Tuesday, 28 April 2009
DVD
Yesterday I managed to get my film onto a DVD. It was frustrating at times, but it was another valuable technology skill that I now possess !
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Important questions of evaluation of media project
• In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
It develops on the themes of tragedy by signifying cowardly behaviour with the character of the kid running away and leaving the tramp to his fate. It uses the conventions of real TV dramas by making the film surprising with the different plot twists and keeping the audience guessing what will happen next which means that the audiences attention is likely to be kept. TV dramas, such as “Heroes” are particularly effective at conveying this.
• How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our project shows the difference between different social groups with the tramp representing the difficulty of being lower class. It represents the stereotype of the higher class citizen looking down the noses at some of those who are lower down ‘the social hierarchy’.
• What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Institutions such as the BBC or ITV might like to use it, because they may need them for documentaries and use it for areas, such as reconstructions. Homelessness and car crime are two of the big issues and an institution such as BBC or ITV may want to outline them in the form of a documentary. BBC is known for this with the broadcasting of programs, such as Horizon and Panorama. Also a company may want to use it as an advert, such as The Police for the themes of crime and not looking where you are going.
• Who would be the audience for your media product?
People who like drama films and like the many surprises and action of a drama film. These people would be fans of films, such as the Oxford murders. This is, because a lot of dramas are unique and that’s why they attract a large audience and I think my film is a case in point.
• How did you attract/address your audience?
It tries to get the audience to feel sympathy for the tramp. This is done by the random kid taunting him and the film also has surprises in store, such as the car appearing out of nowhere and the car hitting the tramp while the random kid leaves the tramp in the road and doesn’t help him .It attracts the audience by the themes displayed by the part such as tragedy, loss and selfishness.
• What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
You have to patient as it takes a while to properly edit a film. The technology doesn’t always work properly so that was another benefit of having plenty of time to edit. I took the view “If at first you don’t succeed try try try again”. I got used to the macs eventually, but I needed time to get used to them. It was an important new skill to learn though and one that could prove useful in the future.
• Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
I think that I’ve learnt how important it is to make your film as unique as possible like in the film industry when you try to come up with something that no-one else has done. Another thing that I’ve learnt is that using different filming techniques such as match on action is important in order to convey to the audience where the plot is going and the feelings and emotions that are being shared between the characters.
It develops on the themes of tragedy by signifying cowardly behaviour with the character of the kid running away and leaving the tramp to his fate. It uses the conventions of real TV dramas by making the film surprising with the different plot twists and keeping the audience guessing what will happen next which means that the audiences attention is likely to be kept. TV dramas, such as “Heroes” are particularly effective at conveying this.
• How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our project shows the difference between different social groups with the tramp representing the difficulty of being lower class. It represents the stereotype of the higher class citizen looking down the noses at some of those who are lower down ‘the social hierarchy’.
• What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Institutions such as the BBC or ITV might like to use it, because they may need them for documentaries and use it for areas, such as reconstructions. Homelessness and car crime are two of the big issues and an institution such as BBC or ITV may want to outline them in the form of a documentary. BBC is known for this with the broadcasting of programs, such as Horizon and Panorama. Also a company may want to use it as an advert, such as The Police for the themes of crime and not looking where you are going.
• Who would be the audience for your media product?
People who like drama films and like the many surprises and action of a drama film. These people would be fans of films, such as the Oxford murders. This is, because a lot of dramas are unique and that’s why they attract a large audience and I think my film is a case in point.
• How did you attract/address your audience?
It tries to get the audience to feel sympathy for the tramp. This is done by the random kid taunting him and the film also has surprises in store, such as the car appearing out of nowhere and the car hitting the tramp while the random kid leaves the tramp in the road and doesn’t help him .It attracts the audience by the themes displayed by the part such as tragedy, loss and selfishness.
• What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
You have to patient as it takes a while to properly edit a film. The technology doesn’t always work properly so that was another benefit of having plenty of time to edit. I took the view “If at first you don’t succeed try try try again”. I got used to the macs eventually, but I needed time to get used to them. It was an important new skill to learn though and one that could prove useful in the future.
• Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
I think that I’ve learnt how important it is to make your film as unique as possible like in the film industry when you try to come up with something that no-one else has done. Another thing that I’ve learnt is that using different filming techniques such as match on action is important in order to convey to the audience where the plot is going and the feelings and emotions that are being shared between the characters.
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Video upload
Me and Jesse have uploaded our project to Youtube. Click the on the video bar that is labelled final to view it.
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Evaluation of the main task
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
It develops on the themes of tragedy by signifying cowardly behaviour with the character of the kid running away and leaving the tramp to his fate. It uses the conventions of real TV dramas by making the film surprising with the different plot twists and keeping the audience guessing what will happen next which means that the audiences attention is likely to be kept. TV dramas, such as “Heroes” are particularly effective at conveying this.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our project shows the difference between different social groups with the tramp representing the difficulty of being lower class. It represents the stereotype of the higher class citizen looking down the noses at some of those who are lower down ‘the social hierarchy’.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?Institutions such as the BBC or ITV might like to use it, because they may need them for documentaries and use it for areas, such as reconstructions. Homelessness and car crime are two of the big issues and an institution such as BBC or ITV may want to outline them in the form of a documentary. BBC is known for this with the broadcasting of programs, such as Horizon and Panorama. Also a company may want to use it as an advert, such as The Police for the themes of crime and not looking where you are going.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
People who like drama films and like the many surprises and action of a drama film. These people would be fans of films, such as the Oxford murders. This is, because a lot of dramas are unique and that’s why they attract a large audience and I think my film is a case in point.
How did you attract/address your audience?
It tries to get the audience to feel sympathy for the tramp. This is done by the random kid taunting him and the film also has surprises in store, such as the car appearing out of nowhere and the car hitting the tramp while the random kid leaves the tramp in the road and doesn’t help him .It attracts the audience by the themes displayed by the part such as tragedy, loss and selfishness.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
You have to patient as it takes a while to properly edit a film. The technology doesn’t always work properly so that was another benefit of having plenty of time to edit. I took the view “If at first you don’t succeed try try try again”. I got used to the Macs eventually, but I needed time to get used to them. It was an important new skill to learn though and one that could prove useful in the future.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
I think that I’ve learnt how important it is to make your film as unique as possible like in the film industry when you try to come up with something that no-one else has done. Another thing that I’ve learnt is that using different filming techniques such as match on action is important in order to convey to the audience where the plot is going and the feelings and emotions that are being shared between the characters.
The main task was the opening of a two minute thriller film. A tramp enters the scene walking down a road in the evening. A random kid runs across the road following the tramp. However as the tramp crosses the road followed by the random kid a car suddenly appears and the random kid yells: "I'm getting out of here!" and runs off up the top of the street. However the tramp is hit by the car and is left on the road and that's when the film ends. The target audience were people who like a film that’s unpredictable and exciting, in short primarily people who enjoy thriller films that contain different real world issues.
I was inspired by the work of classic films like I am legend and the effects those types of films have on their audience. I was influenced to do a thriller film as the film industry has seen plenty of high standard films that were of the thriller genre and have had a big impact on the industry especially films like “Mission impossible” , “North by North west” and the “Bourne” films.
There were plenty of positives to take from the project. For instance most of the footage we got in one take which meant that we didn't have to get rid of as many outtakes as we expected. Another good point was that we handled the apple Mac editing tools quite well and were able to successfully add sound effects and a soundtrack to our film. The uploading like the preliminary task was pretty simple and we mostly were able to stick to our filming schedule and managed to film and return the equipment on time. As well as that we managed to incorporate some useful filming techniques, such as match on action.
However there were some negatives. Firstly we had to cancel our first scheduled day of filming, because it was raining. This put me and Jesse under more pressure to get it done before the end of the week. As well as this we found it hard to fit everything together well and editing the film took about a month to do. Sound effects were also hard to come by, because on the websites with free downloads it was sometimes hard to find the effects that you needed. For example me and Jesse had to search thoroughly in order to find decent footsteps sounds and to download them for free from a website. When filming we also had difficulty matching our storyboard to our acting and as a result it took us more time to do even the simplest of filming. Another one was that the dialogue wasn't as clear as it could have been which meant that it would be more difficult for the audience to understand what was going on.
To analyse this project I think we did well, because we managed to combine normal filming and amateur footage filming in our film which was done in order to see the situation from the random kid's perspective and to engage the audience and more effectively. We also managed to fit in match on action which is a key filming technique. As well as that many themes were involved in the film, such as anguish, regret and death. This can help to draw attention to the audience. I think the use of the tramp connotes loss, despair and poverty and the random kid immaturity, disrespect and arrogance. Filming at night also signifies suspense and unpredictability with the car representing speed, risk and responsibility. Responsibility is linked to the person who was driving the car. To conclude I think that the main task went well although not as smoothly as the preliminary task which is predictable considering we had to plan this task a lot more carefully and particularly the filming schedule as the main task took about a week to film. We also managed to work well on the Macs. For next time we could try and spend time at home researching sounds and music ready for lessons so that it doesn't interfere with our editing time. We could also try incorporating more filming techniques like 180 degree rule into the film to make it more effective as a whole. As well as that we could change the speed of the credits, and make it lighter so the darkness isn’t a problem. Overall the audience feedback was very encouraging and the video got an average rating of 3 out of 4. They liked the music and credits, the camera positioning, heart beat and the fact that the film was tense.
Total word count : 1293
It develops on the themes of tragedy by signifying cowardly behaviour with the character of the kid running away and leaving the tramp to his fate. It uses the conventions of real TV dramas by making the film surprising with the different plot twists and keeping the audience guessing what will happen next which means that the audiences attention is likely to be kept. TV dramas, such as “Heroes” are particularly effective at conveying this.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our project shows the difference between different social groups with the tramp representing the difficulty of being lower class. It represents the stereotype of the higher class citizen looking down the noses at some of those who are lower down ‘the social hierarchy’.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?Institutions such as the BBC or ITV might like to use it, because they may need them for documentaries and use it for areas, such as reconstructions. Homelessness and car crime are two of the big issues and an institution such as BBC or ITV may want to outline them in the form of a documentary. BBC is known for this with the broadcasting of programs, such as Horizon and Panorama. Also a company may want to use it as an advert, such as The Police for the themes of crime and not looking where you are going.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
People who like drama films and like the many surprises and action of a drama film. These people would be fans of films, such as the Oxford murders. This is, because a lot of dramas are unique and that’s why they attract a large audience and I think my film is a case in point.
How did you attract/address your audience?
It tries to get the audience to feel sympathy for the tramp. This is done by the random kid taunting him and the film also has surprises in store, such as the car appearing out of nowhere and the car hitting the tramp while the random kid leaves the tramp in the road and doesn’t help him .It attracts the audience by the themes displayed by the part such as tragedy, loss and selfishness.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
You have to patient as it takes a while to properly edit a film. The technology doesn’t always work properly so that was another benefit of having plenty of time to edit. I took the view “If at first you don’t succeed try try try again”. I got used to the Macs eventually, but I needed time to get used to them. It was an important new skill to learn though and one that could prove useful in the future.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
I think that I’ve learnt how important it is to make your film as unique as possible like in the film industry when you try to come up with something that no-one else has done. Another thing that I’ve learnt is that using different filming techniques such as match on action is important in order to convey to the audience where the plot is going and the feelings and emotions that are being shared between the characters.
The main task was the opening of a two minute thriller film. A tramp enters the scene walking down a road in the evening. A random kid runs across the road following the tramp. However as the tramp crosses the road followed by the random kid a car suddenly appears and the random kid yells: "I'm getting out of here!" and runs off up the top of the street. However the tramp is hit by the car and is left on the road and that's when the film ends. The target audience were people who like a film that’s unpredictable and exciting, in short primarily people who enjoy thriller films that contain different real world issues.
I was inspired by the work of classic films like I am legend and the effects those types of films have on their audience. I was influenced to do a thriller film as the film industry has seen plenty of high standard films that were of the thriller genre and have had a big impact on the industry especially films like “Mission impossible” , “North by North west” and the “Bourne” films.
There were plenty of positives to take from the project. For instance most of the footage we got in one take which meant that we didn't have to get rid of as many outtakes as we expected. Another good point was that we handled the apple Mac editing tools quite well and were able to successfully add sound effects and a soundtrack to our film. The uploading like the preliminary task was pretty simple and we mostly were able to stick to our filming schedule and managed to film and return the equipment on time. As well as that we managed to incorporate some useful filming techniques, such as match on action.
However there were some negatives. Firstly we had to cancel our first scheduled day of filming, because it was raining. This put me and Jesse under more pressure to get it done before the end of the week. As well as this we found it hard to fit everything together well and editing the film took about a month to do. Sound effects were also hard to come by, because on the websites with free downloads it was sometimes hard to find the effects that you needed. For example me and Jesse had to search thoroughly in order to find decent footsteps sounds and to download them for free from a website. When filming we also had difficulty matching our storyboard to our acting and as a result it took us more time to do even the simplest of filming. Another one was that the dialogue wasn't as clear as it could have been which meant that it would be more difficult for the audience to understand what was going on.
To analyse this project I think we did well, because we managed to combine normal filming and amateur footage filming in our film which was done in order to see the situation from the random kid's perspective and to engage the audience and more effectively. We also managed to fit in match on action which is a key filming technique. As well as that many themes were involved in the film, such as anguish, regret and death. This can help to draw attention to the audience. I think the use of the tramp connotes loss, despair and poverty and the random kid immaturity, disrespect and arrogance. Filming at night also signifies suspense and unpredictability with the car representing speed, risk and responsibility. Responsibility is linked to the person who was driving the car. To conclude I think that the main task went well although not as smoothly as the preliminary task which is predictable considering we had to plan this task a lot more carefully and particularly the filming schedule as the main task took about a week to film. We also managed to work well on the Macs. For next time we could try and spend time at home researching sounds and music ready for lessons so that it doesn't interfere with our editing time. We could also try incorporating more filming techniques like 180 degree rule into the film to make it more effective as a whole. As well as that we could change the speed of the credits, and make it lighter so the darkness isn’t a problem. Overall the audience feedback was very encouraging and the video got an average rating of 3 out of 4. They liked the music and credits, the camera positioning, heart beat and the fact that the film was tense.
Total word count : 1293
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Adding effects
Yesterday me and Jesse added fading and new sound effects to our film. We could soon add more by exploring different sound effects library websites and downloading sounds ready to add to our film.
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
The start of editing
On Monday me and Jesse used the macs to start editing our project and we got it down to about 1 minute and 15 seconds with the removal of outtakes and the shortening of scenes. Next lesson we're planning to add sound effects to it. I hope it goes smoothely and according to plan !
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Uploading
We have successfully uploaded the footage to the apple macs. It went successfully without any problems and now me and Jesse are ready to start editing in January .
Monday, 15 December 2008
The end of filming
On Thursday 11th December me and Jesse finished the filming which was a big relief. We hope to upload it to the Macs by the end of the week !
Thursday, 11 December 2008
The start of filming
Yesterday me and Jesse started filming the main task. We've made an encouraging start by filming the early scenes very well. This gives us something to build upon and hopefully we can do that and get the filming done by the end of this week.
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Frustration
Yesterday we were looking forward to start filming, but unfortunately we couldn't do anything as it was raining heavily. Hopefully we can start filming tomorrow, weather permitting !
Friday, 5 December 2008
Location finding
Me and Jesse yesterday found the ideal location in which to do our filming. We will film outside the Ferry Sports Centre and filming will begin on Monday.
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
Pitching to the media teachers
It went very ell. Thanks to mine and Jesse great organisation and hard work we managed to convince the teachers to give us the equipment. Our pitch was memorised very well which helped us get off to a good start and the blog presentation also helped our cause. I'm very pleased with how it went and grateful for the advice that me and Jesse were given in terms of evaluating our main task for when we need to do it.
Monday, 1 December 2008
Film schedule
Where? : It will be filmed in one of the offices in the school and in another area possibly in town.
When: 4 days in December. Around the middle of the month.
Continuity: We plan to shoot it on 8th, 11th, 12th and 15th of December. This will be filmed after school, as we need semi-darkness.
When: 4 days in December. Around the middle of the month.
Continuity: We plan to shoot it on 8th, 11th, 12th and 15th of December. This will be filmed after school, as we need semi-darkness.
Friday, 28 November 2008
Film Schedule
Where? : It will be filmed in one of the offices in the school and in another area possibly in town.
When: 5 days in December
Continuity: We plan to shoot it on 3rd, 5th, 8th, 9th and 11th of December. This will incorporate some time after school and free periods.
Once done we will use media lessons to edit our film.
When: 5 days in December
Continuity: We plan to shoot it on 3rd, 5th, 8th, 9th and 11th of December. This will incorporate some time after school and free periods.
Once done we will use media lessons to edit our film.
Thursday, 27 November 2008
Synopsis of the main film
A victim of economic downturn, John Smith is made redundant and is plunged into severe debt. The only method for him to survive is crime and this changes his life causing him to be constantly under pressure and stress. It starts with minor crimes like shoplifting, but then it evolves into more serious crimes like burglary and bank robberies. His intention is never to hurt anyone physically. He is someone who just takes the goods and goes, he’s not a killer.
During an armed robbery a person appears who’s not expected and falls victim to the startled Smith. When investigating into the murder starts, Smith is not found to be one of the suspects. However, due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time an ex- convict, who has turned his life around, is found guilty and sentenced for life. Smith runs away and one who knows the truth searches him out looking for revenge unless Smith confesses. Smith can’t go back or he’ll be caught and maybe face worse consequences.
After 7 years of running Smith is run over by the one who knows the truth and left for dead, but he is saved and the experience is a turning point convincing him to turn himself in. It shows that there was still a part of him that contained pity and regret. He is jailed for life and can’t turn back time and save the person who he killed, but at least he has regained some self respect and no longer feels the guilt of leaving the innocent person to rot in jail.
During an armed robbery a person appears who’s not expected and falls victim to the startled Smith. When investigating into the murder starts, Smith is not found to be one of the suspects. However, due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time an ex- convict, who has turned his life around, is found guilty and sentenced for life. Smith runs away and one who knows the truth searches him out looking for revenge unless Smith confesses. Smith can’t go back or he’ll be caught and maybe face worse consequences.
After 7 years of running Smith is run over by the one who knows the truth and left for dead, but he is saved and the experience is a turning point convincing him to turn himself in. It shows that there was still a part of him that contained pity and regret. He is jailed for life and can’t turn back time and save the person who he killed, but at least he has regained some self respect and no longer feels the guilt of leaving the innocent person to rot in jail.
Monday, 24 November 2008
Film Project Pitch
Thought provoking thriller set in the suburbs during economic collapse. John Smith, a previously average man, is separated from society by the tragic events from his past. Can he rectify his mistake and find forgiveness or will he be overcome by the guilt, tragedy and self pity ?
Thursday, 20 November 2008
uploading the storyboard
This was very frustrating, because I couldn't do it as a powerpoint or slideshow. I also couldn't upload the A3 version as it wouldn't be able to scan properly. I, therefore decided on word to create a table and pasted the images into it to make an A4 version of the storyboard. The finished product as you can see has come out well, although it did take me a while to get the scanner to get the image perfect. After I did the A4 version I printed it off and placed it faced down on the scanner and saved it in my pictures as an image and was therefore able to upload it onto my blog.
Wednesday, 19 November 2008
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Evaluation of the preliminary task
I filmed my preliminary task with 3 other people: Jesse Lloyd, Robyn Furtado and Lily Joyce. Our film was about someone who got a bad haircut and paid a visit to the hairdresser to complain about it. However he was killed by being blown off his chair after threatening to sue the hairdresser and is stood over by death at the end of the video. I have uploaded the video to my blog and it can be accessed by clicking on the image above my posts on the video bar. Our video is on Youtube after Jesse uploaded it and can be accessed by typing “The Drying” into the search engine. We edited the video using Apple Macs and this was very useful in making our finished product as good as possible.
The positives that we got during our preliminary task were that we managed to edit our film on the Macs very successfully and on Youtube it turned out very well. It was important that we got the hang of using them in preparation for the main task. It was also very simple uploading it to Youtube again a useful skill to have prior to working on our main task. The film was also planned out well and we were also able to incorporate the techniques match on action, 180 degree rule and shot reverse shot which we need to include in our main task in order to get higher grades for the coursework. As well as this uploading it to the blogs was easy and planning out the storyboard was relatively straight forward after we added in the photos.Me and Jesse were also able to help out other groups with the technology.
However using the Macs was stressful at times and isn’t easy to do. Also it’s hard getting rid of unneeded footage whilst being careful not to delete the footage that you need.
To analyse this Preliminary task it could be said that we incorporated the key concepts into our film very well, using match on action, 180 degree rule and shot reverse shot as well as representing injustice, violence and irony in the film. We also signified the dangers of business with the one to one meeting between the two main characters, the use of a gun in the storyline connotes crime and death is significant as it represents the end of your life on Earth and possibly the start of something new.
To conclude I think that the preliminary task went very well overall, because most of the steps, such as the uploading were completed very easily and successfully and I learnt a lot in preparation for doing the main task. For next time I would try and complete more work in lessons and to use better pictures for my storyboard.
The positives that we got during our preliminary task were that we managed to edit our film on the Macs very successfully and on Youtube it turned out very well. It was important that we got the hang of using them in preparation for the main task. It was also very simple uploading it to Youtube again a useful skill to have prior to working on our main task. The film was also planned out well and we were also able to incorporate the techniques match on action, 180 degree rule and shot reverse shot which we need to include in our main task in order to get higher grades for the coursework. As well as this uploading it to the blogs was easy and planning out the storyboard was relatively straight forward after we added in the photos.Me and Jesse were also able to help out other groups with the technology.
However using the Macs was stressful at times and isn’t easy to do. Also it’s hard getting rid of unneeded footage whilst being careful not to delete the footage that you need.
To analyse this Preliminary task it could be said that we incorporated the key concepts into our film very well, using match on action, 180 degree rule and shot reverse shot as well as representing injustice, violence and irony in the film. We also signified the dangers of business with the one to one meeting between the two main characters, the use of a gun in the storyline connotes crime and death is significant as it represents the end of your life on Earth and possibly the start of something new.
To conclude I think that the preliminary task went very well overall, because most of the steps, such as the uploading were completed very easily and successfully and I learnt a lot in preparation for doing the main task. For next time I would try and complete more work in lessons and to use better pictures for my storyboard.
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