Misé en scene is a french term for pretty much everything you see in a shot!
It's incredible how much detail is put into the creation of settings. Everything is chosen specifically to convey certain emotions and feelings which normally all are correspondant to the films genre.
An example of how a simple concept can be conveyed in contrasting ways is with the example of a tree. By stripping away the leaves, adding thunder, set at night time, and including a vulture can show that this scene is sinister and would be mostly recognised in a horror.
On the other hand, by having full bushed green leaves, sunny weather and happy laughing children playing underneath shows hapiness and positive emotions.
An easy way of remembering the definition is; EVERYTHING IN THE SCENE
Tuesday 3 May 2011
Pierre De Resistance
Here is our final piece which is a product of months of arguements, elation and teamwork. We are very pleased with the final product and are keen to progress even furthur in the next year. Media has become a passion of ours and the future is looking bright.
Thursday 28 April 2011
Time management
Here is a copy of the time management table we created before filming our main production. We planned out every aspect of filming allowing time for breaks and lunch. We believed if we were more prepared the filming of shots would become easier and flow much more smoothly.
Here is a copy of our schedule;
Here is a copy of our schedule;
Tuesday 26 April 2011
Evaluation
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
In our media production, we have used shots and different techniques which both conform and challemge thriller codes and conventions. Here are a selection of diverse shots in our production and how they either conform or challange thriller conventions;
This is the most symbolic poster shot that we included. This shot is part of the rapid changing posters in different location to show the main characters desperation. I believe this shot conforms to thriller openings not purely just this shot, but the scene that this shot is part of. The fast paced straight cuts from poster to poster signifies a fast pace which is common in thrillers. It also is very effective because of the background. The posters are put up all across Peterborough from the rough areas to the areas of prestige. The graffiti filled background shows the types of areas that he has been to, and also you commonly see graffiti is thrillers to show social class.
Simple 'over the shoulder' shot to re-iterate to the audience that this male character has some kind of relation to the girl. Otherwise he could just be doing someone a favour and putting the posters up, but by having a crumpled up picture of the girl shows the audience that there is some kind of relationship between these two characters. This shot is an adaptation of conventional thriller openings which normally start with some kind of action packed adrenaline fuelled series of shots. This shot could also be classed as challenging thriller conventions as it is pretty dull and lifeless, but on the other hand starts to tell the story of the two characters.
'The eyes of the gateway of emotion'. In many thrillers, close ups of eyes can show emotions ranging from depression to elation to hatred. This particular shot conforms to thriller openings and pretty much any genres openings as the eyes are a very well exploited part of the body as they are extremely powerful.
Thriller and horrors tend to use flashbacks to show past events that are either sinister or evil. We have adapted this principle and used flashbacks to show happy memories. Notice the smiling/laughing faces, this implies to the audience positveness instead of terror. We have put these shots in black and white to signify the past. This is a convention of flashbacks in thrillers.
We filmed this shot late at night as you probabaly can notice. Natural street lighting was all we needed to convey the desired emotion that we were trying to portray. Thrillers tend to use many scenes using darkness, we have adapted this by using natural lighting and instead of a set used an actual road. The main character is drunk and stumbling down the road which leads to an outburst of emotion and the smashing of a beer bottle. This conveys negative emotions which is typical of thrillers.
This shot is also very symbolic. The main character is being masked by fire. Fire itself holds many different connotations. Passion, terror, ferocity, love (red/yellowy orange colour) and possibly even death. By having the main character behind the fire shows that his mind is confused by many different emotions. Also by having this shot in the dark really brings out the colour and personality of the fire itself. This shot conforms to thriller openings as fire is a very dangerous substance and thrillers tend to include dangerous looking shots etc.
This shot most definately conforms to thriller conventions purely for the clothing the main character is wearing. We specifically equipted Isaac with black clothing from head to toe as black holds connotations of danger and death. The use of colours is a technique exploited in movies and the main colour used in thrillers is black. Black duffle bag, black gloves, black shirt and socks, and black shoes all create a sense of unease and danger from the character which all in turn makes this character stereotypical of thrillers.
This shot most certainly challenges thriller, and almost every othe genre's codes and convetions. As you can see it is an extreme long shot (establishing shot) but if not used as the very first shot. It is shown after a few sequences and we have done this purposefully due to the storyline. Also if we included this at the very start the story would of became unclear as it would of changed to different locations and then reverting back to this location before the succeeding flashbacks. In order for continuity to be kept sound we had to include this in the middle proportion of our production. It is a very influential/symbolic shot which ties in which the storyline as it is a place of sanctity and safety.
The final shot that conforms to thriller conventions is this proliffic one of Poppie in the presence of a hidden stranger. We have used all thriller codes such as dark colours and shadows while also adding in a danger factor which is the hammer. This shot was a consequence of our audience feedback which needed to show a shot of the girl alive so that her welfare is known for the audience. Before it seemed like all hope was lost and she could of even been dead, but this gives the audience hope and creates the willing suspension of disbelief.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our opening sequence only includes two characters who are between the age range of 16-18. The main character is male and we had to choose his clothes for every scene carefully and purposefully in order to create a clear sense of understanding. As our genre for the film is a THRILLER we suited Isaac up in black attire with a corresponding black shoulder bag. This is done purposefully as the colour black holds connotations of danger and death. This then leads on to the missing posters which holds the question for the audience is the character Dead? Hurt? or Missing?
As Isaac is a teenager his relationship to the other main character (Poppy the missing girl) is not determined but left tot he audiences imagination. Their are many possibilities such as girlfriend, sister, family member, cousin etc but we have decided not to give any clear indication to the audience as we want to create ambiguity and also create the willing suspension of disbelief.
Poppy is shown in three scenes which are in the format of flashbacks. Poppy is wearing casual clothes once again done to create no indication of relationship status and performing natural actions with Isaac. These natural actions are;
Poppy is wearing white in all her scenes as white holds positive connotations and also implies purity. This is already pragmatically creating a personality for this character. All her scenes also are of her smiling and laughing which shows a happy background and also happiness when with Isaac. In the flashbacks Isaac also is wearing white clothes to show the clear change of atmopshere and emotion. Hapiness and laughter turns to stern expressions and seriousness which is helped by the wardrobe choices.
It was very hard portraying their social status/group as this was not one of our main aims of the opening. We did though include some small details which showed their backgrounds. Some of these were the use of black gloves (which Isaac was wearing) which shows wealth as the gloves are leather, and large birthday cake which shows no expense. All implying a wealthy financial background which indicates a good standard of health and living which diminishes any chance of the characters being classed as chavs, hippes, goths etc.
Also, we have represented the villian of the opening as a male. This is not shown but implied. We have done this because they're many stories of middle aged predatory men with hidden sexual nature that target young girls. We have stuck to this 'stereotype' and progressed by adding the figure holding an object, the intention though of this character is not shown.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
As our film is targetting a niché market we did not want to aim at any huge companies such as Warner bros or Universal. This is because our investment and money wouldn't make enough profit to make it worth their while and also our movie probabaly wouldn't be one of those top hitting films that these big companies only seem to invest into.
Film 4 have produced many small budget movies and are an upcoming company. They have had major and minor (Four Lions) successes their biggest being SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. This company targets low budget movies and would be very beneficial to our company as we do not have a big budget to explore with. Film 4 own channels that are available to everyone on Virgin, Sky and Freeview. This also is very appealing as people and children of all ages would be able to see our film. Which in turn would make our film more known in the film industry.
Also, leading on from my last point, by having our company intertwined with Film 4 would make the principle of 'Word or mouth' very effective as anyone can see the movie free of charge. Film 4 also own a website which allows you to see all listings online and even watch movies online as well. This again makes our film available for the publics viewing at any time in the day which makes it even more appealing.
Horizontal integration would also be enforced, this includes the joining together with other companies so synergy can take place. Branches of opportunities and technologies available to the public will make the public aware of the film and also let them buy related objects such as Movie soundtrack and Toys. This would also be very beneficial because then there websites could advertise our movie raising awareness.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
Even before coming up with an idea on a story we did some background research on the film industry to find the right target audience. From our extensive research we found out that the most lucritive market is between the ages of 16-24. This is because younger audiences tend to go the the cinema more purely for social purposes and also they have more spare time on their hands. Also our film is certificate 15 to correspond with our target audience.
This affected our planning for actors are originally we intended to hire out an actor from a small time agency to star in our film. This choice was discarded when we realised to hit our target audience we would need younger actors and decided to save time and money we would use members of our media team to act instead of friends and family who would be a liability. This worked out very well in the end as teenagers would be able to relate and sympathise with the main character. By choosing a Niche audience or an older age range might compromise the chances of our film being distributed and marketing which would in turn decrease our profitted revenue that we could of possibly made.
Also, our thriller opening revolves mainly around emotional content instead of action packed scenes. This would in turn make our film less one dimensional and more mature age groups would be attracted to our movie as they are more likely to appreciate the emotional content.
How did you attract/adress your audience?
In order to attract our target audience to our film we created a story line which would be easy to sympathise with. We successfully managed this by taking the initial idea of a love story which consisted of one male and one female and enhanced it into a thriller format.
Our research taught us that everyone likes surprises, something that takes them off guard. So we incorporated this into our media opening by leaving many questions open and many loose ends un answered. Like I've said previously, the relationship between the two characters is totally left upto the audiences imagination, no clear indications of love, or family ties is shown which netural scenes being chosen. This would attract our target audience as they would wonder 'Who is that girl? Why is he so desperately looking for her?'. The desperation leads onto my next point which is shown by the multiple shots of Missing posters dotted all around the city in different locations. The desperation also adds an extra level for the audiences imagination as they are wondering 'Why is he trying to find her so badly?' which also raises the question how long had she been missing for? All these questions left unanswered which creates a strong sense of enigma for the audience which in turn will want them to continue watching the movie.
To target and convey our specified genre, we had to stick to codes and conventions of thrillers and include a shot that creates enigma and will maintain the audiences attention. Initially we decided to include this shot, then we discarded it, the finally decided to include it as our audience feedback showed that without it the films genre wasn't clear. The shot is of Poppie rocking back and forth in a darkened room which concluded with a man stepping in front of a camera holding a tool. The intentions of this man are unclear which creates enigma for the audience and also gives the audience what they want from a thriller- excitement and ambiguity!
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Originally we were told we had to use the school camera to film our final project which did unsettle us slightly as the quality of these camera were very basic. These cameras also didn't have very many features which also would have limited us in our possibilities on shot types. As a group we decided to come together and hire out a more technically advanced camera in order to create many more possibilities for our media product. We decided on one camera in the end (Sony PD170) which was found by Isaac and also verified by Scott Brown (Media student studying at university). Once we had this camera they're many functions we did not understand so we went round to Scott's house who explains different functions to us such as 'ZEBRA' and 'SHADES'. These different functions allowed us to use different lights and darknesses in order to create the desired effect. A combination of both these functions allowed us see where the main light source was coming from (Zebra) and also change the darkness on the camera to counter-act overbrightness (Shades).
The camera also came with two lenses which were specifically designed for different shot types. A wide ranged lense which was intended for Establishing shots (Also known as Extreme long shot) and a normal lense which was created for normal substandards shots. Both lenses extremely expensive but increased the quality of our media product.
We also encountered many different programs which could be used to edit our media piece. Luckily we had a very skilled editer on our team who had experience on a particular program. In order to exploit his skills we gave Isaac the shots we had taken from the previous days of filming and he exported them onto SONY VEGAS. Me and Luke otherwise took time to explore different media formats which could be used for editing but were no major help as we did not fully understand some of the options that were available to us. Also, we used ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS to create the titles which were correspondant to our films genre and storyline.
We also learnt about 'Blogging' as well as we had to keep a track of everything we did. At first I found this difficult as I kept forgetting to go back to it and missed out crucial pieces of information but progressing through the year I got more in a routine but still struggled slightly.
Overall, we explored many different types of camera and media formats which all aided us for our final production. We learned many different techniques and different functions for cameras and are astounded at the complexity and variety of functions and possibilities that cameras have to offer. We have learnt a lot and will take our enhanced knowledge and experience in the future to aid us with any other media projects we take on.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
In the months between the filming of the preliminary task, to the main project I have learned a tremendous ammount. Firstly, I will go through what I have learnt about the actual filming process. In our preliminary, we used the schools basic camera and also came up with some filming errors in our actualy production. The audio soundtrack was over powering the dialogue itself which didn't become a problem in our final production as we didn't include any dialogue in our opening as we decided actions spoke louder than words. We did learn from our preliminary that enigma is a very effective tool in a movie opening so we did use this in our main production. We recieved positive feedback by covering the faces of the two assailants involved in the drug swap, while enigma was created in our main product in the form of the relationship between the two main characters.
Our overall knowledge on camera functions and possibilites also rose as we had a more advanced camera for our final production. More features became available for our disposal which all created a more sound final production.
We learnt about the importance of colours and the implied meanings and these colours hold. In our preliminary we didn't think about specific colours that represented good/bad but only thought about superficial clothing which were suits. In our main production we had to think about colours to give imply to the audience the characters emotions which is why Isaac is dressed fully in black as he is depressed and wondering where Poppie is?
We also learnt about the importance of lighting and sound. We decided to use natural high key lighting in the majorty of the scenes including Isaac to create a sense of naturalism. It was very important that the audience believed the the devised scenario. Coinciding with this we used non- diagetic sound which was a backing track. This was specially chosen to imply the emotion that Isaac is feeling and convey it to the audience. Contrasting with this, the first scene Poppie is in is in the flashbacks. These are shown by only using black and white colours to signify the past. Finally, Poppie is then shown in present time in a darkened room. We have used shadows to give the room connotations of danger which is then followed by dramatic music and a sense of anticipation when the male figure appears.
Film titles were not a problem when editing the preliminary as these were not a specified element. We did learn about the importance of titles though during the year and choose specific titles to suit the genre of the film. An example of this is when Poppies name is shown. Her specific title is very effective as it is in white font on a white background. The shadowing of the lettering cleverly allows the audience to read her name but with some effort. This has the desired effect as Poppie's character is missing and hard to find/see.
We have also recognised the importance of font type. We have specifically chosen to use 'Times New Roman' as this font type is very recognisable and would make conprehension easier for the younger audiences.
Overall, our entire knowledge of the film industry has also improved to a whole new level. This has benefitted our media production as we have a more indepth feel for our target audiences desires. We learnt about different methods of aquiring feedback such as questionnaires and exploited this method in order to gain the maximum ammount of opinions to improve our final piece.
More technical shot types became known to us as well which combined with editing to make our whole production more advanced. An example of this is the idea (which we didn't use) is the TIME LAPSE. A steady camera slowed down with a parallel shot overlapping the original shot at a different time speed. We did revert to simple methods that we learnt at the start of the year such as 'Match on action' to show multiple angles of the same shot. We could not really explore the '180 Degree Rule' or 'Shot Reverse Shot' as we did not include any dialogue in our final piece.
Sounds a bit cheesy, but progressing from our preliminary I did pick up on some film jargon and started using it while filming. An example of this is 'Camera ready?', 'Sound ready?', 'Action!' and 'Camera's still rolling'. By using these our actors knew when they were being filmed, what we had to prepare before filming and also enabled us to save all the camera battery we had (which proved very effective in the end).
As a group, we have also realised the importance of friendship and teamwork. Yes, we've had our up's and down's but always pulled together for the sake of our friendship and the sake of our Media production. I can honestly say without Isaac and Luke, the year wouldn't have been the same.
In our media production, we have used shots and different techniques which both conform and challemge thriller codes and conventions. Here are a selection of diverse shots in our production and how they either conform or challange thriller conventions;
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
Our opening sequence only includes two characters who are between the age range of 16-18. The main character is male and we had to choose his clothes for every scene carefully and purposefully in order to create a clear sense of understanding. As our genre for the film is a THRILLER we suited Isaac up in black attire with a corresponding black shoulder bag. This is done purposefully as the colour black holds connotations of danger and death. This then leads on to the missing posters which holds the question for the audience is the character Dead? Hurt? or Missing?
As Isaac is a teenager his relationship to the other main character (Poppy the missing girl) is not determined but left tot he audiences imagination. Their are many possibilities such as girlfriend, sister, family member, cousin etc but we have decided not to give any clear indication to the audience as we want to create ambiguity and also create the willing suspension of disbelief.
Poppy is shown in three scenes which are in the format of flashbacks. Poppy is wearing casual clothes once again done to create no indication of relationship status and performing natural actions with Isaac. These natural actions are;
- Sitting on the stairs talking
- Playing a board game
- Sitting around the table for Poppies birthday
Poppy is wearing white in all her scenes as white holds positive connotations and also implies purity. This is already pragmatically creating a personality for this character. All her scenes also are of her smiling and laughing which shows a happy background and also happiness when with Isaac. In the flashbacks Isaac also is wearing white clothes to show the clear change of atmopshere and emotion. Hapiness and laughter turns to stern expressions and seriousness which is helped by the wardrobe choices.
It was very hard portraying their social status/group as this was not one of our main aims of the opening. We did though include some small details which showed their backgrounds. Some of these were the use of black gloves (which Isaac was wearing) which shows wealth as the gloves are leather, and large birthday cake which shows no expense. All implying a wealthy financial background which indicates a good standard of health and living which diminishes any chance of the characters being classed as chavs, hippes, goths etc.
Also, we have represented the villian of the opening as a male. This is not shown but implied. We have done this because they're many stories of middle aged predatory men with hidden sexual nature that target young girls. We have stuck to this 'stereotype' and progressed by adding the figure holding an object, the intention though of this character is not shown.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
As our film is targetting a niché market we did not want to aim at any huge companies such as Warner bros or Universal. This is because our investment and money wouldn't make enough profit to make it worth their while and also our movie probabaly wouldn't be one of those top hitting films that these big companies only seem to invest into.
Film 4 have produced many small budget movies and are an upcoming company. They have had major and minor (Four Lions) successes their biggest being SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. This company targets low budget movies and would be very beneficial to our company as we do not have a big budget to explore with. Film 4 own channels that are available to everyone on Virgin, Sky and Freeview. This also is very appealing as people and children of all ages would be able to see our film. Which in turn would make our film more known in the film industry.
Also, leading on from my last point, by having our company intertwined with Film 4 would make the principle of 'Word or mouth' very effective as anyone can see the movie free of charge. Film 4 also own a website which allows you to see all listings online and even watch movies online as well. This again makes our film available for the publics viewing at any time in the day which makes it even more appealing.
Horizontal integration would also be enforced, this includes the joining together with other companies so synergy can take place. Branches of opportunities and technologies available to the public will make the public aware of the film and also let them buy related objects such as Movie soundtrack and Toys. This would also be very beneficial because then there websites could advertise our movie raising awareness.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
Even before coming up with an idea on a story we did some background research on the film industry to find the right target audience. From our extensive research we found out that the most lucritive market is between the ages of 16-24. This is because younger audiences tend to go the the cinema more purely for social purposes and also they have more spare time on their hands. Also our film is certificate 15 to correspond with our target audience.
This affected our planning for actors are originally we intended to hire out an actor from a small time agency to star in our film. This choice was discarded when we realised to hit our target audience we would need younger actors and decided to save time and money we would use members of our media team to act instead of friends and family who would be a liability. This worked out very well in the end as teenagers would be able to relate and sympathise with the main character. By choosing a Niche audience or an older age range might compromise the chances of our film being distributed and marketing which would in turn decrease our profitted revenue that we could of possibly made.
Also, our thriller opening revolves mainly around emotional content instead of action packed scenes. This would in turn make our film less one dimensional and more mature age groups would be attracted to our movie as they are more likely to appreciate the emotional content.
How did you attract/adress your audience?
In order to attract our target audience to our film we created a story line which would be easy to sympathise with. We successfully managed this by taking the initial idea of a love story which consisted of one male and one female and enhanced it into a thriller format.
Our research taught us that everyone likes surprises, something that takes them off guard. So we incorporated this into our media opening by leaving many questions open and many loose ends un answered. Like I've said previously, the relationship between the two characters is totally left upto the audiences imagination, no clear indications of love, or family ties is shown which netural scenes being chosen. This would attract our target audience as they would wonder 'Who is that girl? Why is he so desperately looking for her?'. The desperation leads onto my next point which is shown by the multiple shots of Missing posters dotted all around the city in different locations. The desperation also adds an extra level for the audiences imagination as they are wondering 'Why is he trying to find her so badly?' which also raises the question how long had she been missing for? All these questions left unanswered which creates a strong sense of enigma for the audience which in turn will want them to continue watching the movie.
To target and convey our specified genre, we had to stick to codes and conventions of thrillers and include a shot that creates enigma and will maintain the audiences attention. Initially we decided to include this shot, then we discarded it, the finally decided to include it as our audience feedback showed that without it the films genre wasn't clear. The shot is of Poppie rocking back and forth in a darkened room which concluded with a man stepping in front of a camera holding a tool. The intentions of this man are unclear which creates enigma for the audience and also gives the audience what they want from a thriller- excitement and ambiguity!
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
Originally we were told we had to use the school camera to film our final project which did unsettle us slightly as the quality of these camera were very basic. These cameras also didn't have very many features which also would have limited us in our possibilities on shot types. As a group we decided to come together and hire out a more technically advanced camera in order to create many more possibilities for our media product. We decided on one camera in the end (Sony PD170) which was found by Isaac and also verified by Scott Brown (Media student studying at university). Once we had this camera they're many functions we did not understand so we went round to Scott's house who explains different functions to us such as 'ZEBRA' and 'SHADES'. These different functions allowed us to use different lights and darknesses in order to create the desired effect. A combination of both these functions allowed us see where the main light source was coming from (Zebra) and also change the darkness on the camera to counter-act overbrightness (Shades).
The camera also came with two lenses which were specifically designed for different shot types. A wide ranged lense which was intended for Establishing shots (Also known as Extreme long shot) and a normal lense which was created for normal substandards shots. Both lenses extremely expensive but increased the quality of our media product.
We also encountered many different programs which could be used to edit our media piece. Luckily we had a very skilled editer on our team who had experience on a particular program. In order to exploit his skills we gave Isaac the shots we had taken from the previous days of filming and he exported them onto SONY VEGAS. Me and Luke otherwise took time to explore different media formats which could be used for editing but were no major help as we did not fully understand some of the options that were available to us. Also, we used ADOBE AFTER EFFECTS to create the titles which were correspondant to our films genre and storyline.
We also learnt about 'Blogging' as well as we had to keep a track of everything we did. At first I found this difficult as I kept forgetting to go back to it and missed out crucial pieces of information but progressing through the year I got more in a routine but still struggled slightly.
Overall, we explored many different types of camera and media formats which all aided us for our final production. We learned many different techniques and different functions for cameras and are astounded at the complexity and variety of functions and possibilities that cameras have to offer. We have learnt a lot and will take our enhanced knowledge and experience in the future to aid us with any other media projects we take on.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
In the months between the filming of the preliminary task, to the main project I have learned a tremendous ammount. Firstly, I will go through what I have learnt about the actual filming process. In our preliminary, we used the schools basic camera and also came up with some filming errors in our actualy production. The audio soundtrack was over powering the dialogue itself which didn't become a problem in our final production as we didn't include any dialogue in our opening as we decided actions spoke louder than words. We did learn from our preliminary that enigma is a very effective tool in a movie opening so we did use this in our main production. We recieved positive feedback by covering the faces of the two assailants involved in the drug swap, while enigma was created in our main product in the form of the relationship between the two main characters.
Our overall knowledge on camera functions and possibilites also rose as we had a more advanced camera for our final production. More features became available for our disposal which all created a more sound final production.
We learnt about the importance of colours and the implied meanings and these colours hold. In our preliminary we didn't think about specific colours that represented good/bad but only thought about superficial clothing which were suits. In our main production we had to think about colours to give imply to the audience the characters emotions which is why Isaac is dressed fully in black as he is depressed and wondering where Poppie is?
We also learnt about the importance of lighting and sound. We decided to use natural high key lighting in the majorty of the scenes including Isaac to create a sense of naturalism. It was very important that the audience believed the the devised scenario. Coinciding with this we used non- diagetic sound which was a backing track. This was specially chosen to imply the emotion that Isaac is feeling and convey it to the audience. Contrasting with this, the first scene Poppie is in is in the flashbacks. These are shown by only using black and white colours to signify the past. Finally, Poppie is then shown in present time in a darkened room. We have used shadows to give the room connotations of danger which is then followed by dramatic music and a sense of anticipation when the male figure appears.
Film titles were not a problem when editing the preliminary as these were not a specified element. We did learn about the importance of titles though during the year and choose specific titles to suit the genre of the film. An example of this is when Poppies name is shown. Her specific title is very effective as it is in white font on a white background. The shadowing of the lettering cleverly allows the audience to read her name but with some effort. This has the desired effect as Poppie's character is missing and hard to find/see.
We have also recognised the importance of font type. We have specifically chosen to use 'Times New Roman' as this font type is very recognisable and would make conprehension easier for the younger audiences.
Overall, our entire knowledge of the film industry has also improved to a whole new level. This has benefitted our media production as we have a more indepth feel for our target audiences desires. We learnt about different methods of aquiring feedback such as questionnaires and exploited this method in order to gain the maximum ammount of opinions to improve our final piece.
More technical shot types became known to us as well which combined with editing to make our whole production more advanced. An example of this is the idea (which we didn't use) is the TIME LAPSE. A steady camera slowed down with a parallel shot overlapping the original shot at a different time speed. We did revert to simple methods that we learnt at the start of the year such as 'Match on action' to show multiple angles of the same shot. We could not really explore the '180 Degree Rule' or 'Shot Reverse Shot' as we did not include any dialogue in our final piece.
As a group, we have also realised the importance of friendship and teamwork. Yes, we've had our up's and down's but always pulled together for the sake of our friendship and the sake of our Media production. I can honestly say without Isaac and Luke, the year wouldn't have been the same.
Friday 8 April 2011
As the main editor of our media piece, Isaac uploaded our second draft video onto facebook for feedback. We had few comments back, mainly positive but always constructive. Here are some examples of comments we recieved;
'Lookin good boys! Keep it up!'
'Not bad, not bad ;) needs a more definitive shot tho if its a thriller!'
'Bit too much like a music video dont you think??'
We have taken these comments into consideration and with our free hire period will use these critisms to make our media production feel less like a music video.
'Lookin good boys! Keep it up!'
'Not bad, not bad ;) needs a more definitive shot tho if its a thriller!'
'Bit too much like a music video dont you think??'
We have taken these comments into consideration and with our free hire period will use these critisms to make our media production feel less like a music video.
Refund
We have been contacted by the company and the deposit money has been refunded back into Isaac's account. After school we went to a cashpoint and me and Luke got £125 back from the original £150. The £25 difference went towards the actual camera hire which was £75 split between the three of us.
Friday 25 March 2011
Camera update
Fortunately, the company voluntarily rang up Isaac and offered us a 3 day free period in the easter holidays. Luckily this is before the final deadline so we intend to use this time productively and film all the shots that were inadequate.
The company sent their apologies and verified that we will get our deposits back after our free 3 day period.
The company sent their apologies and verified that we will get our deposits back after our free 3 day period.
Thursday 17 March 2011
Second draft
In this second draft we have smoothed over the rough edges and also incorpriated titles into our production. These titles aren't set in stone and each title is different using different techniques such as different paced and positioned fades. We have chosen fades to coincide with our films storyline which is 'Missing'. The use of fade gives the impression of the titles being somewhat stolen or lost within the production.
The bottle smashing audio still needs to be improved and put at the right place but otherwise the soundtrack and editing all seem to be combined as one which was out intention.
Like we did before, here is a example of a questionnaire we gave 5 neutral participants to give us feedback to aid us in improving our video. We have taken the critisms on board and improved our video accordingly.
The bottle smashing audio still needs to be improved and put at the right place but otherwise the soundtrack and editing all seem to be combined as one which was out intention.
Like we did before, here is a example of a questionnaire we gave 5 neutral participants to give us feedback to aid us in improving our video. We have taken the critisms on board and improved our video accordingly.
Feedback
After showing the 'opening' to our media class we have come across many problems that we did not pick up on. The first being the whole film seemed too much like a music video instead of a movie opening. This is due to some over extended shots and no change in music and storyline.
If we get another 3 days free from the company, we will shoot another shot that we initially had in our planning but due to the cameras failure we could not complete. This shot is of the 'Missing' girl rocking back and forth in a darkened corner while a man steps across the camera with a wrench in his hand. By adding this shot it will give our opening a whole new layer and show that the story actually has a plot.
We also have been advised to add in an extreme close up of the alcoholic bottle smashing on the floor to add a new dimension into our production but due to a strong opinionated team member disagreeing with this idea due to it being 'cheesy' we have scrapped this thought.
After taking every bit of constructive criticism on board, we went away enlightened and ready to improve our frist draft.
If we get another 3 days free from the company, we will shoot another shot that we initially had in our planning but due to the cameras failure we could not complete. This shot is of the 'Missing' girl rocking back and forth in a darkened corner while a man steps across the camera with a wrench in his hand. By adding this shot it will give our opening a whole new layer and show that the story actually has a plot.
We also have been advised to add in an extreme close up of the alcoholic bottle smashing on the floor to add a new dimension into our production but due to a strong opinionated team member disagreeing with this idea due to it being 'cheesy' we have scrapped this thought.
After taking every bit of constructive criticism on board, we went away enlightened and ready to improve our frist draft.
First draft
After collecting all the shots together and choosing the correct program (which isn't the program that the school suggests) we fabricated this first draft after hours of filming. Very rough which needs tweaking and we will show this to the class and improve the piece in accordance of their feedback.
At first glance, I can already identify a couple of mistakes such as the very long opening scene which needs shortening and the unrealistic glass smashing.
In order to achieve a wider range of feedback we created questionnaires to give us a deeper depth of information than we as makers of the film can't see. Here is an example of one of the questionnaires and the critisms we faced.
At first glance, I can already identify a couple of mistakes such as the very long opening scene which needs shortening and the unrealistic glass smashing.
In order to achieve a wider range of feedback we created questionnaires to give us a deeper depth of information than we as makers of the film can't see. Here is an example of one of the questionnaires and the critisms we faced.
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Filming photos
Here is a shot of Luke filming Isaac on the bench at Cuckoo's hollow.
While filming we came across this trolley deserted in some shrubbery. As the equiptment was heavy we decided to use this as transport.
Here is a photo of dry wood from Luke's house. We used this for the creation of the fire (Below).
Lastly, here is a photo of the fire itself, took approximately 20 minutes to make and we were very pleased with the result. We did this on Lukes Grandad's allotment in a clean controlled environment.
Wednesday 2 March 2011
Second day of filming
Me and Luke arrived at Isaac's at approximately 9-9.15am to get an early start. This is when we first realised a major problem with the equiptment provided but naively pushed aside the obvious problem and instead adopted a false sense of the truth as it was hard to comprehend that the camera wasn't charging and the company had sent us equiptment that wasn't functioning.
After coming up with excuses such as the plug wasn't fully in the socket or the cable was the wrong one, we decided to sit down and brainstorm some more ideas for the day ahead as it was our final day of filming. We initially thought we had the camera for Monday, Tuesday and the whole of Wednesday but we found out that the company would be picking up the camera between the times of 9am and 6pm on Wednesday and if it wasn't ready for collection we would be fined.
We were ready at 10.30am to leave and start filming when we came up with a good idea of a 'missing poster' which revoltionised our media piece as it became a cornerstone of our production and was the heart of numerous shots used. The creation of this poster cost us about 40 minutes filming time, the actress we chose to star in our film was Luke's girlfriend Poppie Smith so we had to incorporate her face onto our poster and we had sceduled to film with her but only on a superficial level.
We left the headquarters at 11.15, a time much greater than we expected but we were finally able to start filming. We shot the main few shots on our storyboard that we needed first and then decided to go back later and shoot the excess shots if we came across any complications.
We shot for two hours straight without any hesitancy as we only had this day to film and didn't want to procrastinate like usual. At 1.15 we scheduled a lunch time break and decided to meet up at 2.15 again for the remainder of the day.
2.15 arrived at we all were at the rendezvous point ready and eager to continue. Still no sign of Poppie so in the next 4 hour we achieved all the rest of the shots from over 30 different locations ranging all across Werrington. On the way back to film the final collections of shots with Poppie at Luke's house we decided to add a couple of scenes in as flashbacks and discard the influencial scenes of the little girl rocking back and forth which indicated the genre of the movie. As we had to change this scene the whole genre was compremised so we had to revert to original ideas of a thriller.
In these flashbacks we decided to use three, (all shots just with Isaac and Poppie)
We had previously in our lunch break came up with a plan to go to Luke's Grandads allotments and create a controlled fire at 7.45pm as we thought all the shots would be finished by then. To the whole team, and familys dismay we discovered that the camera hasn't been charging at all for the whole two day period and we had been given faulty equiptment, we tried different solutions such as different plugs, different fuses etc but to no prevail. After fretting for about half an hour we were thinking about cancelling the trip out to Luke's grandads allotment and giving up on the rest of the remaining shots. Then we remembered that we had a small bit of juice left in the smaller of the 2 batteries provided so Isaac quickly organised to go back to his house and retrieve it all in time before we had to leave. As a group we decided to postpone Poppies scenes as she was still not ready to come over and film the fire scene.
We arrived at Luke's grandad's allotment at approximately 7.35ish and created a controlled fire with dry pieces of wood. We filmed the shots we needed and after relaxing by the fire for a couple of minutes decided to put it out and return home as we were against the clock.
After thanking Lukes grandad and returning him home, we arrived back at Lukes with Poppie ready for filming about 8.30. We managed to get the majority of the shots we wanted with small fluxuations on the original plan but got the shots nonetheless. The camera did run out before we could fully complete a shot but the film we got was sufficient. Luke realised just before the penultimate shot that the shades were on the camera the whole time. So the fire scene and all the flash backs were much much much darker than original intended. Isaac comforted us though as he knew he could turn the brightness up during editing.
We finally packed up the faulty equiptment and went our seperate ways after a long, arduous day. Happy and contented with the work we had achieved.
After consultation over the computer Isaac has tried to contact the company and try to either;
After coming up with excuses such as the plug wasn't fully in the socket or the cable was the wrong one, we decided to sit down and brainstorm some more ideas for the day ahead as it was our final day of filming. We initially thought we had the camera for Monday, Tuesday and the whole of Wednesday but we found out that the company would be picking up the camera between the times of 9am and 6pm on Wednesday and if it wasn't ready for collection we would be fined.
We were ready at 10.30am to leave and start filming when we came up with a good idea of a 'missing poster' which revoltionised our media piece as it became a cornerstone of our production and was the heart of numerous shots used. The creation of this poster cost us about 40 minutes filming time, the actress we chose to star in our film was Luke's girlfriend Poppie Smith so we had to incorporate her face onto our poster and we had sceduled to film with her but only on a superficial level.
We left the headquarters at 11.15, a time much greater than we expected but we were finally able to start filming. We shot the main few shots on our storyboard that we needed first and then decided to go back later and shoot the excess shots if we came across any complications.
We shot for two hours straight without any hesitancy as we only had this day to film and didn't want to procrastinate like usual. At 1.15 we scheduled a lunch time break and decided to meet up at 2.15 again for the remainder of the day.
2.15 arrived at we all were at the rendezvous point ready and eager to continue. Still no sign of Poppie so in the next 4 hour we achieved all the rest of the shots from over 30 different locations ranging all across Werrington. On the way back to film the final collections of shots with Poppie at Luke's house we decided to add a couple of scenes in as flashbacks and discard the influencial scenes of the little girl rocking back and forth which indicated the genre of the movie. As we had to change this scene the whole genre was compremised so we had to revert to original ideas of a thriller.
In these flashbacks we decided to use three, (all shots just with Isaac and Poppie)
- On the stairs talking casually
- Playing a board game having fun
- This flashback was more complicated, the decided to combine modern day with the past. Isaac looks to his left while a black and white version of Poppie having a party appears and then dissapears.
We had previously in our lunch break came up with a plan to go to Luke's Grandads allotments and create a controlled fire at 7.45pm as we thought all the shots would be finished by then. To the whole team, and familys dismay we discovered that the camera hasn't been charging at all for the whole two day period and we had been given faulty equiptment, we tried different solutions such as different plugs, different fuses etc but to no prevail. After fretting for about half an hour we were thinking about cancelling the trip out to Luke's grandads allotment and giving up on the rest of the remaining shots. Then we remembered that we had a small bit of juice left in the smaller of the 2 batteries provided so Isaac quickly organised to go back to his house and retrieve it all in time before we had to leave. As a group we decided to postpone Poppies scenes as she was still not ready to come over and film the fire scene.
We arrived at Luke's grandad's allotment at approximately 7.35ish and created a controlled fire with dry pieces of wood. We filmed the shots we needed and after relaxing by the fire for a couple of minutes decided to put it out and return home as we were against the clock.
After thanking Lukes grandad and returning him home, we arrived back at Lukes with Poppie ready for filming about 8.30. We managed to get the majority of the shots we wanted with small fluxuations on the original plan but got the shots nonetheless. The camera did run out before we could fully complete a shot but the film we got was sufficient. Luke realised just before the penultimate shot that the shades were on the camera the whole time. So the fire scene and all the flash backs were much much much darker than original intended. Isaac comforted us though as he knew he could turn the brightness up during editing.
We finally packed up the faulty equiptment and went our seperate ways after a long, arduous day. Happy and contented with the work we had achieved.
After consultation over the computer Isaac has tried to contact the company and try to either;
- Get our money back
- Get another three days free
Sunday 27 February 2011
First day of filming
The camera was delivered to Isaac's at approximately 11am on the 21st February 2011. I was unavailable at this time but Luke and Isaac met up an hour beforehand to go over the camera and make sure it was charged/working etc. I met up with my team members at 12pm at the Dragon pub in Peterborough as we were looking for Hazel Croft as we had to find Scott Brown as he said he would teach us about the different functions on the camera.
We arrived at Scott's at approximately 1pm after collaberations about directions and after a lot of confusion we eventually found out the street name and number. During the long walk we decided to kill two birds with one stone as they say, and ring the police enquiries help line in order to gain permission for later either that day, or the next in terms of our 'fire shot'. We found out that if we wanted to create a fire, we had to make sure we kept to these guidelines. Firstly we had to make sure the fire was under control at all times and away from any main roads as this could cause distractions to drivers. We were also told that we could go through with the fire as long as it was on private property.
Upon arrival to Scott's we were invited in and went over any and all functions on our camera, at first glance it all looks complicated but soon became second nature. We learned about buttons such as 'Zebra' which highlighted different light sources which turned out to be very useful and also ways to darken and lighten scenes such as the 'shades' (which literally acted as sun glasses for the camera).
We finished at Scott's at approximately 1.30-40 and made our way to our first location at Cuckoo's Hollow. We went over the shots we were going to take on the way before we got there in order to save time as the weather was very cold and unpleasant.
Over the next couple of hours we shot every shot on our original story board and went our seperate ways very pleased with our work on this day. We had agreed before we left that we would meet up the next day (Tuesday 22nd February) at 9am at Isaac's house and this was the main house which we left all the equiptment.
Hours later I signed onto facebook to communicate with Isaac and find out if the shots were half as good as we thought they were. Unfortunately, and to our distress we found out that half the shots were poor quality with shaky hands and bad continuity which we tried to account for but putting it honestly, they looked ameteur. We talked for aproximately half an hour coming up with a plan as we only had the next day to film, we decided to film every shot again and take many more shots and takes than we needed and would only choose the utmost best in our final production. We also decided to take every opportunity to film that we got so me and Isaac met up at 10.30pm that night to do a singular shot which took much longer than expected as the cameras dimensions and set up has been altered.
After an hour of filming we left tired but comforted as we had our action plan ready for the next day.
We arrived at Scott's at approximately 1pm after collaberations about directions and after a lot of confusion we eventually found out the street name and number. During the long walk we decided to kill two birds with one stone as they say, and ring the police enquiries help line in order to gain permission for later either that day, or the next in terms of our 'fire shot'. We found out that if we wanted to create a fire, we had to make sure we kept to these guidelines. Firstly we had to make sure the fire was under control at all times and away from any main roads as this could cause distractions to drivers. We were also told that we could go through with the fire as long as it was on private property.
Upon arrival to Scott's we were invited in and went over any and all functions on our camera, at first glance it all looks complicated but soon became second nature. We learned about buttons such as 'Zebra' which highlighted different light sources which turned out to be very useful and also ways to darken and lighten scenes such as the 'shades' (which literally acted as sun glasses for the camera).
We finished at Scott's at approximately 1.30-40 and made our way to our first location at Cuckoo's Hollow. We went over the shots we were going to take on the way before we got there in order to save time as the weather was very cold and unpleasant.
Over the next couple of hours we shot every shot on our original story board and went our seperate ways very pleased with our work on this day. We had agreed before we left that we would meet up the next day (Tuesday 22nd February) at 9am at Isaac's house and this was the main house which we left all the equiptment.
Hours later I signed onto facebook to communicate with Isaac and find out if the shots were half as good as we thought they were. Unfortunately, and to our distress we found out that half the shots were poor quality with shaky hands and bad continuity which we tried to account for but putting it honestly, they looked ameteur. We talked for aproximately half an hour coming up with a plan as we only had the next day to film, we decided to film every shot again and take many more shots and takes than we needed and would only choose the utmost best in our final production. We also decided to take every opportunity to film that we got so me and Isaac met up at 10.30pm that night to do a singular shot which took much longer than expected as the cameras dimensions and set up has been altered.
After an hour of filming we left tired but comforted as we had our action plan ready for the next day.
Wednesday 16 February 2011
Research into filming days
We have ordered the camera for the 21st February for a three day period. Here is a print screen of the three day weather forcast;
Our initial plan was to film everything in one day, and then go back to specific scenes that need re-filming either the same day or in the three day period. The weather forcast (in exception of the 19th) is fairly the same with dull dreary weather which fits with our chosen genre and feeling we're trying to convey.
We will film in the morning of the 21st as it is invariably fine in the morning and the weather generally worsens as the day progresses. (Only if the filming is neccesary)
Our initial plan was to film everything in one day, and then go back to specific scenes that need re-filming either the same day or in the three day period. The weather forcast (in exception of the 19th) is fairly the same with dull dreary weather which fits with our chosen genre and feeling we're trying to convey.
We will film in the morning of the 21st as it is invariably fine in the morning and the weather generally worsens as the day progresses. (Only if the filming is neccesary)
Deposit
On the 13th February 2011 I met up with Isaac and withdrew from my HSBS account £150 deposit for the camera. He is now in possession of this money and after the camera has been safely returned I will request this back from Isaac.
Camera hire complete
We have booked the specified camera for the 21st February for 3 whole days. This is the camera advised by Scott in terms of a combination of price and quality.
http://www.camerent.co.uk/video_camera_hire/consumer/Sony_PD170.html#specifications
Here is a picture and link of the camera, the link shows the different qualities and attributes the camera has to offer.
http://www.camerent.co.uk/video_camera_hire/consumer/Sony_PD170.html#specifications
Here is a picture and link of the camera, the link shows the different qualities and attributes the camera has to offer.
Update
Unfortunately due to a trojan virus affecting my home computer I have not updated my blog in a while, I have not had many free periods and in lesson time been filming out final piece. In the next few posts I will explain what we have done and when we took these stages of action.
Friday 21 January 2011
Song Permission 2
After deliberation we have decided upon another song; Coldplay- The scientist (Acoustic verion performed by 'Reuben'). Isaac took upon himself to write a letter to this specific person and within a day he recieved a reply in regards to permission. Here is a copy of both the letter sent and recieved.
Thursday 13 January 2011
Introductionary filming (Final Piece)
In regards of our final production, we have been advised to do a test run using the schools basic cameras to give us additional information in terms of location, shot, props and actors. Myself, Isaac and Luke went in a free period to our designated location; Cuckoos Hollow and filmed the shots we had previously drawn on our story board.
After finishing filming we have decided that the location is perfect for the atmosphere and audience response we hope to induce which is sympathy. We also found out that some shots couldn't be filmed to the standards we require simply because of the specification of the camera, this problem obviously with be rectified with the high tech camera we intend to purchase for approximately 3 days.
After finishing filming we have decided that the location is perfect for the atmosphere and audience response we hope to induce which is sympathy. We also found out that some shots couldn't be filmed to the standards we require simply because of the specification of the camera, this problem obviously with be rectified with the high tech camera we intend to purchase for approximately 3 days.
Monday 3 January 2011
Letter Justification
Here is a copy of the letter I will be sending to 'loop hole' the copyright law;
3rd January 2011
Dear Mat Kearney,
My name is Joseph and I am an A level student studying Media Studies at Ken Stimpson Community School in Peterborough. In our final project we aim to induce a sympathetic feel from our audience and in order to do this we would love to use one of your songs; 'Where do we go from here'.
If there is any problems with us using this piece of music in our production then obviously we will refrain from using the piece. If we do not hear from you back we assume that we have your permission and your support
in this matter.
Yours Sincerely,
JOSEPH WRIGHT
A Level Media Student.
(Click on picture for enlarged view)
3rd January 2011
Dear Mat Kearney,
My name is Joseph and I am an A level student studying Media Studies at Ken Stimpson Community School in Peterborough. In our final project we aim to induce a sympathetic feel from our audience and in order to do this we would love to use one of your songs; 'Where do we go from here'.
If there is any problems with us using this piece of music in our production then obviously we will refrain from using the piece. If we do not hear from you back we assume that we have your permission and your support
in this matter.
Yours Sincerely,
JOSEPH WRIGHT
A Level Media Student.
(Click on picture for enlarged view)
Camera Hire
As a team we are very passionate about films, and we are all very keen to get started making our own intro. This is a piece of work that we want to be proud of, however we feel that the quality of the cameras our school can provide are not of sufficient quality to make a professional looking piece.
We intend to hire out a camera for approximately 3 days and this will cost us around £60, including a £150 deposit. As we only have the professional camera available for 3 days, we must make sure that our production is planned down to every detail so that we can go to the locations, shoot as few takes as possible and then move on to the next location.
We intend to hire out a camera for approximately 3 days and this will cost us around £60, including a £150 deposit. As we only have the professional camera available for 3 days, we must make sure that our production is planned down to every detail so that we can go to the locations, shoot as few takes as possible and then move on to the next location.
Target Audience
Our specified target audience is teenagers to adults. We are aiming to meet a 15 rated guideline as this does not limit us as much as a PG 12 would do. Also limiting ourselves to a 12 would elimate many ideas that have been discussed so far. Some scenes are not suitable for young children.
Risk assessment
Injury to us or actors
Pre prepare family on our whereabouts and arrange scheduled times in which we will ring/check into make sure we're fine. Obtain emergency numbers and contact details. Constantly have a mobile telephone on at least two of our members on scene incase of severe injury and an ambulance is needed.
Severe weather
Delay filming. Check weather forcast and update all members of the group on next scheduled date of filming.
Weather changes
Once again, we will have to delay filming as we will want to have good continuity as it is a very important media technique.
Illness
Physically, if the actor can continue as there are no dialogue except a small bit of singing, then we will continue to shoot our opening. If for any reason the little girl's vocal voice is inadequate due to a cold or other illness then we will have no other choice than delaying filming. As her scene is indoors the weather will not be a problem.
Camera is late arriving
Ring the company immediately and get a progress report. Make adjustments to planning and notify actors. Re-schedule dates due to weather report.
The camera brakes
For a small fee, we will be taking out the insurance as by a freak accident the camera does break, we would be very much inconvenienced as the price to replace it would be collosal.
Copyright music
In order to use a specific piece of music and not conflict the copyright law, we have to compose a letter asking Mat Kearney's permission to his piece 'Where do we go from here'. We don't expect a reply from him so we will put a clause into the letter saying 'If we're don't here back from you we assume we have your permission to use this piece of music'. If Mat himself does right back saying we can't use his music, we have another soundtrack ready and copyright free.
Pre prepare family on our whereabouts and arrange scheduled times in which we will ring/check into make sure we're fine. Obtain emergency numbers and contact details. Constantly have a mobile telephone on at least two of our members on scene incase of severe injury and an ambulance is needed.
Severe weather
Delay filming. Check weather forcast and update all members of the group on next scheduled date of filming.
Weather changes
Once again, we will have to delay filming as we will want to have good continuity as it is a very important media technique.
Illness
Physically, if the actor can continue as there are no dialogue except a small bit of singing, then we will continue to shoot our opening. If for any reason the little girl's vocal voice is inadequate due to a cold or other illness then we will have no other choice than delaying filming. As her scene is indoors the weather will not be a problem.
Camera is late arriving
Ring the company immediately and get a progress report. Make adjustments to planning and notify actors. Re-schedule dates due to weather report.
The camera brakes
For a small fee, we will be taking out the insurance as by a freak accident the camera does break, we would be very much inconvenienced as the price to replace it would be collosal.
Copyright music
In order to use a specific piece of music and not conflict the copyright law, we have to compose a letter asking Mat Kearney's permission to his piece 'Where do we go from here'. We don't expect a reply from him so we will put a clause into the letter saying 'If we're don't here back from you we assume we have your permission to use this piece of music'. If Mat himself does right back saying we can't use his music, we have another soundtrack ready and copyright free.
Codes and Conventions
Media students identify three categories of codes that may be used to
convey meanings in media messages: technical codes, which include
camera techniques, framing, depth of field, lighting and exposure and
juxtaposition; symbolic codes, which refer to objects, setting, body
language, clothing and colour; and written codes in the form of
headlines, captions, speech bubbles and language style.
By the term 'code' we mean a communication system which contains
elements which have an agreed meaning and which can be combined
according to agreed rules. This could be the English language, Morse Code, a
traffic policeman's hand signals, film etc.
A code must consist of:
• a set of signs which carry meaning
• a set of agreed rules for combining those signs together
The main conventions of a thriller/horror opening sequence is enigma to keep the viewer interested, set the scene (where and when the events in the film are happening), Identify the main characters and a brief view of there personality the final main convention of a horror/thriller opening sequence is the narrative.
The codes of a thriller/horror are extensive there are a huge amount to choose from. The main ones i believe to have an impact on the opening sequence are the lighting (low key and mysterious), the music (tense and unsettling) and quick cut transitions between shots to portray subconsiously the intensity of the film to come.
convey meanings in media messages: technical codes, which include
camera techniques, framing, depth of field, lighting and exposure and
juxtaposition; symbolic codes, which refer to objects, setting, body
language, clothing and colour; and written codes in the form of
headlines, captions, speech bubbles and language style.
By the term 'code' we mean a communication system which contains
elements which have an agreed meaning and which can be combined
according to agreed rules. This could be the English language, Morse Code, a
traffic policeman's hand signals, film etc.
A code must consist of:
• a set of signs which carry meaning
• a set of agreed rules for combining those signs together
The main conventions of a thriller/horror opening sequence is enigma to keep the viewer interested, set the scene (where and when the events in the film are happening), Identify the main characters and a brief view of there personality the final main convention of a horror/thriller opening sequence is the narrative.
The codes of a thriller/horror are extensive there are a huge amount to choose from. The main ones i believe to have an impact on the opening sequence are the lighting (low key and mysterious), the music (tense and unsettling) and quick cut transitions between shots to portray subconsiously the intensity of the film to come.
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