Rhys' Media Coursework Evaluation

Media Studies Evaluation
For our project have done an opening sequence to a film. The film is about a woman who has killed someone and is running away from what she has done. In my group the there were four people, Myself, Bethany Eddleston, Rachael Manning and David Taylorson. My role in the group was to be the head of cinematography.The genre for our opening sequence is thriller. To make this a thriller we have used fast paced music and editing to help build tension for the viewer. The fast paced editing was done keep the sequence moving quickly and so that viewer can follow it easier and easier to see how it is a thriller. It was vital in our project to use typical elements because it makes the genre easily recognisable to the viewer and to make it similar to other thriller genre films. Nine out of the Ten people we surveyed said that our sequence does contain the key elements to making it a thriller. They said things such as, " the music really helped build tension and fitted in well with the mood of the sequence" .It was also vital in our media project to do something new to the genre because even though we wanted to keep it in the same genre, we wanted to keep it fresh and new, which will attract people to see it. Our choices that we made proved to be successful from our feedback from our audience. This is because in our feedback questionnaire people commented on how the music and the pace of the sequence, fit in nicely with the genre and the mood of tension and suspense being created.
In our sequence women could be portrayed as criminals and bad people. This is because we have shown a woman violently attacking a man with a knife. This image that we have created of women in our sequence is a negative one, as it shows them as being aggressive and violent. This representation of women differs from many representations of women in the media which are of women being weak and vulnerable, and in many cases, on the other end of the line when it comes to violence. One person we surveyed said that it creates a different view on women, than how they are usually portrayed as in media. The costume the protagonist in our sequence is wearing is a casual, normal outfit however smeared with blood. This is done to show how she is a normal person however has a dark side. Also the shots of the stabbing and flashbacks are shown in black and white meaning she is acting differently than she normally does. We have represented women in this way because it offers an alternative to the norm and shows that women can be portrayed in the same bad ways that men can be, in the media.
Our film is aimed at the 16 - 25 years old age group and at those who like thriller films. This means that we have a wide target audience meaning there are more people that will go and watch our film. Our film is also aimed at no specific nationality or ethnicity, due to the fact that the thriller genre is popular in
many different countries and has no specific referral to ethnicity or race. However it is specifically aimed at people who like the thriller genre. We see our target audience as being good, because it is a mass market audience meaning there are potentially more people to go and watch it. This would also be beneficial as the more people that go to watch there are, the more money we would make. All ten of the people we surveyed, said they would pay money to go and watch the rest of our film! However I don’t see there being a secondary market. This is because our film is specifically aimed at people who are fans of thriller movies. From our audience feedback I can see that who of the people we asked, like thriller movies did enjoy this sequence as it correctly showed the typical features of a thriller, fast pace music, fast pace shots and build up of tension.
During our media project we have used many different internet websites, such as, http://www.youtube.com/. We used You Tube to help us research and find other examples of thriller movies in order to compare them with ours. Also we used it find the music for our project. Another website we used is http://www.imdb.co.uk/. We used this website look for films that are in the thriller genre category. It was very helpful as it had lists of all types of films which made it easy to find the sort of film we were looking for. During the making of our project I have learnt many things about filming, editing and how to use the equipment. Such as, that there are many rules about filming, for example the 180degree rule, and the many shots that can be used to show certain things. For example extreme close-ups to show the emotion of the character and extreme long shots, to establish locations. One thing I have learnt about editing is that many different shots can be cut down and changed to fit into a small, smoothly running sequence. One thing that helped us a lot to achieve what we wanted is video FX. This helped us
as we cou
ld slow down the shot to build tension and to emphasise what was happening in the shot. It also helped us as we could add transitions into the sequence to help make it flow more smoothly and fit better. We have also used technology to do our audience feedback and the evaluation of the project. This is very useful as it makes it easier and more efficient and less time consuming.
Looking back at the preliminary task I realise that our final project is much better in many ways. One way is that the final project flows much better. This is due to us being able to work hard on making sure each shot fits and flows smoothly. I have also seen that with music in the final product it helps it to build tension and create enigmas as it is fast pace and up beat. Another way in which it is a big improvement is that the shots used in the preliminary task are boring and not varied. However in the final project we have used many different ways of expressing emotion and telling the story as it happens, such as long shots and close ups.
In conclusion the many different methods and techniques we have used through our knowledge of similar past and present thriller films have made sure our film fits in with the typical characteristics of the genre.
Rhys Meehan
(word count – 1,057)

even evaluation-rachael manning

For my media project I decided to work in a group to produce the opening sequence of a film. For my contribution to the project I found and added the music, did some of the filming, helped make the storyboards and

 made contributions to the group blog during our planning stages. We decided our genre was going to be

 a gritty thriller and to create this we made our sequence very fast paced, used low key lighting and made everything quite mysterious. We also filmed most of it handheld to create the gritty, realistic feel and the music was also quite tense and sombre. To create the fast paced feeling we used a lot of tracking shots for her running and also ma

de the music have a good fast beat to it. This worked well as all the people we asked in our questionnaire thought the genre of our film was a thriller.

 The main story of our film is that a girl is r

unning through the woods and at first we are unsure as to why, but there are flashbacks of her killing her boyfriend who has cheated on

 her, so by the end of the sequence it is clear why she is running. We used all of the conventions of a opening sequence such as establishing equilibrium and time and place through things such as costume and lighting and having her running covered in blood, but decided to focus on creating enigmas and establishing the main protagonist. We made our sequence different by using flashbacks to give the reader an insight into what was happening. It was vital for us to do something different with our opening sequence as otherwise people would get bored with seeing the sam

e thing happening time and time again. I think this worked effectively as it creates excitement and keeps the viewer watching as they want to know what h

appens next, which is what typically happens in a thriller. They did work well as most of the people we asked in our questionnaire said they wanted to keep watching as they wanted to know what will happen to the girl.

 

In our opening sequence we focused on representations of men and women but instead decided to challenge the dominant stereotypes. We did this by making the girl the aggressor in the sequence instead of it typically being the man who is violent and dominant. This stereotype is similar to that of Lara Croft in Tomb Raider as she is the aggressive, dominant character. Our media language creates this representation by showing the blood on her and also showing her from a low angle when she stabs her boyfriend, as this gives her more power. We also used the typical representations of women as at the end of the sequence she huddles behind a tree and begins to cry which is the dominant stereotype of women as she seems we

ak and vulnerable. Also when the girl is running through the woods a lot of high angle shots are used so that the woods now have power 

over the girl as they often symbolise no escape and are quite dominant. We used an alternative representation of women so that our film did something different and we obviously did this quite well as the people who took our questionnai

re noticed this as well.

 

I believe our product would be suitable for a production company like film four as they distribute a lot of gritty British films and a lot of these are also thrillers which fits with the genre of our film. Film four have distributed such films as ‘This is England’ and ‘Dead Mans Shoes’ which are in keeping with the genre of our own film and it is also a British company like our film. Film Four also distribute quite low budget films like ours so I believe the best choice of funding for our film. I believe our product is suitable for people between the ages of 15 and 30 and people who are working class as they would be able to rela

te to it more. Young people are a good audience to target as the biggest majority of cinemagoers so more people would go to see our film and it would make more money. It was also young people who filled in our questionnaire and they like our opening sequence so I believe they would also like the whole film. 

 

We created a sense of time by having the girl running through the woods during the day to show it happened in the day time and the lighting here is quite low key due to the trees which also makes the sequence seem more like a thriller due to the lack of colour used. But the lighting is also natural which creates realism. The clothes that the girl is wearing establish that it is set in the modern day and it is clear that she has flashbacks as they are in black and white to show they happened in the past. Wh

en the girl has the flashbacks the volume of the music decreases and an eerie non-diegetic noise can be heard to build up tension when the flashbacks happen. The flashbacks are also faded in and out of very quickly to again create an eerie, strange feel. Point of view shots are used as the girl is running so that the viewer see’s things from her perspective and to involve the viewer more. We have also used a range of different shots when the girl is running to create more excitement and variety so the viewer doesn’t get bored of watching her run. The shot of the knife is also important as knifes have a lot of connotations such as violence and aggression and this is used to show the girls dysfunctional mind. By the end of this sequence such enigmas as why is the girl running and who is she stabbing are answered but there are still questions left to propel the viewer into the rest of the film and keep them interested such as will anyone find out? Or was she just being paranoid? Or is her boyfriend still alive? We created binary opposition in our sequence as the girl looks like the criminal at the beginning of the film but towards the end could also be seen as the victim.

 

The font we used in our opening credits has the connotations of scruffy, edgy, distorted and messy which fits in with our film as these connotations could also be used to describe the whole sequence. I have learnt a lot from this project such as how to edit a product and embed videos and create an online blog. I also learnt how to create different shots using a video camera as we used the tripod to create smooth shots and used the camera handheld to make more distorted, rough shots. From our preliminary task I have learnt how to edit a piece so that it flows more as for example in our preliminary task the door shut at different times in different shots but when we filmed our real product we filmed the sequence all at once so it didn’t jump to different parts. I have also learnt how to build up tension and how to get a better quality of sound. The programmes we used to create our coursework were iMovie and blogger.com

 

Overall I am pleased with the media product we created. But I would say it needs more flashbacks to help build up more tension especially at the beginning as the running tends to drag on a bit. But it is very good at building tension by creating enigmas and using fast paced editing and flashbacks. The music also fits in well and is good at building tension. The piece flows very well as the editing is very smooth and there are a wide variety of shots used so this is why I would say we did quite well.

Evaluation of 'Even' - Bethany Eddleston

This project is an opening sequence to a feature length thriller film. It shows a girl running away from her house where she has just stabbed someone. I worked on every aspect of the project; however, my focus was on the editing of the sequence.

The genre of the sequence is thriller and we have used many conventions of this genre to make this obvious. The use of low angled shots, low-key lighting and fast paced editing make this sequence typical to the thriller genre. We have made this project different to other thrillers by keeping the victims identity a mystery to create enigmas. Also the music is not typical to the thriller genre but I think it works because it quickens the pace of the sequence making it more exciting to watch. It is important to do something different and new to the genre so that the audience don't get bored of the same thing. To confirm that they didn't get bored, we asked ten people to fill in questionnaires on the sequence and 90% wanted to see more of the film.

In my project I represented women in a way which doesn't fit the dominant mode of representing this group. Women are usually represented as innocent and vulnerable, as in such films as the scream franchise, where women are targeted because they are weak and vulnerable, but in my sequence the girl is shown to be a killer, therefore evil and strong, similar to Sarah Connor in Terminator. This is represented through the shot of her stabbing someone (right). The use of the low angle in this shot shows her as dominant and strong, also the blood on her t-shirt has connotations of violence which is nto commonly associated with women in the media. The representation of women that the audience got from the sequence is that they are the opposite of their stereotype.

I think that the institution most likely to distribute my film would be Film4. This is because they have a reputation for producing and broadcasting alternative and challenging feature films. Also, Film4 say that they are 'committed to enhancing the British film industry by uncovering, nurturing and funding new talent', my film is a British film with unknown actors, this gives it a good chance of being distributed by the company. My film will also appeal to the inquisitive and demanding audience of Film4 as it is an independent, psychological thriller which will excite and challenge the audience.

The audience for my media project would be 16-25 year olds of any gender. This is a good audience to target as they are potentially the biggest audience. Financially, the project could benefit significantly from targeting this specific audience. This is because they visit the cinemas the most; therefore spend the most money.

The sequence does many things to attract the audience such as create enigmas. We asked the audience what enigmas were created in the sequence, they came up with things such as why is she running? who is she stabbing? and where is she going? This helps to propel us into the rest of the film and hook the audience. The audience is also attracted by the tension which is built up. It is built up in many ways, for example, the pace of running and the use of flashbacks. The flashbacks create tension because they hold back information from the audience, leaving it to their imagination what is going on. The music we have used helps to keep the pace of the film fast and tense. it also helps to build tension as during the flashbacks the volume of the music decreases and a non-diegetic high pitched sound can be heard, This creates tension because it makes flashbacks seem strange and eerie. The low angled shot of the girl attracts the audience as it limits their knowledge significantly, creating suspense. They cannot see who is being stabbed; also they cannot see the girls face which hides her emotions from the audience. The use of the black and white effect used on the flashbacks has the same effect as the high pitched sound, it makes the shots seem strange and different.

For my project and my research i have used many different technologies. I used a website called http://www.blogger.com/ to create an online blog showing my research and my progress through the process of making my opening sequence. This has enabled me to learn how to create a blog and also how to embed images and videos onto my blog. I also used http://www.youtube.com/ to search for music and similar sequences to mine. I learnt how to use the URL of a video to embed it onto my blog. By doing this project I have also learnt how to use the cameras to shoot footage and import it onto a computer so it can be edited. The program we used to edit our footage is called Imovie and being the editor I have learnt a lot about this program, I can now split shots, apply sounds and effects, use and apply transitions, edit and delete shots amongst many other things. Imovie made it possible for me to create the black and white flashbacks, apply the music and slow down the shots.

Whilst we were making our project we encountered a few problems. We needed to re-shoot a few shots because the camera was zoomed in too close to the protagonist; we also needed to make some shots longer so that they were long enough to apply transitions and effects to. Another problem we came accross was having to edit the sequence twice because the computer crashed before we had saved it.

I think that our final product is 100% better than our preliminary task, this is because of many factors. The sound on the preliminary task was very poor whereas the sound on the final product is good. Also the shots used in the preliminary task were very plain and simple, whereas we have used different shots, such as the low angled stabbing shot, the point of view shots and the flashbacks, to attract and appeal to the audience.

In conclusion, I think that my product is a very effective opening sequence. This is because it creates enigmas, introduces the main characters and also sets the pace for the rest of the film. I think the use of low-angled shots, point of view shots and effects successfully creates tension and suspense and also hooks the audience. However, I do think that we should have varied the running shots a bit more to make the sequence a little more interesting for the audience.

Opening Sequence Evaluation - David Taylorson

Our project was a horror/thriller which followed the generic conventions of an opening sequence. As well as the typical conventions we also incorporated flashbacks. This allowed the sequence to feel fresh and new as the audience had to work out the narrative for themselves. These proved to be effective for the audience as they were left wanting to see more.

In the opening sequence not just one but several social groups have been represented for example; criminals and victims – men and women. Criminals are usually portrayed as rough looking, men and addicted to drugs, for example, Wild Bill in The Green Mile is a criminal on death row for multiple murders. He is badly dressed, unshaven and mentally unstable. On the other hand victims are seen to be vulnerable and usually women. Looking at the men vs. women stereotype; men are seen to be in control and dominate where as women are weak and maternal. There are several examples of such behaviour; Sarah Connor (Terminator) is on a mission to protect her son from what will happen in the future.

These traditional views have been challenged in our sequence. Instead of men being seen as criminals and dominate the roles have been changed; showing women (the protagonist) as a criminal and the victim, as a male, who is a coward for lying to his lover about an affair.

These groups have been represented through Mise en Scene, Cinematography and Sound. Mise en Scene, for example, women’s clothing and a blood stained t-shirt represent both violence associated with criminals and clothing suggesting female involvement. Along with this through out the piece the non-linear narrative constructed the reason for why the main character was running and what she had done; adding to the criminal/victims stereotype. The location of the sequence took place in a forest which helped to create the atmosphere needed for the horror genre along with location was the use of parallel sound which set the pace for the overall clip.

These representations were challenging the trend of the media. Mainly due to the fact that the media sees men as violent killers where as in our sequence it is the female that turns out to be violent and dangerous. Challenging the dominant mode helps to offer something new and fresh to the genre, add intrigue and hence capture the audiences’ imagination.

The product would appeal to a company such as Film4 who specialise in British products from independent filmmakers, and the alternative view of women may even appeal to America viewers.
The audience for the product would be male and female viewers 18 – 25 years old. It may also appeal to fans of the genre or British films. This audience is a good target group as they are still open to alternative views rather than mainstream ideals, this would in turn attract a small niche of viewers who would almost certainly want a sequel or buy fan merchandise.

Looking at the feedback collected of the finished product it is clear to see that it has received positive feedback. With 80% of the viewers wanting to see what would happen to the protagonist and who she had actually murdered. Some even speculated that she may not have even murdered anyone (10%). This positive feedback would help to set the stage for possible sequels.

We attracted the audience in several ways one of which was equilibrium. This was established by the first shot of our character running but was then broken once the first flashback had taken place; leaving the audience confused by the events and making them thing about what is going on.

A sense of time (chronology) was created by the flashbacks which explained the events leading up to the protagonist running through the woods. Flashbacks were created by using a fade in and out transition along with the use of black and white; giving the feeling that the events had taken place sometime in the past. Using black and white also suggests evil vs good and also adds to the mystery. This draws in the audience and makes them put together the flashbacks to work out the narrative.

Another concept was enigmas – throughout the sequence questions are raised such as; why is she running? Who has she murdered? These help to keep the audience gripped on the events - the pace of the editing (4 seconds) between frames also helped to maintain a steady pace to the product which helped towards raising these enigmas.

The music in the sequence is up beat but still has a low bass to it. With the upbeat music and the time between shots being approximately four seconds the pace of the scene was maintained throughout. Transition between the clips uses straight cuts this also keeps the audience on the edge of their seats and the pace quick and lively.

During the sequence special effects such as slow motion and black and white are used. Slow motion helped to keep the tension building throughout the sequence and also added intrigue and emotion. The use of a black and white filter on the flashbacks helps to create Binary Opposites of good vs. evil and also assists with the chronology of events.

Another device used to capture the audience was the use of high angle shots to show the vulnerability of the protagonist; also upsetting the equilibrium as we associate high angles with vulnerability but hasn’t she just murdered someone?

Overall from the preliminary work to the finished product I have learnt that working as a team is essential for success of the product. Also adequate planning is needed and deadlines need to be set to keep the project on track. Looking back at the media aspects of product some new skills have been learnt and techniques such as fake blood and running with the camera to create a POV shot helped to add realism.

Throughout the project we have used research technologies such as the internet, youtube and imdb.com. These resources were simple and easy ways of accessing millions of clips and information on our relative genre. The use of blogger.com has also allowed us to display our research and finished project in a quick reference and easily accessible place. Creating the sequence has also allowed us to work with camcorders and imovie technology. Working with camcorders was reasonably easy to do and any mistakes could easily be undone by using imovie; whether to cut/crop shots or to add effects such as low contrast. imovie could also be used to add title cards and a cast list.

To conclude the product came very close to the desired result, with only a few minor problems, that could not be resolved with the technology we had. For example running to fast would sometimes cause the shots to become blurred and out of focus. A possible second problem was time management which led us to rushing towards the end of the time allocated to finish the product. However, the project was a result with positive feedback from the audience.

David

The Final Product!

Risk Assessment

These are our risk assessment forms which all of the group have signed and dated.

Storyboards

These are our storyboards for our project. A script is not necessary as there is no dialogue in the sequence. Our storyboards are not set out in chronological order, they are set out in locations so that there are two sheets for house shots and two sheets for woods shots. 

These two sheets are our house shots for our sequence.

These two sheets are our wood shots for our project.