Question 6 What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Throughout this project I have learnt a variety of new skills and been introduced to software programmes I have never worked with before. The course has improved my terminology and IT skills. Although I took media at GCSE  level I never used software programs such as 'iMovie and garage band'. 

At the beginning of this project my camera skills and editing techniques weren't very good, I lacked knowledge in editing software programs and the way they worked along with the terminology.

The most commonly used software programme that I used throughout this course was 'iMovie'.When using this software to edit videos and place together transformations and text to create a flowing clip it was something I had to learn as I went along. I understood the basic skills from cutting and uploading the video but removing sound, adding a filter and adjusting the speed of the clip something that I needed guidance with due to the lack of experience I sustained.

Garage band was another software which was used through the editing stage for our thriller opening. This was a programme which I hadn't used before but found it preferably easier to understand compared to the iMovie setup. One main reason for using this programme was to record conversations which wasn't heard when filming. One key part that made our original filming piece hard to hear was the wind ,therefore to overcome this problem we used the garage band software to record through the mac and then use within our final cut. 

Although I had never had any experience with blogger nor heard of the site before however I found it preferably easy to navigate myself around, it wasn't complex to use and I found it overall a usefully website to use, due to it expanding my computer skills. This is because I learnt how to import videos , insert pictures and hyperlinks into whatever I was talking about on a blog post. Adapting the text size and font colour and making sure the page layout was the same was something that I learnt first. Overall I wouldn't hide away if someone asked me to explain how to use this site due to me being quite confident with using the site myself.

Additionally a software site which I had actually used before was YouTube converter, this is a site where you can legally download both the audio track and the film clip to your computer. This website came in useful when we added the idence and production companies before the begging of our opening thriller clip. Therefore I had no trouble in using this site and its generally a handy website to use due to it being a simple copy and paste follow by a click on the convert button. 

A technique which I had done before was importing and exporting files, weather this was video recordings or photographs it was a section I was comfortable with and had experience with before. 

Evaluation 5 - How did you attract/address your audience?

Within our thriller opening we chose to use mise en scene and props to address the audience. By the male actors in our film wearing casual high street clothing brands it implies that they are of a middle class , due to them being able to afford the items. Teenagers tend to care about their appearance and tend to wear brands logos then what the older generation would. The brands the actors wear ironically represent and symbolises what teenagers in our generation wear. Brands couch as Vans , ASOS, Topshop, Nike,  Addidas, Pandora and Apple were all included within the media production. These brand names are known by our target audience therefore they would be able to relate and perhaps own the same kind of branded clothing as the actors.


In this image two boys are seen having a
conversation in the park, this is a location which its stereotypically known for teenagers to hang around; in parks and street corners. Therefore by using this setting its a location which enforces this stereotype and links to the audience target market.

The boy to the left wears a baseball cap and a Nike jacket whilst the boy on the right is seen holding an iPhone ,these day the generation of teenagers tend to have the latest phone upgrade. Therefore using this type of technology means it would more addressed to teenagers due to adults and the older generation perhaps not having the latest phone or appreciating how common it is for teenagers in society to day to be using a mobile.
By also using two mobile phones which were apple brands could attract the audience more to this generation due to the majority of young teenagers having at least one apple product.
In the second image the boy is seen wearing an expensive watch and picking up a Pandora bracelet. Overall we felt that using a costume style which linked to how teenagers stereotypically dress in the 21st century. Using well known branded clothing addressed our audience more and helped grab our target markets attention. 


Having constant background music in our opening thriller was a key importance, it added tension and created a dramatic atmosphere. Without including music it produced an unprofessional piece and wasn't at all effective. Overall we chose to keep away from a music track which included lyrics due it it distracting the view from what was actually being said in the scene. This restricted us from basing our music around a certain age group, however when researching into pervious on the market thriller films we found that to create tension and an unsettling atmosphere  no lyrical music being added only the audio track. Also by adding an audio it meant that it didn't restrict who would be watching the film, although we aimed to base it around teenagers ,we could've chosen a song which didn't appeal to most teenagers due to there being a huge variety of music categories to chose from.

For the filming purposes we weren't restricted to the filming location, we chose to film in three locations which were a park, the streets and a house/ basement. Using these locations it addressed our audience, this is because teenagers are stereotypically found meeting there mates in local places, therefore we chose a park for this scenario. It was important that we chose our locations to link to were our audience would normally go, choosing a park was a hangout place which teenagers could relate to.  Our second location was the roads/ streets , due to our target market not being able to drive It meant we could subvert the stereotype of parents picking their kids up and instead show the  teenagers walking to their location. We set the scene to the park because it was a place that everyone had been to  before and due to it being a normal everyday location it meant the audience could question why we didn't use an unusual location such as a abandoned building.

Additionally the type of characters we used effected the type of audience we would attract. Due to their being both genders within our film it meant the film would appeal to both male and female. However due to us choosing younger teenagers to be actors it meant that it would limit the age barrier that the film would be marketed towards.

Evaluation 7 - Looking back at your preliminary task what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

Towards the beginning of the year we were given a task to practice our camera work and editing skills, by setting a prelim task we was able to work with the equipment and produce an understanding of what different shots would be successful during our final thriller opening.

We were provided with a list of camera shots we were required to include for example , a shot reverse shot , 180 degree rule and match on action.

We used a shot reverse shot during a conversation during the interview, by using a shot reverse shot it signifies to the audience that the two characters are looking directing at each other. The shot reverse shot often ties in with the 180° rule to retain continuity and not distorting the audience’s sense of location of the actors in the shots.

Below is a video clip of be discussing the problems towards our final prelim video.

Throughout the project our knowledge and understanding of making a clip flow smoothly with transitions and editing technique. This is something that we wasn't to strong with when it came to using transitions in our prelim task, also within the prelim task we had very long shot framing, this subverted the stereotypical thriller opening due to there being fast short cuts from each scene in a traditional thriller movie.

Something that I noticed I didn't mention in the video was the list of cast and crew towards the final few second of our prelim video, By watching this back and researching into what was scene at the begging of a film ,I've noticed that it wasn't a necessary to have it within the film opening due to no film having the end credits shoved into the middle of their storyline.

Evaluation 3

Our ideal audience of our media product seized would be teenagers, male and female; this generation could relate to some events that take place within the film. The narrative and storyline of our film could appeal to a variety of ages ,preferably 13-15 year olds due to the actors being relatively around the same age group. Some themes that we have included are abduction/kidnapping along with mystery. These are stereotypical themes that are conveyed into thriller movies and overall appeal to a mass audience. We’ve targeted our film at middle classed people due to the highstreet branded clothing and accessories which are worn by the actors. A film that our opening could relate to is ‘Taken’ due to the main character being a male who is left saving his daughter who has been kidnapped. Our end thriller opening piece is similar due to the catalyst being a teenage girl being kidnaped and her male friends are left to rescue her. However we didn’t include any sexual content, graphic scenes of violence within our opening which therefor doesn’t restrict our audience and actually widens the audience range. Due to the main characters in our film being males we chose to ensure we would appeal the film majority to boys rather than girls, however because there is a girl who is also one of the key characters we did enforce that girls would also benefit and perhaps could relate to the film which is why they were still partly our target market audience.

Question 2 - How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Question 2 - How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In our thriller opening the main social group we chose to represent was younger teenagers. As seen in the print screens from our film the teenagers are seen wearing causal clothing from affordable high street brands. Within this shot the boy to the right seen in the jumper and basic black jeans it portrayed as a typically dresses teenage boy. He obtains an earing on his left ear which automatically emphasizes his young age and the lack of maturity due to a piercing on a boy can be seen as either a gang symbol and perhaps something that he done himself or stereotypically related to a boys teenagers years as grown men don't seem to wear them due to them being seen as tacky and chavy. The boy to the left is dressed similar he wears a baseball cap ,a black puffer jacket and casual blue jeans. The cap he wears is worn to represent the sporty side that male teenagers seem to obtain, the jacket with the nike symbol is stereotypical for teenagers to have especially boys due to the brand nike being a sport based clothing and footwear company. Black teenage boys are stereotypically seen as trouble makers and hang around the streets in gangs, therefore our thriller opening subverts this idea due to their being only two boys who try and rescue their girl mate. The girl (megan) wears jeans, a stripy top and a leather jacket. By her dressing in this way it implies she is subverting the stereotype of looking girly by dressing in skirts and dresses, also this is seen through the dark and dull colored clothing she wears, another thing would be the minimal make up she wears which also subverts how teenage girls dress. Due to her being the only girl present it could suggest that she prefers hanging out with the boys rather that girls, signifying that she gets along with them more which is shown through the mist en scene and her body language.

Megan however comes across to be giggly and her body posture/ language towards the boys makes out she is shy and nervous perhaps which is shown through her giggling. Therefore megan does begin the fit the stereotype of a girl acting cute and not with over confident and showing off by being loud. The way she sits portrays megan in an innocent and vulnerable way with foreshadows why she may be an easy target to kidnapped rather then the two black boys who stereotypically are seen in previous thriller movies to be involved in violence and crime.

The boy in the grey hoodie fits the stereotype of a teenage boy, they are portrayed as being over confident and often loud, perhaps showing off in front of girls. Being a black teenager they are stereotypically exposed as being assertive ,funny and flamboyant in movies, actors like Kevin heart are seen cracking a joke or casually laughing in films ,this links to our opening because David jumps up and starts awkwardly laughing which adds the stereotypical comedy genre that back boys uphold in films. However the second boy subverts this stereotype of how a black boy acts because he comes across to be quiter and more concerned about where megan is and begins to panic questioning if they said to meet at their usually seating area in the park. 

Question 1 : In what way does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Evaluation - Question 1

I have chosen to talk about a couple of particular frames from my film opening that portrayed and challenged the generic conventions of thriller films. 

Flashbacks:

We chose to use the flash back stereotype which is used within a thriller movie. They are used to create a feeling of space and time disorientation , this therefore creates a feeling of confusion within the audience.  The reason we chose to use this convention is due to the message and effect that comes across with it. It displays what has happened in the past, which could emphasis why the characters are in the situation they are presently. By having a flashback it overall provides the audience with an insight into the characters past and provides the viewer with info ration they need to understand.

The placing of the flashback within the opening scene to our thriller film was incorporated in to provide the audience with answers for how she was kidnapped in the first place, our flashback was used within a thrilling scene that was cut right before her friends got to rescue the victim. Although it wasn't a flashback that went years back it still indicates and providers the a audience with answers, and filled in any gaps that weren't previously answered.

A thriller film that influenced us to use flashbacks  within out seized film opening was 'The Butterfly Effect' - flashbacks are used within this film to show a glimpse of the backstory of the film , by showing fragments of the story it allow the audience to piece together what it actually going on, much like a piecing al the parts to a puzzle together. Therefore within out storyline we chose to incorporate this flashback idea so that we could keep with the thriller genre that a flashback upholds, and the mystery behind solving a puzzle that a flashback 

Lighting:

Low key lighting is a convention that we chose to stick with throughout the filming process, Dim lighting is used within certain scenes in a thriller movie. This type of convention ties in with shadows, within our film we chose to use little lighting when filming the the garage kidnapping scene, this allowed us to pick up on a  majority of different shadows .We chose to stick with a conventional thriller as shadows were used within our storyline to represent the inner darkness and evil that we wanted to emphasises the kidnapper to have. This print screen from our movie shows the eeriness and increase of tension that having shadows creates for the film.









Camera work and editing:

The most typical shot used in thriller films seems to be the close up, greatly used in both films Se7en and Kill Bill , by ding this it builds up suspense and mystery in the beginning which is what we wanted to incorporate in our opening, therefore we kept with this thriller convention. 

To create an interesting and effective thriller opening, we made sure to include a variety of different camera angles , the most commonly used shots were medium an long shots ,this was to show the location surroundings the film was set around and the costumes used which separated the victims and kidnapper. We also included close up's although not as many of these shots were included we did find that using a close up was our best way to represent the facial feature for the person speaking especially during the phone call conversation.
When it came down to editing we stuck with the fast cuts and editing like we had scene in previous thriller films , such as 'inceptions' opening fighting scene. By placing transitions on parts that we wanted to represent there being a time different or a change in the location . The editing is cut quick and begins to increase in speed along with the non-digetic sound incorporated into the film as well. The speed of the cuts gets progressively faster to emphasise the tension that is being built up as the characters rush through the house to save their friend.

A point of view shot that we used is conventional within a thriller movie, although we only used one point of view shot we still found that it was necessary to have , the reason for this is because it puts the audience into the characters shoes.  The jutting and shaking of the camera represented the panic that was going through the kidnapper and being reflected within the cameras movement.  Something that this type of shot allows you to do is add heathy breathing during the editing stage,by doing this it adds to the suspense and tension which is being created in this scene. Another thing which can be incorporated into t appoint of view shot when editing is footsteps, stereotypically you can hear shuffling of feet and sometimes the body language and emotion can be highlighted through someones walking paste.





silence of the lambs pov shot

The silence of the lambs was where we became inspired to use a POV shot in our opening.   Within this scene they used the camera to represent the girl looking into the jail cage. Afterwards the camera cuts to an other the shoulder shot of the boy looking directly at the women. This is something that we chose to incorporate into our film, the use of an over the shoulder shot gives the illusion and perspective that the audience are within the scene swell. So by using the POV and over the should shot together creates an interesting and feel of the audience being at the location swell.

We stuck with the convention of using a typical low camera angle shot, of the girl (victim) looking up at the kidnapper who stands tall and very serious informant of her. This  type of angle is used to portray the victim to be vulnerable and innocence with a very weak status compared to the kidnapper. This there for emphasises that the victim had a much lower status compared to the kidnapper.


Film Title
This next frame I have chosen to talk about is how our film incorporates conventions in the film title. The title of a film plays an important role of providing the audience with a teaser of the storyline without revealing too much of the plot. Therefore as a group we chose the name 'Seized' we tried placing the title on a backdrop but didn't think it was as effective and was against this idea, it cut away the tension which we was trying to build up to the title name appearing. Therefore we agree on placing the tittle overlaying the film as it continued to play. Placing the name above the kidnapper shoulder and entering with a ding drop sound with a transition of the text forming into one.