Friday 24 February 2017

Evalution 7 - Looking Back At Your Preliminary Task, What Do You Feel You Have Learnt In The Progression From It To The Full Product?

Camera - using a range of camera shots

In our preliminary task we didn’t use a range of camera shots and this therefore lead to lack of diversity along with leaving the audience uninterested. In our film opening we have used a range of camera shots such as mid-shots, long-shots and close ups to either help the audience gain a better understanding of the setting, to exaggerate an emotion or to involve the audience more on the action. For example when Faye is outside school after the previous weekend of drama here is a close up of her taking a deep breathe this therefore emphasises her emotion of worry to the audience and makes them feel more involved in the film. Therefore I have learnt that using a range of camera shots does make the film more appealing. 

Using different camera angles for different effects

In our preliminary the camera angles we used didn’t have any relevance to connoting something to the audience. In our film opening we used a range of camera angles to connote something to the audience. For example, when the three ‘mean girls’ were on the stairs we used a low angle to show the hierarchy of The Triple L's (the mean girls). We did this because we were hoping the audience would gain an understanding of the mean girls’ high status to everyone else in the film. I have learnt that using a range of different camera angles make the film more attractive due to the fact there are different angles throughout changing the audiences perspective. 

Framing

In our preliminary task we were not as conscious about what was in and out of shot. Therefore this lead to some irrelevant things being in shot and some things that could benefit the shot not in shot. We were very conscious about the framing in our film opening, we made sure that everything in the frame was relevant and contributed somehow to the mood or what was going on in the scene. For example in the party scene we used a mid-shot in order to get our props, such as the alcohol bottles in shot in order to connote our genre and therefore attracting our target audience. I have learnt that being conscious of what is in and out of the frame is important due to the fact it can have an impact on the audience. 


Using camera movement

In our preliminary task we didn't use any form of camera movement therefore this lowered the quality of our video. But in our film opening we did, we used tracking from a side angle. We did this twice, once to film the group of people walking up to the house and secondly when Christian is walking up to Faye outside the school. We used this form of tracking because it involves  the audience more due to the fact they are moving with the person/people.  Therefore we were hoping the audience would feel more engaged and due to this enjoy the film. Therefore I have learnt that using camera movement makes a better film because it adds some interaction into the film making the audience feel as if they are there.

Mise en scene

In our preliminary task we didn't use mise en scene as well or as effectively as we could of. This is due to the fact our setting was unrealistic, we had no props or costumes. In our film opening we did use mise en scene effectively. Our costumes were realistic, for example at the party Charlie was wearing a shirt which is more formal attire (clothing you are likely to see at a party) and at school everyone was dressed casually. We also used different lightings effectively to connote a certain mood. For example, during the party scene there was dark lighting therefore creating a party atmosphere leading to our film opening looking more realistic.  We also used different props to connote our genre and attract our audience. For example, when Faye wakes up she is woken by a phone alarm, this is a more modern form of alarm therefore appealing to our younger audience. Our different settings such as the school setting helps to connote our genre due to the fact the majority of teenagers attend school. By using all these different forms of mise en scene we were hoping to be relatable to our audience therefore attracting them to our film. I have learnt that miss en scene plays an important role in making a good film because it helps to convey the genre and also costumes and props can come across relatable to the audience.

Use of titles

In our preliminary we didn't use any titles therefore our video wasn't as aesthetically pleasing. But in our film opening we used several titles. All the various text and titles throughout our film opening are in bright colours, mainly pink and purple. This is because stereotypically girls like and are attracted to these colours, therefore by doing we were hoping this would interest our audience more. When our film title 'OMG' is introduced it is in bold, serif writing and in the font Goudy Stout. This style of writing is large on the screen and therefore stands out, it is also pink. By having our title looking like this we were hoping the audience would be more attracted to our film and remember its name. I have learnt that titles are important due to the fact if they styled in a certain way they can be seen as interesting and will attract the audiences attention.

Editing

In our preliminary task we did use a lot of shot reverse shot and match on action. We thought the great use of these forms of editing were unnecessary due to the fact in some places the took they attention away from the dialogue.  In our film opening we used match on action once when the film cuts straight to the action of Lucy opening the door to her party guests. This form of editing keeps up the fast pace of the party scene and by doing this we were hoping to keep the audience engaged. In our film opening we also used several transitions. One of the transitions we used was clock wipe we used this to go forwards in time to move from the party scene at the weekend to the first day back of school in the week. By using this transition we were hoping to keep the audience aware and updated of what is going on in the film . I have learnt that editing is also important because it adds some excitement and change to each scene changing therefore attracting the audience because teenagers generally like excitement.




Sunday 19 February 2017

Evaluation 6 - What Have You Learnt About Technoligies From The Process Of Constructing This Product?


The computer was our most commonly used media technology because it had all he software needed to edit and access our footage. The programme on the computer that we used to edit our film opening was Premier Pro. We used Premier Pro because it is a reliable, fast and easy to use programme which enabled used to upload and edit our footage efficiently. Though I was not the main editor of the film opening I still had some input in editing and the ideas and changes we made. Our group was able to make decisions on different effects and text inserts to create a good video.



On the computer we also used Photoshop to edit create and edit our production company logo. This software enabled us to edit our logo and make changes easily in order to create the best possible company logo. As we learnt more about Photoshop we were able to improve our company logo to make it look professional and realistic.



We also used a digital filming camera to film our content for the opening. The digital filming camera was very convenient because when filming we were able to easily erase unwanted footage, for example if the lighting was incorrect or if the shot was not as we wanted it to look. Due to the fact all of our footage was saved on the cameras hard-drive meant that our footage was able to be uploaded straight to the computer with no extra technology needed apart from the camera lead.


We also used Power Point to make our initial ideas power point this was very helpful as we were able to write about our ideas and present them easily but efficiently. We used Publisher to create a table to then make our risk assessment this software was also very convenient as we were able to make or risk assessment clear and easy to understand with no issues at all, We also used Microsoft Word to write our script  this was a good, reliable piece of software because it was simple to use and we were able to make changes and tweaks with no problems what so ever. Each of these programmes made it easy to save our work therefore not having to worry about losing any work on paper.



When uploading our drafts we had to make our film opening visible to the examiner therefore we had to use YouTube. YouTube was a very reliable programme because we were able to upload our different drafts quickly and productively. To upload all of my course work I have used the programme Blogger, this programme enables me to upload my work with no issues and in an orderly layout therefore making it easy for the examiner to understand and read. I could also upload any photographs or attachments to links without difficulty.


All of these programmes also helped with the evaluation part of my coursework because I could share my target audience feedback and research conclusions.




To plan our acting we also used the social media app Facebook messenger, our group did this to plan and talk about our ideas. We also used iMessage on iPhones to contact our actors and plan the time, date and place of when our filming was going to occur.

Friday 10 February 2017

Evaluation 4 - Who Would Be The Audience For Your Media Product?




  • Are you male or female? Female 
  • How old are you? 16
  • Where do you live? In a large town 
  • What film genres do you prefer? Romantic comedy, teen angst, horror and comedy
  • What do you like to wear most? Casual clothes, fashion clothes
  • Where do you like to shop mostly for these? Topshop, River Island and New Look.
  • What do you like to do in your spare time? Shopping, parties, seeing friends and go to the cinema.
  • What do you spend most of your spare money on? food and clothes


The demographics of our target audience are:

The age of our target audience that we are aiming at will be from 12 - 18 years old but we are more specifically aiming our film at older teenagers. Our film opening is mainly aimed at females because the characters are mainly female but could interest some males specifically homosexual males because there is a homosexual male in our film opening . The class of people that our filmed is aimed at are working/middle class people who are part of a medium size working family and like to socialise with other people of the same class. Our film is aimed at white British people because the actors in our film are of a white race therefore it will be generally more appealing to people of a white race.   Our film has one protagonists which is an innocent teenage girl who is 16 years old. We feel that aiming our film at teenagers from 12 -18 but mainly older teenagers is appropriate because this age group will be able to relate well to the characters in our film. We also think that the film will appeal more to females because there are mainly female characters in our film therefore the female audience can relate to them.

The psychographics of our target audience are:

Teenagers often like to go out to parties in their spare time and to socialise with their friends therefore teenagers are likely to watch our film because in our opening there is a party where people are socialising. We feel that teenagers are the likely audience for our opening because the characters in our film opening are  relatable to the target audience of teenagers because they are teenagers themselves. The background music is upbeat like you would find at a party therefore this is appealing to teenagers because they stereotypically listen to this style of music. Teenagers are interested in gossip and drama therefore we have made our opening engaging  due to the fact there is drama in our opening as a result of  this it is appealing for our target audience because this is what they like and are interested in. We want our target audience to believe that our film opening is like a true story and feel the way our characters do in the opening. Our film does look like a true story to our target audience because this can happen to any teenager and most teenagers lives are stereotypically full of drama.

Tuesday 31 January 2017

Evaluation 2 - How Does Your Media Product Represent Particualr Social Groups?

Faye

                                      Jo Michell

I'm comparing Faye from our film opening OMG to Jo Mitchell from Mean Girls 2. Both girls are wearing similar clothes, a black leather jackets and skinny denim jeans. Stereotypically this is what teenage girls are known to wear due to the fact these items of clothing are seen as stylish and fashionable. Though both characters are seen as innocent their poses appear to be confident and they are both posing for the camera therefore following the stereotype of teenage girls caring about what they look like and what other people think of their apperance. They both have blonde, straight hair and blue eyes. Overall, I think these elements of the photographs represent a normal teenage girl social group due to the fact there is nothing extreme or obscure about the way they look. This particular social group of people are shown throughout our film opening OMG. Both teenagers are seen as innocent and friendly. Stereotypically blonde females in teen angst films are seen as the mean girls due to the fact blonde hair is  normally associated with perfection and looking like a Barbie doll. But our film opening challenges this representation because instead Faye's blonde hair represents purity and this is also the case with Jo from Mean Girls 2. 






Charlie
I am comparing Charlie and Arron.
Both boys are seen to be wearing a t shirt, this item of clothing is seen as casual but still stylish therefore connoting that both boys make an effort with their appearance. They both are smirking, posing in this way often connotes confidence and arrogance therefore showing that both boys are confident in the the way they look. Both boys hair is slightly styled therefore showing that they take pride in their appearance. These elements of the photographs suggest a popular teenage boy social group.
Arron


 Both boys are seen as confident and attractive. In both Mean Girls and our filming open these boys are seen as the school heart throbs. Our film opening follows the stereotype of an attractive, popular and confident boy getting all the attention form teenage girls. 
                                 


Christian
Damian 


I am comparing Damian and Christian. Both boys in each film are homosexual. Both boys are seen to be posing a feminine way therefore stereotypically connoting that they are homosexual. Due to the fact they are posing confidently suggests that they are both open about their sexualities, this is commonly seen in teen angst films as there is normally a 'gay best friend'. Due to these elements they are both from the same social groups because they are both homosexual. Although, Christian is dressed more casual due to the fact he is wearing a bomber jacket and cap, whereas Damian is in a shirt. Christians outfit would generally be seen as more stylish due to the fact teenagers stereotypically prefer casual clothes.

The Mean Girls
The Triple L's

I am comparing The Triple L's and The Mean Girls, The Triple L's are from England and The Mean Girls are from America. Both groups are posing in similar ways with a fierce pose on their faces connoting that they think they are better than everyone else at their schools. The Mean Girls are seen to be wearing short skirts and mainly the colour pink, the items of clothing they are wearing are climate appropriate for an American high school. Due to the fact they are wearing pink also connotes that they are feminine because pink is generally associated with girls. The Triple L's are seen to be wearing jeans or a dress with tights. Not only is this causal attire more realistic for an English school it is also climate appropriate too. They are also wearing darker colours such a black channeling the stereotype of mean girls dressing 'girly' and wearing the colour pink. Stereotypically the main mean girl is blonde because blonde hair is stereotypically seen as perfect and like a barbie doll,  our film opening has challenged this stereotype because our main mean girl is ginger. Due to all of these elements both groups are from a popular social group.