footage using that camera. Since the camera recorded by a tape, at first I found it quite challenging to upload the footage onto Final Cut, however after a short amount of time I found out how I could upload the footage, which was by pressing 'Capture'. The camera was used by myself and I made a decision about not using a tripod, so, I used a hand held camera because I believed it encoded realism and represented a social realist film. The footage was also grainy, which I believe creates a realistic effect, and once again, encodes realism. It also reflects low production value independent film making. 


I personally found the editing more exciting and challenging, because I was watching my idea from a storyboard develop into a product and an opening sequence and found the pre production exercise very useful.The editing software I used was, 'Final Cut Express', which I have on my own laptop. I really enjoyed learning new skills on this Final Cut, it allowed me to use my imagination and creativity, which I was able to then create the sequence the was I wanted too. Amongst many of the things I have learnt on Final Cut, I have learnt about the different effects I can use, For the flashback scene, in order to fade into the flashback from a close-up of Bella's face, I used an effect called 'Dip to colour dissolve', and chose the colour white to fade in to the next scene. From my perspective, I think the effect I used made it seem more like a flashback, also the other effect I used on the flashback footage was a 'glow' effect called 'bloom'. I chose this effect because I believe it made the scene look like a special moment, furthermore it also differed itself from the other scenes, which made it seem like a flashback. Whilst editing on Final Cut, I also learnt shortcuts on my keyboard and started using my keyboard instead of my trackpad. This made it easier to edit, because it was quicker. Also, I learnt how to put non-diegetic music on my sequence, which was very useful, as it helped make my opening sequence more appealing. At the scene where Bella is passing the two girls in the park, I lowered the non-diegetic music for the ringtone of the mobile phone to be heard, and the "Hello", when she answered the phone. It took me quite a long time to get the music to start to quieten down at the right place, but in the end I achieved the right level and I was happy with the outcome. 


Creating the titles was very important, because they had to represent the genre and and narrative at the same time. I created the logo of my institution and the rolling credits on Final Cut. Choosing the colours was very easy, because I knew a subtle and simple colour would represent my genre more, in comparison to a horror film having red or green titles, such as the movie 'Psycho'. After choosing the titles I had to place them in the right place, therefore I learnt  to place them above the clip I wanted on the timeline, and the once again, I was pleased with the outcome.


 Another application I used to finish my task was iDVD. As I have a Apple computer I found an application called iDVD, where you can create your own DVD, so I decided to use it, to import my preliminary exercise and main task. I customised my DVD and added two pictures of my main actors and added copyright-free music playing in the background. I was very pleased with the outcome when I played it on my DVD player, because it made it look almost professional and also you can choose to click which piece of video you want to watch first, whilst looking at the pictures and listening to the background music. Overall, I have developed and learnt new skills by making my main task.  

Snapshot of my main task

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

Since my preliminary, I feel like my skills have developed and my confidence has grown, and I have more knowledge about what needs to be done and completed in order to make a sequence. I now understand the 180 degree rule, match on action and shot/reverse shot. I am more comfortable and confident with filming all three techniques and I have learnt them very well. Secondly, I learnt more about the types of mise-en-scene that needs to be used and thought about to suit your narrative, therefore, I kept my mise-en-scene simple and casual just like my preliminary task, because I believe it makes the sequence more realistic. 

Thirdly, I have a greater understanding in how many shots of each scene I would need to film, as it is always best to have more shots then none at all. This makes it helpful for the editing and is one of the things I have learnt since my preliminary task. I would definitely say my editing and filming techniques have developed more since my preliminary task. 

Snapshot of my preliminary task

Shot list and planning for my opening sequence

Shot list

Earlier on today I created a shot list since I will be filming this weekend. Making a shot list was really helpful, because it made me set out how each shot will be filmed and turned into reality. It has also made it easier for me to film, as I now have a clearer image of what lighting, camera movement, actor and action will be taking place and also, it is simpler to organise my time during the day of filming, because I know how many scenes will be taking place at each location. As it already shows in my shot list, I have chosen my actors for the opening sequence. Here is a list of the actors and their roles:

• Bella: will be played by my friend Bella. She has the main role in the sequence. 
• Shahan: will be played by my mother. She will play the role of Bella's mother. 
• Evie: will be played by my friend. She will be one of the passing girls in the park. 
• Annabelle: will be played by my friend. She will be the second passing girl, alongside Evie.   

There will be no dialogue used in my opening sequence, because I find it more interesting and creative to tell a story with no scripted diegetic sound. Instead their facial expressions and mobile phones will be telling the story. I have informed my actors about what they will be doing and the feedback they gave me about my opening sequence were all positive. The mise-en-scéne  is going to be kept simple and casual, however I have informed Bella that she will be doing a costume change for the flashback scene and that is sorted and confirmed.


Overall, I am looking forward and feeling positive about filming my main task, as I have the experience from my preliminary task. I think I am now prepared to film my opening sequence on the weekend.

Main Task- Storyboard

Storyboard page 1

Storyboard page 2

Storyboard page 3

Storyboard page 4

My storyboard for my opening sequence is now completed for my drama feature film 'Broken'. I took a trip down to my local park today, which is one of the filming locations. I personally decided to go there in order to help me sketch my storyboard clearly and correctly knowing where I would be filming and exactly what would be in shot. I am hoping this has made it easier for me to film the actual thing this weekend.

The storyboard was useful and helpful, as it gave me an insight into which camera movements and angles I will be using, and having to roughly sketch these all out and drawing arrows to wear there will be a movement in the scene will help me explain to my actors what they will be doing, which makes everything more understandable.  

Schedule for filming my main task

My Schedule 

This is a little schedule that I have made to help me on the day I film my opening sequence, which will be taking place on this Saturday. I have chosen to make it small and short because I found it easier to stand by, knowing which locations are filmed between what times. I chose three different locations to give more of an understanding and background of each character. I have also considered lighting, as it gets dark by 4pm (Local time), so hopefully I will be finished by then. I will be supplying all my actors with one of these schedules each, to give them an insight into what they will be doing at what times.

Main Task- Brainstorm of ideas

After showing my teacher my preliminary exercise I am now ready to begin to begin the preparation for my main task. This is what I have to do : "Main task: the titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes."


I have been brainstorming a few ideas and heres what I have come up with so far... 


Genre: Drama
Title: Broken 

• A young girl is out in the cold in a park. She takes a seat on the bench and looks upset. 
• She takes her phone out, she looks up thinking about something that is visibly upsetting her. She feels alienated and alone, and she has not seen her mother or been home in months since their huge family argument.
• She looks down at her phone, making contact with her mother after months, sending a message to her
• She puts the phone away and looks up, staring into distance.
• The opening titles begin. 
• She sees a  flashback of her and her mother doing some shopping, from months ago, before their fallout. They look happy in the scene. 
• When the flashback ends, she leaves the bench and continues to walk through the park, a few people walk past her and their phones ring. She reaches for hers in a hurry, but realises it was not her phone that was ringing. 
• The girls answer it and Bella walks away from them in the opposite direction to theirs.
• Bella then passes a playground. She watches all the children on the playground on swings with their mothers and fathers and looks visibly upset, missing what she had with her mother when she was younger.  
• As the titles continue, she is standing across the road from her house watching her mother from afar. Shortly after, she crosses the road heading towards her home. Titles come on saying "Broken".
  
  
  I chose this narrative because I think it attracts to the audience. A drama storyline in my opinion would appeal more to an audience, at all ages. Also by creating two main characters and putting them in binary opposition to each other, creates a multi-stranded narrative between all the characters in my sequence. I believe that this may attract to an audience, because audiences prefer having tension and drama between two characters, it creates a conflict. 
  
  
  This is just an idea that I have come up with individually. I have discussed and shown my idea to my teacher and he approves. I will give it some more thought and adjust a few areas and maybe cut some things out, as the time length is two minutes maximum. I will start my research and planning now and organise what I will be doing. 
  
  

Preparation for my main task...

Recently I had analysed different opening sequences, and wrote about them in my blog. This had really inspired and helped me to gain an idea of how any sequence should be filmed and also expanded my knowledge on what real media products look like, therefore I now have a better understanding on how a media product is developed. The analysing has given me an idea for my own opening sequence and I am aware on what is expected from the opening titles, music and actors. I now also have an idea on how an opening scene appealing and realistic and I hope to put all the knowledge that I have gained, into my own main task.

Country Strong: Opening sequence analysis

Country Strong film poster 

Country Strong is a drama/music film starring Gwyneth Paltrow, directed by Shana Feste. The storyline is about a famous country-music artist who tries to live the life she did before hitting rock bottom with personal issues between her and her husband. She falls in love behind her husbands back with another rising country songwriter, but more complications occur on their journey to the top. The opening scene starts with an audience clapping whilst the titles start to appear on screen, written in a cream, elegant font on a black background. The man is speaking over the titles, his voice has an echo loud effect, we assume he is on a stage and is using a microphone. So far the titles have represented to genre and the title of the film as we begin to imagine who this character is and how significant he is going to be in this film.

As the title of the film is shown on screen the title scrolls up and the background fades-in to a high angle shot panning down and zooming in to a local community centre where people are standing outside talking, and country trucks are parked outside. Meanwhile, the credits are still on screen showing in the bottom corners of the shots. Live country music starts playing as the camera pans inside the building showing us a fairly empty event with a few couples slow-dancing and children playing around. The trucks parked outside and the way people are dressed in cowboy boots, hats and buckle belts sets the scene of a country environment. The camera zooms in on the band playing and close-ups of the man singing are shown on screen telling us he is a significant character. We see close-ups of couples laughing and smiling, which tells us the film is a happy film and not a dark, thrilling film.

The start of this film lives up to the expectations of the audience. The audience it is targeted at expect to see and hear country music and everything else which is country just by looking at the name of the film. Audience begin to imagine the film and this film includes everything to make the narrative clear and goes on to be a outstanding movie.