Monday, 30 January 2012
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
What I Feel I Have Learnt During The Whole Project
Throughout this whole project I feel that I have been constantly learning new skills and ways of managing my time. A lot of the skills I have learnt I can now apply to my daily life as they can help me with my work and what I hopefully plan on doing in later life.
One of the most drastic change in skill level of a certain area of the project for me would be time management. This is because before the project my time management was terrible and I always ended up doing everything the day before it had to be in and in turn doing it to a low standard whereas during this project I had to plan out my time. If I did not plan my time I would never of got any of the filming done as I would have said to myself that I will do it next week, this would've gone on for a while until I realized that I only had about a week left. Along with time management, my organization skills have increased as well. This is because I have had to plan days to film, where to film and have to make sure everyone can get there that is participating in the film.
My technical skills during this project have also increased as I learnt how to make clever titles and how to edit a film properly. If I did not make this film I wouldn't of learnt how to do any of these and you can see the progress made from the preliminary task to the final film. One of the main things that you can see has improved from the preliminary task to the final film is the variation of shot types and getting the cut from one shot to another to run smoothly. In the preliminary task I had no titles at all whereas in the final film I have added a 'professional' looking title that fits the film well as it almost looks quite 'urban' or 'underground'.
A skill I had to be able to develop and sustain a high level at for the film to be able to be made well with the cooperation of everybody on set where my team skills. This progressed throughout the project as in the preliminary task none of us really agreed on anything so it would get a bit heated sometimes and not much would get done. During the project I learnt that its good to make a plan with your 'crew' before going out to film and when we were on set there was a high level of communication between myself, my group and the actors in the film. Another are of making the film team skills had to be used effectively was when it came down to editing the film as we had to put both our ideas of how it should be edited into it which we could've easily ended in an argument but we found a middle ground for both of our ideas which worked well.
My independent working has improved massively throughout the project as before we started it I would struggle to sit on my own and write out things like plans, long answers to questions and editing. Whereas now I can happily sit on my own and get the work done to what I believe is a good standard. This will help me out a lot in later life as now I will be able to do work to a higher standard and achieve higher grades.
The effectiveness of the preliminary task is pretty poor, it is boring to watch and it looks a bit jolty in certain places. This takes the viewer out of the film and loses their attention. This is not the case for the final film as I believe the acting looks very realistic and convincing and the majority of the editing is smooth and doesn't take you out of the moment too much. I believe the effectiveness of the final film is very good and keeps a constant 'criminal' style atmosphere throughout.
One of the most drastic change in skill level of a certain area of the project for me would be time management. This is because before the project my time management was terrible and I always ended up doing everything the day before it had to be in and in turn doing it to a low standard whereas during this project I had to plan out my time. If I did not plan my time I would never of got any of the filming done as I would have said to myself that I will do it next week, this would've gone on for a while until I realized that I only had about a week left. Along with time management, my organization skills have increased as well. This is because I have had to plan days to film, where to film and have to make sure everyone can get there that is participating in the film.
My technical skills during this project have also increased as I learnt how to make clever titles and how to edit a film properly. If I did not make this film I wouldn't of learnt how to do any of these and you can see the progress made from the preliminary task to the final film. One of the main things that you can see has improved from the preliminary task to the final film is the variation of shot types and getting the cut from one shot to another to run smoothly. In the preliminary task I had no titles at all whereas in the final film I have added a 'professional' looking title that fits the film well as it almost looks quite 'urban' or 'underground'.
A skill I had to be able to develop and sustain a high level at for the film to be able to be made well with the cooperation of everybody on set where my team skills. This progressed throughout the project as in the preliminary task none of us really agreed on anything so it would get a bit heated sometimes and not much would get done. During the project I learnt that its good to make a plan with your 'crew' before going out to film and when we were on set there was a high level of communication between myself, my group and the actors in the film. Another are of making the film team skills had to be used effectively was when it came down to editing the film as we had to put both our ideas of how it should be edited into it which we could've easily ended in an argument but we found a middle ground for both of our ideas which worked well.
My independent working has improved massively throughout the project as before we started it I would struggle to sit on my own and write out things like plans, long answers to questions and editing. Whereas now I can happily sit on my own and get the work done to what I believe is a good standard. This will help me out a lot in later life as now I will be able to do work to a higher standard and achieve higher grades.
The effectiveness of the preliminary task is pretty poor, it is boring to watch and it looks a bit jolty in certain places. This takes the viewer out of the film and loses their attention. This is not the case for the final film as I believe the acting looks very realistic and convincing and the majority of the editing is smooth and doesn't take you out of the moment too much. I believe the effectiveness of the final film is very good and keeps a constant 'criminal' style atmosphere throughout.
Monday, 9 January 2012
What I have Learnt About Technologies During Making The Film
During making this film I have learnt a lot about certain aspects of the technologies and techniques used when making a film. One of which was the 180 degree rule. This is one of the most important rules you have to follow when making a film as if you break the rule it can take the viewer out of the film completely as it looks unnatural. The 180 degree rule is a basic rule for filming but can easily be broken as we originally found out, we filmed a conversation between two people and thought that you had to change shoulder when changing shot from one person to the other, this turned out to look as if both characters were talking in the same direction. If we did this in the actual film the viewer would be taken away from the atmosphere that had been built up and they would not be so stuck into the film as before.
When filming for the film we needed to use a tripod to keep the camera still. If we did not have this piece of equipment and didn't know how to use it then we would have to of filmed free-hand with the camera. This would have made the footage shaky and look amateur meaning our film would not look as professional as it should. Using the tripod enabled us to keep the camera in a steady position and I was able to focus the camera at the depth of field wanted without too much hassle as I didnt have to try and do this whilst trying to keep the camera steady.
Another thing I have learnt during making this film has been making fancy ways of presenting text onto the screen. I learnt several ways but in the end chose the one which I believe fitted the feel of the film more than any of the others did. This was to have the text 'burst' or 'crack' out of the wall. I felt that this was a very professional piece of text and made the first few shots of the film look a bit better. To make this I had to learn how to use Adobe After Effects properly and to be able to make keyframes at the right times for the text wipe. This took quite a while as I was learning how to do it the whole time I was making it.
Whilst editing the film I learnt how difficult it was to get the cuts looking smooth and learning where to cut it was the thing I had to learn. This took a bit of practicing as it isn't anything I've really tried much in the past. As well as learning where to cut the clips I had to learn when as some shots may look better longer and some may look better shorter, on noticing this I decided to make a range of shot lengths to create the smoothest outcome.
At the end of the film we have a gun shooting at the camera and as we cannot shoot an actual gun, we had to use a BB-gun and add in sound effects later on. This is something I have never done before and it was not as tricky as first thought, all i had to do was find a gun shot sound effect and sync it with the clip so that it is in time with when the gun fires. This provides a clean end to the two minutes and looks as if the gun is actually shooting.
In the film we have a flashback and a flash-forward. To show that time was being passed I had to learn what transitions would do the job best and create an authentic feel that time has gone by without taking the viewer out of the moment and out of the film. We chose a flash of light to show the changes in time as they look the most professional of the transitions available and show a clear change of time.
The whole time filming I was learning more about how to record effectively with a camera. I decided to experiment a bit with depth of field and changing that as the shot progressed. The outcome of some of these shots was actually quite good and we even used a few of them in the film. This effect helps delay the way the action is brought into the shot, instead of instantly being able to see what's happening, it enables me to create a suspense of what is coming up. This looks very clean and very professional.
When filming for the film we needed to use a tripod to keep the camera still. If we did not have this piece of equipment and didn't know how to use it then we would have to of filmed free-hand with the camera. This would have made the footage shaky and look amateur meaning our film would not look as professional as it should. Using the tripod enabled us to keep the camera in a steady position and I was able to focus the camera at the depth of field wanted without too much hassle as I didnt have to try and do this whilst trying to keep the camera steady.
Another thing I have learnt during making this film has been making fancy ways of presenting text onto the screen. I learnt several ways but in the end chose the one which I believe fitted the feel of the film more than any of the others did. This was to have the text 'burst' or 'crack' out of the wall. I felt that this was a very professional piece of text and made the first few shots of the film look a bit better. To make this I had to learn how to use Adobe After Effects properly and to be able to make keyframes at the right times for the text wipe. This took quite a while as I was learning how to do it the whole time I was making it.
Whilst editing the film I learnt how difficult it was to get the cuts looking smooth and learning where to cut it was the thing I had to learn. This took a bit of practicing as it isn't anything I've really tried much in the past. As well as learning where to cut the clips I had to learn when as some shots may look better longer and some may look better shorter, on noticing this I decided to make a range of shot lengths to create the smoothest outcome.
At the end of the film we have a gun shooting at the camera and as we cannot shoot an actual gun, we had to use a BB-gun and add in sound effects later on. This is something I have never done before and it was not as tricky as first thought, all i had to do was find a gun shot sound effect and sync it with the clip so that it is in time with when the gun fires. This provides a clean end to the two minutes and looks as if the gun is actually shooting.
In the film we have a flashback and a flash-forward. To show that time was being passed I had to learn what transitions would do the job best and create an authentic feel that time has gone by without taking the viewer out of the moment and out of the film. We chose a flash of light to show the changes in time as they look the most professional of the transitions available and show a clear change of time.
The whole time filming I was learning more about how to record effectively with a camera. I decided to experiment a bit with depth of field and changing that as the shot progressed. The outcome of some of these shots was actually quite good and we even used a few of them in the film. This effect helps delay the way the action is brought into the shot, instead of instantly being able to see what's happening, it enables me to create a suspense of what is coming up. This looks very clean and very professional.
Elements of Film That Would Attract The Target Audience
Elements in our film would appeal to our target audience as we have such things as gun fights, poker games and alcohol use. All of these where found to be something our target audience like to spend their own money on except for the poker, so they could feel that they can relate to the characters in our film. The style of our film is quite dark but action packed so this would appeal to our target audience as it is the same atmosphere and style as other Crime and Gangster films.
The characters in our film would attract the target audience as they are all in the same age group as the target audience, this means the viewer can watch the film and feel as if they can relate to the characters even if their life is nothing like the characters. The characters in the film have a representation of always getting into trouble and only caring about themselves, this could attract the target audience as they may feel that they are represented in this way as well. A lot of young adults and teenagers are seen as hooligans nowadays, some people believe that all they want to do is get drunk, take drugs, get into fights and commit crimes. We have used this stereotype in our film as we hope it will attract the target audience to see what it would be like if the way they were portrayed was the way that they actually acted and the devastating effects that would come from it.
Going back to the poker game, this and things like guns and alcohol may attract the target audience as this is the sort of thing a lot of teenagers and young adults like to see in films. Our target audience like excitement in films and we have created it through using these objects, this will keep them watching and enjoying the film and wont start getting bored and wishing they hadn't wasted their money on it. If it came to that we would lose a lot of viewers as one of the best ways to get films known is by friends telling other friends and this carries on until pretty much everyone knows, so if we get the right ingredients of a film to attract the target audience, they should then go on to tell their friends that it is a good film and worth watching.
The characters in our film would attract the target audience as they are all in the same age group as the target audience, this means the viewer can watch the film and feel as if they can relate to the characters even if their life is nothing like the characters. The characters in the film have a representation of always getting into trouble and only caring about themselves, this could attract the target audience as they may feel that they are represented in this way as well. A lot of young adults and teenagers are seen as hooligans nowadays, some people believe that all they want to do is get drunk, take drugs, get into fights and commit crimes. We have used this stereotype in our film as we hope it will attract the target audience to see what it would be like if the way they were portrayed was the way that they actually acted and the devastating effects that would come from it.
Going back to the poker game, this and things like guns and alcohol may attract the target audience as this is the sort of thing a lot of teenagers and young adults like to see in films. Our target audience like excitement in films and we have created it through using these objects, this will keep them watching and enjoying the film and wont start getting bored and wishing they hadn't wasted their money on it. If it came to that we would lose a lot of viewers as one of the best ways to get films known is by friends telling other friends and this carries on until pretty much everyone knows, so if we get the right ingredients of a film to attract the target audience, they should then go on to tell their friends that it is a good film and worth watching.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
The Audience for My Film
My typical audience member would be aged 15-27 as male, most likely to be from either the UK or the U.S as many Crime and Gangster films are very popular in these countries. also the film will be based in the Uk and will be in English. The reasons for the film being aimed at 15-27 year olds is because the film is a 15 as it has violence and swearing in it that restrict it to a 15, also the film characters are in their late teens so some of the audience could feel as if they can link to the characters. As well as this, teens also enjoy the action in films such as gun fights and robberies, this may be because they like trouble and want to rebel so this film gives them a sense of rebellion but without them actually getting into trouble. The people in the mid twenties would want to watch it as it may make them feel younger again as many of them don't wish to get any older. The film will be aimed at all races as there are no racial stereotypes in it, this would get a greater amount of people coming to see our film. The reason the typical audience member for my film would be male is because from my research and from asking around school it is mostly males that prefer watching violent, action packed films.
The types of things our audience would typically spend their money on would be things like unhealthy foods, clothes, drinks (this includes alcohol which would take up a lot of that money) and transport. The transport (along with the alcohol) would use up a large sum of the money they earn because they will need to get to a lot of places e.g. work, friends, university, shops etc. This means they would have to spend money on fuel, bus tickets and train tickets, none of which are cheap.
From the research above I was able to find out the main types things our audience would spend there money on. We could use this as a way to advertise our films in ways mentioned below:
Clothing brands - This would be a major part of the audiences spending as they need clothes in everyday life. They wouldn't being able to get by without a substantial wardrobe. Also many teenagers go through certain phases of clothing types that they like, this is mainly due to programs on T.V and films which they will think looks cool so will go out and buy it to try and join in with everyone else. So if we could get our film featured on some items of clothing or had 'stylish' clothing in our film we could get recognized more.
Alcohol - Many teenagers and people in their early 20's like to have a good time and a lot of them feel that drinking a lot of alcohol and getting drunk will help make an evening more fun. From this I can tell that a large amount of the audiences spending will be taken up by this. Therefore this would be a great way to advertise our film as many people would see the name and if they just read it on the bottle without really realizing it may subliminally make them want to go and see it.
Transport - This would be the main way we could advertise our film outside of T.V and cinemas as if we had a big poster type thing featured on the side of a bus it would get seen by everyone the bus passes as well as everyone getting on and off the bus. Companies like First Bus Travel would be a great company to do this with as it is one of the leading bus companies in the UK so a lot of people would see our film poster. A lot of our audience may take the bus so this would entice them in to come and see it.
The types of things our audience would typically spend their money on would be things like unhealthy foods, clothes, drinks (this includes alcohol which would take up a lot of that money) and transport. The transport (along with the alcohol) would use up a large sum of the money they earn because they will need to get to a lot of places e.g. work, friends, university, shops etc. This means they would have to spend money on fuel, bus tickets and train tickets, none of which are cheap.
From the research above I was able to find out the main types things our audience would spend there money on. We could use this as a way to advertise our films in ways mentioned below:
Clothing brands - This would be a major part of the audiences spending as they need clothes in everyday life. They wouldn't being able to get by without a substantial wardrobe. Also many teenagers go through certain phases of clothing types that they like, this is mainly due to programs on T.V and films which they will think looks cool so will go out and buy it to try and join in with everyone else. So if we could get our film featured on some items of clothing or had 'stylish' clothing in our film we could get recognized more.
Alcohol - Many teenagers and people in their early 20's like to have a good time and a lot of them feel that drinking a lot of alcohol and getting drunk will help make an evening more fun. From this I can tell that a large amount of the audiences spending will be taken up by this. Therefore this would be a great way to advertise our film as many people would see the name and if they just read it on the bottle without really realizing it may subliminally make them want to go and see it.
Transport - This would be the main way we could advertise our film outside of T.V and cinemas as if we had a big poster type thing featured on the side of a bus it would get seen by everyone the bus passes as well as everyone getting on and off the bus. Companies like First Bus Travel would be a great company to do this with as it is one of the leading bus companies in the UK so a lot of people would see our film poster. A lot of our audience may take the bus so this would entice them in to come and see it.
Thursday, 5 January 2012
The Kind of Media Institution That Might Distribute My Film
If our film were real, I believe that 20th Century Fox would be the institution to distribute our film. They are one of the most known distributors in the entire film industry. If this institution were to distribute our film it would get top advertising and even without people seeing the film it would look good as it has been distributed by a trusted, high rated institution. On top of this they are known to have a brilliant team working on set whilst filming providing a lot of help and support as well as being easy to get on with. Some top 20th Century Fox films include; Avatar, Alien vs Predator, Transporter 1 2 and 3. These are all very top class films that are looked at highly as great films.
Although 20th Century Fox are very highly rated, the same can be said about Lions Gate Films. They are renowned for their standard of films. Many of their most known films are quite violent so this would be a good side for our target audience. They have produced quality violent films such as Saw, Kick Ass, Hostel and Warrior.
Our film has kept within the regulatory rules for our type of film as we haven't made the crime and the violence too 'full on' as this would make the age certificate higher and the institution may not look at it too well. In doing this we have made it easy viewing for friends and groups of people to watch this film together without it being too intense. Keeping the age certificate lower will provide more profit on the film as more people will be able to watch it and buy it meaning more money will be made than if we had an 18 certificate film. Institutions would look upon this well as they will be getting part of the profit as well. They wont be looking to distribute films will a niche audience. If we made the film too violent the institution may also get a bad name as they could be linked in peoples heads as one that only produces really violent films.
Although 20th Century Fox are very highly rated, the same can be said about Lions Gate Films. They are renowned for their standard of films. Many of their most known films are quite violent so this would be a good side for our target audience. They have produced quality violent films such as Saw, Kick Ass, Hostel and Warrior.
Our film has kept within the regulatory rules for our type of film as we haven't made the crime and the violence too 'full on' as this would make the age certificate higher and the institution may not look at it too well. In doing this we have made it easy viewing for friends and groups of people to watch this film together without it being too intense. Keeping the age certificate lower will provide more profit on the film as more people will be able to watch it and buy it meaning more money will be made than if we had an 18 certificate film. Institutions would look upon this well as they will be getting part of the profit as well. They wont be looking to distribute films will a niche audience. If we made the film too violent the institution may also get a bad name as they could be linked in peoples heads as one that only produces really violent films.
How my Film Represents Specific Social Groups
The characters in my film are portrayed as very stereo-typical teenagers. This stereo-type is that teenagers are always up to no good and getting into trouble, this could also be seen as very intimidating and may even lead to them being seen as criminals. We created this in our film by giving our characters very boystrous 'nothing can hurt me' demeanor and dressing them in hoodies and flat peak caps. Luckily one of our actors (Brook) has these assests normally so he is very easy to work with on set as he can imagine it as a real life situation. As well as the hoodies and caps, we also chose to dress the characters in baggy jeans and addidas shoes, this apparel mixed with the clothing stated earlier really enhances the stereo-typical look of a teenager.
The body language of our characters is very 'rough and tough', they walk with 'swagger' as if they run the town but always have a slight look of paranoier. This look of paranoier adds too the effect of the stereo-typical teenager as it makes them look shifty and always on edge, if somebody walked past they wouldn't know what the character might do next.
In the film we are going to overlay a dubstep track to create a dark, 'underground' type atmosphere to it. This will help keep the film looking genuine as well as making it easier for our actors as they won't need to show the genre through their acting as much as they would without.
The body language of our characters is very 'rough and tough', they walk with 'swagger' as if they run the town but always have a slight look of paranoier. This look of paranoier adds too the effect of the stereo-typical teenager as it makes them look shifty and always on edge, if somebody walked past they wouldn't know what the character might do next.
In the film we are going to overlay a dubstep track to create a dark, 'underground' type atmosphere to it. This will help keep the film looking genuine as well as making it easier for our actors as they won't need to show the genre through their acting as much as they would without.
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