Problems that arised

Throughout the whole making of my opening film many problems were raised, some I was able to overcome, yet as I run out of time particular aspects weren't able to be adapted in time.
Fern and I had encountered many mistakes through out the process, which at times made it very difficult to adapt to these situations. Nevertheless, working as a team made us fulfil things much easier.
A problem that always occurred was the use of tutorials and technology that we was using. It appeared that Fern and I were very unlucky when it come to saving and then finding our work, for some odd reason each lesson it was always a long process to actually get working as we were always unable to open our work even though it was there. This became extremely annoying, as we didn't have the time to waste, yet there was nothing we could do about it. Fern and I were unable to control these problems that were being raised with the technology, therefore we had to be patient and try and overcome them using different sources of technology (other peoples Macs) eventually we had used different methods of adapting to this annoying situation that we were constantly in. Even though this appeared to be a problem, it had also taught me to be patient and made me aware that not everything is always expected to go as plan, therefore I had to think of different ways to defeat these difficulties. This wasn't a problem in the making of my preliminary task.
A problem that was raised was trying to keep the ticking clock consistent throughout the whole duration, at the ending we had used sound effects which suggests someone is ringing one of the girls yet the stalker walks over to the mobile and disconnects the call, however as he was walking the ticking of the clock had stopped and also the phone ringing. This was extremely irritating, as it defeated the object of time running out and disconnecting the call. After many alterations of trimming specific sound affects, Fern and I had luckily mastered this problem.
Finalising our videos was always a long process, and each time we added more effects or improved it in a particular way it would take even longer (20-30 minutes). As this process was very long it was extremely irritating once it had finalised that we would be addressed with another error. As we approached the deadline, we had finalised our opening and had then noticed another error again. The ticking of the clock was also in the background of the institution, this was very annoying as when I had searched on other film openings I had noticed this isn't something that a film would usually have, therefore the conventions of using an institution aren't entirely being followed. Unfortunately Fern and I had run out of time to go back and alter this,  I feel that if we had improved this it would make our film look more professional.
I feel there are slight improvements that Fern and I could make to ensure that our film opening looks as professional as possible, nevertheless due to time running out we are unable to do this. From the feedback that I have gained from both peers in my media class and teachers I have realised of the improvements that could be made. An improvement that was suggested was to paste the ticking of the clock to build up the tension in a slower movement, I feel this improvement would appeal more to my target audience as it would leave them more excited for the big reveal. I am hoping that I will have time to go back and adapt this as I feel it would definitely emphasise time running out. This would add to the conventions of a thriller genre.
Another problem that arised was the dates in the note pad being incorrect, as we had done it by each month whereas we should had done it for each individual date of each month. This was extremely infuriating, as it would require re-doing the whole list of dates, re-shooting the footage and then re-applying it to the film, although this is an easy process and would be easy to overcome Fern and I had run out of time to complete this task therefore had to leave it this way. Although this is a minor mistake, it is observed as a major mistake. I feel if we had adapted this the audience would be able to feel more enticed by the further events as it would show that this has been a regular occurance to then build up to be "depleted"

 

Changes

Through out the making of our opening Fern and I had constantly made changes, some were very minor yet some were major. The changes we made had always improved our opening, it also developed our skills of using the technologies and tutorials, especially compared to when we produced our Preliminary task. Through the few videos that I have uploaded on here, you will be able to see clearly some of the adaptions that I have made. I felt it was easy to complete the opening and then review back the entire opening to notice what needed to improve. I had taken advise from both teachers and peers in my media class, the advise that I received encouraged me to make changes, as it was more important for the audience to be lured by the opening than Fern and I. Reviewing back my preliminary task had also encouraged me to make changes as it was clear of the failures that I had made in that, therefore I didn't want to make the same lapses in my two minute opening.
Once Fern and I had uploaded all of our footage onto Imovie we had realised that the contrasts of colours varied as we had filmed at different times in the day. This had became a major problem as the contrasts didn't match, leaving the footage to be unrelevant to one another.



The image above is how the clock scenes were before we had altered the contrast, although it looks clear and bright this wasn't the style we were hoping for. It looked very out of constrast in comparison to the rest of our footage and as for this reason we knew that this was something that had to be changed. Once I had selected a colour which I felt was appropriate for the content and thriller genre, I had then applied it to every piece of footage so that all of the scenes matched, as well as making the scenes match it evidentely created a dull tone which can relate to the negativitiy that is occuring in the scenes.
Fern and I had continueously trimmed pieces of footage, we had done this as we felt some parts were unnesscary and would leave the audience to be bored, and that was something that we were obviously trying to avoid. We had also trimmed some parts as it was signifcant that we hadn't gone over the two minute duration, therefore some parts had to be trimmed otherwise we wouldn't of achieved on one of the main purposes.
The first time we had finalised our opening we hadn't included many non diagetic sound effects. Fortunately Fern and I were aware that this was a huge weakness as it made our opening look slightly unrealistic and boring. For this reason we had searched on garage band all the differnet sound effects that were provided, and chose ones that we felt would be appropriate for the footage that we have. We manly looked at sound effects that would be used in the thriller genre, this was so it would add to the pressure that was being built up. The non diagetic sounds that we added, had evidentely improved our film, I personally think it makes the audience feel more involved, whereas before all we had was the ticking clock. We had done this as we wanted to exagerate the danger that was gradually buiding up and will soon will develop into a tradgedy occurance. I feel that adding more non diagetic sound affects made the audience specifically focus. It was as if the little noises sounded much louder due to the tension that was being built up. Including more non diagetic sounds were a major improvement to not only this opening but also from when I had created my premilianry task, as I hadn't incorporated any in that. I feel that including more non diagetic sounds helped the audience get a precise conclusion of what genre we achieved.

 

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

Fern and I had to ensure that we were aware of the conventions of a thriller genre,  so that we would know what our target audience would expect to see. We were enthusiastic to challenge the conventions as well as follow, as we felt we didn’t want to be stereotypical with every aspect of the constructing of this project. We had used the internet to search on familiar thriller films to see how the conventions are used, this had influenced and encouraged our ideas as we were able to see what was expected for us to achieve. I had also used the internet as a source of research to gain self opinions of what conventions people expect to see in thriller films. I feel this was very valuable as Fern and I were then able to develop our ideas further.
The content of our project was extremely stereotypical as we included features that would often be identified in other thriller films.  The use of stalker was extremely stereotypical in this film, as many other thriller films do this, however it could be suggested as challenging as we hadn’t evoked the stalkers identity, whereas in a film like the “lovely bones” the identity of the stalker is completely shown. We felt a hidden identity would be a lot more enticing as it built up the tension of the secrecy.I believe the use of secrecy made the audience more intrigued as they were impatient to find out the expose of the stalker.  Using an unidentified stalker made the audience willing to continue with watching, as they would be eager to see what the rest of the film may show. It could be suggested that we had been stereotypical as we included silhouettes a body frame and parts of he’s body to provide the audience with evidence yet only minor evidence, this follows the thriller conventions as thrillers often include mysterious effects.
We had followed the conventions of a thriller film by incorporating an institution; we felt that this was significant as it made our film look a lot more professional compared to before where we just had “New line cinema presents” overlapping some of our film footage.  We felt that following this convention had made our film much more successful as it represented  a more proficient approach, it was also a convention that our target audience expected to see and for this reason it was vital to include.

At first Fern and I hadn't used an actual instiution once we had received feedback from a variety of invidiuals it was aware that this was a major fault of our opening, and for this reason we had ensured that we had incorporated one.

 


I feel that the use of mise-en-scene in our film opening follows the conventions of a thriller film; an unexpected location is something that is often used in thriller films as the audience do not suppose that something like this would be an occurrence in a “friendly” neighbourhood. Fern and I had chosen to film in a friendly location as it would not only be the safer option yet it also provides the audience with anticipation to find out the following scenes. In my opinion using a friendly location in the British Culture could represent culture, and how culture will always have negativitiy even if you do live in a friendly area.I feel that the costumes also follow the conventions as it is not often that characters over -exaggerate their costumes to then make the content obvious, therefore Fern and I had stuck to the stereotypical outlook of two vulnerable teenagers, we had also done this as we wanted to represent teenagers in a way that they are seen in today's society. We felt that if we had chosen provoicative clothing for the two teenage girls to wear it would be expected that something bad will occur.

The use of diagetic and non diagetic sounds followed the conventions of a thriller film, the consistency of the clock was extremely annoying, however this build up tension, as the ending of the opening became closer Fern and I had decided to increase the paste, we felt that this would make it much more enticing as it would propose that time is running out and therefore as a result something bad will occur. I am unsure on whether this was successful or not as although the clock was rather irritating it was also engaging, due to being irritationg it was as if the audience themselves were waiting for it to end to stop the annoyance, and also reach the climax. Nevertheless a huge weakness was raised after we had reviewed our finalised project, Fern and I had become aware of how the opening lasted for two minutes, yet the clock movement didn't match with this. This was extremely annoying as by this time Fern and I didn't have enough time to refilm the clock footage, this was a major flaw of our opening as it didn't represent time running out in the way we hoped. However, if we do have time to adapt to this we will definetely  refilm the clock footage to ensure that the movement is evident.

 I feel that following the conventions is usually the best option, as otherwise our project may have been a huge failure, and would have confused our target audience.  Fern and I had tried to develop the conventions by not only using the stereotypical aspects but contributing further ideas, as we felt it would engage our target audeince a lot more.

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

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

Fern and I had done some research on institutions during the preparation of this project; we felt that this would increase our knowledge and awareness of why particular institutions are used for different genres of films. Fortunately it had done this; we were inspired by the institutions that popular films have used. However, we had to mainly focus on the genre thriller. Originally Fern and I hadn’t included an actual institution and had just used an over lapping text on our footage saying !New line Cinema presents" , we had used this institution text as when carrying out research it was evident that thriller films often used this, and for this reason we felt the audience would be more prone to know what genre we were hoping to achieve.
When Fern and I had finalised our project we felt that this was huge weakness as the audience weren’t able to identify clearly what institution we was using( as we hadn't used an actual one). The feedback we had received had encouraged our ideas to then add one in as those who had made criticism had usually asked why we hadn’t of used one, we had both agreed this would give our film opening a much more professional effect.  Unfortunately I wasn’t able to help Fern adapt to this situation as during this time of applying the institution I was in an exam therefore Fern had taken on the duty of doing this. Fern and I had changed the institution to paramount vintage; before we had done this we had researched what particular genre of films this is usually associated with to ensure that it was a real establishment. The research had also consisted of making sure that it was suitable for the content as the producer of the film has to be the same as the genre. For an example “The parent trap” would not be appropriate to use this institution as it doesn’t follow the conventions of the genre that is supposed to be matched with. Once we had added in the institution we had then asked a group of peers of their opinions, the feedback that we had received was much more positive than before, therefore we were sure this was the correct decision, as it targeted more to our audience.
This is a British Film; this is evident by the weather conditions, location and the accents of our voices. During the footage where both Fern and I are talking on the phone the audience will instantly become alert that this is a British film because of the accents.
Fern and I hadn’t considered creating a film of a different continent i.e. American film,as we aren't familiar with the way they live their lives, and the different clothing, location and manners that they portray. Thereforeconstructing a British film seemed to be the much easier option and would hopefully be more successful.
Fern and I hadn’t used a listed actors/ actresses in our film however we had ensured that the more significant characters were highlighted from the less significant. We felt that the most famous a listed actors/actresses are usually American; for this reason we wasn't able to use them as our film was a British film, and we didn't want our target audience to be confused about the way we were challenging and using the conventions of our film.
Fern and I was eager to make the audience immediately aware which characters are more important than others. For this reason we had made them a larger font size in comparison to the less important characters. We had adapted the titles to be more bold, once we had done this we felt it looked much rather attractive for our target audience, and also attained an engaging profesisonal approach.
 

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Fern and I was eager to create a video which would also increase the self awareness of social groups. Due to the content that we had included we felt the use of mise-en-scene should be entirely realistic to make the audience feel more involved. Fern and I had chosen to stick to the stereotype of two teenage girls during this era. We felt that when we had encountered this more of our audience would be able to identify with it. The costumes that Fern and I had dressed in was extremely casual and therefore didn’t represent an unrealistic approach, both Fern and I were keen to represent social groups as accurate as possible. We felt that it was significant to dress how we usually would, to show how evil and cruel society is to those who don’t even indicate a provocative style. Fern and I had portrayed social groups to be naive and have low social awareness we felt that this is how most teenagers can be, we had emphasised especially the social group of females as we feel they are a lot more susceptible than males. However once again that is following the stereotype of what the media evokes. Fern and I had represented social groups by the actions that we used i.e. using mobile phones as a form of communication, meeting each other, smiling, talking etc. Fern and I had chosen to represent social groups in a stereotypical way to influence those who are similar to this to then ensure they are more aware of what society is like.  Unfortunately we had only used minor footage which portrayed very little actions that teenagers have, we had used this when we were walking past the stalkers house by having little conversation and smiling to each other. No other social group of is represented in this film opening; however I feel it can apply to the majority of teenagers during this era. I feel that our film opening could represent the social group of class, I feel that working class/lower class individuals are able to identify with this, Fern and I didn’t attain this as well as we hoped as didn’t emphasise it enough. However I don’t feel that, that is a huge problem as the content is more important rather than the class that we are suggesting. Fern and I have represented the social group of lower/working class by the location that we have set it in, we haven’t used a location which suggests exaggerated, and therefore we had settled with our neighbourhood.  The real media continuously provides us with stories how evil individuals have been charged for being paedophiles, these cases often show that the children/teenagers that who have sadly experienced this are vulnerable, as a result Fern and I felt we would also use a social group of venerable teenagers as it will also be a caution to parents to perhaps ensure that they know what their child is doing etc. Fern and I had stuck to one particular social group as we felt something like this is exposed regularly in the real media, therefore if we had incorporated a selection of social group’s confusion to the audience may have been raised. 

What have you leant about technologies from the process of constructing this project?

Creating this project had taken a lot of patience, as we were introduced to technologies that we had never used before. GCSE media studies consisted of using normal hard ware computers, however AS media was a big step as we were introduced to the macs. I was extremely eager to use these as they looked thrilling to use.  However, once I had begun to use them I felt irritated not knowing how to do particular things. It took time to work out the resources and all of the programmes provided on the macs , however during this time I had massively improved my skills. The macs have required advanced using, as otherwise you would instantly be confused. I feel that Fern adapted a lot quicker than myself and as a result was able to work instantly, however it took me huge practice but eventually I was able to use the programmes and adapt to different situations that were raised.  Constructing this product was extremely difficult as It involved several different programmes on the macs such as; imovie, garage band, final cut express. Each programme required different skills, I was firstly unaware of what the features offered, however once I began to use them more and more I was capable. I was able to challenge by self by taking on more difficult tasks as I progressed throughout the making of our film opening. I felt though during process the hardest part was to ensure that the edits flowed, therefore when using imovie I had to input huge effort in taking time to ensure that every piece of footage and edits etc was accurate and precise. I feel that I had addressed garage band rather patiently as I had endless amounts of ideas of what I thought would be appropriate to include, when creating the voice over I felt that it was significant that the voice had a male tone to it, therefore I had searched through all of the features on garage band to make sure I had selected the most appropriate one. I have learnt that when using the macs the process of constructing the project takes an extremely long time, therefore you have to be willing to come across failures and complications to eventually produce a winning project. Another technology that I had used was the camera to video the footage, I felt that even though I had never used these specific cameras before I was able to adapt straight away, the cameras are extremely easy to use therefore I didn’t have to have structured instructions  to work out the buttons etc. During the time of using both the macs and camera I felt that my independence has improved. We wasn’t taught how to use the macs, therefore had to work it out for ourselves. Although at times I felt as though I wanted to give up if something was going wrong, I had continued to be patient and eventually was able to overcome my problems. Fern and I had chosen to mainly use imovie instead of final cut express as we felt even though it was harder to use it provided us with more editing options, from the beginning of the process to the ending it is evident that both Fern and I skills have exclusively improved.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

Who would be the audience for your media product? How did you attact/address your audience?

The target audience was something that had to be considered when creating my film opening. It was important that I had taken on board what genre individuals would be interested by, and what expectations they would have for my film opening. A film should have a target audience as otherwise it would be aimed to no specific group, this would lead to individuals not being enticed by it, and as a result the film would be unsuccessful.
The main method that Fern and I had used to set our target audience was a questionnaire, this questionnaire provided questions of the subject; films, and once I had received the results I had instantly become aware of what interests my target audience have.
The target audience for my film opening is 15-45, Fern and I felt this was appropriate as anyone younger than 15 years of age may become frightened of the scenes that we have included, Fern and I had to therefore ensure that when creating our video we didn’t use scenes which contained too much violence, bad language etc for that reason we used minor inappropriateness. Fern and I feel that opening video wouldn’t appeal to a mass audience over the age of 45, for that reason we felt the age 45 was suitable.Never the less, we had looked at this particular set age group from a different perception, anyone in society could face this (being stalked) therefore there shouldn't be an age limit. Fern and I have aimed this film to both genders; we feel that although it’s an entertaining film, it could be suggested as a warning; therefore we felt it was suitable for both sexes. We had tackled this by using both female and male characters, to enable the audience to feel more involved.
Fern and I haven’t used any particular music that our target audience could associate with, however if we did I believe it would be a very difficult decision as our target audience is extremely large. Nevertheless, I feel that teenagers of both genders can connect with the teenage girls in our film; as the majority of teenagers during this era are naive and unaware of how cruel society can be. I believe teenagers may feel more alert about how evil some people can be in society, and hopefully as a result will improve their consciousness.
A failure that could be raised in our finalised project is that we had used a male stalker, Fern and I hadn’t thought beyond the stereotype and therefore used a male to follow the conventions of a thriller genre, however if we had challenged this by using a female character our target audience may feel confusion about what is happening, which would make them eager to continue to watch the rest of the film. We had stuck to the stereotype as we felt the target audience will feel more involved. The younger ages of our target audience can identify more with the use of props such as a mobile phone as a form of communication. I believe the target audience could perhaps relate to the use of location, as it wasn’t an unrealistic location, we had used an area which was in both Fern and I neighbourhood and was easily accessible (being my house) I feel that Fern and I have attracted our target audience instantly by the use of the ticking clock, already the audience are introduced to sound which could instantly suggest that time is running out, this refers back to our title "Depleted" Over all Fern and I had continuously referred back to our target audience in the making of our film opening, this was to make sure that our audience would be attracted by each feature that we had included.
Our target audience had participated in the process of creating this film, they had constantly provided Fern and I with advise of what they felt worked well and what could be further improved. This had definitely helped us as otherwise we wouldn't know if it was successful or not. Our target audience had given us feedback once we had finalised our video, a huge weakness that was raised was not including an actual institution, this had encouraged Fern and I's decisions to then add one as it was something that our target audience expect to see and will be hooked by.
The use of secrecy of the stalkers identity attracted our target audience, as it left them in anticipation of wondering who the stalker was. I feel that if we had included more shots of the stalker doing different things in a sharp paste, it would certainly entice the audience more .Fern and I hope to adapt our finalised opening again if possible by incorporating more footage of the stalker, we feel this will imrpove our opening as the audience can build up more assumptions for the stalkers identity.
I am indecisive on whether the ticking clock attracts the audience, in some ways I feel it is enticing due to it's annoyance, yet from another perspective it could be suggested as to annoying that as a result they do not want to continue in watching the film. I feel it would be a lot better if we had pasted the clock, firstly using one tick, then two, etc. I feel using a gradual movement with relate to the narrative aswell as build up tension and lure our target audience.
 

Looking back at my Preliminary task

Before Fern and I had began this project I had to produce a video which had the duration of fifteen seconds, during these fifteen seconds I had to ensure that I used the following shots; shot reverse shot, match on action and the 180 degree rule. Although this video was only 15 seconds I still had to use specific techniques in order to achieve a flowing video. Reviewing my Preliminary task back evidently shows that I have massively improved in different areas. The preliminary task was extremely useful as it was a guide of how to produce my actual film opening. I feel that from there I have improved in areas of; editing skills, creativity/imagination and content.  Throughout this progression of making my two minute opening video, I feel that I have learnt massively how every feature needs to be taken into consideration.  During the creating of the preliminary task I had struggled by ensuring that the match on action was exactly precise, however when creating my two minute video opening I felt more confident with doing this and therefore had only took two attempts to get it exact. In my preliminary task I hadn’t taken on many edits, and had only made minor adaptations, however my two minute opening was full of all kinds of edits, therefore I had most definitely improved on this area of the project. My film opening was much more creative in comparison to my preliminary task as I had thought through each aspect i.e. music, clothing, characters, location etc. It was evident that my two minute film opening would be a lot more successful than my preliminary task as I had a lot longer to achieve it and ensure that it had a more professional approach, however I feel that the preliminary task is valid evidence to show the progression that I have made. I have become more advanced with using the camera during the time of making the preliminary task and my film opening. I feel that the preliminary task had benefited my film opening, as otherwise I wouldn’t be as advanced as I was with particular things. I feel as though I have also improved on preparation and organisation since then, when producing my preliminary task I hadn’t thought about my target audience, however when creating my film opening that was one of the most important considerations, as otherwise I wouldn’t know who the video would be aiming to. I am extremely pleased with the progress I have made during the time of both these creations, as I not only feel my technology skills have improved, but I feel that my awareness of the conventions of films has developed. I have got to know the conventions of genres and the reasons for why they are a significant to include, especially the conventions of a thriller genre.

Sound effects that we had used

Fern and I had included both diagetic and non diagetic sounds. I feel that one of the main weaknesses of our film opening was the voice over, we had produced the voice over at the last minute, therefore didn’t spend enough time to make it as accurate as it could had been. We had done this on garage band by recording our voice and then changing it into males vocal, however it hadn’t sounded as masqueline as we were hoping, we had made this decision last minute as we felt our opening could be slightly confusing without it. Even though the voice over wasn’t as I had hoped, I felt that it will instantly attract the target audience more as it provides them with more evidence to be certain that it is a thriller genre, never the less if I get the opportunity to improve my film I will get hold of the male that plays the part of the stalker and use him to do the voice over.
 The constant ticking throughout our opening appeared to be successful as although it was irritating it intrigued the audience when watching; it built up a feeling of tension which was what Fern and I had hoped as it followed the conventions of a thriller genre, it suggested that time was running out and something dangerous was about to occur.
 The music was a huge weakness when creating this video opening, as Fern and I had constantly felt our opening lacked an “unexplained” effect which we wanted it to have. As the project progressed Fern and I had began to use more diagetic sounds, we felt that this would make the audience feel more involved. As the panning and establishing shot of the location is rewound, a rewinding sound is used, both Fern and I had particularly admired this sound as it exaggerated the tension that was being built up. It suggested that the girls that the stalker was waiting for were becoming closer and closer to this specific location. Fern and I had added a sound which was consistent throughout the opening; even though we had a ticking clock we felt that this wasn't enough. As a result we had used a dramatic sound which is often used in thriller films to encourage the anxiety, we had enhanced it to be louder or the more significant scenes i.e. when the camera is on the stalker, we had done this to exaggerate the danger of the stalker, and how every time it gets louder the girls are becoming near and nearer to he's house. This follows the conventions of a thriller, as when carrying out research I had noticed that this particular sound is often used in thriller films to make the audience anxious, I feel it also makes the audience feel more involved and gives them a sense of danger and awareness. When the title appeared in our opening video we had made this sound ever louder as we feel the title is the most important feature and should command the most attention, therefore increasing the sound evidentially adds to the apprehension. Adding in this sound had made our opening video a lot more enticing for the audience.

Editing skills that we had used NEED TO BE IMPROVED

Editing was one of the main aspects of this project as it determined whether our project would be a good accomplishment or not, editing can do a lot to footage in dissimilar ways. Fern and I had used Imovie to do our editing.In the making of my premilianry task I had used final cut express, which I feel it a much more straight forward tutorial. Nevertheless, I feel imovie provided more techniques and was more technical, therefore for this reason I was eager to use this programme. We had began by using simple devices on the programme by trimming footage which wasn’t needed or was inappropriate. Already I felt this was difficult and frustrating, however with the patience Fern and I became more and more advanced. Fern and I continued with editing until the deadline, we progressed and made continuous alterations to our opening, until we had used the majority of tutorials that are provided on the programme. We had constantly tested our different features however some did not work and therefore we wouldn't apply it to our finalised film. I felt that our editing was extremely successful as we had made huge improvement throughout.

Once Fern and I had imported all of our footage onto Imovie we became aware of the different constrasts that the footage contained. This had became a problem as it gave an odd outlook for out target audience,  as it suggested that the time of day was constantly changing, this was a significat fault that had to be adapted. Fern and I had experimented with the provided effects on Imovie to change the colouring of footage, I had found it interesting to see what our scenes would look like in particular colours, eventually Fern and I had selected a colour which we felt was appealing for our target audience and followed the conventions of a thriller film. We had chosen an effect which gave a mysterious effec. The followed scenes that Fern and I do not show in our film will follow up from the climax that is slightly revelled at the ending of our two minutes, it is evident from the last few seconds of our opening that something bad has just occured. For this reason I feel using this particular contrast for our scenes work well, as it suggest the feeling of negativitiy and fear (as if it is in past tense)  Once Fern and I had applied this colour we were both pleased with the outcome, we felt it enhanced the thriller genre more compared to before as it didn't look as happy and jolly.
 



















I feel that a main source of editing that I constantly used was applying transitions. I feel the use of transistions in our opening increase the audience's understanding of being a thriller genre as it not only created tension, yet it made the audience have full focus on the scenes that followed up. It was signficant that Fern and I had avoided exagerating the use of transitions as otherwise it would look silly and very unrealistic. For this reason we had stuck to the basics, yet used them in an enticing style. At the beginning of the opening the stalker is observing through the photographs of the two vunerable girls













 At the ending of our opening we have included an animation which looks as if the note pad that the stalker is writing in has be photographed on the last date I feel that this is extremely effective as it symbolises the ending which can then relate to our title “depleted” We had used this specific shot as we wanted the audience to have complete focus on that ending date, therefore get a sense of suspicion that the stalker has made further evil actions on that particular date.

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I had enjoyed becoming aware of the different techniques that imovie had provided, and as Fern and I developed our opening more and more we both got excited and happy with the
improvements that we were making.I believe the choices that we made when editing followed the conventions of a thriller genre.The colour of the scenes was originally slightly bright however once we had edited them they instantly implied a negative feeling and mysterious effect; this was extremely appealing for our video as it had followed the thriller genre as it didn't suggest a happy feeling. Another effect that I felt worked very well was the slow motion, we had used this whilst the stalker was tapping on the note pad, as it suggested urgency, and released a feeling of tension. I believe again it follows the thriller genre as it leaves the audience in anticipation, wondering what scene will follow it up. The edits that we had made fit the target audience that we had set at the beginning of this project.
 
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Filming Skills that we had used

Many elements had to be considered in this project to actually produce winning footage. To get the footage that we hoped for Fern and I had to select characters, props and a location. Fern and I had found it difficult to begin with to decide on who we would use to take the role of the “ stalker”   we became irritated by not knowing who we could use, we then both suggested to use someone who we was familiar with and would ensure to be reliable, as a result we had selected my dad to be the “ stalker” this was rather difficult when filming as my dad doesn’t live with me therefore at times was difficult for him to assess my house to film, however whenever I had the opportunity to film him, I had taken it. Filming was a difficult process throughout this project as it took endless attempts to get precise footage which would be appropriate.
 Fern and I was luckily enough when filming to have weather which we felt was appealing for the thriller genre. The weather was dull and dreary we felt this  represents the feeling of creepiness, that something negative will soon occur, therefore we was pleased with this result. We felt the our target audience will also identify more with this particular weather as they are more likely to guess the genre that we are trying to achieve.
Fern and I had had both filmed different shots, and had continuously swapped the camera. This had allowed us to both use our camera skills, and try new things that we hadn’t yet done before.
It was difficult to ensure that when filming we had used a variety of different shots; we had taken several scenes various times to include these shots. It was vital that our opening had included a selection of shots as it evidently made our opening more enticing and exciting.
We had used a shot reverse shot to show how oblivious the two teenage girls are that a stalker is watching them, this shot reverse shot consisted of both of the girls showing positive expressions, talking and smiling, therefore as a result it reinforced the stereotype of the teenage gender. Fern and I had done this by each swapping the camera when filming, i.e. when we got a shot of Fern I would film and vise verse. A shot reverse shot provides a close up of expressions of two different people. I feel this would have hooked the audience as they are able to create a interpretation of both teenage girls, and how vulnerable they are represented. Fern and I had decided to remove the sound of us talking as we felt it would suggest that because the stalker is inside, he therefore can't hear what they are saying. I feel this was successful as shooting this scene didn't require any major acting, as Fern and I were able to act ourselves rather than doing things that we don't usually do. I feel that our target audience could feel enticed in this scene as they know that someone is watching the two teenage girls therefore tension is built up, as the two teenager are unaware, so as an audience they are eager for them to escape this bad climax that is soon going to occur.

Fern and I used a tracking shot as the "two teenage girls" are meeting (Fern and I) we felt that this represents the gradual movement of time running out and soon will be "depleted" as we are meeting each other we are both unaware of what later events will occur, therefore it could be suggested as a build up for the climax. We used a tracking of both behind and in front shots, we felt that it was significant to vary the shots of tracking as otherwise it would look rather dull and simple. Using a tracking shot of behind could relate to the stalker and how he's eyes are following the two girls consistently. The use of tracking of the two teenage girls walking could raise a caution for our target audience, as the two girls are unaware that they are being stalked in a friendly location, this may advise the audience to be careful of how evil society can be.

 







Throughout the film I had become more and more advanced with the way certain shots should be used for particular scenes e.g. when we filmed the location we had used a establishing shot and then a panning, this had emphasised the mysterious location, and evidently showed there was a reason for why it had to be included, when the establishing shot rewinding it suggested that the audience had to focus on one particular house, yet during this time they haven't been told which house it is that the stalker is living it, therefore it leaves our target audience questioning. Reversing this clip showed how vital the location is.

Unfortunately one of the scenes with the stalker is slightly blurry, this had showed that my camera work wasn’t at good quality in this specific piece, however once I had imported it and reviewed it on the computer screen I felt it would be appropriate for the conventions of our thriller genre, as it suggested a hidden identity therefore that could be the reason as why it is blurred as it doesn’t reveal to many clues.
Each time the camera had returned to the clock Fern and I had used the exact same type of shot; a front view close up. We felt that it was important to use a shot of the clock as although we did have the non diagetic sound of the clock ticking throughout the duration we felt using a shot suggested the stalker was constantly looking at it to see how long he had until the two girls would approach he's road. I feel that the audience may had been more hooked if different shots of the clock were used, i.e. panning, side shots etc, as this would suggest the movement of the stalkers eyes.

At the beginning of the opening, a shot is used to review over several photographs of the two teenage girls that the stalker has taken. This shot could be suggested as a panning shot and a point of view shot as where I had filmed this you can see the shadow of the stalker leaning over the photograph following through them all. The use of panning shows the direction in which the stalkers eyes are going, I feel the shadow that develops reinforces the idea of how anonymous the stalkers identity is,  and gives the audience a evil perspective or him.
As the two teenage girls were on their way to meet each other (played by Fern and I) Fern and I had used a shot of the girls feet as they were walking, this was one of my most favourite shots, especially of Ferns feet, as I felt it looked very effective. Varying the shots as the two girls were walking built up the tension of the climax soon being revelled. I feel it followed the conventions of a thriller genre, as it evidentely reinforced the idea that a climax is always built up steadily instead of getting straight to the point, as it leaves the audience in expectancy. This was rather difficult to film as when I was filming Ferns feet I had to bend down extremely low and stay like that following her as her feet walked.
Fern and I had often used close ups on the actions that the stalker portrayed, we did this as we felt it was significant for our target audience to see the secrecy of the stalkers identity. However, I know feel this could be seen as slightly boring, as we aren't challenging the conventions. I feel it would be better if we had got long shots of him from further distances, side shots etc, to provide the audience with more clues yet not enough to create a full person identity.

Research that we had done

RESEARCH THAT WE HAD DONE
Fern and I had begun this project by carrying out research; this had made me aware of the conventions that were needed to produce our chosen genre. It had enabled us to get an accurate idea of what was expected for us to achieve. I felt that I had entirely benefited from this as from this research as I was then able to make conclusions. At first Fern and I was determined to do the genre romantic comedy, in order to do so we had continued with our research, however we began to felt that this was a bad idea. We were stuck on ideas, and couldn’t raise anything which would be exciting to include, we also felt it would be slightly difficult to produce footage which would represent the conventions of a romantic comedy. As a result we had chosen our second choice; thriller.  We felt that this genre provided us with more opportunities to emphasise the conventions, and had also believed we would produce a much more successful two minute opening. Fern and I had continued with our research, we had used several methods such as; questionnaire, internet and ideas from our peers within our media class. Collecting this research was tremendously useful as it was a guideline to work from. Fern and I had produced an animated story board, although the outcome was extremely simple, it showed a brief guide of what we would expect to see in our finalised project, this was easy to create and didn’t waste time as we evidently benefited from it.  All of the research that we had done had influenced and encouraged our ideas for our opening, as it provided us with options to choose from.  Watching film openings was a huge inspiration to both Fern and I as we gained huge knowledge of the conventions of a thriller genre, and when reviewing our finalised project we had constantly become aware of how we followed the conventions of a thriller.

What we did

WHAT WE DID

Our task was to produce an opening of a film which would have duration of two minutes. Once we were told of this task I was enthusiastic and excited to produce a project which I had entire involvement in, instead of having to follow structured rules. However, as I began the project I had become aware that it would be extremely hard to master, and many complications and failures will be raised through out. This project was to be done in groups, the majority of peers in my Media studies class had the average of three to four in their group, nevertheless I had thought deeply about the amount of input I would have if I was in a large group. As a result I had paired with Fern Davis. Fern and I both studied Media as a GCSE therefore were familiar with the expectations of this project. We had both fortunately achieved a GCSE A grade, therefore we felt working together would be the correct decision as we would combine our knowledge together. Throughout this project Fern and I had merged our suggestions and opinions, combing them together often raised both successful and unsuccessful conclusions, yet we both were continuously aware of the failures that we were making. Although at times we had disagreed on particular aspects of the project we felt this was useful as it showed evidently the wrong and right decisions that we were making. Throughout this project both Fern and I had taken on diverse duties at different times, this enabled our project to speed up slightly as we didn’t waste time messing around on unnecessary things.

Final video with institutionlm

Uploading it to youtube

 

Fern and I had uploaded our opening video onto youtube. We had done this to ensure that we would receive feedback in a more professional way. Uploading our video to youtube allowed us to see the amount of views that our video had, therefore from that we could tell whether it was becoming succesful or not. Youtube is a popular site which enables people to search videos of their choice, Fern and I felt it was significant to upload onto youtube as it was accessable and easy to use.

 

 

 

Nearly there

Fern and I are almost completed, we have no further editing to make, however we feel that our opening lacks professionalism as we haven't included an actual institution. As we result we hope to continue on developing our opening, by using an institution at the beginning of the film to encourage the audience's awarenesses of what genre this opening is.

 

Semi final

Fern and I at this point felt that we had completed our opening, however once reviewing back we instantly felt huge adaptions needed to be made to enhance the conventions of the thriller genre. Therefore this isn't our finalised project, as we will now incorporate further animations, music etc to build up the tension that this opening holds, it will also develop the audiences awareness of what genre this film is.