BreakDown: Completed Film Opening

Our opening for Year 12 AS media studies.



And this is our preliminary task

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

As a group I feel we have learnt mostly about research and its importance after the preliminary task that we did in school. This gave us a greater understanding concerning who we were catering to in our production and how we could best suit it towards them. We learnt to specify who we were targeting to narrow down the many different groups that consumed film of the horror genre. We effectively did research on the internet of the genre groups, and created a survey to accommodate our target audience. This taught us how to get qualitative information we needed to shape the style of our opening and its structure. When looking at the aspect of location we independently decided upon a suitable location to shoot our opening. In order to do this we took into consideration the convenience of being able to access the various areas, as well as the flexibility we would have to express ourselves with various planned shots and angles. This gave us our most suitable location in the least amount of time.

In the filming process, we were able to gather a lot of footage when filming which allowed us to have no re-filming needs. This however, made construction of our film more difficult when it came down to editing. We needed to be able to gauge how long each shot and scene needed to be, and it made this process all the more harder. In the end when we cut our footage to a reasonable length, we did so because, we opted to go for diverse shots and angles to include in the opening. These decisions showed what we had acquired in skills over the course of the project because it meant we were able to apply our research and construction together to produce the correct result.

On the whole I think that the skills we have learnt were not the only things necessary to completing the project, but they aided us in the presentation and quality of our work in general. I feel that my group learnt that they needed to be able to utilise the technology as best possible in order to get the most out the hard work we had done.

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

For our group to be able to construct our product, we were in need of experience from varying software that we were not familiar with. During this process we have learnt a lot about how they work and their capabilities.

The first piece of software we needed to be able to use well was blogger. This was one of the easiest of the technologies to pick up, because of it's clear and simplistic mechanisms. The technology was predominantly used for our coursework and was consistently used throughout the course of our project. From the program I was able to learn how to make my own unique posts and display them on my blog. This opened up a range of possibilities from embedding videos, to photos and links that could be utilised for one post. We could also include 'Prezzi' which was a different form of presentation we could put in a post for our blogs. This made the coursework easier to organise, as there was a means by which to store it efficiently. 

To prepare for filming we were set a preliminary task where we filmed using an I Pad. This experience from the Preliminary task, made us aware of different frames and angles that were taken in consideration when shooting. Though these weren't the cameras we would use for our own finished openings, they provided a unique insight on camera work When shooting our actual finished opening, we found that though the camera was similar hardware to the I pad, its practicalities varied. An example of this for the I pad is that we often had issues with lighting, unless we were in natural light. For the camera our group used we didn't encounter these problems, however there were some audio related difficulties, particularly when the sound was too near or far.

For our editing process, we made first used 'I movie', which is an editing software exclusive to the Macs we were using. It was easy to use when it came to the trimming of our preliminary task, and chopping it down to a suitable length. The experience was probably made easier, because we had a specific set of shots to use. With that set in mind, using  the premiere pro software, editing was slightly more complex because there were more functions within. These included transitions and titles that could be used for our opening. The program also had a different format which only added to the complication of effectively operating it.

 The internet proved reliable to our group when it came to our research into opening titles, sound, and editing. It was an essential tool by which we could go in further depth of the in learning about the different skills needed for our finished opening. The individual sites used most were Google and YouTube. Google served as a search engine to access the websites that were vital to progress in research, e.g 'Art of the title', or 'free sound' to layer for sound editing purposes. Youtube provided some evidence and information in the formatting of videos which we could embed in our blogs. e.g How to make a good 60 second pitch.

Question 4 &5: Who would be the audience for your media product? and How did you attract/address your audience?

It looks better in fullscreen

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

Question 2: How does our media product represent particular social groups?

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

In our opening we decided to begin with a point of view shot in, that focused on a tent. There is only diegetic sound played during this shot, which mostly consists of the wildlife in the forest. 
This creates a neutral tone and sets the premise of the opening being a typical camping scene. We made use of this convention, which can ambiguously be seen to follow the horror genre. The horror film openings we reviewed in class, most notably Dead Wood are shown to have a similar opening scene. It begins with an establishing shot of the location with diegetic ambient sound only. We implemented this effect, as it would cause some misperception in the tone of film that is being produced. This convention is developed when we decided to use this common style of opening to create a fear for the audience. Furthermore the audience developed the fear of uncertainty via the casual mood set. 

Another way in which our media product uses a convention of real media is shown by the way we constructed our characters. In our opening we cast a teenage couple that had been camping. During the opening we were sure to display the male assertiveness often portrayed in horror films. In this case the male character proactively and independently goes out to collect the fire wood, and the female girlfriend willingly complies. This takes root from one of the three horror film openings we reviewed in class, called 'Dead Mary'. It is a well-known convention that we tried to take further and reflect, through the height of camera angles when addressing the victims. We were sure keep the early shots of the male character at eye level, in order to reinstate he is in no danger at certain points of the opening. Later on when the male character is attacked, we were sure to keep in tandem with real media products and reduce his viewing space drastically, thereby removing his power drastically.

The opening titles of Se7en are an example of a horror film with titles that quite obviously abide to the horror conventions. It uses its awkward and peculiar font to alienate the audience, and make sure that it provides no familiarity or becomes relatable in any way. We decided to go against this form of media presentation by making our titles a lot more functional, however while it is seemed rather ordinary we tweaked it slightly and made the font noticeably thinner. This gave it an off look, that pandered well to the audiences of this film. It is almost alluding to the tone with the opening of our film, that played on the audiences security on what would happen in the film.

Construction: Titles

Construction: Titles

The first font we trialled was Abadi MT. This font was bold and blocky in style, which was useful for the more obscure backgrounds used in the production for our film. The style of font stood out, however it didn't suit the vibe we were carrying across in our film and came across as too ordinary.



The font applied here is called is called OCR STD. The font used here is sleeker in comparison to the first Abadi MT font, but still relatively visible similarly to the first. The style came across as a step in the right direction in terms of its obscurity, and its ability to create a more peculiar atmosphere for the audience. The downside is that the font is most commonly identified with sci-fi and such genres alike.                

The font used here is called.It is larger in size than the other two fonts and is more intricate in detail, making it more difficult to read. Positively the style has the eerie look about it, more so than the previous fonts. Overall the font is too complex and impractical, as there would be problems with visibility.                                               
                                                                    
                                                                  
                                                                   
The font we finally agreed on is the Orator STD. The font was visible and incorporated the things we liked about the other three. It had simplicity and was also slightly out of the norm with the thin design.                                                    
                                                                
                                                                
                                                                
                                                                
                                                              
We were cautious to place the titles in suitable positions in the run of the opening sequence. Mathew made sure they lasted for a suitable period of times. They usually lasted no more than 5 seconds, with fade in fade out transitions.                          
                                                                        

                      

                                                            

Construction: Editing

In class we learnt about the importance of editing, and how it has been used the affect cinema and media alike. Editing utilises the different camera shots and angles, and offers us a variety of different perspectives that we wouldn't be able to experience usually in everyday life.  From our lesson, we were able to appreciate how well it is applied in film. In order to do good job with this aspect of our opening, we realised we needed to make sure the editing was woven in seamlessly and looked invisible to the audience. 

To get ourselves started, we needed to sift through the clips and footage collected from filming. We did this to be able to collect the best quality clips, as well as finding the best matching scenes so that our opening flowed.

We began the editing with the aim of cutting down our footage to a maximum of two minutes. Using an editing software called Premier Pro, Matthew arranged the sequences to make an ordered set of shots for our opening in our film. This was an important process, because the way we edited could affect the whole tone of the opening.

Once we assembled the scenes in the correct order, we reviewed the length we wanted for each one. This was done in order to reflect the atmosphere in the scene and the general mood. The earlier scenes in our opening were generally the longer ones, due to the little action that occurred. As a result we were able to use the scenes to showcase various camera angles and shots.   

All the diegetic sound we used was imported straight from our footage. The only non-diegetic sound that was implemented, was the our own self made foley sound. We were influenced to use this technique after having learnt the way foley artists add realism to film sequences.

Matthew is shown here arranging the transitions of our clips, and making sure that scenes are linked together and concise. He decided to do some of this transitioning at home on his computer, as it offered him more suitable choices on which styles followed the horror conventions best. 

Construction: Sound

Construction: Sound

When we were looking at how sound was used in psycho, we saw that many sound effects were used to make the film more realistic. In the shower scene we learnt that a cabbage was sliced I order to provide the sound needed for the knife entering the victims body.




We then decided to use a melon splattering as some foley, to make the first death scenes in our opening more tangible. We simply used a brick to mash up the melons insides in this clip. This provided a squelching sound we needed to portray the gore, however it felt subdued.
















In the clip here we decided to film Matthew stabbing the melon, to give it us some sound variance. We found that this gave out a swift sharp sound, in comparison to using a brick which wasn't as succinct.















This was the best sounding foley for our production because it sounded the most raw, due to the power of the hammer we trialled. For that reason it was able to produce the unadulterated effect. 

For our instrumental non-diegetic sound, we used a composition from a website called 'Free Sound'. Its a site that allows people to share browse, download sounds effects from other users. In the beginning of our opening we decided to leave out any non-diegetic sound, leaving in only natural diegetic sound of the wildlife in our location. However when the first victim is isolated, we chose to layer a sound clip with three beats that was meant to mirror a heart beat. This sound is noticeable, though not to the extent of being overpowering. The climax presents itself when the victim is being attacked, and there are some wind instruments included that match the speed of the action. This composition continues the remainder of the opening.

Construction: Filming Process

When producing, we were sure to show evidence of us filming and acting on our roles as directors of the film. Mine and Kofi's role in the film consisted of the filming and actor direction. While directing, we were sure to film several times over to give the actors greater understanding in what they needed to do. This is demonstrated on the left as kofi aided Darren in how he should deliver his role in the scene and showing him on camera where he may have gone wrong. We found showing the scene on repeat in rough, helped us to reduce our outtakes.

In another scene where Darren was being used, I am showing the area in which Darren must appear from in the camera shot.















This was one of the more challenging shots we had to direct, because we needed to vary the angle used in the scene. This meant we needed to film this shot many times. This made it more difficult as were had to keep the camera steady and close simultaneously. 

This is the equipment that was used for our filming. We used a brick which was part of the mise-en scene props included for our production. This was needed for a weapon towards the end of scene. The actors props consisted of the their clothing (trousers, scruffy coat, hood, converse shoes and glasses). We also made use of fake blood for the actors to use in the scene. For the camera movements, we decided to use a skate board to improvise on the low dolly shot in the beginning of the scene.

Planning: Shot list

Shot Number	Shot Type	Actor	Description
1		N/A
2	POV	N/A	A point of view shot of a tent from a low angle through a bush in the forest, setting the tone of uncertainty.
3	MS	Ben	Tent zip opening. Male character peering out.
4	CU	Ben	Close up of male putting on glasses.
5	WS	Ben, Tabitha	Male leaves sleeping bag in search of wood. Dolly movement incorporated.
6	POV	Ben	A point of view shot through the branches of the trees in the forest, focusing on Cyrus.
7	OSS	Ben	Over the shoulder shot from behind male character as he walks through the forest.
8	XCU	Ben	Shoved on the ground by an anonymous individual, and is seemingly being attacked as he struggles.
9	MS	Tabitha	Mid-shot focusing on female tying her shoes and wondering out of the tent in search of her boyfriend.
10	TS/POV	Tabitha, Ben	Two shot of the female and the dead male character, through the perspective of a pair of spectacles.
11	OSS	Tabitha, Killer	Over the shoulder shot of Erin from the Killer as she sprints to safety, before being knocked out with the brick.
12	XCU	N/A	Low angle extreme close up of the blood stained brick on the forest floor.

Planning: Storyboards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we begin filming, we intend to use these storyboards to structure our main idea in production however, we may need to change a few minute details that may not be part of what we planned. This helps us to find potential problems before they occur, and save time in the process. Furthermore it allows room for experimentation before the genuine scenes are shot. The storyboards we are using consist of dialogue, camera movement and shot, location with rough sketches of our scene.