Ella's Evaluation - Question Seven

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

Costume and Location
For the preliminary task, we were unorganised. Looking back, we did little preparation, we never discussed in detail our costume and although we quickly decided we wanted to use one of the offices at our college as our location. We went about getting permission and time in space the wrong way and didn't do it soon enough. Therefore when we turned up we had to rush filming as we only had a short time in the space. However for our 'White Collar Complex' opening sequence, we researched and discussed every single detail of hair, makeup, costume, location. We explored each of our ideas to make it the best possible film. We realistic costumes and believable locations.

As we were filming outside of college we needed permission to film in each of our locations, which we went about gaining early on and choosing a suitable date and time to film.  This meant we were organised and had plenty of time to film and re-film as many shots as we needed in the space. Despite this, unfortunately, our location of 'Starbucks' Hayward's Heath let us down on the day. We overcame this by making a little indie cafe inside my house. Thankfully, it looked quite good and was still believable as many little indie coffee shops in London are popular with richer consumer, which was similar to the characters we were creating

Sound
In our preliminary we learnt about Foley sound effects and using sound to increase, with such things as crescendo, drama and tension creating climatic moments, to fit with our thriller genre.
This then gave us the knowledge and experience to go forward and be confident using it in our main task.
Although we didn't put many obvious Foley sound effects, we still spent a lot of time recording sounds and adding them in post production. For example, the subtle background ambient sound of people talking in the cafe or the diegetic synchronous sound of chopping the vegetables. We had to match the sound perfectly with the action of the chop on screen which took a lot of time and was difficult. However using chopping sounds we recorded at the scene  gave us the freedom to use the shots which may look the best from a cinematography point of view despite not have the best sound, as we knew we had quality sound we could add when editing. We also used some more clear non-diegetic sound, to make our sequence more interesting and keep the spectator on the edge of their seat. For example when Natalie is on the phone, there's varied shots jumping and the sound of white noise adding emphasis to Natalie's reaction of shock and giving an atmosphere of panic and fear.
We also used sound to try build enigma for example the off screen sound at the end of our film when Natalie hears the gun shot through a phone, it makes the spectator question what is happening and intrigues them.

Editing
Our preliminary film included barely any editing at all; we used simple basic cuts, there wasn't any colour correction and only a slight slow motion effect was applied. Our sound was also was recorded at the time of the filming and the only editing done was the adding of a parallel comedic soundtrack.

Our 'White Collar Complex' thriller opening was more varied and sophisticated. The process began with us uploading and labelling each individual piece of footage we had captured. This allowed us to easily edit our film without losing clips or having to scroll through everything to find what we wanted. It gave us the leeway to be able to use perhaps even the tiniest snipper of an outtake in order to get the best finished product. 

We again, in our 'White Collar Complex' film, used the slow motion video effect on a scene to help add emphasis of time passing. We took our knowledge from the preliminary to be able to easily use this.  This we combined with other techniques, which we learnt through experimentation such as the fade in fade out transition. In addition to this, in our preliminary we learnt about white balance and its importance. However as we used different cameras, the setup was different and unfortunately as we began editing we observed that we must have done it incorrectly as some shots had a yellowy tone. Luckily this gave us an opportunity to further our editing skills as we colour corrected these shots successfully using Final Cut Pro.

Lighting
When shooting our preliminary task we only used the natural lighting from a window and the one ceiling light in the small room we used as our location. For our main task, we learnt more about the various lighting options and techniques to use them. Therefore when it came to lighting our 'White Collar Complex' film, we knew how to light our set to create subtle naturalistic lighting as well as enabling us to get a clearly lit scene so the spectator can see everything.

Ella's Evaluation - Question One

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

Throughout our thriller opening there are various elements conforming to the conventions of the thriller genre; such as typical elements of mise en scene, restricted narration, cinematography, sound and editing. Firstly, enigma is immediately portrayed with the introduction of our protagonist. We see various shots, including a close up of her hands whilst she anxiously plays with them, communicating she is nervous. This conveys an enigma as the audience are invited to ask who she is, why she is there alone and why she looks so nervous? This kind of enigma at the start of a thriller film is extremely common for example 'Zodiac' (2007) which also begins with two characters meeting and having a conversation. This set the mood of the whole sequence as it immediately creates tension a key theme in the thriller genre. Another generic convention of the thriller genre is the narrative, the majority of narratives centre around a crime eg. a theft or a murder. In the next scene we see our first protagonist walking around calling her sister Hannah as time passes. As this is happening text appears on the screen making the audience aware of the term 'white collar crime' before going on to the title 'White Collar Complex'. This conforms to the stereotypical Thriller genre as it conveys to the spectator the film is about a 'financially motivated crime' aka a financial theft.  Furthermore in the next scene we hear a gun shot connoting there has also been a murder. We then see the use of weapons within our opening sequence, we hear a gunshot and we also see Natalie, the first protagonist chopping vegetables with a large kitchen knife, similar almost the the one used in the famous 'Psycho' (1960). Further enigma is created by restricted camerawork. In our thriller opening we see an extreme close up mysterious mouth state "problem solved", the spectator may be unsure of who it belongs to making it more interesting. Especially combined with the intriguing dialogue. Finally the fact that we start at the end of the plot is typical of thriller. A series of/one important enigmas are set up in the opening sequence of a thriller film, it is further complicated during the first part of the film and only resolved at the very end. If we had made our thriller opening into an entire film, this is what we would have done.

 

 

Our opening sequence included a lot of generic conventions of successful thrillers, in order to communicate genre and be the best possible product it could be. Just like in the thriller 'Lucy' (2014) we have a female protagonist, which is true for many modern thrillers. Other typical conventions of thrillers such as isolation, like that of Natalie at various points in our thriller opening, isolated in her location and emotions. For example the isolation of Amy Dunne in Gone Girl (2014). Thrillers use costumes to clearly communicate to the audience the status, importance and role of a character in a narrative. In our sequence our characters wore designer clothing and jewellery such as; a Dior bracelet to communicate wealth. In the opening sequence for 'The Silence Of The Lambs' (1991) we clearly see a male character wearing an FBI hat suggesting its a crime thriller etc. 'Kill Bill" (2003) keeps the antagonist hidden in the opening by only revealing a hand another typical convention of thrillers.

Naomi's Evaluation - Question Three

We have produced a low budget thriller film in our role as an Independent British Film production company and do not aim to compare our product to those of the high end in media distribution and institutions.

There are 3 main stages of distributing a product to the audience:

• Film production
• Film distribution 
• Film Exhibition 

FILM PRODUCTION.

We had a clear understanding of how our background and shots would look before we filmed. It was easier and quicker to use a well known area by at least one of us so that we could get to our locations effectively rather than filming in a unfamiliar setting. Our film production company logo was made up and produced on Photoshop, we used a simplistic name that was simply mine, Ella's and Folly's letter of our first name making our film production name FEN. We did this to make our film production name look as professional as possible and realistic.

FILM DISTRIBUTION.

Distribution is about reaching our target audience with the product for their viewing, it brings the film to life. It is the most important part of the process as it connects the product with an audience, this can be done in two ways:

1. Cinema 
2. Home viewing

If we were to go down cinema route we would not consider high end, popular cinema as we are low budget and independent so our film would not compete against the films shown. So as it would have to be somewhere cheap we would aim for independent cinemas like the 'Duke of Yorks' in Brighton, Gate in London or little theater cinema in York. These cinemas would be visited by our target audience so would fit with our film and marketing. However, home viewing produces more options at a cheaper cost that can reach our target audience more effectively as is is more direct with digital viewing and the target audience may feel more comfortable in their own homes. Having our film released downloadable on Itunes and viewable on Netflix, Youtube and Vimeo would reach our target audience directly and having advertisements and marketing online through social networking would further widen the films consumption. The only downside to this type of marketing would be piracy, we could lose a considerable amount of control over how our film is consumed but that is a risk we would take. The next step would be to release our film on DVD if there was a high consumption and strong positive feedback we could also make merchandise including T-shirts and hats.

 

 

 

FILM EXHIBITION.

For home viewing and allowing the audience to view the film on a variety of digital technologies I would chose Netflix as a main distribution. This is because it is becoming increasingly popular with our target audience and in more recent years majority of our audience tend to view programs and films via sites like netflix and iplayers rather than watching them first hand on tv. The other main reason is because netflix has an 'independent' category which our film would fit into as well as a 'thriller' category this further shows that Netflix would be the best option for our film.

Ella's Evaluation - Question Five

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

We aimed to mainly attract a female audience. We appealed to our female target audience through the use of attractive female leads. Through research, using such websites as http://business.pearlanddean.com/films_guide. We discovered that the most popular films amongst female audiences have females leads. It is suggested by the Uses and Gratifications theory, that we watch films as we aspire to be like the characters we watch and also because we can relate to what we are watching. Using this knowledge we used mise en scene to create rich powerful characters through costume and makeup, both Natalie and Maggie wearing designer clothing and jewellery. However our characters also go through everyday emotions such as worry and anger. Therefore we are attracting our target audiences by using female protagonists by both creating characters they aspire to be like as well as making them relatable to our female audience. 

Our thriller was also targeted at a 15-26 year olds. We attracted them by having a modern, filled with action narrative. The fast paced narrative was similar to such thrillers as 'Kill Bill' which attracted huge audiences of 18 - 26 year olds. We used contemporary language, including swearing, which stereotypically attracts a teenage audience. We also used young characters as our leads again allowing our audiences to relate to them, relating it back to the Uses and Gratifications of why we watch films. We used mise en scene, including modern props, such as an iPhone which most teenagers have in todays UK society. This would again address our target audience and it would make the opening seem realistic and similar to them. Also the flashy lifestyle portrayed by our characters would similarly appeal to our target age group as most young people aspire to be wealthy and successful. 

Ella's Evaluation - Question Four

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

Our thriller was targeted at 15-24 year-olds who are mainly female. We chose to rate our film a 15. As we have some strong language in our sequence and in the film as a whole there is likely to be strong violence.  We felt this was appropriate for our target audience and also suitable for the themes and issues we wanted to explore. We have decided to appeal and target females specifically as our protagonists and antagonists are going to be ‘glamorous’ females with alluring makeup and costumes. This generally attracts women as they aspire to be like the women in the film, as well as relating to the as fellow females. For example 'Black Swan' (2011), not only did I as a female go to this film with my female, I know my mother did with her female friends although none of my male friends did. This conveys how generally, the majority of spectators going to see a film with a female protagonist in it are female. This is also indicated by the research by 'Pearl and Dean', If you look at this 'Films at a glance' the most popular with the female audiences has got a female lead. 

Our film could also attract a male audience as they would like the action as well as be attracted to the women. For example 'Fast and Furious 7' (2015) a film filled with action. I took a show of hands pole in my film class, mixed equally with males and females asking who had been to see the film. All that raised their hands were male.  In our film, there are suggestions to weapons such as knives and firearms as well as actually having them shown in the film. This again attracts the male audience for the action element.

Ella's Evaluation - Question Three

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

We have produced a low budget UK thriller film as an Independent British Film distribution/production company, we did not aim to compete with those of the high-end massively profitable in media distribution and institutions. 

Film distribution is about reaching our target audience with the product for their viewing. It is the most crucial part of the process as it connects the product with the audience, there are a few ways in which this can be done; either cinema or home viewing. By placing using home viewing we would be uploading the film onto the internet. Through doing this it becomes widely accessible. A huge amount of people globally can access it with ease. This allows us to extend our possible audience to who has an internet connection. Youtube would be the best choice to distribute our film onto the internet. Since YouTube is the 3rd most popular website, it gives us an opportunity to reach millions of possible consumers. It is easy and cheap to distribute the film this way, we simply would have to make a YouTube account then the film is available for free to anyone who wants to view it. Although initially the element that it is free to view, could be seen as a negative. However, it is still possible to earn a profit through doing this. If people like the film, they may want to invest in its merchandise. You could sell T-Shirts or DVD copies of the films to the fans, allowing you to gain an income. In addition to this, if you film starts getting enough views, YouTube will pay you to allow them to advertise on your videos. The more click throughs an advert gets the more money you receive and the more views the more click throughs.

YouTube also makes it extremely easy for us to share our film on social networking sites, meaning more publicity and access to more possible consumers. YouTube connects to our target audience, of 15-24 year-olds who are mainly female as it is a familiar site and 15-24 year olds are constantly on the internet. It also allows people to interact with the actual producers and the film, they can like, share and comment on the film. 

Ella's Evaluation - Question Two

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

When looking at our thriller opening, there are clear representations of specific social groups. For our thriller we had to make certain choices when it came to portraying our characters in out film. It's impossible to present every aspect of the character, even within a feature film, so in our short 2 minute opening we highlighted certain features of their personality and appearance, to construct the representation we wanted the audience to see. When representing a person, media texts often focus on their:

• Age
• Gender
• Race/Ethnicity
• Financial Status

Natalie, our first character is a young female in her mid 20s, she is caucasian. Having a young attractive caucasian female protagonist is typical of the thriller genre, it allows women to relate to the role and typically a "beautiful" woman attracts men. Natalie more innocent, she had to be really convinced by Maggie and has more of a conscious about they've been doing. To convey this we used mise en scene and cinematography, we included close up shots of her facial expressions and had her body language as nervous, playing with her hands. She is British, this is communicated through her accent and dialect. Natalie was well dressed in nice clothes, she wore a smart/classy shirt and modern white high waisted jeans, designer Jimmy Choo high heel shoes. She also wore desinger jewellery such as Pandora earrings and a Dior bracelet. This not only represents that she is stylish and young, it allows the audience to see her wealth. Portraying her wealth was vital to the narrative of our thriller film opening and, if we had extended the text, to the entire plot. Her makeup was simple and her hair was down with the front clipped back.  These aspects combined, allowed us to represent a typical weak female character, so often conveyed in movies the 'damsel in distress'. Women are always known to be the victim within a thriller movie and women usually get dragged into the problem e.g.- the fight/argument happening within the movie. For example 'Drive' (2011) had no women within the opening on the movie clip, however the man within the movie was seen as always on the move, dominate and strong but also lonely. We chose to represent Natalie in this way, as a young naive girl who has recently come into money. 

The character of Maggie is a manipulative, ruthless, attractive young girl who will do anything for money. She is also a young female in her mid 20s and she is caucasian. We used Maggie's behaviour within the sequence, again with mise on scene, her body language, facial expression, makeup and props all helped to represent her class and financial status. Maggie enters wearing a stylish blue coat, a revealing crop top and modern high waisted black jeans. She is carrying a lot of carrier bags, all from different designer shops, these different elements connote she has been living the 'high life'. They represent Maggie as belonging to the upper class.

She had quite heavy makeup, emphasis on the eye makeup and blusher and her hair down. This ensured she looked like a stereotypical White rich female. This will convince the audience she has a lot of money. Maggie subverted the stereotypical representation of women in thrillers as she was strong, which we conveyed through her use of dialogue and overall demeanour within our opening. The cinematography of Maggie allowed us to show the audience her feisty nature, such as the long shot of her storming out the cafe. This clearly showed our choice to subvert the stereotypical portrayal of females in thrillers.